Yes, the five chefs vying to win the title of best chef in the five boroughs at the 2018 James Beard Awards Gala this Monday all run very different restaurants, but we can safely assume they agree on at least one thing: New York City is a great place to eat and drink.
We asked Estela’s Ignacio Mattos, Lilia’s Missy Robbins and Dirt Candy’s Amanda Cohen (Empellón Midtown’s Alex Stupak declined to participate and Buvette Gastrothèque’s Jody Williams got caught up in other projects) where they like to dine when they’re not on the clock, what they consider the most “New York” of all eats and which of the city’s many dearly departed restaurants they miss most.
