Where to Eat in NYC Now: Interview with Emily Elyse Miller of Trends on Trends
Everybody’s searching for the hottest restaurants and bars in New York. That’s why we sat down with Emily Elyse Miller—founder and creative director of Trends on Trends, a culinary trend forecasting agency, and curator of the WestHouse Dine Around guide—to find out where to eat and drink in New York City.
On avoiding tourist traps and seeking out local, quality restaurants:
The first thing I do is search for local blogs that cover culinary recommendations. When I see a dish or restaurant repeated across a few sites, I add it to my list. I use Google Maps to “favorite” places I’m interested in, so when I’m wandering in a new city, I know what’s nearby. It makes it easy to pop in and out of several restaurants.
I also like a good balance of high and low—it’s exciting to try buzzy new restaurants, but without noshing on the local street food or more casual, off-the-beaten-path spots, it’s hard to capture the true pulse of the city and the culinary routines of the people who live there. A combination of the two leaves me with an accurate point of view of the cuisine in a new city.
On chefs beginning to backtrack to the ’70s:
From fashion to design to food, the ’70s are back across the board—but with a contemporary spin. The dining scene in New York is experiencing a return of classic ’70s-style desserts, like the vacherin (French or Swiss cow’s milk cheese) at Vaucluse. Then, there’s casual lunch counter-style spots, like the vintage Mr. Donahue’s in Nolita. Flowing into the cocktail scene, the fern bar—a term for preppy bars that originated in the late ’70s and named for their decor, which included ferns and other greenery—is seeing a comeback with spots like the retro-styled Oleanders in Williamsburg.
Vaucluse: 100 E. 63rd St., 646-869-2300
Mr. Donahue’s: 203 Mott St., 646-850-9480
Oleanders: 160 North 12th St., Brooklyn, 718-218-7500
On where to eat the most important meal of the day:
Breakfast has become more than an on-the-go meal before work, and restaurants in the city are making an effort to serve a full weekday morning menu—creating a return of the power breakfast. Lafayette and Buvette are my favorite spots for it in New York.
Lafayette: 380 Lafayette St., 212-533-3000
Buvette: 42 Grove St., 212-255-3590
On her new way to spark conversations:
BreakfastClub is a series that I started where I bring chefs, editors and influencers together, in the morning, for a family-style meal prepared by a chef who doesn’t normally serve breakfast. The focus is on creative conversations enjoyed over delicious food.
On how she curated restaurants for the WestHouse Dine Around guide:
WestHouse is chic—so I focused on experiences ranging from the city’s most lauded Michelin-starred tables along with New York classics that have won the hearts of locals. “Cereal Milk” ice cream from Momofuku Milk Bar, for example, has practically become a rite of passage—most New Yorkers have tried it at least once. I also curated the guide so guests can enjoy the best New York has to offer any time of day, including coffee, desserts, snacks, drinks and entrees—with enough options to create a Dine Around day of their own.
Momofuku Milk Bar: 15 W. 56th St., 347-577-9504