Fried cheese drizzled with honey

We had a big dinner of little plates at Au Za’atar in the East Village.

Few restaurant chains are memorable enough to have their legacy outlast their operations. Howard Johnson’s is the rare exception, in part because their unique buildings remained identifiable icons long after a location closed. Anthony Mitchell Sammarco looks into this rich history in A History of Howard Johnson’s: How a Massachusetts Soda Fountain Became an American Icon.

Classic cocktails make the whole experience seem a little dreamier at Lucien and the East Village

We drop in at a popular, French-inspired bistro in the East Village.