How 10 NYC Restaurants Are Adapting in the Face of Coronavirus

With mandates to suspend all in-house dining, restaurant owners are re-envisioning their service on the fly

March 17, 2020 9:00 am
Rosemary's in the West Village will continue to deliver menu classics.
Rosemary's in the West Village will continue to deliver menu classics.
Rosemary's

Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez asked New Yorkers not to crowd bars and restaurants, the New York Times begged us not to go to brunch, and Eater is continuously updating a list of restaurants expanding their delivery options. In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, New York’s restaurants are faced with the decision to shift to pick-up and delivery only or close outright.

Below, you’ll find 10 eateries that are working to enhance or create from scratch pick-up and delivery programs that will allow them to continue feeding their communities and providing paychecks to their employees for as long as possible. Keep in mind that hours and availability are changing frequently, so call ahead to confirm that the details are current before stopping by. 

Without further ado, here’s how to support some local businesses instead of stress-eating your entire pantry — just remember to do so responsibly, which means as little face-to-face interaction as possible.

Hutong
Midtown 


If you need to feel fancy while working remote in Midtown, Hutong is delivering both dim sum and large-format dishes like roast Peking duck with pancakes. If you live from 2nd to Park Ave between 57th and 68th street, there are no delivery fees. 

731 Lexington Ave 
Website 

Llama San
West Village 


Llama San’s much-lauded Japanese-Peruvian cuisine will be available for pick-up starting on Monday, March 16. Their limited menu will be updated on the highlights section of their Instagram, and includes complex dishes like octopus with Alaskan king crab, shisho, egg, jasmine rice and dashi. Orders can be placed by emailing pickup@llamasannyc.com or calling (646) 590-4422. 

359 6th Ave 
Website 

Rosemary’s
West Village 


This West Village standby for consistently excellent Italian fare has launched Rosemary’s At Home, which offers a four-course dinner for four starting with their signature warm olives and finishing with tiramisu, and five family-style a la carte options. They’ve also added “provisions” for the more DIY-inclined, offering house-made mozzarella along with pasta and sauces by the pint. 

18 Greenwich Ave 
Website 

A noodle dish from Málà Project (Málà Project / Instagram)

Málà Project
East Village


A retro-Chinese hot spot that specializes in customizable Málà Dry Pot, the team behind Málà Project launched their #malaathome campaign early last week, encouraging diners to order delivery and practice safe social distancing. Their sister restaurant in the FiDi, Chubby Princess, is also offering their full menu for delivery. 

122 1st Ave 
Website 

Jeepney
East Village 


Filipino favorite Jeepney is known for its Kamayan feasts, where guests are seated at communal tables and encouraged to eat with their hands. Now they’re shifting their focus to pickup and delivery, offering 15% off all pickup orders and complimentary Arroz Caldo, a classic Filipino chicken and rice porridge, with all delivery orders. 

201 1st Ave 
Website 

Kopitiam
Lower East Side 


When NYC’s Chinatowns saw a devastating decrease in business due to concerns around coronavirus, Kopitiam partner Moonlyn Tsai started organizing culinary tours. Now, the hip Malaysian spot is offering DIY Kaya Toast Kits for pickup, and are planning to release a DIY Nasi Lemak kit in the coming weeks. Ordering info for the kits can be found on their instagram, and their full menu is available for delivery via Caviar. 

151 East Broadway 
Website 

LaLou
Prospect Heights 


This posh Brooklyn natural wine bar has created an abridged version of its dinner menu, available for pickup starting at 5 p.m. each night. With options like kholrabi ceasar, steak with charred little gem and anchovy butter, and sticky toffee pudding, you might forget there’s a pandemic going on. 

581 Vanderbilt Ave 
Website 

Gertie’s chicken salad with chips (Gertie’s / Instagram)

Gertie
Williamsburg 


A California-style cafe with a Brooklyn Accent, Gertie will launch “Gertie to Go” on Wednesday, March 18, for comfort food that feels like your grandma sent you a care package. Grammy’s Chicken Dinner can easily feed a family, and comes with a whole rotisserie chicken with schmaltzy rice and crispy lemon tahini broccoli. 

357 Grand Street 
Website 

Lilia Caffé
Williamsburg 


Missy Robbins has closed both of her hard-to-get-into restaurants, Lilia and Missi, but Lilia Caffé is, for now, still serving Italian pastries and coffee to Brooklynites in Williamsburg. They’ve been doing a turkey porchetta sandwich with hot peppers, arugula and aioli, available for takeout from 11:30  a.m. to 4 p.m. 

569 Union Ave
Website

Charlie Bird 
Soho  


The straightforward Soho staple for Italian with a New American twist is delivering family meals for lunch and dinner by calling (212) 235-7133 or emailing info@charliebirdnyc.com. They’re currently offering three courses with a choice of farro or winter citrus salad, cacio e pepe or gnocchi, and roasted chicken or whole grilled branzino. Check their Instagram for updates.

Update: As of March 17, Charlie Bird is now shuttered indefinitely, delivery meals included. Follow their social media for further updates.

5 King Street 
Website

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