"Opened on the Upper East Side in 1954, I see Serendipity 3 as a mid-century hangout that became famous for its trademarked Frrrozen Hot Chocolate — a recipe so beloved Jackie Kennedy Onassis once tried to buy it for a White House party (Oprah later got it) — and for its celebrity patrons, from Andy Warhol (who used to barter meals with his drawings) to Marilyn Monroe. It began as an antique shop with a café in the back and later became a full restaurant filled with memorabilia: an antique clock (sourced from London), reproductions of Warhol artworks, Milton Glaser– and Seymour Chwast–designed stirrers, and a fireplace seating nicknamed the “movie table” where John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale sat in the Serendipity movie. The spot has broken several Guinness World Records, was referenced on Girls, counts longtime customers such as Cher, and remains tied to its founders (Stephen Bruce is the only surviving founder); it holds a beer-and-wine license and the restaurant owns the brownstone at 225 E. 60th Street. While the chain ships its Frrrozen Hot Chocolate mix nationwide, nothing replaces drinking one in the old-fashioned soda fountain glass." - Emma Orlow