"The Waiting Room: Talea The Back-Up Plan: The Happiest Hour To eat some of NYC’s best Indian food in the West Village without a reservation, you should accept that it’s going to take a little while, then make a beeline for Talea’s West Village location. The women-owned brewery has interesting beer, and espresso martinis. Plus, if you get peckish, they allow outside food, so you could enlist the line-standing enthusiast in your party to pick up some slices from L’Industrie. Or, check out The Happiest Hour—it can get crowded, but you can always stand around with a $32 bucket of beers. " - willa moore