Cookshop

"If you’re looking to have a healthy dinner with several children and a few parents, you should do it at Cookshop. This American restaurant in Chelsea is casual, but nice enough for difficult-to-please parents, and the menu has vegetarian options, as well as a few different salads and seafood dishes." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, will hartman, neha talreja, willa moore, sonal shah

"A Chelsea classic that always has clean, flavorful food on the menu. There’s also enough variety on the menu that one of you can get a plate of grains like the one you see above, while the other shovels Huevos Rancheros into his or her mouth." - chris stang

"Simply put, Cookshop has been one of NYC’s most reliable restaurants for a very long time now. We’ve been coming here for years, and our meals have never been anything but delicious—not even once. The menu is uncomplicated and as American as it gets, with pork chops, fish, roasted chicken, and brunch. There is no bad time to visit—even breakfast is solid here—and there's a big outdoor space for the nine days in May and September that you can actually sit outside. Just know that it is nearly always busy, and you will wait for a table. Food Rundown Stone Oven Pizza Cookshop has a big wood burning oven, and when you have that kind of oven, sometimes you make pizza. Yes, this one is topped with ramps and therefore also the slightest bit of pretense, but it’s also pretty damn good. Order with confidence. Vermont Lamb Tasting If I was a lamb, this is how I would want to go out. Various parts of me, cooked to delicious perfection, served on a slab of wood to a king. OK, if not a king, a president. No presidents eat here, do they? How about a high ranking member of parliament? A famous actor? No? Fine, someone at a restaurant in Cheslea. Someone smart enough to order me. Spit Roasted Cascun Farm Chicken Roasted chicken in a restaurant is no novelty, but it’s rarely this good. There’s some smoked chili oil in the mix, which punches things up a bit. Do it if your heart so desires. Whole Fish You’ll find various fish presentations on the menu at Cookshop, and our move is always to keep it simple. Nobody at the table is gonna be mad at a nice piece of fish." - Chris Stang

"Like cancelled 9am meetings and Tom Hanks, Cookshop is pleasing to just about everyone. This all-day spot in Chelsea serves very good American food, like a grain and salad bowl with vegetables and a poached egg at breakfast, and roasted chicken with smoked chili oil. They also have heavier options in case you’re starving after extending your run by a mile to get to the end of a This American Life podcast - like a lamb burger with goat cheese and crispy potatoes. Everything is enjoyable and affordable - almost the whole dinner menu is under $30 - and they have plenty of sidewalk seating in case you didn’t get quite enough fresh air on your run." - matt tervooren

"Life is a popularity contest, and this place wins. Cookshop is a neighborhood staple that’s good for a lot of situations: dinner with parents, lunch with your boss, brunch with friends, etc. Service is friendly, the space is bright and lined with plants, and there’s a patio for those two weeks in May and September when being outside isn’t the worst. When you can't decide where to go in the neighborhood, just come here and eat a little gem salad, a plate of roast chicken, or a pizza topped with some kind of seasonal vegetable." - bryan kim, neha talreja, hannah albertine, sonal shah