John's of 12th Street

"Bow-tied servers, chicken parm portions that could sustain Caesar’s armies, and at least one person yelling that “this is the best spot in town,” are all signs that you’re in one of New York’s roughly 36,000 old-school Italian joints. John’s of 12th Street, which has held its ground in the East Village since the early 1900s, has all of that—plus a whole lot of signed celebrity photos on the walls, and candles that have been melting into mountains of wax for a hundred years straight, probably. But it also has something that most of their competition lacks: a full vegan menu. Sure, we’ve found ourselves reaching for the salt shaker on a few occasions (especially when those occasions involve the vegan stuffed mushrooms). And sure, the size of the chicken parm, or the vegan eggplant version, is its most impressive attribute. But if you’re here for a powerful hit of charm and schtick, then rest assured John’s will deliver a night of drinking barolo and singing “That’s Amore.” " - Will Hartman

"Stop by this East Village barbecue spot with a voting sticker for a $5 cocktail. They also have snacks like corn with chili-lime butter and furikake, and smoked beef jerky. Duck’s is open from Wednesday through Sunday with outdoor seating available." - hannah albertine

"Historically speaking, many birthday parties have happened at red sauce Italian spots. And, historically speaking, vegans have struggled through those meals. John’s of 12th Street is the only restaurant in the city where that won’t be the case. It’s as classic as NYC Italian places get (framed black and white photos on the walls, white tablecloths, and massive portions), but there’s also an entire menu of vegan options. Which means you can get eggplant parm with cashew cheese and a delicious portobello mushroom with polenta and greens. And, if your friends aren’t vegan, they’ll probably be happy with a pile of meatballs." - nikko duren, matt tervooren

"This red-sauce spot opened in 1908 and remains a restaurant from another era that we’re happy to revisit in real life and on TV (by way of “the Sopranos” and “Boardwalk Empire”). This onetime speakeasy made wine and booze in the basement and today pays homage to Italian American items like pasta fagioli, clams oreganata, chicken parm, or spaghetti and meatballs. It’s also a super vegan friendly menu." - Eater Staff

Lunch date: Joe Coleman, performance artist