I absolutely love cooking, but like most people, the endless weeks of quarantine are getting to me. Everything feels like a little too much work, especially cooking. Sometimes, you just need to let someone else do the cooking. That's where these restaurants come in. They're the places you should call the next time you can't bring yourself to turn on the stove.
The Smith
One of my favorite places for a reliably tasty meal, The Smith now offers an amazing family special for takeout or delivery, which includes a salad, pasta or rice, a main, and two sides. The main draw for me is their mac and cheese, which you can select in this deal, and to me, is the best in the city, along with the delicious and enormous chocolate chip cookies you get for dessert (Seriously, I've tried making them and they have not turned out nearly as good).
Junzi
When you want something filling and cheap, this fast-casual Chinese restaurant is ideal for you. The family meal comes in servings of 3-4 or 5-7 people. You choose a base, protein, sauce, four vegetables, and a garnish. Also, every weekend, they have a different menu, with special dishes that range from Thai to Chinese-American, so you can experience something new and exciting during this extraordinarily long and boring quarantine.
Mexicue
Sometimes, you want to pretend that you're not sitting in front of your TV, and instead, be relaxing on a beach somewhere. That's where Mexicue comes in: Their date night or family packages allow you to choose from tacos filled with Nashville hot chicken or barbecued beets. If you're in the mood for something sweet, definitely get one of their brownies topped with dulce de leche, puffed quinoa, and mole dusting.
Hortus NYC
This modern-Asian restaurant is perfect for when you want a quick, healthy-ish lunch or dinner. I recommend ordering from one of their set menus, which comes a choice of protein, rice, soup, tempura, and side dishes.
Her Name is Han
One of my favorite places in the city for a relatively inexpensive lunch set, this Korean restaurant is perfect for when you want a warm and comforting meal during this strangely chilly spring. The hearty meal, which serves either two or four people, is filling and allows you to sample all of their menu. It comes with rice, side dishes, a small plate, Korean bbq, and a small pot of something like a seafood dumpling hotpot.
Sushi Yasuda
This Michelin-starred sushi restaurant is here for you for when you want to treat yourself during quarantine, but still don't want to spend too much. Get the prix-fixe menu and choose five pieces of sushi and two rolls, or, if you're feeling adventurous (or indecisive), get the sushi and sashimi combination and leave the decision-making to the chefs.
Chez Nick
This new American restaurant is perfect for when you want something a little fancier (and probably tastier) than your boxed mac and cheese. Get the dinner for two, which comes with ricotta toast, local asparagus, pasta, and chocolate chip cookies.
Nami Nori
Before, it was almost impossible to get a reservation (trust me, I tried multiple times) to this extremely popular restaurant that specializes in temaki, or hand rolls, with unique flavor profiles. For example, one of their most popular rolls is salmon tomato instead of salmon and cream cheese. Now you can get them delivered, so you don't even need to move from your spot on the couch. My go-to is the signature set of five hand rolls, which includes all of their greatest hits.
Kissaki
If you're in the mood for sushi or sashimi made with high-quality fish but don't want to go broke, Kissaki is perfect. Their fish is so good, it practically melts in my mouth. Get one of their enormous futomaki rolls, or their donburi, made of white sushi rice and topped with sliced raw fish. Alternatively, if you do want to splurge, their omakase courses are amazing and come in a fancy-looking box.
Kubeh
When you want something healthy to eat that isn't a salad, order from this Middle Eastern restaurant. Definitely try one of their family meals, such as the shwarma family meal, or breakfast all day, which includes eggs, roasted potatoes, Shirazi salad, zucchini, hummus, and pita.
So, the next time you just can't stand having scrambled eggs for the third day in a row, order takeout from one of these incredibly delicious restaurants. Not only will your stomach thank you, but you'll also be supporting local businesses, all from the comfort of your couch.