Known for its aggressive community boards as much as for its bevy of iconic New York dining institutions, Manhattan's West Village caters to palates and pocketbooks of every denomination. While its status as a safe haven for creative and alternative lifestyles is on the wane, the neighborhood remains one of the best areas on the island for the nocturnally hungry to snag a midnight snack. More

The okra retains its bright green color and firm texture, and the filling is plenty flavorful thanks to purple onions and a tangy spice mix that adds a little bit of heat. The tender, flaky paratha wrapped around the veggies makes the whole thing work—why would anyone eat sad lunch 'wraps' when there's another option this delicious? More

Thelewala on MacDougal Street specializes in Indian street food, and we're huge fans of their kati rolls and other offerings. They makes several dishes that are hard to find in other Indian restaurants in New York, like lesser known chaats and uncommon variations on kati rolls, which they call nizami rolls. More

Reviews generally start with an introduction, but I'm going to start this one with beef tongue. Because as I sit at my computer it keeps popping into my head, the memory of it, as it has been ever since my visit to Perla last week. Beef tongue with a whisper-thin crust that gives you just the slightest resistance before you get to the impossibly tender meat underneath. Beef tongue that's been in brine for a week before it's braised, then charred. "I can't stop thinking about that beef tongue," confessed the friend I'd brought to dinner the next day, in a conspiratorial tone, over coffee. It does that to you. More

At the recently opened Landbrot Bakery, they offer both Cheesecake and German Cheesecake ($5.25) on any given day. The latter is the one you want. It's noticeably light, akin to an Italian ricotta cheesecake baked atop a sweet dough crust. More

strong>Miss Lily's Banana Pudding ($6) is slightly different from others around the city. Yes, there are banana slices and plenty of Nilla Wafers, but this pudding parts ways when it comes to the pudding. Instead of that easy to love, almost-from-the-box-esque type of pudding, Miss Lily's is less fluffy and sweet, and comes with actual bananas blended into the vanilla pudding. More

I don't mind taking in tourists at all—I love showing them the best my city has to offer—but it can be a challenge to bring them to just the right places. If I'm eating out with a friend who lives here I don't mind taking a chance on something new, but I want my guest's experience to be perfect. Here's a great way to spend an afternoon with your guest walking and eating around the West Village and Soho. And if you're visiting town, feel free to take this walk without a guide. You can do so in the comfort that you'll be eating just like a real New Yorker. More

The first bite is a mix of flavors and textures: the pipping hot clams rest over a cooling celery root remoulade—made even more flavorful thanks to capers, red onions and chives—and it's all cradled in a fresh roll, next to a refreshing side of slaw. Of course, the fried clams dominate the dish: these battered mollusks are crispy, crunchy and copious. Such roll overflow necessitates extensive utensil work, but, when each mouthful tastes this good, who cares if a knife and fork come to the rescue? More

Kin Shop offers the lightest coconut cake in town. It goes by the name Coconut Cream Cake, and $9 buys you an enormous slab that goes down dangerously easy. More

If there is one place in the city that offers you fried food without the greasy guilt, it's the West Village's vegetarian Red Bamboo. One of their more successful meat substitutions is the Creole Soul Chicken. More