Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending right this minute?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which eateries have been on the tips of diners' tongues this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at New York City businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are closing the summer out strong.
Health Kitchen
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Whitestone's Health Kitchen, the spot to score salads, acai bowls and poke is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Salad" on Yelp saw a median 2.9% increase in new reviews over the past month, Health Kitchen bagged a 77.4% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a sound four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 4.8 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 10-17 154th St. since December 2018, this casual counter-service spot offers healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner options for dine-in, take-out and delivery. You can start your day with one of Health Kitchen's acai bowls — in varieties like Berry Bowl, Acai Colada and Gimme S'more — or one of 18 different smoothies and protein shakes.
Bistrot Leo
SoHo's Bistrot Leo is also making waves. Open since April at 60 Thompson St. (between Spring and Broome streets), the French spot has seen a 29.4% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.6% for all businesses tagged "French" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Bistrot Leo's review count increased by more than 500%.
Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Bistrot Leo offers a full menu of classic French dishes, from savory favorites like escargot and steak frites to sweets like lavender creme brûlée and pain au chocolat. There are weekend brunch and cafe menus, too, featuring oysters, croque monsieur and more. Over the past month, Bistro Leo has seen its Yelp rating tick down from 4.5 stars to four stars.
Cobble & Co.
The Financial District's Cobble & Co. is the city's buzziest gastropub by the numbers.
The bar and restaurant — which opened in November 2018 at 19 Fulton St., in the recently renovated South Street Seaport shopping and dining district — increased its new review count by 50.9% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 3.4% for the Yelp category "Gastropubs."
Cobble & Co. serves nearly 90 different beers and ciders, and the menu features elevated takes on American pub grub. Try the Hughes, a bacon cheeseburger topped with black truffle oil and mac and cheese, or an order of the Ultimate Nachos, served with braised short rib. There are veggie-friendly options, too, like an Impossible Burger and Buffalo-style cauliflower.
Taiyaki NYC - Flushing Pop-up
Open since May, this pop-up ice cream shop is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Desserts" on Yelp.
Citywide, businesses tagged "Desserts" saw a median 2.1% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Taiyaki NYC - Flushing Pop-up saw an 80.6% increase, maintaining a healthy 4.5-star rating throughout.
This pop-up outpost of the chain of Japanese frozen dessert shops serves soft-serve ice cream in fresh-made, fish-shaped waffle cones. Order a signature creation, like matcha and black sesame twist with sweet red bean paste, or build your own Taiyaki cone with your choice of ice cream and toppings. Located at 136-17 39th Ave., in the food court of the Queens Crossing shopping center, the pop-up will stay open until October.
Bar Primi
Is the East Village's popular Bar Primi on your radar? According to Yelp review data, the pasta shop and Italian spot is getting plenty of attention.
While businesses categorized as "Italian" on Yelp increased their media new review count by 2.1% over the past month, Bar Primi nabbed a 1.4% increase in reviews within that time frame, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating.
Located at 325 Bowery (between Great Jones and Third streets.), Bar Primi specializes in fresh-made pasta. Stop in for traditional antipasti, Italian wines and classic pasta dishes like spaghetti and clams, rigatoni carbonara and squid ink campanelle.
This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
