Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending today?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to discover which eateries have been getting extra notice 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 have the momentum heading into the end of the year.
Ivy Lane
Open since October, this cocktail bar and New American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw a median 1.4% increase in new reviews over the past month. Ivy Lane only recently appeared on Yelp, but while many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, it has seen strong initial popularity.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: The Grounds of Brooklyn has seen a 157.1% increase in reviews.
Located at 116 E. 60th St. (between Park and Lexington avenues) in the Upper East Side, Ivy Lane offers a lamb burger, a NY strip steak, slow-braised beef short rib, truffle gnocchi and more.
Ivy Lane is open from 5 p.m.–11 p.m. on Tuesday-Sunday. (It's closed on Monday.)
The KOVA
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Todt Hill's The KOVA, the breakfast and brunch spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 1.6% increase in new reviews over the past month, The KOVA appeared on Yelp relatively recently. Many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, but it has seen a surge of interest.
Open at 1775B Richmond Road since August, The KOVA offers pancakes, French toast, a pulled chicken sandwich and grilled cheese, among others.
The KOVA is open from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. on Monday and Friday and 7 a.m.–4 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. (It's closed on Tuesday.)
Nolita Pizza
And Nolita Pizza is currently on the upswing in the pizza category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Pizza" on Yelp saw a median 2% increase in new reviews over the past month, this pizza spot saw a surge in new reviews despite being relatively new to Yelp.
Curious about this business? We found this in its Yelp history section: "At Nolita Pizza, we only create our dishes with the finest ingredients such as imported cold-pressed virgin oil, homemade marinara sauce and the finest quality aged mozzarella. We even offer gluten-free Margherita and Regina Napoletano."
Want more about the business's specialties in the words of the people behind it? "Pizza with a Northern Italian flair " — that's according to its page on Yelp.
Open for business at 68 Kenmare St. (between Mulberry and Mott streets) since July, Nolita Pizza offers classic cheese and pepperoni, as well as margherita, Sicilian and veggie.
Nolita Pizza is open from 11 a.m.–2 a.m. on Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m.–5 a.m. on Friday-Sunday.
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.
