Le Journal

There’s no better people-watching in New York than at Grand Central Oyster Bar. All sorts of diners stop by the subterranean Manhattan seafood emporium as they pass through the historic Grand Central Terminal train station: tourists carting bags from the M&M store, friends catching up at a convenient interborough midpoint, and even a few of that dying breed of Midtown suits who guzzle martinis with clients before catching the 7:32 p.m. back to Connecticut. They’re all here for platters of bivalves, bowls of chowder, and occasional throwback dishes like an oyster pan roast. The dining room is split into sections that seem plucked from different design eras, sharing the clattering buzz of a cafeteria hall and the aging glamour of old-timey New York. Not everything on the menu holds up, but for a charming, relatively affordable experience in Midtown, this old-timer is hard to beat. What to order Start with a dozen oysters — whatever your server recommends — and if you’re still hungry, get a dozen more. This is the move. A bowl of Manhattan or New England clam chowder can warm even the bleakest winter commute for just north of $12. Servers leave packets of oyster crackers, drawn from large bins tucked behind the bars, for each diner. The french fries are a reliable companion to anything.  Best seat in the house Groups of four can find a table in the main dining room, but smaller parties should opt for the snaking lunch counter, one of the counters, or the sneaky little saloon at the end of the main room. Insider tip The menu is long and full of terror — well, full of subpar orders. Stay focused on the holy trinity: oysters on the half shell, french fries, and martinis complete with sidecars. Also remember that it’s closed on the weekends.

The James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for its 36th annual food awards today, and the list is full of New York City restaurants and chefs. The longlist includes Sunny Lee of Korean wine bar Sunn’s in Chinatown and Rasheeda Purdie of the recently opened restaurant Ramen by Ra in the East Village under the Emerging Chef category. The Outstanding Restaurant category includes two sides of NYC Italian restaurants: the Four Horsemen in Williamsburg and West Village’s Via Carota. Best New Restaurant slot includes two of Eater’s best new restaurants of 2025: Cambodian restaurant Bong in Crown Heights and Caribbean prix fixe Kabawa in the East Village, as well as Chinese American wine bar Lei in Chinatown (whose owner Annie Shi won the Sommelier Award in Michelin’s Northeast ceremony last November). For the Outstanding Hospitality category, there’s Mexican restaurant Cosme in Flatiron, Red Hook Tavern, and Prospect Heights Persian restaurant Sofreh. There are two NYC semifinalists in the Outstanding Restaurateur: Simon Kim of the luxe restaurant empire, including Korean steakhouse Cote (which just opened in Vegas), plus an upcoming spot this year; and Jennifer Vitagliano and Nicole Vitagliano of restaurants like the Musket Room and Raf’s. The Best Chef: New York State category is stacked with NYC chefs, such as Noma co-founder Mads Reflund of Greenpoint fine dining restaurant Ilis, Sadie Mae Burns and Anthony Ha of Vietnamese French restaurant Ha’s Snack Bar on the Lower East Side, Joshua Pinsky of Claud, Vikas Khanna of Bungalow, Rafiq Salim of Rolo’s, and many others. Outstanding Chef includes Gabriel Kruether of his namesake restaurant, D.C. chef Kwame Onwuachi of Tatiana at Lincoln Center, and Missy Robbins of Lilia in Williamsburg. As for the rest of the state of New York, Finger Lakes fine-dining restaurant F.L.X. Table was nominated in the Outstanding Wine and Other Program category. Then, under the Best Chef: New York State category, there’s Efrén Hernández of Leeds Mexican restaurant Casa Susanna and Corwin Kave of hotel restaurant Deer Mountain Inn in Tannersville. Scope out the full list below. Then, for our west-of-us neighbors in New Jersey, the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category includes Russ Cowan of Jewish deli Radin’s Delicatessen in Cherry Hill and David Viana of Italian restaurant Judy and Harry’s in Asbury Park. In 2025, the NYC James Beard Awards winners included chef Vijay Kumar of South Indian restaurant Semma in Greenwich Village for Best Chef: New York State; Jungsik Yim of Korean restaurant Jungsik in Tribeca (Outstanding Chef); Ignacio “Nacho” Jimenez of Mexican cocktail bar Superbueno in the East Village (Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service Award); Korean tasting menu restaurant Atomix in Nomad (Outstanding Hospitality Award); and Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr of various NYC restaurant such as Frenchette and the revitalized Le Veau d’Or (Outstanding Restaurateur Award). Best Chef: New York State Fariyal Abdullahi, Hav & Mar, Chelsea Christophe Bellanca, Essential by Christophe, Upper West Side Sadie Mae Burns and Anthony Ha, Ha’s Snack Bar, Lower East Side Fidel Caballero, Corima, Chinatown Giovanni Cervantes, Carnitas Ramirez, East Village Aretah Ettarh, Gramercy Tavern, Flatiron Efrén Hernández, Casa Susanna, Leeds, New York Corwin Kave, Deer Mountain Inn, Tannersville, New York Vikas Khanna, Bungalow, East Village Hooni Kim, Meju, Long Island City Yvan Lemoine, Tourmaline, Forest Hills Nate Limwong, Chalong, Hell’s Kitchen Cheng Lin, Shōta Omakase, Williamsburg Buddha Lo, Huso, Tribeca Angie Mar, Le B, West Village Ayesha Nurdjaja, Shukette, Chelsea Joshua Pinsky, Claud, East Village Mads Refslund, Ilis, Greenpoint Outstanding Restaurateur Simon Kim, Gracious Hospitality (Cote, Undercote, and Coqodaq), NYC Jennifer Vitagliano and Nicole Vitagliano, Elizabeth Street Hospitality (The Musket Room, Raf’s, and Cafe Zaffri), NYC Outstanding Chef…