Welcome to The Classics. America’s stories are told through restaurants. These are the places that, over decades, have come to define our communities, neighborhoods, and cities. These are the restaurants that have stood the test of time, and above all, the restaurants we love. And now is the time to honor and support them.

New York

Midtown’s French Legends Are Gone, But La Bonne Soupe Ladles On

This week on Resy we’re exploring the many facets of French restaurants in New York. We unpack why New York…

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Oakland

Passing It Down: On Lois the Pie Queen and Soul Food Generations

Lois the Pie Queen just might be the oldest Black-owned restaurant in California. These days, it’s run by Lois’ son,…

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Spago Los Angeles

Los Angeles

How Spago Changed Everything

Spago opened on a chilly evening in January 1982. The first night, 21 Rolls-Royces jammed into the restaurant’s tiny parking lot…

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Detroit

At 50, Phoenicia Remains Detroit’s Icon Of Middle Eastern Cuisine

Time doesn’t always work against us. Sameer Eid and his Phoenicia restaurant in suburban Detroit are living proof — both…

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Chicago

At Lem’s Bar-B-Q, Comfort Comes in a Plaid Paper Boat

We zipped down 75th Street for an early dinner the day that indoor dining reopened in Chicago last year, but…

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Inside Moosewood restaurant in Ithaca, N.Y.

New York

Moosewood, the Legendary Vegetarian Restaurant, Embarks on Its Next Chapter

This past summer, a chalkboard emblazoned with the message “WELCOME MOOSEWOOD!” with two columns of names written below hung outside…

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National

Look to a Memphis Landmark to See the Future of American Restaurants

Geoff Davis is the chef and owner of the upcoming Burdell in Oakland. Follow him on Instagram at @geonate88. ***…

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florida avenue grill

Washington D.C.

Soul Survivor: The Story of the World’s Oldest Soul Food Restaurant

Native and long-time Washington, D.C. residents link the words “Florida Avenue Grill” and “institution” much like they do with the…

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Illustration by Jeannie Phan

New York

Does Being a Classic Restaurant Mean You Can Never Change?

When El Parador Café opened in 1959, it was one of just a handful of Mexican restaurants in New York…

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Once upon a time in Los Angeles, people thought the idea of combining fried chicken and a waffle as a meal was absolutely crazy. Herbert Hudson thought otherwise. Adrian Miller tells the story of Los Angeles icon Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles.
Sylvia's in New York.

New York

Sylvia’s in Harlem Still Stands For Community

A couple of weeks ago, on a Sunday afternoon in August, I strolled up to the pickup window at Sylvia’s…

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Illustration by Alexandra Bowman

Atlanta

Remembering Atlanta’s Bygone Black-Owned Restaurants

A family photograph — one with me cheesing harder than I ever have, wearing a frilly, powder blue dress and…

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Chicago

On Chicago’s South Side, Josephine’s Preserves the Lineage of Soul Food

To own a restaurant is a labor of love. To own a soul food restaurant for 35 years, as Josephine…

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Washington D.C.

Mama Ayesha’s Has So Much History, But Represents So Much More

Classic restaurants like Mama Ayesha’s in Washington, D.C. are beloved because of the traditions they have forged over the decades,…

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San Francisco

How Caring About the Little Things Makes Zuni Café Special

One of my most vivid memories of working at Zuni Café was during Pride weekend. The energy within the walls…

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London

In Dalston, Mangal 2 Is a Classic Institution That Answers to No One

I’ve been going to Mangal 2 for what feels like my entire life. I’ve always loved the flavours and the…

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Washington D.C.

For Decades, Ben’s Chili Bowl Has Been an Integral Part of DC

When I moved to DC, one of my first stops was Ben’s Chili Bowl. Since then, it’s still the first…

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"Friday lunch at Galatoire’s is ritual and reunion." // Photo: Erik Pronske / Getty Images

New Orleans

Vigil Mass, or, A Friday Lunch at Galatoire’s In the Midst of 2021

I was halfway through my pompano when a man in a gray wool suit stood up from his table along…

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San Francisco

An Ode to California’s Landmark Drive-Ins

Some of my earliest restaurant memories come from Vicky’s Burritos. Vicky’s is a Mexican-American eatery in my hometown of Sacramento…

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Chicago

At Miller’s Pub, It’s Tom & Jerry Time Again (And Again)

Any December night for the past 60 years or so, there has been a reliably warming beacon of hope for…

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The outside of Raoul's in Soho

New York

As Soho’s Iconic Raoul’s Expands, a Look at What Keeps It a Classic

“Without atmosphere, a painting is nothing,” Rembrandt once said. Some would say the same about a signature dish at a…

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Charleston

The Trick At Bowens Island? Perfect Oysters And a Special Sense of Place

Bowens Island gave me one of the most profound culinary experiences of my life, through a simple oyster. It was…

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Denver

The Fort: A Classic American Western Restaurant that Savors Its Past

“Western cuisine, “edible history” and “frontier food” are terms that can be as well-worn and meaningless as an old cowboy…

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New York

The Most Amazing Things Can Happen After a Meal at Sparks

When I bought the lease for my first restaurant, Union Square Cafe on East 16th Street, I made the deal with a…

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Los Angeles

At Bake n Broil, Nothing Is More Precious Than The Last Chicken Pot Pie

Jongewaard’s Bake n Broil is equidistant from the hospital I was born in, and the home I grew up in.…

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Miami

A Love Letter to La Camaronera

La Camaronera, where do I begin? We have a long history together. I was born and raised here in Miami.…

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Houston

There’s No Classic Like the Classic Burger Joint

Burger joints are one of the most iconic landmarks a city can have. 

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New York

The Family Restaurant That’s Become New York’s Melting Pot for Nearly 50 Years

This March, one of New York City’s most beloved dim sum palaces closed its doors and the city lost a shared piece…

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Why Classics? Because Legacy Restaurants Tell the Stories of America

Welcome to The Classics. 

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Boston

Cafe Sushi Has Been Cambridge’s Special Spot Since 1984

Cafe Sushi is not the place that my husband and I had our first date, nor did we get engaged…

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San Francisco

Blessed Be Tommy’s Joynt, the Last San Francisco Hof Brau

One late evening in 2005, my roommate and her situationship picked me up outside Greyhound at the old Transbay Terminal…

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The current-day Gage & Tollner dining room. // Photo courtesy of Gage & Tollner; historical photos courtesy of the Brooklyn Historical Society

New York

The Long Road to Gage & Tollner’s Once-and-Again Return

Historically, there are no second acts for famous New York restaurants. Rector’s, Mama Leone’s, The Colony, The Quilted Giraffe’s, Maxwell’s…

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New York

The Resy Guide to New York’s Classic Restaurants

You couldn’t tell the story of New York without its restaurants. Tightly woven into the fabric of the city, these…

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Katz’s Deli

  • Since 1888
  • Jewish
  • $$

Lombardi’s

  • Since 1905
  • Pizza
  • $$

Barney Greengrass

  • Since 1908
  • Jewish
  • $$

Grand Central Oyster House

  • Since 1913
  • American
  • $$

Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs

  • Since 1916
  • American
  • $

Totonno’s

  • Since 1921
  • Pizza
  • $$

Fanelli’s Cafe

  • Since 1922
  • American
  • $$

Frankie & Johnnie’s

  • Since 1926

21 Club

  • Since 1929
  • American
  • $$$$

Le Veau d’Or

  • Since 1937
  • French
  • $$$

Wo Hop

  • Since 1938
  • Chinese
  • $$

2nd Ave Deli

  • Since 1954
  • Jewish
  • $$

Di Fara

  • Since 1965
  • Pizza
  • $$

Jahn’s

  • Since the 1970’s
  • American
  • $$

Manducatis Rustica

  • Since 1978
  • Italian
  • $$

Jackson Diner

  • Since 1980
  • Indian
  • $

Great NY Noodletown

  • Since 1981
  • Chinese
  • $
florida avenue grill

Washington D.C.

Soul Survivor: The Story of the World’s Oldest Soul Food Restaurant

Native and long-time Washington, D.C. residents link the words “Florida Avenue Grill” and “institution” much like they do with the…

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Courtesy Barbara Leung

New York

The Enduring Value of New York’s Oldest Chinese Restaurant

Nom Wah Tea Parlor, as my family tells it, was the first Chinese restaurant I ate at. I can’t confirm…

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Los Angeles

The Night That Changed L.A. Forever Also Put El Coyote on the Map

On a hot August night in 1969, actress Sharon Tate and friends Jay Sebring, Voytek Frykowski, and Abigail Folger sat…

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Prince's Hot Chicken window.

Nashville

Nine Questions for the Matriarch of Prince’s Hot Chicken

For Ms. André Prince Jeffries, the owner of Prince’s Hot Chicken in Nashville, hot chicken is a way of life,…

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San Francisco

What’s Next for House of Prime Rib, the City’s Ultimate Celebratory Restaurant?

House of Prime Rib is a unique restaurant that holds a special place in the hearts of San Franciscans. But…

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New York

Fanelli’s Has Belonged to Downtown Manhattan Since 1874

Everyone who hangs out at Fanelli’s was a downtown kid, or their friends were. I realized this when I started…

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Nashville

Now More Than Ever, I’m So Grateful For Legacy Restaurants Like Arnold’s

I am eternally grateful for Arnold’s. It’s the first place I take a guest when they come to town, especially…

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Courtesy White Horse Tavern

New York

The White Horse Tavern Evolves, But Dylan Thomas Is Always Watching

The psychic center of the White Horse Tavern in Greenwich Village — still, even after decades of changes — is…

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Original Soul Vegetarian in Chicago.

Chicago

Original Soul Vegetarian: Proof That Divine Culinary Inspiration Can Grow on Trees

To the casual observer, Original Soul Vegetarian (a.k.a. “Soul Vegetarian East”), a Chicago restaurant with multiple locations across the country,…

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Filming Once Upon a Time ... In Hollywood at Casa Vega. // Courtesy Casa Vega

Los Angeles

A New Brush With Fame, Yes, But Casa Vega Has Always Been There For Us

Rafael “Ray” Vega opened his Casa Vega restaurant in 1956, near the corner of Ventura Boulevard and Fulton Avenue in…

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formosa cafe

Los Angeles

The Formosa Cafe is a Masterclass in Restoration

Like an aging Hollywood star, the Formosa Cafe’s light may have dimmed a bit over the years, but it never…

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Washington D.C.

For Decades, Ben’s Chili Bowl Has Been an Integral Part of DC

When I moved to DC, one of my first stops was Ben’s Chili Bowl. Since then, it’s still the first…

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New York

How 2nd Avenue Deli Changed My Life

2nd Avenue Deli is as New York as New York gets.  I started going there decades ago, picking up orders…

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Chicago

An Ode to Chicken Vesuvio, the Ultimate Expression of Chicago

If ever there was one perfect expression of Chicago on a dinner plate, it’d be Chicken Vesuvio: a meat-and-potatoes dish…

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Los Angeles

At the Heart of L.A., Harold and Belle’s Preserves a Legacy and Looks Ahead

Ryan Legaux says that he’s probably eaten more po’ boys than most people alive. Having at least three or four…

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Atlanta

For Atlanta, Paschal’s Serves as a Monument to History — and Hope 

Paschal’s restaurant does more than serve soul food. It is an Atlanta institution that serves as a monument to history…

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Nashville

Now More Than Ever, I’m So Grateful For Legacy Restaurants Like Arnold’s

I am eternally grateful for Arnold’s. It’s the first place I take a guest when they come to town, especially…

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New York

Great NY Noodletown is Everything That Makes New York Special

The first time I went to Great NY Noodletown, I didn’t walk there. I ran. I had recently moved to…

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Photography by El Tepeyac

Los Angeles

El Tepeyac’s Rich Family Legacy Continues One Burrito at a Time

Back at the end of February, when there was talk of a citywide shut down, I met a friend at…

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Philadelphia

Pat’s King of Steaks is the Heart of Philadelphia

From its location in the heart of South Philly, the just off-center ordering process, and of course the whole “Whiz…

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Los Angeles

Cielito Lindo Defines the Flavors of East L.A.

Mexican American food conquered America with its popular flavors of fresh and dried chiles stewed into hearty dishes thickened by…

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