NYC Restaurants: Graze Upon This Week's Summery Food News

NEW YORK CITY — Salads and vegan-friendly offerings took a big, crisp bite in New York City this past week.

Patch's latest buffet of food news has plenty of veggie tales, along with a minimum wage for delivery workers.

Yet again, Patch's small newsroom was there to provide the freshest bits for our dear readers.

Check out our weekly food news roundup, and come back next week for more.

Salads, salads and Just Salad.

Maybe because it's summer, but greens were all over New York City's culinary plate.

• A Vegan Night Market opened in Central Park.
• A father-daughter duo opened an Uptown Veg location in Bed-Stuy.
• And Just Salad put down more roots on the Upper West Side.

Don't despair, carnivores.

A popular Oklahoma barbecue restaurant — Au Jus — set up its third Manhattan location last week.

And New Yorkers looking for a fun summer menu should check out Ootoya Times Square. The joint is bringing back their Onigiri Menus as a summer pop-up.

• Central Park Will Host Weekly Vegan Night Market: What To Know
• Father-Daughter Duo Opens Vegan Bed-Stuy Restaurant
• New Salad Spot Opens On The UWS: Special Deals This Week
• Popular Oklahoma BBQ Restaurant Opens In Washington Heights
• Ootoya Times Square Bringing Back Summer Menus

New York City's food delivery app workers will get a first-in-the-nation minimum wage, officials said.

Workers who deliver New Yorkers' food for DoorDash, Uber Eats and other apps will make $17.96 an hour starting July 12.

By April 2025, their minimum wage will be $19.96.

Besides this happy news for delivery workers, local restaurants kept getting recognition.

WaHi Diner, for example, was the first establishment named in a recent Eater NY article — "Diners We Adore in NYC."

• NYC To Implement Minimum Wage For App Workers, Marking National First
• Wash Heights 24-Hour Diner Praised Among 21 Best In NYC

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Not all food news was happy.

Two Rockaway deli workers were accused of choking and beating a customer who complained about his food.

The customer was left clinging to life after the assault, while the workers face strangulation charges.

Across town, a Prospect Heights staple — Cataldo's — served its last plate of Italian food after 14 years.

And, finally, a Harlem deli worker did his best to avert a tragedy.

USA Deli employee Rashad Ali rushed to quell the flames of a four-car pile-up that left one woman clinging to life.

• Rockaway Deli Workers Strangled Customer Who Complained About Food: DA
• Cataldo's Closes After 14 Years On Vanderbilt Avenue
• Hero Deli Worker Quells Harlem Crash Flames, Woman On Brink Of Death