NYC Restaurants: Tired Of Wildfire Smoke? Then Eat Up This Food News

NEW YORK CITY — Wildfire smoke wasn't the only news in New York City this past week.

Thick plumes of food news, as usual, enticed hungry (and maybe sort of smoky) New Yorkers.

A local chef won a James Beard award, famous French fries returned to a burger titan and a slew of new restaurants were slated to open.

And Patch's tiny-but-hungry newsroom was there to sniff it all out. Check out our weekly food news roundup, and come back next week for more.

A Manhattan culinary maestro won a prestigious James Beard Award.

Junghyun Park — who leads the kitchen in Atomix, a buzzy Korean restaurant — was named the best chef in New York by the culinary organization.

And he's the only New York City chef or restaurant who got any recognition from the James Beard Awards this year. The city effectively was shut out in all national award categories.

But that doesn't mean New York City restaurants were lacking in recognition.

A West Village restaurant — Libertine — was named one of the city's "hottest" new eateries by Eater NY.

• NYC Chef Grabs 2023 James Beard 'Best Chef' Award
• New West Village Restaurant Named 'Hottest' According To New List

Burger titan J.G. Melon's classic collage fries are back.

Or, as one fan put it: "NATURE IS HEALING!!!!"

The thick-cut round fries were a staple of the Upper East Side burger joint until 2021, when they went off the menu because of supply chain issues.

The return of J.G. Melon's fried gold wasn't the only positive Uptown food development.

Three new Upper East Side spots — a (previously reported) world-famous Italian sandwich joint, a dumpling shop and an all-in-one cornucopia — all moved closer to opening.

And across Manhattan, BO's Bagels confirmed it would open a new shop in Washington Heights.

Also in Washington Heights, the popular Fort Washington Greenmarket is about to return.

• Cottage Fries Return To J.G. Melon
  
• BO's Bagels Opening Location In Wash Heights: What To Know
• New UES Restaurants: Famous Sandwiches, Dumplings, And... Everything
• Popular Farmer's Market Returning To Washington Heights For The Summer

Despite some sunshine on the food scene, there still was a fair share of smoky food gloom.

An 8-year-old had his Upper West Side lemonade stand robbed by a pair of teenagers, police said.

The teens grabbed the boy's money jar containing about $150 and sped away on scooters, authorities said.

Also on the Upper West Side, a diner — Broadway Restaurant — closed after 43 years of serving customers.

Finally, several restaurants were ordered closed by health inspectors, including one that breached over 100 violation points.

• 8-Year-Old Boy's Lemonade Stand Robbed On Upper West Side: NYPD
• Upper West Side Diner Closes After 43 Years In The Neighborhood
• NYC Restaurants Ordered Closed June 2 - 9