🚕 Only Goods’: Danny Garcia’s Bold New Brand

Good Morning NY!

NYC’s food scene is shifting fast with bold ideas, big closures, and exciting events this week.

The city plans its first-ever publicly owned grocery store to tackle food access and rising prices.

April closures continue to impact beloved restaurants across multiple neighborhoods.

Queens’ hottest new spots are drawing crowds with diverse global flavors.

A Top Chef winner launches a bold new brand blending food, culture, and streetwear.

And a massive Japanese street food festival returns to NYC with over 50 vendors.

From innovation to nostalgia, NYC dining continues to evolve every day.

NYC’s First City-Owned Grocery Store Set to Open in East Harlem

New York City is preparing to open its first city-owned grocery store.

The store will be located in East Harlem.

The project is being advanced under Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration.

It aims to address food deserts and high grocery prices in underserved neighborhoods.

The city-owned model is intended to provide fresh produce, staples, and essential goods at more affordable prices than private retailers.

This initiative represents a significant policy move by the Mamdani administration.

It reflects an effort to improve food access and affordability for residents.

The store is expected to serve as a public alternative in an area that has faced challenges with grocery availability.

No specific opening date or exact address has been detailed yet.

The development is being reported as a key part of the mayor’s approach to tackling food insecurity in the city.

April 2026 Brings Multiple Restaurant Closures Across NYC

Eater NY has updated its guide tracking restaurants, bars, and cafes that closed in April 2026.

Sushidokoro Mekumi, the ambitious eight-seat omakase counter in Hudson Square, suddenly closed after just six months.

It specialized in seafood from Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture with 18-course tastings for $300.

Dim Sum Palace in the East Village closed on Sunday, April 12 after nearly eight years.

The Meatball Shop’s last remaining location in Hell’s Kitchen closed in late March.

The Gray Mare, an East Village bar, closed after a 10-year run at the end of March.

Strong Rope, the decade-old brewery in Gowanus, closed its location at the end of March.

Sergimmo Salumeria, the Italian trattoria and market in Hell’s Kitchen, closed right after Saint Patrick’s Day.

The V Spot, the 20-year-old vegan restaurant in Park Slope, closed at the end of March.

Yamato, the 30-year-old Japanese staple in Park Slope, closed at the end of March due to low sales and rent increases.

Il Giglio, the elegant Tuscan restaurant in Tribeca, closed on March 28 and is transitioning to a new location.

Brooklyn Brine, the popular pickle purveyor in Greenpoint, closed its storefront after just a year.

These closures reflect ongoing challenges for many independent and long-standing establishments in the city.

Best New Restaurants in Queens

Eater New York’s Queens Heatmap tracks the most exciting new restaurants that have opened in Queens within the past six months.

The list is regularly updated and focuses on spots generating strong buzz and crowds.

Bao’s Pastry (Bao Shi Fu) in Flushing stands out as a Chinese bakery known for butter mochi, tiramisu egg tarts, and crispy floss cakes.

Kampos Taverna in Bay Ridge is a large Greek restaurant featuring grilled proteins and a lively atmosphere.

Makina Cafe in Sunnyside offers Ethiopian cuisine and has earned attention on the heatmap.

The guide highlights Queens’ rapidly evolving and diverse dining scene.

It showcases strong representation from Asian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Neighborhoods such as Flushing, Astoria, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Ridgewood, and Bayside are well represented.

The heatmap serves as a living guide to where the energy and crowds are heading in Queens right now.

It helps diners discover fresh, buzzy spots across the borough.

The list is updated monthly to reflect the latest openings and momentum.

‘Only Goods’: Danny Garcia’s Bold New Brand

Danny Garcia, winner of Top Chef season 21, has launched a new lifestyle brand called Only Goods.

The brand began with jarred salsa macha and T-shirts and has since expanded into streetwear, merchandise, hats, sweatshirts, tote bags, matchbooks, ashtrays, and long candles.

Garcia has Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage and is Muslim, so he does not serve pork in his concepts.

Only Goods aims to spotlight Latin American culture and reflects his vision of opening a restaurant inspired by Puerto Rican bodegas and the overabundance found in Cracker Barrel stores.

The name “Only Goods” abbreviates to OG, which stands for “original” and “highest level.”

Garcia is planning a restaurant under the Only Goods brand that will function as a daytime luncheonette and bodega counter in the front, with a casual and cozy restaurant in the back.

The concept will be community-first, fully halal, and designed so that Muslims can eat everything on the menu.

He wants to elevate Puerto Rican food beyond rice, beans, and pernil while keeping it fun and unapologetically different.

No lease or address has been announced yet for the restaurant.

Garcia previously planned a restaurant in Flatiron with James Kent’s group but stepped away after Kent’s death in 2024 and the subsequent closure of the concept.

Massive Japanese Street Food Festival Returns to NYC This Weekend

A large-scale Japanese street food festival is returning to New York City this April.

The event is organized by the Japan Society and features over 50 vendors offering authentic Japanese street foods.

It takes place on Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12, 2026, at the Japan Society located at 333 East 47th Street in Midtown.

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

It celebrates hanami, the traditional cherry blossom viewing season.

Highlights include takoyaki (octopus balls), okonomiyaki (savory pancakes), yakitori (grilled skewers), ramen, karaage (fried chicken), and various mochi and taiyaki desserts.

Vendors come from across the U.S. and Japan, including popular NYC spots and first-time participants.

There will also be cultural performances, sake tasting, and family-friendly activities.

Tickets are required and available through the Japan Society website.

This popular event offers a fun and flavorful way to experience Japanese street food culture in the heart of Manhattan.

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