Steve Marchese (@stevemarchese), Executive Producer — Totonno’s Pizzeria, 1524 Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn: People will swear by DiFara as the epitome of what is best in New York pizza. And they are mostly right, it is the church by which all pizza offerings are judged. But church is boring and stuffy and has all those damn rules. That’s why Totonno’s has always been my top pick—just as revered by the pizza faithful, and they’ve replaced the doughy dogma for homestyle goodness.

Emma Whitfield (@emmawhitfield), Senior Account Manager — Rubirosa, 235 Mulberry Street: Rubirosa is hands down one of the best modern Italian restaurants in the city. Located on Mulberry St. between Prince and Spring, it’s a great spot serving reinvented Italian-American classics and delicious pizzas!

Terence Brosnan, Executive and Operational Assistant — The Organic Grill, 123 1st Avenue: This vegan restaurant (yes, I know, but don’t stop reading) has impressed some of the most proudly carnivorous people I know. With vegan cheese that actually melts, incredible cauliflower sandwiches, and truly the best kale slaw you’ll ever taste, this is a treasure in the East Village!

Nicole Ferraro (@NicoleFerraro), Editorial Director — Utopia Bagels, 1909 Utopia Parkway, Queens/ Tal Bagels, 357 First Avenue: You’ll get a lot of opinions on bagels in New York. But I was born and raised here, so I am actually at least 25% bagel. If you had all the time in the world to travel to a remote part of Queens, I’d send you to Utopia Bagels—undisputedly the best bagels in all the land. But for a more central option, you can’t go wrong with Tal Bagels (you’ll find three in Manhattan: one on the Lower East Side; and two on the Upper East Side). Perfectly crisp yet doughy bagels and spreads galore!

Jason Brickhill (@jasonbrickhill), Social Media Manager — Patacon Pisao, 139 Essex Street: If you’re on the Lower East Side and in the mood for a quick, delicious bite to eat, take a stroll to Patacon Pisao on Essex Street. In this tiny space (food truck turned restaurant), you’ll find the best patacón sandwiches (meat or veggies between fried plantain cakes), arepas, and other Venezuelan street fare—and my personal fave, the Cubano Burrito (now I’m hungry!). If you can’t find a seat, take it to go and head west on Rivington to Allen Street, take in all the LES vibes, and grab a seat in the park.

Pro tip: Try Roaming Hunger (also available as iOS and Android apps) to find food trucks all over the city.

Jordana Jarrett (@jordi_cheri), Editor — Melba’s, 300 W 114th Street, Harlem/ Harlem Tavern, 2153 Frederick Douglass Boulevard: If you find yourself uptown, I highly recommend grabbing soul food at Melba’s on W114th in Harlem. When it comes to soul food people will say, “go to Silvia’s.” “Go to Red Rooster.” They aren’t wrong, but if want great food and a laid back vibe, Melba’s is a hidden gem. Try their Southern Fried Chicken & Eggnog Waffles or Sweet Potato Pancakes (mmmm!). Right up the street on W116th and Frederick Douglas is Harlem Tavern. Stop in for their jazzy brunches or go later for a great dinner and drinks!

David-Michel Davies (@dmdlikes), CEO — The Commodore, 366 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn: There are a lot of places for fried chicken in New York. People are going to talk about Pies ‘n’ Thighs. It is very good. Delicious, actually. There’s Root & Bone, also delicious, but who wants to have dinner in Manhattan? Then there’s Commodore. This is really all that we need to talk about: delicious, weird cocktails, and very, very crispy fried chicken. It’s so crispy that I’ve heard people call it “too crispy.” Who has ever complained about fried chicken being too crispy? That’s how crispy this is. You have to dig through the crispy pieces to find the chicken.

Sabrina Dridje (@londonsab), Contributing Producer – Dynaco, 1112 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn: If you fancy making the trip over the bridge and hiding out in a dark bar with strong drinks, head to Dynaco and get a Manhattan in Brooklyn. Follow this up with a pizza (and more cocktails) at Saraghina—their garden is awesome.

Christine Lee (@khunty_kharax), Mo-graphics Designer — House of Yes, 2 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn:
If you want to dance, try House of Yes! It’s a Bushwick venue with a fun dance floor and nice outdoor area. The music ranges from disco, funk, and soul to electronic music, so check their calendar for the music before you go. They often have live performances and call themselves a “circus theatre.” House of Yes is a safe space that provides freedom from all forms of discrimination and every guest is responsible for being respectful to other guests. If someone is making you feel unsafe, you can tell the staff and they will help you.

Taylor Griffin (@taywgriffin), Assistant Producer, IADAS – Apotheke, 9 Doyers Street: This Chinatown speakeasy has some of the funnest drinks in the city. You’ll need to use your handy dandy Google Maps to get there because the entrance is quite discrete, but it’s certainly worth it. With cocktail ingredients including squid ink, balsamic vinegar and roasted seaweed, it’s a great place to grab a drink when you’re willing to spend a little more for a well thought out and out of the ordinary drink.

Pro tip: After you knock back a few, Citymapper will help you get home using New York’s public transit. 

Angela Carola (@angcarola), Managing Director, IADAS + Industry Relations – South Brooklyn Bar Crawl at Folksbier Brauerei, 101 Luquer Street; The Other Half, 195 Centre Street; & Sunny’s Bar, 253 Conover Street: Carroll Gardens, a small neighborhood in Brooklyn, was once predominantly Italian-American and is now home to great restaurants and craft breweries. First, take the F train to Carroll Street. Shop at various stores, bakeries, and Italian specialty shops along Court Street, and then make your way to Folksbier Brauerei and The Other Half. Close out the evening by calling an Uber and heading to Sunny’s Bar in neighboring Red Hook. Here you’ll find good drinks and live music in a historic bar that opened in the 1890s and has survived family feuds, a changing neighborhood, and a hurricane—it’s the perfect end to a South Brooklyn day.

Jason Brickhill (@jasonbrickhill), Social Media Manager – NiteCap, 151 Rivington Street: This hidden little treasure is an awesome speakeasy-style mixology bar/lounge in the Lower East Side! The cocktails are amazing! and always changing! Definitely a starting point for a great night, or a nice last-drink spot with someone special!

Esther Hoff (@estherhoff), Assistant Producer — Spot Dessert Bar, 13 St Marks Place: This tapas style Asian-American dessert bar is a popular sport for innovative desserts on the bustling St. Marks Place. From their flower pot cheesecake to matcha lava cake you can’t go wrong indulging of these desserts.

PUBLIC, an Ian Schrager Hotel (@publichotels), 215 Chrystie Street: New York City’s newest and trendiest hotel, PUBLIC is the perfect spot to stay to celebrate your win in style. PUBLIC is offering a special group rate for out-of-town guests. To make reservations: Visit wbby.co/hotel and use promo code WEBBY or call +1 (212) 735-6000. (Book by May 8th for best rates.)

Jordana Jarrett (@jordi_cheri), Editor — New Museum, 235 Bowery: I like to hit up museums for a temporary reprieve from the city. The New Museum is great for spending a few hours—definitely check out their exhibit on Net Art archives, and Jeffrey Gibson’s really beautiful exhibit on indigenous material histories, handcraft techniques, and colonization.

Plus, it’s only a 3-minute walk from Public hotel!

Nicole Ferraro (@NicoleFerraro), Editorial Director — Broadway! As the resident theater nerd here at The Webbys, I suggest filling your non-Webby time by taking in a Broadway show. First off, skip the TKTS line in Times Square and download the TodayTix app for last-minute tickets to tons of shows (not Hamilton, sorry) at great prices. My personal recommendations this season: for a musical, Oklahoma (brilliant revival unlike anything you will see ever)—or, for a play: What the Constitution Means to Me (it should be required viewing for everyone).

Christine Lee (@khunty_kharax), Mo-graphics Designer — A/D/O, 29 Norman Ave, Brooklyn: A/D/O is a beautiful place to chill with a coffee while looking at some incredible design. It’s a self-professed “creative space” in Greenpoint with public space that houses a restaurant and bar, open seating area, and exhibitions. They also have a shop where you can buy carefully curated goods made by independent creatives.

Taylor Griffin (@taywgriffin), Assistant Producer, IADAS — Brooklyn Bridge Park, 334 Furman St, Brooklyn: Brooklyn Bridge Park has the best views and is a great place for a stroll on a warm day. Start at Brooklyn Bridge Lookout where you can grab an ice cream or lemonade and then continue down the stretch of the park where you’ll come across several piers, lounging spaces and of course photo opps.

Emily Warren (@emilyhonora), Managing Director — Dumbo via the Manhattan Bridge: Dumbo is a really nice area to visit for an out-of-towner. My personal recommendation is to eat dim dum at Nom Wah Tea Parlor (13–15 Doyers Street) in Chinatown, and then walk over the Manhattan Bridge to Dumbo—it’s waaaaaay less crowded than the Brooklyn Bridge, and you still get great views of the river, the Statue of Liberty, and downtown Manhattan. Once you come off the Manhattan Bridge, walk underneath its overpass down Jay St. and you’ll be in the heart of Dumbo. Visit Brooklyn Bridge Park to take in the views, maybe ride Jane’s Carousel, and then eat Juliana’s (19 Old Fulton Street) brick-oven pizza.

Pro tip: Hop on a Citi Bike to zip across the bridge on two wheels.

Esther Hoff (@estherhoff), Assistant Producer — The Frick Collection, 1 E 70th Street: This museum is probably my favorite spot in all of Manhattan. The former home of Henry Clay Frick turned museum is right on Central Park and houses his personal art collection. Instantly you are transported back to the Gilded Age as you walk through the Frick Collection.

Emma Whitfield (@emmawhitfield), Senior Account Manager — Central Park’s North Meadow: Springtime in New York is wonderful! So why not take advantage of that beautiful spring weather? Head on over to Central Park, specifically North Meadow (north of the Great Lawn, at 97th Street) as it doesn’t get as crowded as Sheep’s Meadow but is still a great area to lay down a blanket, bring a picnic basket, and relax in the sun!

Angela Carola (@angcarola), Managing Director, IADAS + Industry Relations — Staten Island Ferry, 4 Whitehall Street: See the sights like a local—hop on the Staten Island Ferry (it’s free) and grab a beer from the snack bar as you enjoy an hour on the water. You’ll see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and a nice view of Manhattan..

Claire Graves (@clairegraves), Executive Director — The William Vale, 111 N 12th Street, Brooklyn: The best place to experience this city is from way up high. The William Vale opened late last year and is now one of the prime hotspots in Williamsburg. I love watching the sunset over Manhattan and this is the best place in NYC to do it!