Worth the wait
Ha’s Snack Bar, Sip & Guzzle, Nōksu, Manhatta, Levain Bakery, Claud, Aarke Carbonator 3, FOUND hiring, MORE
RESTAURANTS • First Person
High bar
“Now, or nine?” Front of the line, Friday, 530p, right as they opened, and my second shot at a walk-in two-top at newly debuted Ha’s Snack Bar wasn’t going much better than my first (at 6p on a Wednesday, I was offered a 9p that I had to decline). This time, I took the 9, called a friend, and told him to meet me in 3.5 hours. I wasn’t totally surprised: Ha’s is the long-awaited, first true brick-and-mortar space from Sadie May Burns and Anthony Ha, the couple behind beloved pop-up Ha’s Đặc Biệt.
Since 2019, Ha’s showed up in increasingly popular stints at some of New York’s most beloved spots (and also, some in LA, SF, Montreal, London, and Paris). I’d been to two: one at East Village tex-mex spot Yellow Rose and the other, a collaboration dinner with perennial Paris favorite Bistrot Paul Bert, at Williamsburg pizza destination Leo. Both were booked solid, buzzy, and fun. Both had brilliantly conceived dishes punchily underlining inventive touchpoints between Vietnamese flavors and (respectively) tex-mex, bistro fare, and pizza.
So some trouble getting in to their new spot was expected. Which is to say nothing of how small the space on Broome Street actually is: 24 seats. Ha’s kitchen, open in the back of the restaurant, can barely fit two people. It feels less New York in 2025 than it does Paris, where tiny spaces with intimate dining environs deliver inversely proportional impact to the city’s culinary landscape. But such is Ha’s Snack Bar, in New York, in 2025: exceptional food, a killer wine list, and impeccable vibes, which were evident as soon as I got back to the restaurant. Buzzing and nearing the end of a turn, the staff was warmly welcoming, effusive that we’d followed through with the commitment to the late table.
Robyn, Solange, and Alice Deejay floated out of two beautiful, vintage Klipsch hi-fi speakers in wood cabinets hung over the room, which is otherwise appointed discerningly and warmly. Striking paper lighting fixtures by designer James Cherry cast amber glows over the room, while a floral arrangement via Burns’s mother frames the bar, next to which sits a French bistro style chalkboard menu.
That chalkboard is key to understanding Ha’s heart, which could be summed up as French classics freaked by fish sauce. We started with oeufs mayonnaise, two halves topped with anchovy and chilis. Heat also shows up on a slice of french baguette topped with chicken liver pate, adorned with cilantro and bird’s eye chilis. A carrot salad with rau ram (Vietnamese coriander) and Asian pear was sunshine bright with vinegary sweetness, and a dish of shelled escargot with garlic and tamarind butter was a great excuse to ask for more baguette.
But the star of the show (and nearly every table there) was a vol au vent of curried lamb. The intricate, rich French puff pastry classic isn’t something you see often in New York — at Ha’s, we had it in what appeared to be its second iteration (the first involved lobster). On a freezing winter night, it was hearty, warming, and redolent with wow factor.
We couldn’t resist ordering all three desserts: breaded coconut pudding, a poached pear tartlet with caramel sauce, and our favorite, a citrus dreamsicle of sorbet, grapefruit slices, and whipped panna topped with passion fruit. The wine list, entirely French and Italian, read like a who’s who of cool-kid natural vintners.
We left just after 1030p, out into the freezing January night, pondering the value of a restaurant that will probably stay very, very hard to get into — a reservation system that’s hard to game (“released every three weeks,” per an Instagram), and walk-in availability that requires, above all else, commitment to the bit. I’m not mad at these barriers — far from it. Not since the original iteration of Momofuku Ko has there been a smaller space in such high demand, and there maybe hasn’t been a restaurant in New York as stunningly au currant and forward-facing as it, either. Like so many great things, Ha’s was — and is — worth the wait. –Foster Kamer
→ Ha’s Snack Bar (Lower East Side) • 297 Broome St • Wed-Sat 530-1030p • Reserve.
WORK • FOUND Jobs
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Having lived through (and mostly ignored) the rises and falls of Flipboard, Facebook Instant Articles, Google AMP, and TikTok (risen again!), we’re wary of relying on social media for distribution. Strategies shift, algorithms reset, entire ecosystems disappear.
That’s why you’re probably reading this FOUND dispatch in your email inbox. It’s the best, most efficient way for us to make sure we reach you directly, at least for now.
But even as we endeavor to build a lasting media brand insulated from the whims of platforms, we’re still building audience. And so we’re going to beef up our capabilities a bit.
This quarter, we’re looking to bring on a freelance social media manager to handle accounts across the FOUND network. That entails posting regularly on Instagram and Substack Notes, fleshing out strategy on those platforms and others, and helping translate the FOUND voice, wherever it travels.
Ideal candidates will have a few years professional experience managing and executing on social media strategy, preferably for a media brand, and at least a few hours a week to spend on this project. If that’s you, drop us a line at found@foundny.com with some samples of your work.
WORK LINKS: How Equinox became Manhattan’s biggest retail tenant • As class A buildings fill up, class B landlords are getting flexible • Office market’s best side hustle: renting out amenity space • Dell retiring hybrid work • LinkedIn removes accounts of #OpenToWork AI ‘co-workers.’
RESTAURANTS • Fine Dining Report
Our fine dining correspondent Lee Pitofsky has Saga on speed-dial. Here, now, his latest New York City report for FOUND:
→ DOUBLE UP: A year in, Sip & Guzzle (Greenwich Village) hasn’t missed a beat, despite remaining as popular as ever with cocktail tourists and locals alike. New drinks are added seasonally, keeping regulars on their toes, and the food is some of the best in class, with hospitality on the level of a premier fine dining restaurant. I’ve lost track of how many bikini sandwiches (filled with Comté ganache and Iberico Jamon) I’ve eaten in the past year. Also of note: party dip with smoked Tsar Nicoulai golden osetra caviar, koji cool ranch, and puffed chicken skin; happy meals composed of a Wagyu sando and a truffle milkshake; and epic soft serve with Hokkaido milk. People often ask which space I prefer, the more casual upstairs Sip, or fancier basement space Guzzle. The correct answer is both. Reserve.
→ SUBWAY IN: It’d been almost a year since my last visit to Nōksu, the 15-seat tasting counter uniquely located within the entrance to a Herald Square subway station. The cooking of chef Dae Kim has taken major strides forward since, his dishes now particularly defined and detailed, without any excess noise or garnishes. Flavors are balanced and execution is meticulous. Highlights included big fin reef squid (above), stuffed with monkfish liver and potato salad and plated on a black and yellow canvas of satay sauce with Urfa biber pepper. Pristine Australian rockfish is served with a red prawn boudin, winter root vegetables, and sauce made from purple mustard greens. And what’s rightfully become a signature dish — hen egg custard with a scallion emulsion, caviar, and crispy potato pedals — continues to check every box. The nine-course tasting menu runs $225 per. Reserve.
→ HIGH TIMES: At Manhatta, the chef’s counter previously reserved for a multi-course tasting menu priced just south of $300 per now offers the same menu as the main dining room — three courses for $115, and four courses for $145. (Diners can also opt for an extended tasting menu option in both spots.) The most memorable dish from a January dinner: grilled seabass with hazelnut milk chowder, razor clams, trout roe, Yukon golds, and Japanese mustard greens. Reserve. –Lee Pitofsky
RESTAURANTS • The Ticket
Brunello & The Hare at Peasant • vintage Brunello wines paired with wood fired rabbit in 4-course meal with exclusive pours • Peasant (Nolita) • Thur 2/6 @ 7p, $175 per
Le Bowl Super LIX at La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels • game day food specials plus 2 raffle squares per ticket for champagne prizes • La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels (Soho) • Sun 2/9 starting @ 4p, $50 per
Sunday Supper-BOWL at ILIS • family-style pork roast in the dining room and pulled pork sandwiches and snacks in the lounge • ILIS (Greenpoint) • Sun 2/9 starting @ 4p, $35 deposit per roast
NYC RESTAURANT LINKS: Stephen Starr acquires Babbo and Lupa, chef Mark Ladner returning at Babbo • Bryant Park Grill officially done, Jean-Georges concept incoming • Catch team taking over shuttered Frog Club space in West Village • Signage up at Win Son Bakery outpost in East Village • Jacob’s Pickle team planning new bar Velvet Cowboy in longtime Jacob’s space on Upper West Side • Three NYC restaurants where butter steals the show • The economics of dry January.
WORK • Tuesday Routine
Craving cookies
PAM WEEKES and CONNIE McDONALD • co-owners • Levain Bakery
Neighborhood you live in: Wall Street
It’s Tuesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
This week, we’re in our offsite office, working on finalizing things for next fall. It’s our big 30th anniversary year so we have celebratory moments planned all year long, but things really begin to ramp up in the fall as we head towards the holidays. It’s insane to think we’ve been doing this together for that long — mostly because it feels like just yesterday when we opened on 74th Street.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Also, today we’re doing some recipe testing for a couple of new cookie ideas we’ve been working on. It sometimes takes us years to get something we feel that we like enough to offer in the bakeries. We’re revisiting something we’ve had in the works since 2020, and trying two new ideas. We’re also checking in on our Valentine’s Day plans — it’s always one of the busiest days of the year, and we love to see people sharing their love with us. One of our favorite tins is our Valentine’s Day tin, and this year, we’ve also got a special two cookie box (available for local delivery and in-bakeries), which is so cute.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
This weekend we might go back to Claud in the East Village with some friends. We both live downtown, and we also love the Tin Building at the Seaport; it’s a great place to meet up and grab a quick sandwich, salad, or crepe for lunch. It’s also nice to go early for a coffee and croissant. We try not to go out too much during the week because our days start very early, and we both love being home in the evenings with our pets.
How about a little leisure or culture this week?
We’re taking an hour to go to see the Anne Frank exhibit. We both loved reading the book when we were much younger, and this is a limited opportunity to see the world premiere exhibit in NYC.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
Connie LOVES sparkling water and so, I (Pam) got her an Aarke Carbonator 3 for Christmas. I was nervous, as she’s very picky, but she loves it.
GOODS & SERVICES LINKS: NYC fresh condiment brand Haven’s Kitchen shutting down • In Stuy Town, Whole Foods Daily market shaping up • Why 0.5% ABV drinks are suddenly relevant for NY liquor stores • Jewelry crawl on hot-again Madison Ave • New Bookshop platform allows indie bookstores to sell ebooks • Gen X is driving rebound in luxury goods spending.
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GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines
Valentine’s Day, chocolates
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of the best. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@foundny.com.
Melissa Coppel, bon bons and haute candy bars crafted by former L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon chef