In an effort to learn from some of the world’s biggest celebrities, we reached out to them to hear their response to this one simple question:

What’s your favorite restaurant in NYC and why?

Here are their responses, which are shared in the order that they were received:

1. “My favorite restaurant in NYC is ABC Cocina – located at the ABC Carpet & Home store at 888 Broadway!  It’s a beautiful space with great food!  What’s not to love!”

Barbara Corcoran, Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank, Author of Shark Tales, Real Estate Mogul, NBC’s Today Show, CNBC Host, @BarbaraCorcoran

2. “Buddha Bodai on Mott st, Chinatown. Kosher vegan dim sum. Need I say more?! The vegan BBQ pork bao and anything actually with BBQ pork will leave you obsessing over your next fix. Amazing authentic dim sum in an authentic dim sum venue. Yum. Dun-Well Doughnuts. Brooklyn. Vegan artisan doughnuts that win awards for best doughnut overall – not just vegan. The consistency is absolutely the doughnut of your dreams, and the artisan rotating variety of amazing toppings makes this place just the best. Plus, the down home old time doughnut shop feel makes it a total experience worth going to Brooklyn for sure!”

Mayim Bialik, CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, Author of Mayim’s Vegan Table, @MissMayim

3. “Chalk Point Kitchen offers a fine dining experience in hip Soho with easy access from several Subway stations. The restaurant offers a classy flair for small details, a minimal, yet elegant decor, a well-stocked wine bar and skilled mixologists. These ingredients, together, result in a tantalizing menu of fresh, seasonal dishes and craft cocktails for the most distinguished palates. Overall, the food is delicious and the atmosphere has a warm yet upscale ‘neighborhood eatery feel!'”

Hill Harper, CBS’s CSI: NY, USA Network’s Covert Affairs, Best-Selling Author, Manifest Your Destiny Foundation, @HillHarper

4. “SUZE APPROVES CARMINES! 

5. “That’s a tough question. I think every New Yorker has their favorite little out of the way places. These are the places you share with friends or you “one up” with people when you’re talking food. I have a lot of those. The city is filled with little places that do the best ‘this or that’. And I leave it to anyone to get out and explore and find those places. My favorite restaurant is Hillstone. True New Yorkers might wince at a chain but I find the difficulty with any restaurant in the city is consistency.

Will your favorite place live up to your expectations time and time again? Hillstone does. It’s atmospheric despite it’s rather big footprint. You can hear the people you’re dining with and the menu is diverse. Do yourself a favor and try the kale salad. The sushi is great, the steaks are great and don’t tell my mother but their Famous French Dip sandwich is the best I’ve ever had hands down. It’s a place I get excited to go to.  Like a little kid to and ice cream parlour kind of excited.”

Sean Palmer, Sex and the City, London’s Phantom of the Opera, @Seanpea

6. “Picking one favorite New York restaurant on the basis of the food is impossible–There are too many great options. I love Juliana’s for pizza, Second Avenue Deli for pastrami, and a million others I can’t think of. But I’d like to put forth a Middle Eastern restaurant called Ali Baba, on Amsterdam on the Upper West Side, because eating there is a quintessentially New York experience.

It’s a hole in the wall with the best shawarma I’ve had in America. There’s only one table, so everyone eats together. The last time I was there I sat with a Japanese university professor, two Hasidic Jews, and a guy visiting from the midwest. Then a Croatian came in carrying a cello. He said he had never had falafel before, and the room went silent as he took his first ever bite. He liked it. He was one of us.

Dan Pashman, Creator and host of the James Beard Award nominated food podcast The Sporkful, Cooking Channel host, Contributor to NPR and WNYC, @TheSporkful

7. “To pick one restaurant in the US is tough! I’ve been offered some amazing hospitality and good food in a lot of places, but one of my favorite spots is Vitae in NYC. It’s such a good place to unwind in the hustle and bustle of the big city. They take such good care of us when we eat there, and the food is always delish! I leave there stuffed and happy every time. They always have something that fits my mood. Homemade pastas, yummy pork schnitzel, or scallops with a curry sauce, and I always make sure to save room for dessert!”

Jennie Finch, NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, Time Magazine’s “Most Famous Softball Player In History,” @JennieFinch

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