Nate's Deli & Restaurant

Contributor

Citysearch

The Scene
To get the quickest sense of what makes this city tick, spend a day at Nate's. This little luncheonette combines blue collars and white noise, then adds a scoop of hummus. Sitting here is like reading a novel by Balzac or Joyce: You watch the infinite variety of social gradations in all their complexity. Plus, it's a fun place to hang out.

The Food
Noon brings the blue suits to sample chickpea paste and olive oil dip. Order a tabouleh salad full of tomatoes and wheat and watch the neighborhood--released from a day in the sweatshops--take home marinated chicken cubes and beef strips in sesame. Nate's can take you pretty much wherever you want to go in this town without ever leaving the counter.