Small, locally-owned restaurants have long been New York City’s backbone, providing about 8.1 percent of jobs to the city, and attracting visitors from all over the world to try diverse foods. During the Coronavirus pandemic, restaurant spending decreased over 90 percent, which contributed to a loss of over 1 billion dollars of sales tax for the city. 

Over the past fifteen months of the Coronavirus pandemic, many restaurants lost a significant amount of their customer base, and some even were forced to shut down. Indoor dining of up to 75 percent of capacity was permitted as of May 7th, 2021, allowing Bronx Science students who were fully vaccinated to dine once again at their favorite places, and enjoy an assortment of fresh aromas and tastes. 

Diana Perez ’21 likes to spend time at Comm Tấm Ninh Kiều, a Vietnamese restaurant in the Bronx known for its traditional Vietnamese dishes. This restaurant (located at 2641 Jerome Avenue, Bronx, NY 10468) is not that far away from Bronx Science. Inside Comm Tấm Ninh Kiều’s rather standard exterior, a welcoming atmosphere full of savory aromas awaits. Their pricing is in the middle range, with most of their Bahn Mi (a common Vietnamese sandwich) costing nine dollars, and their House Garlic Noodles costing eleven dollars. “Their takeout and delivery is really an experience, and I like to order from them when hanging out with my friends after taking a long exam,” said Perez. Even after graduating, she will continue to remember both ordering in and eating at Comm Tấm Ninh Kiều.

Perez recommends their House noodles with garlic because despite the basic ingredients, she believes they are very tasty. Garlic is Perez’s favorite seasoning, so it makes sense that this would be her favorite dish. Comm Tấm Ninh Kiều has something for everyone, even if those who are not fellow garlic lovers, as they offer a variety of dishes. 

After a day of intensive online learning, Isabella Randall ’25 likes to order in from Patsy’s. Patsy’s is a pizzeria that is casual, though it is known throughout New York City as one of the best local pizzerias, and it can be found on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. “My favorite is the pizza with roasted peppers on it, since it is a great combination of both sweet and savory, so it is not boring,” said Randall, whose family orders from Patsy’s once every couple of weeks, on average. Randall’s favorite memories of Patsy’s, however, are from when she went there physically with her family. Randall once had a birthday party at Patsy’s, where she recalls spending an evening that was full of both drama and good food. 

“When they brought the pizza out, a couple of my friends started fighting over it, which everybody thought was very entertaining,” said Randall. Although their pizza is their most popular item, Patsy’s also serves many other dishes, most of which consist of traditional Italian food. Other than roast peppers pizza, Randall also recommends Patsy’s cheese ravioli. Prices for both the ravioli and the pizza are not that high, considering Patsy’s popularity. A large 17’’ inch pizza costs $24 and the cheese ravioli costs $20.50.

If these local places sound appetizing to you, then you should check them out, especially if you happen to be in the neighborhood.

Indoor dining of up to 75 percent of capacity was permitted as of May 7th, 2021, allowing Bronx Science students who were fully vaccinated to dine once again at their favorite places, and enjoy an assortment of fresh aromas and tastes.