Where New York's Best Chefs Eat When They're Not Working

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Where New York's Best Chefs Eat When They're Not Working

We finally did it: We compiled the New York restaurant list of where chefs have taken us on Chef's Night Out. It's your turn now, so go ahead and start eating.

Our signature video series Chef's Night Out began as the glut of sleepy food shows. The premise: We'd provide our favorite chefs with a van, and drive them around to wherever they'd want to eat and drink after their shift. And when there was no more room for food, we'd end up back in their kitchens for late-night snacks.

Click HERE for the MUNCHIES Restaurant and Bar Guide to New York

Now that we're at around 130-plus episodes of Chef's Night Out, our show has transformed into a global eating atlas of where cooks eat when they're not on the line. Thankfully, since MUNCHIES HQ is in (possibly) the best restaurant city in the world, we've gone ahead and done some dirty work: We love you so much that we've compiled the list of where every chef has taken us in the series in New York since we started.

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From sabering wine at Rebelle with Jamie Bissonnette of Toro to eating the bo ssam at Momofuku with Nick Curtola of the Four Horsemen, there's been too many memorable meals to keep count, er, until now. Check out our MUNCHIES Guide to New York City, where you can click on our custom Chef's Night Out filter and explore every single pit-stop from the series.

Catch a teaser of some of the best restaurants below, but head over to our city guides page for the full list.

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The Four Horsemen: The greatest wine bar in Brooklyn, from James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. Come here for one of the most unique, well-executed and affordable wine lists in New York. They specialize in natural wines, so come over and hang out in good company with fellow winos and feast on small plates of refreshing food from chef Nick Curtola (formerly of Franny's).

WATCH: Nick Curtola of The Four Horsemen on Chef's Night Out

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Suzume: Chef/owner Mikey Briones describes his cuisine as Hawaiian strip-mall food, and the relaxed environment echoes just that: Order from a variety of island-worthy menu items, from the perfect SPAM musubi to the fresh sushi, homemade ramen, and the dankest chicken wings. Just close your eyes and pretend you're in Oahu.

WATCH: Quino Baca of The Brooklyn Star on Chef's Night Out

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Toro: If there is a reason to head all the way into Manhattan's far-west Chelsea neighborhood, it is to make a pilgrimage to Toro, a massive restaurant space from co-chefs/owners Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette, who have convinced droves of New Yorkers to load up on Barcelona-style tapas. Excellent pinchos—like the pressed sea urchin sandwich—and inventive tapas such as foie gras with onions, rhubarb, and black garlic showcase their careful, passionate cooking. While it's not cheap, Toro won't break the bank.

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Uncle Boons: Don't go with a big group to this always-crowded, off-the-wall Northern Thai spot in Nolita. In fact, it's better to go by yourself; that way, you won't have to share the brings-tears-to-your-eyes-good crab-fried rice, the roasted chicken and banana blossom salad, or the spicy lamb laab. Plus, you can drink all the beer slushies until your brain freeze blinds you without unnecessary judgement.

WATCH: Kevin Pemoulie of Thirty Acres on Chef's Night Out

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Mission Chinese Food: Danny Bowien's wildly popular, weirdo-Szechuan inspired eatery that has made dining out fun again. It's probably the only place in America where you can eat an entire platter of kung pao pastrami alongside a diverse cornucopia of fellow patrons that somehow simultaneously includes Wylie Dufresne, Leonardo DiCaprio, a pair of Taiwanese grandmothers, and a smattering of beanie-clad twentysomethings—all to an impossibly loud soundtrack of Aaliyah. Menu items like the scorching hot chicken wings, dusted with Szechuan peppercorns and chilies, are an enjoyably mouth-numbing experience; so are the chewy green tea noodles, which will caffeinate your appetite. But don't stop there: chef de cuisine Angela Dimayuga's house special chicken, inspired by her grandmother's top-secret recipe, and the wood oven fish are must-haves during your next visit. And as if the food wasn't playful enough, Mission Chinese Food's Beverage Director, Sam Anderson, will keep you entertained with drinks such as the Mood Ring, a mysterious purple concoction that's served on a light-up coaster. When nature calls, enjoy the Twin Peaks-inspired hallway toward one of the greatest bathrooms in New York. Bowien, you've seriously thought of everything.

WATCH: Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese Food on Chef's Night Out

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Del Posto: One of New York's most prestigious Italian restaurants, Del Posto occupies one corner of the old National Biscuit Company building on Manhattan's west side. It's the place where Italian cuisine is elegantly and playfully delivered on the same level as fancy French cuisine. It is the dinner experience that would even make Berlusconi blush. Co-owned by restaurateur/vintner Joe Bastianich, his mother Lidia Bastianich, head chef Mark Ladner, and Mario Batali, the fare at Del Posto reflects Batali's long-standing advocacy of Italian cuisine at any cost. Go for the five-course tasting menu, or live like Paris is burning and opt for the eight-course menu.

WATCH: Brook's Headley on Chef's Night Out