Attn NYCers: Shop your favorite NYC restaurants

During the worst of the COVID pandemic, we donated to funds and bought gift cards in the hopes that it would shine a light at the end of the tunnel during an extraordinarily trying time for our beloved independent restaurants. 

And they’re back, baby! Never has it ever been such a relief for it to be difficult to get a reservation at one of our favorite spots. And never has the appetite for dining out been more ravenous. We’ve swallowed not just delectable morsels and creative cocktails, but also a slew of price hikes and logistical limitations as the hospitality industry has emerged from the ashes of the take-out-only era—bruised, for sure, but not bested.

This flocking back to dining rooms all over the world is a testament to the meaning that we—as diners, communities, and humans—attach to the local restaurants we frequent. We’ve come to cherish these establishments more than we could have ever imagined. And after an unbearably long hiatus, we’ve realized there’s simply nothing that can replace sitting down in a restaurant with others for a meal.
Food is, of course, a tactile experience, and in my view, the most regrettable part of that tactility is its fleetingness. Off menu, iloverestaurants.nyc, is where you can find merch, foodstuffs, and more from hundreds of New York City restaurants. I can’t always be eating Bubby’s scrumptious shortstacks (although…), but I can perpetually rock their t-shirt or hand-printed apron. Permanent tactility, now that’s more like it.

On top of always feeling a connection to my favorite places, wearing their stuff and having their accessories and whatnot around my home gives me a sense of pride. I love raving about a place I love if someone asks me where I got a certain hat or hoodie. If I can get someone else hooked on a great small business, that’s a win for everyone. Plus, buy tastefully (hehe, get it) and your brand-brandishing will provide you and your home with beautiful décor.

Sports fans have their apparel shops with jerseys galore, but if eating is your sport, then look no further than iloverestaurants.nyc. It’s about repping the pride we all have in independent restaurants. They take care of us; let’s return a bit of that hospitality.