(Photo: Illustration by Riccardo Vecchio)

Yakitori Totto
251 W. 55th St., nr. Eighth Ave.; 212-245-4555
This cozy second-story hideaway skewers and grills every conceivable chicken part, from skin to tail, till midnight.

Burger joint at Le Parker Meridien
119 W. 56th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-708-7414
Packed at lunch but quiet at night, when it’s relatively easy to snag a booth and relish the simple pleasures of burgers, fries, and beer.

Rinconcito Peruano
803 Ninth Ave., nr. 53rd St.; 212-333-5685
Homestyle Peruvian cooking, from cold sliced potatoes drenched with a chile-powered cheese sauce to a splendid walnut-enriched chicken casserole, washed down with the deep-purple corn drink called chicha morada.

Grand Sichuan
745 Ninth Ave., nr. 50th St.; 212-582-2288
A pull-no-punches trafficker in killer red-chile oil and succulent tea-smoked duck, with lickety-split service and big tables for large groups.

Fluff
751 Ninth Ave., nr. 51st St.; 646-289-3025
After the curtain falls, repair to this retro bakery for a full line of updated takes on Suzy Q’s, Ho Hos, and Twinkies, in all their cream-filled, chocolate-enrobed, coconut-dusted glory.

Related:

• Articles by Rob Patronite | Robin Raisfeld
• Table of Contents: August 8, 2005 issue of New York | Subscribe!