Malecon

Malecon has anchored the corner of Broadway and 175th Street since 1987, and the rotisserie chickens turning in the window are the neighborhood's most reliable landmark. This is Dominican cooking done at volume and done right: pollo al carbón with garlicky wasakaka sauce, mofongo, mangú with the works at breakfast, and stewed specials that change with the day.

The room is plain, the portions are not, and the line of regulars moves fast. It is the restaurant to visit if you want to understand why Washington Heights eats the way it does — come hungry, order the chicken, and accept that you will take half of it home.