Gals on the Go: NYC Restaurant Guide with Sister Snacking

Date: September 10, 2025
Hosts: Brooke Miccio & Danielle Carolan
Guests: Madison & Carly from Sister Snacking

Episode Overview

In this lively, food-filled episode, Brooke and Danielle welcome Madison and Carly from the popular food content collective, Sister Snacking, for the ultimate, non-basic NYC restaurant and coffee shop guide. The Gals and Sisters swap stories about their recent “food crawl,” gush over hidden gem spots (from coffee to pizza to butter chicken), and dive into the dynamics of food influencing in New York City. Along the way, they get real about panic moments, life in NYC, running a family business, and what makes a memorable meal in a city overflowing with options. Listeners can expect honest takes, specific recommendations, and lots of New York flavor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Life & Panic Moments Check-In

• Birthday Vibes & Apartment Set-Up (03:01)
  • Danielle preps for a joint birthday/housewarming party, prompting discussion about moving deadlines, organization, and the power of a good storage cabinet.
• Anxiety & Lash Lifts (06:22)
  • Danielle gets candid about experiencing a panic attack during a lash lift, emphasizing the importance of talking about anxious moments to "humanize it" and share tips.
  • Quote: “I find talking about it to be so helpful. Oftentimes someone else can relate and be like, ‘Oh, that’s happened to me.’” – Danielle (06:48)
• Trying New Things: Couples Workouts (10:33)
  • Brooke shares her nerves about working out at F45 with her boyfriend, Ben, breaking down the vulnerability and benefits of couples working out together.
  • Quote: “We’re just fighting to get through... we’re just trying to survive.” – Brooke (11:58)

2. Beauty Segment: Glam on the Go (19:43)

• Danielle loves Wow’s new dry shampoo for actually cleaning hair (20:25).
• Brooke is hooked on Briogeo’s rosemary pre-wash oil for scalp massages and hair growth (20:28).

3. Meet Sister Snacking (22:11)

Who They Are (25:00)

• Four sisters specializing in food content across NYC and New England. Madison (Brooklyn) and Carly (Hoboken) are NYC-based.
• They’ve compiled a massive, filterable NYC restaurant guide (index, videos, recommendations, price, neighborhood) that’s frequently updated.
  • Quote: “It’s an index of all the restaurants we’ve been to. It links out to the videos, says what to order at each, price range, neighborhood… you can filter it.” – Carly (23:28)

Sibling Dynamics (25:46)

• Each sister has her own food/area specialty.
• The group functions as a “family business ecosystem,” built on both support and healthy debate.

Picky Eater Confessions (26:23)

• Carly: Will not eat blue cheese or peas.
• Madison: Enjoys pea protein and is more open.

4. NYC Coffee & Dessert Crawl Highlights (27:00)

• Locations Visited:
  • 12 Matcha: “The place that has the line” – matcha equals two shots of espresso, plus matcha cheesecake and off-menu affogato (27:00)
  • La Cabra: Famous cardamom bun, cardamom latte (27:37)
  • Cafe Paradiso: “Salted brown butter oat latte on draft” with chocolate shavings—clearly designed for TikTok (27:51)
  • Quote: “They were like, what will get TikTokers in here? They made it.” – Madison (27:58)
• Discusses how the cafe/bakery scene (and matcha) are surging in popularity in NYC.

5. How Sister Snacking Finds Hot Spots (28:47)

• Comb through Eater, follow local chefs and founders on Instagram/TikTok.
• Chefs often invite them before soft opening, and they’re always looking for what’s about to pop.
• Founders creating TikTok content to connect with food influencers and potential customers (29:40).
• Quote: “If you are a founder and you make content around your experience, people want to support you.” – Carly (29:40)

6. Being Honest and Trustworthy in Food Reviews (30:16)

• Sister Snacking prides itself on honest, trustworthy reviews; often won’t post negative reviews, instead chooses not to share about so-so spots.
• “Iconic or Overrated” series built trust by tackling NYC’s hype spots.
  • Quote: “We’re not telling people to go to places that are bad… it’s very important.” – Madison (30:28)

Notable Overrated vs. Iconic Restaurants

• Carbone: Sometimes overhyped, better alternatives exist, such as Parm for spicy rigatoni (31:50).
• Peter Luger: “Mid,” not worth the cost/effort; burgers described as more “meatloafy” than burger-like (42:53).
• Keens Steakhouse: Recommended over Peter Luger (43:15).
• The Grill: Expensive, but not mind-blowing for the price (43:39).
• Corner Bistro: Objectively good food but the hype and lines aren’t always worth it (39:39).
• Emilio’s Ballato: “Always hits” and regularly visited by celebrities (40:50).

7. Insider Influencer Filming & Restaurant Experiences (32:13)

• Most filming is daytime to limit disruption; rarely warns restaurants before visiting to preserve honesty.
• Sometimes get perks if friends with owners, but try to “pay and go on their own” for unbiased content (33:29).

8. Hidden Gem & Standout Spots (Current Faves)

Most Memorable Recent Meal:

• ADA (East Village) – Butter Chicken Experience (34:10)
  • Limited tables, select-your-own wood and butter, tableside preparations, comes with all the fixings ($45/pp).
  • “The best dinner last night.” – Carly (34:04)
  • “Every other bite we had was insane.” – Madison (37:49)

Dessert & Ice Cream Standouts

• Cafe Panna: “The pints from Butterfield hit just as hard, but if you want a sundae, you gotta go” (39:06).
• Levain: Now doing ice cream sandwiches (38:47).

Pizza Places (45:46)

• Lucali (Brooklyn): Worth the wait, but people hire Task Rabbit line-sitters!
• F&F Pizzeria: Also in Brooklyn, now a full restaurant.
• Chrissy’s Pizza (Greenpoint)
• L’Industrie (Brooklyn): Slices praised, West Village location sometimes better (47:28).
• Lucia’s Pizza: Spinach pie described as “cream spinach dip on a pizza” (46:47).

Diners & Drunk Eats

• Corner Bistro: Late bites, burgers, grilled cheese until 4am (56:10).
• Lion’s Bar (East Village): Madison’s favorite for a TGI Fridays–style throwback (56:34)
  • Quote: “My favorite restaurant in New York.” – Madison (56:39)

9. Best for Date Night, Girls' Night, & Bars (48:28)

Date Night/First Date – Madison’s Picks:

• Dante (McDougal)
• Bartusi (L’Artusi's little sister, strong cocktails)
• Barbette (Brooklyn)
• Bar Blondeau (Williamsburg)
• “Strong on the cocktails… bites to enjoy.” (48:37)

Carly’s Picks:

• Servos (Portuguese seafood, Dime Square)
• Eel Bar (Same team as Servos)
• Tolo (Chinese, vibey, strong wine list)
• Suns (Korean, banchan sampler)

First Date with Mainstream Food:

• Suggests French and American spots (50:14)
• L’Avocat D’Or: Old-school French, choice of your own three dishes (50:30)
• Chelsea Living Room Bar: Caviar bumps and martinis

Bars:

• Up & Up (McDougal, swanky cocktails, actually underground) (53:53)
• Sip & Guzzle and Angel’s Share (Japanese-inspired cocktails, now in West Village) (54:12)
• Rocco’s: Sporty, steamy, interactive with games, and attractive crowd (54:46)

10. NYC Navigation Tips & How to Track Food Spots (58:15)

• Google Maps starring: Save places as you hear about them (59:01).
• Share maps with groups/travel companions:
  • “Japan has like over 200 pins on it.” – Carly (59:27)
• Pro Tip: “If you see a video on TikTok, go to Google Maps and save it” (59:13).

11. Rapid Fire: Burgers, Boroughs & Iconic Food Neighborhoods (60:03)

• Burger Picks: (61:03)
  • The Charles (“Delicious,” you can find “the same burger” at Monkey Bar, Au Cheval, or The Snail in Brooklyn)
  • Gotham Burger: Best smash burger (61:20)
  • Seventh Street Burger: Good but inconsistent; great late-night drunk food spot
• Best Borough for Food: Brooklyn for creativity, Queens for global variety (62:15)
  • “Go to Queens, get your cuisine.” – Madison (62:31)
• Jackson Heights: Highlighted for momos (Tibetan dumplings), Mexican, and South Asian food (62:49)

12. Sister Snacking Resources

• NYC Restaurant Guide: Filterable, downloadable excel index continuously updated.
• Where to Follow:
  • Instagram/TikTok: @sistersnacking and @sistersnackingllc.com (64:03)
  • Personal IGs: @maddiesnacks and @carlyshot

Notable Quotes & Fun Moments

• “We yapped, we caffeinated, we ate so much, our hands are shaking!” – Brooke (22:21)
• “That’s the tea—Bobby Flay bumping people from tables!” – Danielle (42:26)
• “There’s a line—that’s the title of this episode.” – Danielle (61:58)
• “Fussy” becomes the episode’s favorite new adjective for describing the NYC scene.

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [03:01] Birthdays, moving, and the power of a good storage cabinet
• [06:22] Danielle’s panic attack during a lash lift
• [10:33] Brooke’s F45 couples workout
• [19:43] Glam products of the week
• [22:11] Introducing Sister Snacking, sibling dynamics
• [27:00] Coffee and bakery crawl highlights
• [34:10] Butter chicken experience at ADA
• [39:39] Overrated or Iconic: Corner Bistro, Emilio’s Ballato, Carbone, Peter Luger, and more
• [45:46] Pizza recommendations and line-sitting culture
• [48:28] Date night, girls' night out, and best bars
• [56:34] Drunk food, diners, and late-night eats
• [58:15] How to save and organize NYC food recs
• [60:03] Rapid fire: burgers, best boroughs, and food neighborhoods
• [64:03] Where to follow Sister Snacking and access their guide

Conclusion

Packed with specific, trend-forward NYC recs, honest reviews, and true friend energy, this episode is a living, breathing guide for food-loving visitors and locals alike. For links, see the Gals on the Go newsletter and Sister Snacking’s legendary restaurant index. Don’t forget: in NYC, there’s always a line—and always a new spot opening soon.