Nile & Coroner

Before

0.3 mi · 5 min walk - Murray Hill

On Lexington since 1996, South Indian, entirely vegetarian and kosher certified, which is an unusual combination anywhere and a normal one on this block. Dosas, uttapam, idli, and a thali that arrives as a tray of small steel bowls. The vegan items are marked on the menu rather than guessed at.

After

0.4 mi · 9 min walk - Union Square - Gramercy

Opened at 45 East 18th in 1892 and still running a dumbwaiter that hauls plates from the basement kitchen to the upstairs dining floor, the oldest one working in the city. Tin ceilings above a long mahogany bar, and a burger that has not changed much. The upstairs is where you go when the bar is three deep.