Best Restaurant Dishes Eater NY Editors Ate This Week, October 20, 2025 | Eater NY

"Since Hellbender opened, it has evolved from a late-night Mexican American bar with great food to much more of a full-fledged restaurant. Everything from the menu to the lighting has evolved, though standouts (the fried Oaxacan cheese, the creative cocktails, and the faux jaguar in the dining room) have remained. The star of our meal this time around was the crunchy but light-as-air ginger-spiced churros ($14). They were served with a healthy amount of whipped cream and a peach compote for dipping, and the combination of ginger and peach made for a wonderful transitional dish between seasons as we head into fall. Next time, I’m heading back for brunch to try their much-loved masa pancakes." - Nadia Chaudhury