"Union Square is where you’ll find some of the city’s best restaurants and quirky cocktail spots (you can catch us at Backbar at least once a week). But the neighborhood’s been missing a place like June Bug that’s a step up from a slice shop, where you can drink a glass of skin contact wine and have a fluffy, expertly charred Neapolitan pizza. The oval bar is where you want to be, rubbing elbows with regulars who live a block away, and finding common ground over spreadable sausage. Order the Like A Pepperoni, which swaps nduja for cold cuts. They also have really good salads—because, you know, balance—that don’t feel like an afterthought, especially the Kitchen Sink with perfect cheesy croutons." - tanya edwards