This week on Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Ryan talks to Time Out Food and Drink Editor Bao Ong about what it takes to make a restaurant great, how he puts together “Best of” lists, and then gets some recommendations for great places in New York City and beyond. Plus, our longest Recalculating yet!

Things we talked about in today’s podcast:

- Bao Ong

https://www.timeout.com/profile/UMTtSr53SqyIKETBUC1uNeQ==/ 

- NYT on why a volcano boosted Iceland tourism

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/17/world/europe/reykjavik-iceland-tourism.html

- Japantowns in the US

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japantown

- Tommy Wallach’s The Ladder: A Choice-Driven, Fully Replayable Escape Room

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1447182103/the-ladder-the-worlds-first-truly-replayable-escape-room/description

- Bao’s 100 Best Restaurants in NYC Right Now

https://www.timeout.com/newyork/restaurants/100-best-new-york-restaurants 

Restaurant Mention: Via Carota

http://www.viacarota.com/ 

Restaurant Mention: Superiority Burger

http://www.superiorityburger.com/ 

Restaurant Mention: Olmstead

http://www.olmstednyc.com/

Restaurant Rec: Maison Yaki

http://www.maisonyaki.com/

Restaurant Rec: Crown Shy

https://www.crownshy.nyc/

Restaurant Rec: Khe-Yo

https://www.kheyo.com/

Restaurant Rec: Pata Paplean

https://www.facebook.com/patapapleannyc/ 

Restaurant Rec: Dallas’s Laotian Khao Noodle Shop

https://www.dallasnews.com/food/2019/09/17/khao-noodle-shop-is-bon-appetit-s-no-2-best-new-restaurant-in-america/

Restaurant Rec: Saint Paul’s In Bloom

https://www.inbloomstp.com/ 

Natural Wines in Spain

https://culinarybackstreets.com/cities-category/barcelona/2019/wine-harvest-2019-4/ 

Restaurant Rec: Boston’s Japanese-Peruvian Ruka

https://www.rukarestobar.com/ 

Restaurant Rec: Detroit’s Lebanese Ollie’s

http://www.olliescuisine.com/

“Joker” stairs in the Bronx

https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2482891/see-how-crowded-jokers-stairs-are-now-that-theyre-a-tourist-trap

Boston Harbor Now

https://www.bostonharbornow.org/

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