The neighborhood’s German population had been replaced over the decades with immigrants from Italy, Poland, Romania, Albania and the former Yugoslavia. In addition to their pasticcerias and pierogi shops, some of these groups reserve members-only social clubs to themselves. But many similar establishments – notably Gottscheer Hall, which since 1924 has catered to expatriates from what is now Slovenia, and serves both beer and various foods that goes well with it – are open to the public, too.

Rudy’s Bakery & Café, which opened in 1934, continues to prepare apple strudel, Linzer tarts and Black Forest cake. Today, however, its German baking traditions are in Italian-American hands, and both biscotti and cannoli are also dependably on display. Yet, at Christmastime, we know where to find our pfeffernüsse (with a silent “P”), sweetly glazed spice cookies sold by the bagful.

Even before the pandemic, the sheltered backyard of While In Kathmandu, where we’ve nibbled on masala wings while cooling down with Nepalese iced tea, was a serene outdoor dining option in a city with too few such spots. Even on a warm day, we can’t resist the brothy jhol momo dumplings, which are a menu highlight.

A Vietnamese cafe transplanted from Bushwick, Nhà Mình offers a cozy dining room up front. Scooting around the open kitchen, a much larger seating area doubles as an event space; beyond that is a backyard with a large number of picnic tables. Unlike many of the city’s Vietnamese restaurants, Nhà Mình begins its dining hours early. We’ve kick-started our day with the bánh xèo, a savory crepe, that features bacon, egg and cheese – BEC – evoking a classic NYC breakfast sandwich.

There’s technically no dining area at Ukrainian deli-grocery Varenyk House. When you’ll be spoiled for choice if looking for hot lunch to go. A sampler of stuffed cabbage, chicken meatballs, fried potatoes and cucumber salad barely scrape the surface of the large and varied display of freshly prepared food. At the counter near the cash register, many sweets compete for attention, but one calls out more persuasively than the rest: halva made, not from sesame, but from sunflower.

One cuisine hard to come by, even in a city like New York, is that served at Delicias Sucueñas. A tiny storefront named for Sucúa, Ecuador, unlike Ecuadorian restaurants that specialize in dishes from the highlands or the coast, the most distinctive dishes at Delicias Sucueñas have their roots in the Amazon rainforest.