Reluctantly, I accompanied my friend to the soft opening of Shaver Hall, a new food hall in the former Lord & Taylor flagship building on Fifth Avenue between 38th and 39th Streets.

Named for Dorothy Shaver, the trailblazing president who helped transform Lord & Taylor into a cultural force, Shaver Hall marks the latest chapter in the adaptive reuse of the landmark 1914 building. The 35,000-square-foot, street-level food hall has seating for 1,400 and is home to a diverse collection of food vendors.

From what I sampled during the event, here are the places I’d recommend trying.

At the center of Shaver Hall is Layaway, an inviting bar serving refreshing Aperol Spritzes—the perfect place to begin or end your visit.

Don’t miss the unusual Pick & Cheese, where a 200-foot cheese conveyor belt carries a carousel of charcuterie and exceptional cheeses from small producers across the Northeast, many of whom I’ve featured here over the years. Simply grab whatever catches your eye from the moving belt. You’re charged by the color and number of plates, and a printed menu identifies everything passing by.

I was told Chick Chick is an Upper West Side favorite, serving Korean-inspired fried chicken from Bib Gourmand chef Jun Park. After one bite, I understood why. I couldn’t put down the flavorful fried chicken sandwich.

I also managed to save room for Butter Chicken Social, where Chicago chef Sujan Sarkar serves authentic Indian favorites with bold flavors and modern energy.

Before leaving, we settled onto stools at the bar at Tallow Steakhouse, a modern steakhouse from FB Society. Bartender Jay introduced me to the Sour New York, made with Great Jones bourbon, red wine and lemon—a whiskey sour topped with a float of dry red wine. I highly recommend it.

With our cocktails, we shared the steak chimichurri appetizer and, of course, couldn’t resist the hand-cut tallow fries. They were absolutely worth the calories.

I arrived reluctantly, but by the time I left, I was already thinking about what I’d order on my next visit to Shaver Hall.

Shaver Hall
Former Lord & Taylor
424 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10018
646-653-5910
shaverhall.com