They don’t have much of a choice. West Chelsea’s restaurant scene is a step or two behind—Cuban black beans and rice, tapas, or pricey comfort food are essentially your options. But judging from the weekend throngs at Chelsea Market, an old Nabisco factory on 9th Avenue that’s been converted into a food emporium, it’s only a matter of time before restaurateurs start staking out territory farther west.

For now, console yourself with the roasted bone-marrow salad and braised pork shank with polenta at the Tap Room in Colicchio & Sons, where the service manages to be both professional and warm. The evening I eat there, I watch a waiter deftly guide a hesitant young couple through the menu. When they inquire about the buttery Parker House rolls being delivered to the adjoining dining room, he promptly brings them an order, on the house.

Fine sustenance can be reliably found in Chelsea proper. Chelsea is roughly defined as 14th Street to 30th Street, between 6th and 9th avenues—though some neighborhood maps also claim the Meatpacking district to the south and Herald Square to the north. A five-minute walk away from the Hôtel Americano is Co., the pizza joint run by bread guru Jim Fahey of Soho’s Sullivan Street Bakery.

At the risk of provoking fellow pizza fanatics, I’ll claim the Popeye—wilted spinach with pecorino, Gruyère, mozzarella, and garlic—is one of the finest pies you’ll find in the city. The dill-spiked matzo ball soup at Friedman’s Lunch is worth braving the crowds at Chelsea Market, while the best way to start the day is with a fresh, perfectly flaky croissant at La Bergamote.