By Lauren Mechling
Photo Above: Ben Gable Savories
The term “hole in the wall” traces its origins to the nooks and corners that prisoners used to stealthily exchange money and scraps of food. Today, it’s a humble restaurant or café, and even the best ones can get overlooked or taken for granted. Nobody ever got terribly rich off a hole in the wall, which is sort of the point: nobody will go broke patronizing one.
The men and women behind this list of standbys aren’t chasing after Michelin stars or Instagram likes. They’re modest in pretty much everything—except their ambition to keep luring us back.
Jack’s Hot Dog Stand | North Adams
This unadorned stalwart is the real deal. Opened in 1917, Jack’s grills up good old-fashioned hot dogs, as well as cheese fries and chili dogs that are as decadent as they are unphotogenic. The burgers aren’t too shabby, either. Go for lunch, have salad for dinner, and call it a day.
Chris and MJs | Sheffield
The set-up is simple, but the made-from-scratch food is masterful at husband and wife Chris and Mary Jo Gore’s Filipino-inflected spot. Both alums of The Old Mill restaurant, the couple designs a new menu every day. The offerings might include mains like Filipino braised beef, chicken curry, or tofu and asparagus. The sides are fresh and the prices are friendly. If the ube cake is on offer, double up.
Tommy B’s | Craryville, NY
It’s takeout only at the beloved pizzeria that Aaron Butkus and Erin Dougherty opened without much fanfare in 2022. What the place lacks in curb appeal it makes up for in seriously good pie. This is New York-style pizza very much worth planning a picnic around. A few tips: Sometimes they sell out by dinnertime, but you can call hours ahead and reserve your order.
Smokey Divas
Smokey Divas | Pittsfield
Lorraine Jones’ grandmother, Dorothy Turner Everett, oversaw a popular chain of BBQ restaurants in California. Jones brought the family tradition east. Her take-out-only spot makes ribs and brisket that are bonkers good, and there are also collard greens to help you feel healthier about your life choices.
Ben Gable Savories | Chatham, NY
“Good morning, Chatham!” So open the cheering emails that Ben Gable and Michael Gray send to their fans on Tuesdays. The catering operation Ben Gable Savories whips up portable picnic parties of all sizes, turning out sandwiches and salads that are more delicious than the try-this-at-home variety. Customers place orders via old-fashioned telephone any time through Thursday (unless you want to order their famous roast chicken, whose deadline is Wednesday) for Saturday pickup. They also carry the mouth-puckering jams of Chatham resident Mimi Beaven.
Lev & Ida’s
Lev & Ida’s | Hudson, NY
Growing up in the 1980s and ’90s in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bensonhurst, Frederick Pikovsky honed his palate at family-run pizzerias and delis. In the spirit of neighborhood spots that offer up flavorful nosh, his newly opened lunch counter serves up matzoh ball soup, pastrami sandwiches, and black and white cookies. The original Lev and Ida—his grandparents—are kvelling somewhere.
On the Run | Lakeville, CT
On the Run is the platonic ideal of a small-town café. Helmed by an unfailingly energetic staff, it opens early and serves up fresh coffee, fluffy donuts, and a sense of community that accrues when an excellent spot that opened in 1983 keeps going. There’s clam chowder and all manner of sandwiches for the lunch crowd, but we’re never not ordering the Runwich, the enormous breakfast sandwich.
