Grand Central Oyster Bar

A vaulted ceiling of Rafael Guastavino tile has covered the counter here since 1913, three weeks after Grand Central Terminal opened above it. The restaurant survived a near-bankruptcy in the 1970s under a rebuild led by restaurateur Jerome Brody, and employees bought a stake in 1999, owning the place outright by 2012. Pan roasts and stews are still made to order in steam-heated swivel pots right behind the counter, alongside two dozen or so oyster varieties from both coasts. Regulars ask for the counter seats, where a server tosses over a handful of oyster crackers before walking through what's fresh.