Health cafés are a dime a dozen in New York, and most are victims of their own credo: more often than not, the açaí bowls are bland, the salads taste like freshly mown grass, and you leave thinking you should have just had a $2 slice of pizza. Not so at Dimes, the California-style restaurant on the Lower East Side that opened in 2013. Grain bowls here take on a sexy veneer—not only because of the low lighting, grungy décor, and potted plants, but also thanks to owners Alissa Wagner and Sabrina De Sousa, who weave Mexican flavors into their inventive dishes: jalapeños, plantain, coconut rice, and pickled Fresno peppers. After all, the spot gave the neighborhood its name. —Elena Clavarino

Elena Clavarino is the Senior Editor at AIR MAIL