The neon-lit Chinese spot Grand Sichuan, along the chaotic Bowery-Canal nexus, is not a first-date spot by any stretch—unless you want to prove your cheapness, or, well, your impeccable taste in Sichuan. Also, be warned: Communal tables only here. But of the multiple, confusingly related (or in some cases unrelated) Grand Sichuans in NYC, this is one of the best, consistently nailing dishes like salt-baked squid, eggplant in garlic sauce, spicy double-cooked pork, and prawns with chili sauce. On a recent Saturday night, a baseball-capped David Schwimmer was here with his family—but a celeb hang this is not. You might want to order two rounds of beer at once; the waitstaff can be slow to check back in, especially on madhouse weekend nights.
Grand Sichuan. 125 Canal St. between Bowery and Chrystie Sts.; (212) 625-9212.
Prices/Features: CHP, VGT, GRP (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)