In Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the street names flow like the alphabet, starting with Ash, Box, then Clay and carrying on until Oak. On Huron Street, I came across Archestratus Books & Food, one of New York City’s coziest spots for daydreaming about food.

I find large bookstores with general cookbook sections overwhelming. Vintage cookbook stores can feel dusty and outdated (cornstarch - Yikes!). And while I love to shop for new shiny covers and navigate a labyrinth of towering bookshelves, I prefer Archestratus where the cookbook genres are digestible in size and the recipes that resonate are easy to find.