Eats in NYC?

February 23, 2009 6:42 PM

I'm taking a 3 day vacay to NYC. Help me make the best of it foodwise!

I'll be in New York from thursday through sunday. I have been to new york many many times before, so I've done the traditional touristy things.

The eats I'd like to hit on this trip:
Bagels (Tal's has been a consistantly good choice)
Cheesecake (Carnegie's is always good)
Chinese takeout
Pizza
Seafood (Oyster bar?)
Cannolis
BBQ?

I've been living outside the US for quite some time, so this is a bit of a "hit all those hankerings" kind of trip. The only concern I have is that Ill be travelling by myself, so naturally, eating by myself. Oh, and Ill be staying in at 26th and 6th Ave. so easy to get to would be ideal. Please help me if you can. Previous threads have only addressed a small part of my quandary

posted by Heliochrome85 to travel & transportation (27 comments total)

You'll be staying close to Hill Country if you want good Texas-style brisket and Pizza 33 which has a surprisingly simple margherita slice. Phoenix Garden near the UN may not look like much, but it has delicious shrimp and other Chinese fare.
posted by Frank Grimes at 6:52 PM on February 23

How can I convince you to go to Mandoo Bar at 32nd and 5th to try their dumplings? And the mandoo ramen soup? Dear lord - when it's cold in DC, that's all I want.
posted by ersatzkat at 6:57 PM on February 23

Bagels: Kosher Bagel Hole, on Coney Island Avenue.

Pizza: DiFara's, a few blocks away on Avenue J. I recommend calling in your order first. The last time I was there, we had to wait an hour and a half for a pizza. Well worth it, though.
posted by jason's_planet at 7:02 PM on February 23 [1 favorite has favorites]

Sorry, I didn't help you too much on the easy-to-get-to front, but if you are on 26th and 6th you're in pretty good shape to get a lot of places pretty quick; you can zip down to Union Sq. quite fast and then you can get all over the place. And the UWS isn't hard at all either, find your way to the 1/2/3 and you're good to go. If you need more specific help me-mail me and I can give you directions.

Bagels (Tal's has been a consistantly good choice)

Absolute Bagels are my favorite. They are uptown, 107th and Broadway I think (1 train).

Cheesecake (Carnegie's is always good)

People are always talking about Junior's on Flatbush. Can't vouch for it myself, but I've heard it's great. I think the R will get you over there pretty easily but I'm too lazy to look it up right now...again, me-mail me and I'll expend more effort on it...

Chinese takeout

Can you be more specific--any particular dishes? Regions? Etc. You can get Chinese takeout from five-bazillion places in NYC, many quite good. But generally, for the best Chinese in NYC head to Queens, in Flushing I've heard...haven't been there myself (*sniff*).

Pizza

Lombardi's is pretty damn good if you don't want to leave Manhattan. Grimaldi's is the shit. De Fara's is legendary, but tough to get to, and evidently slow (never been myself, double *sniff*). Lombardi's you could get to without too much trouble I think.

Seafood (Oyster bar?)

Hmm...I dunno this one. Sorry. Chowhound is your friend. There is a place on the Upper West Side, in the 80s I think, that I've been a few times and it's pretty good...Docks. I'm skeptical that it's the best in the city though.

Cannolis

Here ya go, Chowhound again...I'm scared to touch this one personally.

BBQ

In NYC? I don't believe you can get great BBQ in NYC (flame war: start!). I guess Dinosaur BBQ is pretty good. Stay the hell away from all the Dallas BBQ chains. Why don't you just head up to MA and go to Bub's (watch out NOISY web site)? It's the best I've had in the Northeast. I know, not an actual useful answer, sorry...had to inject my contentious opinion in there though!
posted by dubitable at 7:03 PM on February 23

Seconding Lombardi's for coal-oven pizza. My favorite pizza in the whole world.

If you want a Junior's cheesecake without schlepping all the way out to Brooklyn, there's a branch in the food court in Grand Central Terminal. (Their only branch, as far as I know.) Not cheap, but the pieces are large and artery-cloggingly delicious.
posted by Quietgal at 7:20 PM on February 23

I like Veneiro's for cannolis.

Chinese take-out is basically the same everywhere. You should just go to Chinatown for Dim Sum if you want something nice.

Junior's for cheesecake is mad delicious.
posted by cazoo at 7:27 PM on February 23

I like Tal, too, but I generally go to Murray's.

For some really amazing pizza, go to Una Pizza Napoletana on 12th. The freshest, bestest pizza around. There's generally a line when they open at 5, and they only serve until they run out of dough. It is fantastic. But if you're going for just nuts and bolts pizza, I love Famous Ray's at 6th and 12. They're open until like 4 in the morning, so you could actually go have dinner, see the late movie somewhere, and then have a pizza nightcap.

Wu Liang Ye is good for takeout, but if you want something special, go to Grand Sichuan on 9th and 24th. They have all your old favorites, but also "real" Chinese food. They do a spicy chicken (I can't remember what it is called), that is AMAZING. Also, it sounds weird to say, but they have a special menu of freshly killed chicken, and the difference versus your regular shipped-across-the-country-refrigerated-in-a-truck chicken is really very apparent.

I have to say, I'm not a big fan of Junior's or Carnegie, but by all means go to the Junior's in Grand Central Station, plus, you can combine that with a trip to the Oyster Bar, which is OK enough.

NYC is not BBQ country, but there is Dinosaur BBQ, which is really good, and Virgil's.

For cannoli, I like Ferrara. Yum.

I'm going to be back in NYC this coming weekend, too, so I will be going on my own culinary tour...
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:39 PM on February 23

Agree with Admiral on Murray's.

For pizza, go to John's on Bleecker St. Best on the island. It's two stops on the subway from where you're staying.

For cannolis, Rocco's (across the street from John's on Bleecker) is incredible. Pick them up on your way back from John's. They fill them in front of you. Ask for chocolate chips and powdered sugar.
posted by j1950 at 7:55 PM on February 23

Bagels: H & H
Cheesecake: S & S (also if you go to Carnegie without getting the corned beef you're sorely missing out)
Chinese takeout: New Green Bo (get the soup dumplings)
Pizza: Patsy's or Bleecker St. Pizza
Seafood: Uh, sushi? Kanoyama
Cannolis: ??? Wander down to Mulberry & Broome, you'll find something.
BBQ: Rub

A few other items/cuisines have become NYC staples that you should check out.

Falafel: Mamoun's
Hummus: Hummus Place
Ramen: Ippudo
Kati Roll: Kati Roll Co.
Pommes Frites: Here

I could yammer on forever. There is also a list about a mile long of great burgers. And get yourself some Sixpoint beer while you're here.
posted by MonkeyMeat at 8:01 PM on February 23 [1 favorite has favorites]

re: Una Pizza Napoletana- Yes, it's good. But it's $20 for a small pie, (not that good in my opinion). I like John's on Bleeker, too. Not NY style, but also good is Waldy's, which is right by where you'll be.

Seconding- Grand Sichuan, Murray's and/or Tal (I like Murray's cream cheese flavors better).

Carnegie's is a tourist/rat trap (seriously, they were shut down for vermin last year).

BBQ... I'm from the South, so this one is hard. For different reason's, I like RUB on 23rd (sloppy top pulled pork sandwich), and Blue Smoke (incredibly flavorful ribs).
posted by kimdog at 8:12 PM on February 23

Hummus Place is unparalleled. It is so good that it has completely destroyed my ability to enjoy any other hummus.

I don't know what your budget is, but for seafood I love, love Aquagrill and Mermaid Inn.
posted by lalex at 8:16 PM on February 23

And I'll second Blue Smoke for BBQ; if you go do not miss the macaroni and cheese side.
posted by lalex at 8:19 PM on February 23

nthing Hummus Place. I'm hooked on the hummus fava.


Co. is a new pizza place is getting good reviews and it is not too far from where you're staying. Haven't been there yet though.
posted by plastic_animals at 8:34 PM on February 23

It's way out there, but as far as I'm concerned the best food to be had in the city is in Queens' Flushing Chinatown. Take the 7 from Times Square all the way to the end of the line, come up out of the subway, and you're in foodie heaven. The highlights: kebabs, peking duck buns, chicken legs, scallion pancakes, pork buns and dumplings all for a dollar or much less. There are bubble tea shops and bakeries on most corners and there are lots and lots of proper sit down restaurants as well, serving everything from Taiwanese to Korean to Thai to Vietnamese to whatever. And if you venture down into some of the nondescript shopping malls, you stumble over warrens of food stalls serving amazing, cheap cheap food, like northern Chinese lamb-cumin burgers and deep, rich, anise flavored beef curry noodles.
Seriously, most Manhattanites have never been out to Flushing chinatown, but every friend I lure out there thinks it's the most amazing place.
Go!
posted by meglo91 at 9:15 PM on February 23 [1 favorite has favorites]

Bagels: If I were you, I'd make a special trip either to Barney Greengrass or Russ & Daughters for some nova, but I'm more about the combination of bagel/cream cheese/nova than bagel itself. Pricey but delicious.

Pizza: DiFara's, a few blocks away on Avenue J. I recommend calling in your order first. The last time I was there, we had to wait an hour and a half for a pizza. Well worth it, though.

It's Di Fara, no possessive, and it's worth the trek. However, the sole pizza-maker, Dom, was recently in a car accident, and is slowly getting back into the shape of things so now may not be the best time to visit him. Note that they now close in the late afternoon for two hours (4-6pm). Also, calling in your order doesn't help as he usually won't start making the pie unless he sees you physically there.

Note that Di Fara is not "New York" pizza; it is excellent, but it is not what you would typically consider old school NY style pizza due to his use of gas oven, parmesan cheese blend, and olive oil (at the end, to finish).

The best coal-fired pizza is probably Patsy's of East Harlem or Totonno's of Coney Island (and only Coney Island). As for the competition, Lombardi's is good but coasting a little, and too soggy, I think. Ditto for Grimaldi's. John's of Bleecker is too thick and too cheesy, and sometimes, not charred correctly on the bottom. (The Times Square John's location is mediocre.) Artichoke's is just...odd (crust is too bready, signature artichoke slice is too creamy, the crab slice is just weird). I really like Una Pizza Napoletana but it's pricey and sometimes annoying to get into.

Much closer to you is Co. (short for "company"), which is a non-traditional take on Naples-style pies. It is excellent. It is very popular. Closed Sundays and Mondays. But it is much, much cheaper than Una Pizza Napoletana, and unlike UPN, you can wait inside, at the bar or the foyer. (And they have a hostess, instead of a sign that says "no we do not know how long.") If you've been to Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles, Co. is very similar to Mozza, but less bread-like. Ever heard of that no-knead bread recipe that was sweeping the internets? The guy who came up with the recipe is the one who runs Co.

Cheesecake: people are always talking about Junior's on Flatbush. Can't vouch for it myself, but I've heard it's great. I think the R will get you over there pretty easily but I'm too lazy to look it up right now...again, me-mail me and I'll expend more effort on it...

Junior's is good. There is one in Times Square that is far more convenient to Chelsea.

Chinese takeout: what Admiral Haddock said. You are in very close proximity to one of the best Sichuan places in Manhattan, Grand Sichuan on 24th and 9th. (This is a mini-chain of several related restaurants in Manhattan.) Note that this is not American-style Chinese food, but the real deal, with real Sichuan peppercorns (look up "ma la" if you like). Do not order from the Americanized Chinese food menu. From the authentic Chinese sections, I like the aui zhou spicy chicken, dan dan noodles, cold cucumbers with scallion sauce, won tons in red oil, tea smoked duck, and double cooked pork. They also have good soup dumplings (which are Shanghai-ese, I know). Admiral Haddock, I think you may be referring to the chong qing dry and spicy chicken, which is like 80% hot peppers in the end.

If you can make it out to Flushing, I like dim sum at Perfect Team Corporation, duck buns at Corner 28, fried dumplings at Zhu Ji Guo Tie, lamb "burgers" at Xian Famous Eats in the Golden Shopping mall, Sichuan food at Spicy & Tasty or Chengdu Heaven, shaved ice "bings" in the Flushing Mall, or (my newest obssession) the "gua bao" at Taiwan Temple Snacks in the Roosevelt Food Court.

Seafood: if you want raw oysters, go sit at the bar at Aquagrill. They have 25-30 varieties each day. For cooked seafood, it depends if you want fancypants (like Le Bernardin) or a fish shack (like Pearl's Oyster Bar). If you want scene, go to Lure. If you want pristine sushi, go to Sushi Yasuda, Kanoyama, Sushi Azabu.

Canolli: accept only the freshly filled variety, as j1950 points out. These are available in the Washington Square/central village area at Rocco's (on Bleecker) or Pasticceria Bruno (on La Guardia). They will fill them to order. Veniero's are pre-filled and wait around all day, unfortunately.

BBQ: Nobody really does all styles and dishes well. It really depends if you are looking for brisket, pulled pork, pork ribs, beef ribs, etc. Hill Country has excellent Texas style brisket. Ask for the fatty variety, not the learn. Their pork ribs are also good. Not great but good enough. I haven't found any good Carolina style pulled pork although Blue Smoke's is good (but their coleslaw is decidedly non-traditional). I like the ribs there, too. Some are also put off by Blue Smoke's upscale atmosphere and prices. Rack & Soul has excellent baby back ribs. As I mentioned, each place is kind of hit or miss dependent on what you like and what you want to order.

Also, you should go to Momofuku Ssam Bar. That is all.

Previously on ask.mefi.
posted by kathryn at 9:22 PM on February 23 [5 favorites has favorites]

Gonna try to help out here a bit.

BBQ - Go to Hill Country, just west of Broadway. My god, that place is so delicious. Everything there is wonderful.. except the Big Red drinks, which are gross.

Seafood - Hit the sushi places. If you've got the cash, hit Sushi Yasuda. If you've got less cash than that, go to Blue Ribbon. I prefer the one in Soho.

Pizza - I'm of the opinion that the outer boroughs do it better. Personally, if I was looking for average New York pizza, I'd just stop into any random place on the street. As long as it's not totally gross and whatnot.

Side note: I'd highly recommend A Salt and Battery. Yes, it's not really New York per se (it's a fish and chips shop) but it's oh so delicious. And the head guy there beat Bobby Flay on Throwdown. That's worth something, right?
posted by gchucky at 10:01 PM on February 23

Other things you should want to eat:

Fried chicken and sides at Mama's Food Shop on the LES. The portions are rather large, so you may not actually need another meal for 3 days.

Cheeseburger, fries, and milkshake at the hidden burger joint in the lobby of the Hotel Parker Meridien. So yummy.
posted by flotson at 3:56 AM on February 24

Oh Kathryn you were so almost close to the first post on Food in NYC that I agreed with 100% and then you had to go make the claim that DiFara isn't real NY pizza. Both the traditional Coal oven stuff as well as Gas Deck stuff are equally authentic.

Coal ovens were banned decades ago - with the exception of a small number of places real NY pizza has been made on Gas deck ovens for 50-60 years which led to the thicker crusts et al. That said I love DiFara but it is a truly stunning hassle to eat there. Getting there is the easy part. I've stopped recc'ing it to people.

Also go to Ssam bar - its very much of the moment in NY foodieness. I think its overexposed by the press but its still worth it.

And before you go there go to Terroir which I think is the best wine bar in the city by about 100x.

Bagels (Tal's has been a consistantly good choice) - Murray's
Cheesecake (Carnegie's is always good) - Don't eat
Chinese takeout - Depends on you nabe. Assuming Manhattan - Cantonese - Cantoon Garden/NY Noodletown. Szch- Grand Sichuan - but if you do go to Flushing I love Spicy&Tasty
Pizza - In Manhattan - The original Patsy's (only that location) 116th and 1st - Coal oven place. For Gas oven places all the really good ones are in the outerboroughs. I like Joe's on Carmine tho well enough.
Seafood (Oyster bar?) - Pearl's, Mary's Fish Camp, Tides in the pseudo fish shack category. GC Oyster Bar is good for Oyster's cooked food is weak. Sushi? Yasuda, Ushiwakamura
Cannolis - Don't eat
BBQ? - Hill Country, RUB, Dinosaur
posted by JPD at 4:48 AM on February 24

Because I'm an asshole, I'm here to disagree with nearly everything that's been said so far. Follow me on a journey of contrariness and spite:

Bagels: The uptown bagel places like H & H, Barney Greengrass, etc. that have been recommended upthread are good, there's no denying that, but they're also genuinely obnoxious places to visit (crowded, yuppies, baby strollers), and by and large are fairly far away from both where you're staying and anywhere you'd actually want to be. The ultimate bagel experience in New York actually involves two stops, and requires a little work. You're going to start by picking up the bagels themselves at Kossar's on Grand (just east of Essex; closed on Saturdays, so beware); next, walk up to Russ and Daughters on Houston between Orchard and Allen for fixin's. Walk your bagels over to the sunny little park on 1st and 1st, assemble them, and then bask in their deliciousness while also basking in the glorious people-watching opportunities that that park affords.

Cheesecake: Eileen's on Cleveland just south of Spring is the best cheesecake in Manhattan, no question.

Chinese Takeout: New Green Bo was a good suggestion, but better still is Shanghai Cafe, a few blocks away on Mott between Hester and Canal (get the crab soup dumplings).

Pizza: As mentioned earlier, John's on Bleecker is top-notch coal over pizza. Lombardi's is also excellent, but a recent renovation has left the place feeling pretty sterile and TGI Friday's-esque. The best part about John's is that it's next door to Cones, which happens to have some of the most amazing gelatos and sorbets on the planet.

Seafood: The oyster bar at Grand Central is pretty excellent. If you're not scared to spend a little money, Balthazar on Spring between Crosby and Broadway is also an amazing place to get oysters. Go for brunch and get their $100 oyster sampler platter. For sushi, I'm a huge fan of Hasaki on E. 9th between 2nd and 3rd. Make sure to sit at the bar and try to develop a rapport with the sushi chefs, who will reward your efforts with special treats.

BBQ: R.U.B. is the only remotely edible barbecue in the city, and the only barbecue I'd actually be willing to pay money for anymore; to echo my earlier advice, Dinosaur is fun, but not very good, Blue Smoke is overpriced wankery (pulled pork sandwich on a brioche? Give me a fucking break), Hill Country is basically a Shoney's with better decor (their sides are an affront to truth and beauty), and any of the myriad places that haven't been mentioned (Dallas BBQ, Daisy May's, etc.) haven't been mentioned for a reason. If you've got a pork jones, do yourself a favor and take kathryn's advice and either go to Momofuku or Momofuku Ssam.
posted by saladin at 5:19 AM on February 24 [1 favorite has favorites]

Thirding the GC Oyster Bar. And while you're there, go to the food court in the basement. There's a handful of stalls/kiosks, but go to the one in the center and sample the world's greatest mf-ing donuts from the Doughnut Plant. They don't have 'em on Mondays, though.
posted by Atom12 at 5:44 AM on February 24

I can be an even bigger asshole. Lombardi's, John's of Bleecker, Arturo's and Grimaldi's all suck. I'm not saying that to be contrary they really aren't good. Co. is the most annoying restaurant w/ excellent food I've eaten at in quite sometime - but I will go back. The only place worse is Una Pizza Napolitana which is the singularly most pretentious restaurant in NYC. And I love Blue Hill @ Stone Barns and the ridiculousness that is Dan Barber to put that comment in perspective.

The only restaurant more relentlessly overhyped then DiFara is Shake Shack. Eating at DiFara is the same thing as buying Google @ 700.

Russ & Daughters carries bagels that are better then the ones Kossar's carries - whcih they don't bake BTW - only the Bialys. I have to admit tho Russ & Daughters is the best idea I've seen re: Bagels. I just don't associate it with bagels - its an appetizing store. I don't know what I love more - my girlfriend or whitefish salad.
posted by JPD at 5:54 AM on February 24

In an effort to not join the asshole competition, might I humbly suggest going to New Ashiya on 1st Ave between 10th and 11th? Can't really beat $30 for all you can eat and drink (sushi, and wine, beer, and sake)! The sushi is actually quite good. Great way to start a night out on the town!
posted by Grither at 6:27 AM on February 24

Second Absolute Bagels, without which life is not worth living. Also, NYC's best secret BBQ is at Legends, which is out of the way in Queens (but not far from the subway) at 71-04 35th Ave, in the back of a sports bar. Won't find that one in Zagat!
posted by zvs at 6:30 AM on February 24

Fourthing Grand Central Oyster Bar, I just want to point out that if there are three or less of you, it's more fun to go to the "Saloon" part and sit at the bar, the full menu is available, and most of the bartenders are quite friendly and sweet.

Nothing is more contentious than BBQ it seems (and if you ask me, anyone who doesn't like the brisket at Hill Country has POOP in their BRAINS), but it's really not a NYC thing. The bbq joints are for New Yorkers who need BBQ, not visitors looking for the gems of the city.

Snack, a tiny greek place in SoHo, is an ideal lunch stop if your are shopping till dropping.

Russ & Daughters rules.

Grand Sichuan is great. But take the 7 all the way to Flushing and eat at Spicy & Tasty, completely worth the trip, and Flushing is a great place to walk around anyways.
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 6:39 AM on February 24

Seafood - Hit the sushi places. If you've got the cash, hit Sushi Yasuda. If you've got less cash than that, go to Blue Ribbon. I prefer the one in Soho.

I would ventue that Ushiwakamaru is better, soley on nigiri vs. nigiri. Blue Ribbon Sushi has excellent cooked food but the sushi can be sloppy.

Oh Kathryn you were so almost close to the first post on Food in NYC that I agreed with 100% and then you had to go make the claim that DiFara isn't real NY pizza. Both the traditional Coal oven stuff as well as Gas Deck stuff are equally authentic.

The gas-oven point: I concede. However, as much as I love Dom's work, his recipe and technique I have never seen elsewhere in the city. And I know some people are turned off by the copious amounts of parmesan on his pies.

The ultimate bagel experience in New York actually involves two stops, and requires a little work. You're going to start by picking up the bagels themselves at Kossar's on Grand (just east of Essex; closed on Saturdays, so beware); next, walk up to Russ and Daughters on Houston between Orchard and Allen for fixin's. Walk your bagels over to the sunny little park on 1st and 1st, assemble them, and then bask in their deliciousness while also basking in the glorious people-watching opportunities that that park affords.

Fun idea as long as you have a knife on you! That's gonna be a cold, cold walk. And Russ & Daughters will make you a bagel sandwich if you ask. But if you do go to Kossar's, might as well stop at Donut Plant which is a few doors down. I'm partial to the Tres Leches and Blackout cake donuts. The yeast ones are good, too, but some people don't like their donuts fluffy and chewy. The donuts are much, much fresher at the bakery than at any of the places that carry them around town (Grand Central Food Court, etc.). If you're going on a weekend, go earlier rather than later as they run out of the normal varieties (plain glazed, jelly) very quickly. But, hey, they have rose petal donuts, ginger donuts, passionfruit donuts, and more.
posted by kathryn at 6:44 AM on February 24

Nthing Lombardi's at 32 Spring Street. They don't take credit cards. The clam pizza is great.
posted by jgirl at 7:49 AM on February 24

I don't have too many recommendations, but I do have a couple.

First, for pizza (and great Italian food in general), I'd recommend Petaluma on 73rd and 1st. Not too close to where you're staying, but my favorite pizza in New York, and you get to watch them make it in a cool-looking stone oven. Lombardi's, as some people have already recommended, is also great, but often really crowded.

As for cheesecake, I totally agree with those who have said Junior's. There is one in Times Square on, I think, 45th and Broadway or so, but I'd recommend going to the original one in Brooklyn on Flatbush. It's not too hard to get to. Catch the F train on 23rd and 6th, take it to the Washington Squre station, where you should transfer to the B train, which will take you to Dekalb and Flatbush, which, if I remember correctly, is about 30 feet from Junior's. Shouldn't take more than half an hour, and it's a fun trip to one of the cooler parts of Bklyn.

For Chinese, there's a place on 55th between Lex and Third that I love called "Our Place".

I think that's about it. Enjoy!
posted by Twevy at 9:11 AM on February 24