Help me have fun in NYC!

April 26, 2012 4:18 PM

Places to eat/things to see in NYC under a very constrained schedule?

I'll be in NYC next week chaperoning the senior band trip. Obviously I'll be spending most of my time making sure my students don't get arrested, but I will have a bit of free time in certain neighbourhoods. Wondering where tasty and quick food (and any easily seen bits of quirky coolness) would be near these locations:

-Avatar Studios (441 West 53rd)
-Chelsea (anywhere in the area)
-Dardo Galletto Studios (151 West 46th)
-Jazz Standard
-Greenwich Village/Soho
-MoMA
-Radio City Music Hall

Thank you so much!

posted by Go Banana to travel & transportation around New York, NY (11 answers total)

Chelsea Market (between 15th and 16th Sts and 9th and 10th Aves) is a quirky indoor market with a whole bunch of great food purveyors. There's a 9th Street Espresso (extremely bomb coffee), The Filling Station (artisanal salts, oils, and vinegars), a Ronnybrook Farms (local milk, ice cream, etc -- they will make you a pie flavored shake that involves an actual blended slice of pie!!), Dickson's Farmstand meats (unbelievable sandwiches and homemade jerky!), etc. It's also pretty cool looking and just nice to walk around inside.
posted by telegraph at 4:36 PM on April 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Carnegie Deli is at 55th & 5th.
posted by rhizome at 4:49 PM on April 26, 2012

Baohaus on 14th St. and 2nd Ave. is fast and delicious.
posted by godisdad at 4:53 PM on April 26, 2012

You will probably love Midtownlunch.com's map.

Assuming you want mostly takeout/food trucks/cheap eats, I've listed some recommendations below. BUT a lot of food trucks are not guaranteed to be there for dinner or during the weekend. Have a backup plan. For all restaurants, I would call to check hours before you go (if you can find a number).

-Avatar Studios (441 West 53rd)

441 West 53rd is 10th Ave (pretty far west) so try:
Jamaican Dutchy cart - 51st St and 7th Ave
Azuri Cafe - note that this is open for dinner but closes relatively early in the night
Empanada Mama
Hallo Berlin
Pure Thai Shophouse
Tehuitzingo Deli/Grocery

-Chelsea (anywhere in the area)

That's a pretty big neighborhood, actually. You'll probably have to be more specific (north end by 34th? south end by 14th? how far west?).

That said, here's some recommendations.

Salumeria Biellese (closed Sundays)
City Sandwich
Legend (excellent Sichuan)
Macaron Cafe
Grand Sichuan
Tebaya
HIT Deli
Artichoke Pizza - the square slice ONLY
Doughnut Plant - cake donuts are better than the larger, yeast ones
Westville
Eataly - only if you hit it during an off hour (and not on the weekend)
No. 7 Sub
Stumptown Coffee
Co Ba
Coppelia

Chelsea Market is one big building (15-16th St, 9th-10th Ave) and a big collection of stores:

Bar Suzette - crepes
Dickson's Farmstand Meats - butcher counter, but they also have assorted sandwiches, and great housemade hot dogs with kimchi
Amy's Bread - sticky buns, cakes, cupcakes, cinnamon twists, challah knots, etc
Sarabeth's - brunch, cookies, jams, awesome scones
The Lobster Place - lobster rolls, chowder, and they will steam a whole lobster for you to eat right there
Ronnybrook Milk Bar - milk, obviously, and ice cream
L'Arte de Gelato - excellent sorbets and gelatos, especially the olive oil, mascarpone, and strawberry
Jacques Torres - filled chocolates, chocolate covered oranges, chocolate covered potato chips, chocolate covered cherrios, malt balls, etc.
9th Street Espresso - espresso, and surprisingly good drip coffee, too
People's Pops - for a somewhat healthier popsicle treat made from local fruit
Tuck Shop - Aussie meat pies
Tacombi - tacos

See also Where to Eat Near Penn Station.

-Dardo Galletto Studios (151 West 46th)
El Rincon Del Sabor
Margon
Biryani Cart - 46th St and 6th Ave
Kwik Meal Cart - 46th and 6th

Both the Biryani Cart and Kwik Meal Cart have been nominated for Vendy Awards.

- Jazz Standard

The Jazz Standard actually has the same kitchen as Blue Smoke, which is excellent (probably the best food in a jazz club in NYC). It's not cheap, but will be very convenient. Good ribs, pulled pork, deviled eggs, burgers, mac and cheese.

For cheaper eats nearby:
Defonte's
The Cannibal
Wahoo's Fish Tacos
Tiffin Wallah
Dhaba
Saravana Bhavan (aka Saravanaas)
Singpura - just opened
Lamazou
Baoguette
Eataly (as mentioned above)
Calexico Cart - 24th and Broadway, daily, 11-4ish
Shake Shack - may not be faster necessarily dependent upon how good the weather is

-Greenwich Village/Soho

In Soho:
Mille-Feuille Bakery - croissants
Dominique Ansel - croissants, French pastry, macarons
Alidoro - Italian sandwiches
Despana - Spanish tapas and sandwiches, jamon iberico
La Churreria - sandwiches, tapas, churros
Banh Mi Saigon Bakery - banh mi
Parisi - sandwiches
Parm - Italian American dishes like eggplant parm, chicken parm, etc. - usually very busy though, lunch may be better than dinner
McNally Jackson Cafe
Oro Bakery
Ground Support
Balthazar Bakery

In the village:
Murray's Cheese - grilled cheese sandwich bar, cheese, bread, cured meats, antipasti, faux Ring Dings/Ho-Hos
Faicco's Pork Store - Italian sandwiches
Blue Ribbon Bakery Market - housemade matzoh
Victory Garden - goat milk soft serve, love their salted caramel
Famous Joe's - a slice of pizza
Grom - gelato, anything with coffee/chocolate in it is a solid bet
Rocco's - freshly filled cannoli (most places pre-fill these days)
Amy's Bread - same as the Chelsea Market one but it has a nice ambiance, and people love strolling up and down Bleecker St
Bosie Tea Parlor - cookies, scones, macarons, tea
Joe the Art of Coffee - espresso, Ceci-Cela croissants, Doughnut Plant donuts
Taim - falafel, spiced fries, lemonade, juices
Magnolia Bakery - icebox cake, their cupcakes are only OK
Landbrot - pretzels, bear claws, strudel, other German pastries

-MoMA
-Radio City Music Hall

These two are actually pretty close (53rd between 5th and 6th vs 50th and 6th) so similar recommendations apply.

Halal Guys Cart - 53rd and 6th, SOUTHEAST corner during the day, SOUTHWEST corner after dusk, don't be fooled by imposters and look for the "we are different" logo
Menkui Tei - ramen
Carnegie John's - 56th & 7th
El Rincon Del Sabor
Margon
Biryani Cart - 46th St and 6th Ave
Kwik Meal Cart - 46th and 6th

You'll also be right by Rockefeller Center, where you can try Jacques Torres, 'wichcraft, and Bouchon Bakery.
posted by kathryn at 5:46 PM on April 26, 2012 [26 favorites]

For the West 53rd portion, I heartily recommend Empanada Mama's and Tulcingo del Valle (cute fancy-ish empanadas and totally unpretentious tacos and tortas, respectively), which are both located very nearby.
posted by mlle valentine at 7:16 PM on April 26, 2012

Kathryn's list is pretty awesome. Just for clarification sake, you want the Joe's Pizza on Carmine Street between 6th Avenue and Bleecker.
posted by dixiecupdrinking at 7:21 PM on April 26, 2012

Kathryn is a nom-goddess on chowhound and mefi. you would be well advised to listen.
posted by lalochezia at 8:32 PM on April 26, 2012

In Chelsea, some of the very best pizza in NYC can be found at Company. (I mean, so good that I had my wedding eve dinner there.)

At MoMA, of course there is the wonderful The Modern. (Follow that by pie for dessert at the Momofuku Milk Bar (15 w 56th st), eaten in the second floor lobby of the adjoining hotel, the Chambers, which you get to by approaching the hostess desk of Ma Peche behind the Milk Bar and turning right instead of entering the restaurant.)
posted by RJ Reynolds at 5:00 AM on April 27, 2012

In Chelsea, some of the very best pizza in NYC can be found at Company. (I mean, so good that I had my wedding eve dinner there.)

Love Company but there's usually a wait for dinner (lunch is better). You can dine at the bar, too, but it's only 4 seats or so.

At MoMA, of course there is the wonderful The Modern.

The Modern is fantastic but reservations are highly recommended and it's not a fast meal -- neither in the Dining Room or the Bar Room. And it's not on the cheap side either.

The Modern's formal Dining Room is $98 prix fixe for dinner and $55 prix fixe for lunch, dress is business casual, with reservations highly recommended. The Bar Room is a la carte but dishes are "half-entree size" and are $15-25 or so. The Bar Room is also a popular after-work and weekend lunch destination, so you might have to wait for a table if you don't have a reservation.

(Follow that by pie for dessert at the Momofuku Milk Bar (15 w 56th st), eaten in the second floor lobby of the adjoining hotel, the Chambers, which you get to by approaching the hostess desk of Ma Peche behind the Milk Bar and turning right instead of entering the restaurant.)

You can enter Milk Bar directly through the Ma Peche doors to the left side of the hotel lobby doors. You don't need to go through the hotel lobby.
posted by kathryn at 7:54 AM on April 27, 2012

Wow, thanks kathryn! Can't wait to try some of these places out.
posted by Go Banana at 9:47 AM on April 27, 2012

Stage Deli >>>>>>> Carnegie Deli.
posted by SisterHavana at 12:31 PM on April 27, 2012