Comments on: Eating on vacation in NYC

Question: Eating on vacation in NYC

sandra194 — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:13:04 -0800

Please suggest places for a family of 3 to eat in NYC on vacation. 2 adults, 1 teen --will be staying at the Mariott Marquis in Times Square. Thanks

By: saladin

saladin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:15:37 -0800

This question has been asked a million times before here... do you have any specific dietary/neighborhood/price/etc. requirements? If not, I'd start by searching old posts.

By: mdonley

mdonley — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:15:51 -0800

I'm not a local, but here are all the AskMe questions posted with "nyc" and "food".

By: twoporedomain

twoporedomain — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:32:40 -0800

You should also search the message boards at Chowhound. You can search by keyword for your price ranges, neighborhoods, teenager requirements, etc.

By: blaneyphoto

blaneyphoto — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:46:39 -0800

A few random places that I like:

Rodeo Bar
Waterfront Alehouse
Around the Clock
Telephone Bar
Sweet Life Cafe
Jekyll and Hyde
Cedar

By: AJaffe

AJaffe — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:50:16 -0800

Check out the strip of restaurants on 9th Ave. from the upper 30s to upper 50s. Lots of good ones there, near where you're staying and far enough off the beaten path that they might not be overcrowded.

By: Mach5

Mach5 — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:55:09 -0800

also, menupages.com

By: thilmony

thilmony — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:01:53 -0800

Carnegie Deli?

By: mephron

mephron — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:19:50 -0800

There's the previously mentioned Jekyll and Hyde, which you can look about at http://www.jekyllandhydeclub.com/home.htm - it's a theme restaurant based on horror stuff. Be aware you'll have a wait, quite probably.

If you want pretty good, and cheap, Chinese, go down to Chinatown, to Mott STreet. My personal favorite since 20 Mott closed is right across the street and down the stairs, at the Wo Hop Noodle Kitchen.

Those are the two I can think of off the bottom of my head.

By: lia

lia — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:20:10 -0800

Please go out of the neighborhood to eat—New Yorkers pretty much only eat around Times Square if they work there,,so you won't really be getting much of a NYC culinary experience if you eat near your hotel. (I'm sure blaneyphoto is a lovely person but I'm discinclined to trust anyone who recommends Jekyll & Hyde, which is basically TGI Friday's food with a horror theme and animatronics; great for a kid's birthday party, but not when you want a good meal.) There are a few good restaurants in the area, but really you're better off hopping on a train or bus or taking a cab elsewhere. Midtown is our great acknowledged culinary wasteland, the shameful anomaly in a city of great eats.

As saladin pointed out, if you have any requirements (dietary restrictions/preferences/price points), we can make targeted suggestions for you, otherwise just check out previous threads.

By: lia

lia — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:21:56 -0800

(Discinclined = disinclined, oy.)

By: jeffamaphone

jeffamaphone — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:25:49 -0800

Bobby Flay's place, Mesa Grill, is awesome.

If you're looking for more local flavor, just go to the village and walk until something looks good.

Also, I really like this place for breakfast.

By: blaneyphoto

blaneyphoto — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:36:26 -0800

lia - just trying to cover all the bases... all those other places I recommended are quite different from J&H. (I actually prefer Slaughtered Lamb)

By: mattbucher

mattbucher — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:00:26 -0800

http://travel.metafilter.com/go/us/ny/new-york/eat

By: undercoverhuwaaah

undercoverhuwaaah — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:08:41 -0800

Blue Fin

Little Frankies

Otto

Excellent Dumpling House

The Mermaid Inn

Also, between 28th and 2nd Streets on Park, 3rd Avenue, 2nd Avenue and 1st Avenue there is a plethora of delicious dining establishments.

Just watch out for exploding steam pipes.

By: agent99

agent99 — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:16:46 -0800

For a real NYC experience right near where you're staying, go to the so-called Polish Tearoom (the diner in the Hotel Edison, 47th Street just east of 8th Avenue). Best for breakfast or lunch. Order the cheese blintzes. This is the real deal. (You can thank me later.)

By: zaelic

zaelic — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:11:42 -0800

Screw everything else and go to Katz's Deli as if your life depended on it.

Get hot dogs for the kids and Pastrami or Corned beef sandwiches for the big bellies. Supposedly they will be closing for a year while the neighborhood robber barons develope some huge building... and then reopen. See it- and eat it - while you can.

By: SampleSize

SampleSize — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:29:31 -0800

Katz's YES.
Carnegie NO.

By: gurple

gurple — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:14:54 -0800

IANA New Yorker, but I've enjoyed Joey's Paesano when I've been around Times Square.

By: minervous

minervous — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:59:00 -0800

Listen to SampleSize! Stay away from Carnegie!

Ninth Ave, like AJaffe said, is great. I especially like Afgan Kabab House between 50th and 51st (tastiest meat you'll have all week, I suspect) and Hell's Kitchen at 47th (wonderful mexican). Walk over to 10th Ave at 52nd Street for Taboon, serious middle eastern food and, hands down, my favorite restaurant in midtown.

Snack is a tiny place in Soho (Thompson Street between Price and Spring) that will serve you greek food with the nicest staff and chef in the neighborhood.

And, yes, breakfast at the diner in the Hotel Edison is a great New York experience.

By: kimdog

kimdog — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:05:59 -0800

Yes... do go over to 9th Ave as AJaffe suggested. It's just two blocks from your hotel. Your best bet is to walk north on 9th. Beware, these places will often be packed between 6-7:30 before the 8pm Broadway shows. I worked in the area and liked:

Vnyl Diner (affordable)

Rachels (midrange)

Thalia (pricey)

Mangia E Bevi (midrange)

Arriba Arriba (cheap, with an incredible lunch special during the week)

None of these are what you would call incredible... but they are good food, and will be much cheaper that what you will pay for chain food in Times Square. And if you want real NYC deli, skip Carnegie, and make the trip down to Katz's as suggested.

By: Kensational

Kensational — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:10:52 -0800

Could you be a little more vague? It's hard to make a recommendation without your preferences and area's you will visit.

You really should look up a lot of the above rec's because many are in heavy tourist areas, which is fine, but like ANY city, the food in the heavy tourist sections will be hit or miss as many places don't care to maintain quality because they dont depend on repeat business. Many of them are more expensive, same/less quality than a TGI Friday with some twist of atmosphere but if it is convenient for you they may work out. If you would like something a little more local but good you need to sift through those rec's.

Katz is a little overrated, not bad at all and the atmosphere is fun and authentic. Carnegie Deli plain sucks (I'm a contractor here and trust me you Do Not want to know what the back of that place looks like.) If you dont find yourself on Houston St. near Katz and want the famous "Jewish/NYC Deli Smoked Meat" type food like Katz that NYC can offer, walk down 7th Ave and turn right on 38 St and a few buildings in is Bens. The Pastrami/Corned Beef/Soup/pickles/cole slaw all is better. Ben's is in the area just below Times Square called the Garment District and it caters to the many fashion/sewing clothes making shops there and it will only be a few blocks down. After you're done you can go back to 7th Ave and continue down (with traffic) to 34St and there is the Macy's flagship store.

If you do the shopping walk down Bleeker Street in the Village, John's Pizza (between 6 & 7 Ave near Jones St) is very good, better than it's sister in Times Square (44 St between 7 & 8 Ave near your Marriott) but that one is OK too.

By: peace_love_hope

peace_love_hope — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:42:56 -0800

Cross over to 9th ....lots of affordable Hell's Kitchen restaurants, Greek is especially good.

By: blaneyphoto

blaneyphoto — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:59:56 -0800

Also, this weeks TimeOut NewYork's theme is Cheap Eats NY - so it might be worth checking out: http://www.timeout.com/newyork/

By: anildash

anildash — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:12:36 -0800

If you'll indulge the self-link, I've written a good bit about how to visit New York City, including a lot of tips from other folks with recommendations.

By: BrotherCaine

BrotherCaine — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 06:03:38 -0800

I like to eat at restaurants... sometimes. Seriously, your question lacks enough specificity to be meaningful.

From Wikipedia: "On average, the city of New York can claim 6,650 dining places from the chic Lespinasse to the greasiest corner diner -- the most restaurants in any one place on the continent."

If you want the best cheesecake in Times square area, Junior's is highly recommended. Two Boots has decent pizza, but you should probably look for a pizza place with a coal fired brick oven for maximum NY historical flavor. Masa sushi is supposed to be one of the best sushi restaurants in the world, and costs upwards of $1000 for a two person dinner. Much more reasonable might be Sugiyama, a rare Kaiseki experience.

On the cheap side of the culinary experience is Gray's Papaya. Mentioned in cheap eats.

By: SisterHavana

SisterHavana — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 22:50:52 -0800

Confetti Pasta!