Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with newyork and food

Help calculate the calories in my favorite NYC street food: lamb over rice.

falameufilho — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:38:10 -0800

Help calculate the calories/fat in my favorite NYC street food: lamb over rice. So, I am watching what I eat, but there are certain things I'd like to indulge on once in a while, as long as I know the size of the crime I am committing, I think I am ok.

One of these things is lamb over rice. If you ever had it (and if you live in NYC you probably have) this is a styrofoam container filled with:

1) About 3-4 cups of cooked yellow rice
2) A good portion of what I think is chopped gyro meat, I cant really quantify it, but it looks like 1/2-1 cup
3) A very tiny lettuce salad
4) All this covered on a white sauce that's either Tzatziki or Tahini, but I think it's the former (it may be something else).

(I am talking about this)

First, I'm having a hard time quantify the amount of gyro meat that go into these things. Is the sauce really tzatziki? Also does anyone have any idea of the calorie/fat count of any of the meat and sauce?

Thanks!

Romantic anniversary dinner in NYC on a grad student budget?

ilana — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:06:56 -0800

Romantic anniversary dinner in NYC on a grad student budget? So in about three weeks my wonderful boyfriend and I will be celebrating our fifth anniversary. Yay! We're looking for a place with great food and preferably romantic atmosphere (though not schmaltzy) in which to celebrate. We both like every type of cuisine we've ever tried (which is a lot of them). We're big fans of seafood, and if you know any place that makes magic out of duck, I'm all ears. Budget is on the small side, about $100ish for the two of us, but if there's somewhere a bit more expensive you think we must go to, just tell us why it's worth the extra! We'll go anywhere (preferably Manhattan) but bonus points if it's on the 1 line, extra bonus if it's UWS. Interesting drinks also a plus.

Apologies if this has been asked before, but I didn't find anything too similar when looking through tags. I know about Chowhound, but it's kind of overwhelming there. Thanks hivemind!

nycfilter: romantic night

knockoutking — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:40:57 -0800

nyc filter: need advice for a romantic night in the city (on Sat 4/11) first of all, i have been to NYC multiple times before so i can figure my way around the general area without a problem...

that said, gf is currently in nyc and i am coming up from DC to meet up with her/take her out

would like a suggestion for "simple" food -- maybe italian? -- and something else to do -- maybe broadway play? walk? desert? -- on Sat, April 11th.

things to know:
-her hotel is located on times square
-timeline is anywhere from ~6 o'clock-ish until ???
-dont want to break the bank unless i have to haha but if its worth it im all for spending the cash required
-alcohol/wine/drinks is not particularly important
-would prefer that its not TOO far of a walk from public transportation...

thoughts/ideas:
-dinner (obviously)
-broadway play/off-broadway play (but which one is the question)
-dessert (if not a play maybe dessert somewhere else?)

if it was in DC i would have a list of places to go/things to do a mile long -- but NYC is another story entirely...

Where to Buy Fish in Downtown NYC?

toomuchkatherine — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:29:27 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good place to buy fish in lower Manhattan or North Brooklyn? I live in Greenpoint, and I've done a little research already but everyone seems to suggest places that are in Park Slope/South Brooklyn, and as such, inconvenient for me.

I just want to get more into eating fish. I'm trying to do it in a responsible way, so feel a little sketched out by Chinatown, even though it's an obvious choice (have no way of telling whether those fish were sustainably harvested or not). Anybody know a place that has decent fresh fish, below 23rd Street? Extra points if it doesn't break the bank.

Good food, good company - help me get both!

pinksoftsoap — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:49:22 -0800

HALP! I am trying to plan a birthday party for two friends but am finding a lot of hurdles. Any suggestions that can accommodate ~20 or more adults in Manhattan (preferably), Brooklyn, or Queens for cheap? The party is for two awesome guys who love good, hearty food. Some suggestions pitched so far:

- Dinosaur BBQ - no reservations available until January :(

- Daisy May's BBQ - reservations available but only for a minimum of $35 a head off of their special menu :( I can risk just having everyone show up without a reservation but with these numbers, that might not work out well.

I'm hoping for a place that's $20 or under per person that's not a bar or club-like lounge. Also, I strongly dislike Dallas BBQ. My group has also done Dave & Buster's to death, so no to that as well.

Thank you in advance!

Help Me Bring the Right Thing to a Shiva.

foxy_hedgehog — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:32:16 -0800

Heading to a shiva this weekend. Need to bring something that is a) edible and b) has a big sign that says "kosher." As anyone who clicked on this probably knows, shiva is a Jewish mourning ritual for the dead. Mourners sit and receive visitors, and its traditional to bring some food for the mourners and guests to eat.

I'd like to bring a full-on dish or sandwiches, since the mourners are going to be too overwhelmed to cook. But the mourners are very religious and whatever I bring can't just be kosher in the sense of not mixing milk and meat- it needs to have an actual kosher certification.

So in other words, help. Do you know of anywhere in Manhattan I can order some dishes or a sandwich platter that's not totally bland and disgusting (which describes most kosher catered food) but that the mourners can feel comfortable eating?

Thank you so much.

Do you know of small towns in the Adirondacks?

Nillocsoc — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:47:29 -0800

What are some small towns in the Adirondacks (NY)- with nice community, local food, and art? I am looking to spend a few months in the Adirnodacks and am searching for small towns that offer a nice sense of community: art, food, music, books, outdoor activities. Ideally not too touristy, but even that would be okay.

All ideas are appreciated, and anything details about the places would be great!

Thanks.

Is there fresh & tasty pizza in Westchester County?

Four-Eyed Girl — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:18:22 -0800

Where can I find fresh & tasty made-to-order pizza in the Mamaroneck/Rye/Larchmont, NY area? I recently moved to Mamaroneck, and I'd love to find some great fresh made-to-order pizza. Non-thick crust is preferable.

Please do not suggest a pizza place that fits the following description: The (usually cheese) pizza is already cooked when upon entry, the toppings are placed on the pizza when you order, and then the slice is re-heated. The only pizza places I've been to since moving to NY have been of this variety, and they have not been very good.

Do you get a lot of your food via mail order?

sparrows — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:37:41 -0800

Do you get a lot of your food via mail order? I mean everyday foods, not stuff from expensive specialty places. What are your favorite sources for this? (I'm in the U.S.) Asking because I'm thinking about moving back into an isolated NYC neighborhood that's a long, multi-leg trip from any good grocery stores (and definitely has no FreshDirect service).

Last time I lived there, I used a combo of an organic delivery service (which is a good value for a weekly mixed box of fruits & veggies, but offers only a very limited & expensive selection of other groceries) plus sites like bulkfoods.com and some natural foods sites that now seem to have gone out of business or stoped local delivery.

So what are your current favorite mail order food sites? Every kind is great to hear about, and I'm especially into ones with lots of natural or Asian or vegetarian foods.

Indian cooking staples in NYC?

gwint — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 09:18:40 -0800

Best place in New York City to buy Indian staples like ghee and garam masala? I'm happy to travel anywhere in the five boroughs (Jackson Heights, etc.) but a friendly staff that could help out a beginner is a definite plus.

What makes Albany, NY a cool place to live?

scooterdman — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:48:05 -0800

What makes Albany, NY a cool place to live? I recently accepted a job that's going to take me there in a few months, and I must admit, I know next to nothing about the place. What's it like there in terms of food, music, culture, weather, etc?

What can one do in Albany? Can one take a train to New York City, Boston, Montreal, anywhere else that's cool? How much would that cost?

Is it scenic? Are there lots of parks? Camping? Mountains? Rivers? Lakes?

What's the traffic like? Is there a lot of crime?

Any information, no matter how random or miniscule, would be appreciated. I am trying to get excited about my move, but I know nothing about this place.

Looking for good food in NYC

BradNelson — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 10:21:44 -0800

I need good but affordable restaurant recommendations for New York (specifically Manhattan). I'll be in New York after the Fourth and want to hit up some good restaurants. (I refuse to eat fast food.) I'm open to anything as long as it is good food. I don't care about novelty or creativity. I just want good taste.

Of course, I can't afford to eat at Aquavit or Per Se, so I'm looking for places that won't cost more than $20-25 per person tops (preferably around $15). And I already know about the ever-popular Shake Shack, which I do intend to visit.

Most of my time will be spent around the "sites" in Manhattan, so that's where I'll be wanting to eat.

Hitting my eye like a big pizza pie (and bagel)

nadawi — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 07:52:31 -0800

I am in NYC for the first time and I've done nearly everything that was on my list to do. The only things I am missing are a great slice of pizza (new york style, of course) and a bagel that will knock my socks off. For an added bonus, I'd like to do it on the cheap. I'm staying in Brooklyn, but the neighborhood isn't terribly important.

Good black beans and yellow rice recipe?

sonnet — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 23:03:00 -0800

Good black beans and yellow rice recipe? It's a little hole in the wall at the NW corner of Broadway and Broome but it's heaven to me. For the four years I lived in New York City, Brisas del Caribe was my favorite place for lunch. Period. The black beans and yellow rice is the best I've ever had. That and a Dr. Pepper only set me back five bucks.

Now I live in Austin. And even though I go back to Brisas del Caribe every time I'm in New York, it's not enough. I want to replicate the magic in my very own kitchen. Does anyone know of a beans and rice recipe that comes close to theirs?

8th Avenue take-out

mojohand — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 10:14:51 -0800

Good restaurant for carry-out sandwiches within three blocks of W36th and 8th Ave in New York City. I'm bringing the food for an informal 'conference table business lunch' this Friday. Having the meeting catered would be a bit much. I plan to get into town early, so my requirements are: interesting, tasty sandwiches or the like, picked up reasonably close to the above intersection.

There's a Pax in the first floor of the building I'm going to, but I'd guess the folks I'm seeing are quite sick of it.

Indian Food in NYC

spaghetti — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 07:38:29 -0800

Where can I find great Indian food in NYC?

Cheap breakfast in New York?

Tlogmer — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 08:06:17 -0800

I'm in New York City and I'm hungry. What's a good, cheap place for breakfast?

kitchen boy?

lackutrol — Mon, 23 May 2005 23:43:51 -0800

Building on recent questions: I am an amateur cook who is considering going pro... Professionals: I am now a professional writer who is thinking about going pro as a cook. I understand that it's difficult to make one's way in this extremely competive field. But I recently catered a party (for fun) at which people wanted to hire me for a substantial amount. Should I try to do this? Any insight into the NYC law regarding food preparation would be appreciated.

Rabbit nosh in the Big Apple

zadcat — Fri, 22 Apr 2005 14:20:54 -0800

I'm visiting New York next week in the company of a friend who's vegetarian, and need suggestions for places to eat. I'd like recs for vegetarian restaurants of any kind, or places where a vegetarian and and omnivore can both eat properly.

I'm also curious what the typical fallback cheap NYC veg food is. When I was veg, I'd grab a falafel sandwich if I was in a hurry. What will we find like that in New York?

NYC Tourist Filter

briank — Fri, 15 Apr 2005 08:20:38 -0800

We are going to NYC for a long weekend beginning next Thursday (April 21) and bringing our almost-four-year-old daughter along. I have a specific question and a couple of general ones for those of you who live in/know/have visited NYC with kids. Specific question: We were thinking about taking our child to the Bronx Zoo. We will be staying on the Upper East Side of Manhattan without a vehicle. Apparently there is an express bus -- is it easily doable with a little kid ? (e.g. not a long ride, relatively safe, etc.)

General question (kid-related): We are generally familiar with Manhattan and have some ideas of where we would like to go with our daughter (the Toys R Us in Times Square, Central Park, American Museum of Natural History, etc.). Do you know of any secret gems that would be worth checking out?

General question (not kid-related): We'd also like to squeeze in a few stops that aren't strictly for families. I am particularly interested in "foodie" things -- gourmet shops, must-try take-away places, etc. We've been to Zabar's a couple of times, so where are some other must-visit spots for foodies?

Where can I find deep-South groceries in New York City?

grumblebee — Mon, 02 Aug 2004 12:28:18 -0800

My wife and I live in New York City, but she's from the Deep South (Alabama). She's often miffed that when she goes to a grocery store in the city, she can't find food and treats that she grew up with (i.e. Goo Goo Clusters). I know you can order a lot of stuff online, but I was wondering -- since there are Korean grocery stores and Indian grocery stores (and even British grocery stores) in NYC -- is there a Southern U.S. grocery store? If not, is there a central website for ordering Southern food products (rather than multiple websites of various product manufacturers)?

Mexican Food in NYC

Sinner — Sun, 25 Apr 2004 14:21:26 -0800

Wow, there really is no good Mexican food in New York. Why? (more insidious). I've only just arrived in LA after a long time in New York, and I don't get it - Baja Fresh, La Salsa and about a hundred other little fast-food places make Mexican food as well or better than many of New York's best-regarded places, for 1/3 the price (Mexican Radio, Gabriella's, Rocking Horse, Rosa Mexicano, etc.), and forget about Burritoville, Fresco Tortilla and its Mexi-chinese variants. These places out here are chains, not mom-and-pop joints: Why aren't they on the East Coast, too?