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Thanks/apologies from a future visitor!
Posted: 4:06 pm, November 3rd, 2009 in Midtown Eating
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32 Comments
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Well, obviously you'll have to have lunch at the Famous Halal cart for the famous Chicken and Lamb over Rice. It's just across the street :)
I cant help but pimp out my favorite midtown restaurant:
Ipanema
13 W.46th StThey serve home-style brasilian food at very affordable prices (dinner and drinks should run about $30-$35 pp).
Aside from that, what's your budget like for dinner, and what's types of food interests you?
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I am starting think that Adamprato's dad owns Ipanema.
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And don't forget the Schnitz truck on Mondays.
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I did see that the Halal cart is right by the hotel...that is exactly what I'm looking for! I'm trying to eat very cheaply because just paying for the whole package and two Broadway plays is killing me!
And that's how I found the site, I Googled street food vendors looking for cheap eats and found Zach's reviews. I've been checking out the various listings around the hotel.
But as far as budget and cuisine, I'd like to keep it to no more than $30/day...I hope that's doable! It's just for me and I can eat anything, but I do want to enjoy NY while there, so I've been looking at the pizza reviews (Grandma slices are rectangle, right?) and the 2008 poll winners. I also saw that Ernest Klein grocery is close by, so I'll get some snacks/drinks for the hotel room there to save $$.
I really just wanted to say thanks for all the info. This is a great site and makes me all the more excited about our trip!!
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check out Sbarro, its the best slice in Manhattan
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Ernest Klein can get kinda pricey actually. The lunch sandwiches are cheap, around $7. But everything else there is Midtown prices,
ex: A piece of chocolate cake for $4.
But they do have a decent fruit stand so if you wanna go that route they might be good. -
Don't go to 53rd and 6th! It really is VILE! I had it recently. Check the forums, and you will see many of us are not/no longer huge fans. TRY KWIK MEAL 45th and 6th. It is the BEST street food in NYC, hands down..... Unless you enjoy mayonnaise on standard issue gyro meat, go to Kwik Meal for REAL LAMB chunks with REAL TZATZIKI!
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lol @ steve for The Office reference!
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i think she should try 53rd and kwik meal...since this will be her first time trying it...she will find both very good since she has nothing to compare it to.
and they are both very diferenct tastes as well. -
Thanks to all for your recommendations!
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mkim no. This dude named Alfredo owns it.
The more people go to it, the longer they'll stay in business, and the longer *I* get to go there :)
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Alli, all the entrees at ipanema are under $30, and come with rice and beans (and the steaks come with fried potatoes). If you stick to soda and not liquor, you can do under $30.
There are plenty of dining options in the area for under $30:
From that list I'd suggest:
- Chinese: Wu Liang Ye / Szechuan Gourmet
- Indian: Bombay Masala, Baluchi, Spice Fusion, etc
- Italian: John's Pizzeria -
adam, she said 30 per day. not 30 per meal. :P
hey alli, no need to apologize. it just means the streets will be empty in other places.
my cousins from cali and north carolina LOVE chicken and rice and cusses me out every time they find out i'm having some.
i second john's pizzeria. you can't come to new york without trying our pizza. and if you're gonna try our pizza you might as well try john's. if you don't mind exploring a bit, you should go to the bleecker street location. that location is cozier than the midtown place which is admittedly cleaner but has a tourist-trappy big-box-restaurant feel. it's whole pies only and a plain will run about $13 before tax&tip + a dollar for extra toppings.
also, try some bagels from essabagel on 51st and 3rd.
or some good corned beef/pastrami from katz/stage's (though they're all pretty expensive ... practically $20 per sandwich)
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Yeah dean. The places I mentioned she could get away with spending about $22, leaving enough room for a midtownlunch-lunch :)
Alli - Aside from the streetmeat (the Chicken & Lamb over Rice w/ White & Hot sauce) which you may not get in your area, the other thing I suggest is: Kati roll's (Biryani Cart on 46th & 6th, or Kati Roll Co on 39th btw 5th & 6th). There's a good chance you have indian food in your city, but lesser chance that you have Kati rolls out there :)
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I don't know the hours over Thanksgiving, but a trip to the Burger Joint seems too obvious to pass up.
Otherwise, ignore Goats, Halal Guys is worth a stop, though listen to Goats, Kwik Meal is worth a stop.
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Ben Ash on 55th & 7th has a decent pastrami for around $12. I ask them for two extra slices of bread, so I can make two sandwiches with all that meat they give you. Though I can't remember if they charged me or not for the extra bread.
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For authentic and cheap chinese food, you can venture to Chinatown.
If you order from Kwik Meal cart, don't order the chicken. it is too salty the last two times I tried. Also with the pitas, they tend to add a cup of the white sauce on it. Which makes it very messy.
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allicat, as someone who works in between Macy's and the Empire State Building, I appreciate your appologies. I'll do my best not to stomp on your daughter and her friends that week.
And since you are so nice: If you're by Macys, the pizza place (Cafe Rustico II) on 35th btw 5th and 6th is pretty good, just make sure you get whatever looks like its been out of the oven most recently.
Also closer to 6th on the same block is a news stand with a food counter inside it, where they have decent coffee for cheap, plus bagels and other baked goods. Just make sure you order quickly, or I will stomp on you in there. I'm very cranky pre-coffee
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I can 2nd Sarah's reccomendation for the 6th ave newstand place that serves latin and indian food. Its more like an international food stop in my opinion rather then a news stand.
GoGo Curry and Little Morroco cart up around 38th are must visits in my opinion. Also Fuji Bakery on 35th for pork buns and rocky custard buns are a good bet. All can be found on search function. Happy eating
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its a shame Jamaican Dutchy is on vacation. that would be a definite as well.
but you have Cravings on Mon or Thur. i second 6th and 53rd. i'm not sure about those who say its not as good. i still love it. just can't have it very often!
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I was actually referring to this newsstand where I buy my coffee/breakfast on 35th, but *I* second Little Morocco, just make sure they give you hot sauce!!!!
Tell me more about these Rocky custard buns, NoPickles...
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So, can someone tell me why it's called "tourist season" but we're not allowed to shoot them?
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Unless you were born in Manhattan you are all bloody tourists....and worse...economic itinerant pikeys...3 weeks until the complaining about RFC being full of non manhattians (ie.me and the 3 very pretty but hugely exspensive drains on my wealth)....wandering about keeping the vendors going whilst some "natives" complaing about a Burger,fries and pop costing $9 (£6 in real money).
Rant Over.
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@sarah: You will have to check out Fuji bakery to see for yourself. A warm rocky custard bun, pork bun and maybe some congee makes for a hearty breakfast for less then $3. this is a cash only sort of place too... its on 35th between 7th and 8th though.
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Stevenp: after 5 days with all these teenagers, I may shoot them myself! LOL!!
Sarah: I'm going to do my best to take my smaller group on separate outings from the en masse scheduled excursions the parade folks have planned!
Thanks again to everyone for the great recommendations. I can't wait to eat my way through midtown!
If you guys ever plan a trip to New Orleans, you can't go wrong getting any kind of po-boy from Mother's on Poydras St downtown, gumbo from the Gumbo Shop in the French Quarter, and beignets & cafe' au lait at Cafe Du Monde across from St. Louis Cathedral! YUM!
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allicat, try Pongsri (theater district, 48th and 8th/Broadway) and Pam Real Thai (49th and 9/10th) if you enjoy thai food.
Thanks for the po-boy suggestions, haven't been to NO for years but I remember even the street cart dogs (Lucky Dogs) as being pretty awesome.
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@allicat: And for muffalettas? I hit Serios in May but wasn't blown away. Is Acme THAT much better?
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As everyone else said, you should get the lamb/chicken combo over rice at Kwik Meal (SW corner of 45th and 6th). Definitely ask for extra hot sauce - the green stuff is amazing.
Cuban sandwich from Margon - 46th btwn 6th and 7th
Szechuan Gourmet (there is a new branch near your hotel which I haven't been to). Dan dan noodles, cold seasame noodles, cumin lamb, mapo tofu, double sauteed pork
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Goats: For Mufalettas, I'd say Central Grocery on Decateur a few blocks from the Cathedral. Serios is good for po-boys and hot lunch specials, but Central is known for mufalettas. And as far as Acme, I'd only get oysters there....any way you want: raw, broiled, grilled, fried, etc.
Again: everyone, MANY THANKS!! can't wait!
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ESNY: The straight-up lamb is better than the lamb/chicken combo. Kwik Meal is all about the lamb. No one else recommended the chicken/lamb combo.
alli: Only visited NO a few times, but yeah, Central Grocery is for the muffalettas (didn't they originate there? The olive relish is perfect!) and I have had an amazing fried oyster po boy at Acme. There's a Mardi Gras in my impending future (and maybe a visit or 2 besides that)--a friend just bought a condo there.
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@stevenp - I'm better than everyone else, hence the sole recommendation for the combo. Even though the lamb is stellar there, I like the use of chicken thighs enough to recommend it. Also a nice textural change from the lamb.
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While you're busy walking the streets the hundreds of teenage girls are welcome at my place. Send them over in traunches (more then 2 but less than 6 at a shot), please. Send the ambulance on the third day (I hope they have good health coverage).
I just wanted to say thanks and apologize in advance:
I'm staying at the Hilton on 6th Ave. between 53rd+54th Thanksgiving week with hundreds of teenage girls who will be performing in the Macy's parade. My 14-year-old daughter will be one of the girls wearing red jackets all over town that week.
Sofirst off my apologies for their clogging up the streets, but many thanks for all the great info you have here on your site.
This will be my first visit to New York and I want to experience good local food. (The teenagers will be eating at chain fast-food places, so I'm free to experiment on my own!) I'm from New Orleans, where small local food joints serve some of THE best of our city's cuisine. I can't wait to try out some of your cheap yet delicious recommendations!
Thanks!!