There's a Xi'an Famous Foods in Midtown if that isn't already on your food itinerary.

All awesome recommendations. Thank you.

On my trip, I was able to get to Dhaulagiri Kitchen. As cilantro stated, delicious and cheap. If I lived near there I would go once or twice a week. Thanks again.

Dhaulagiri Kitchen
124 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10016
(917) 675-7679

My parents complain about the lack of invites they get to the trips I go on, sooooo..

They're coming with me to Manhattan for a couple days, haha.

They're a bit picky (Mom is health forward, and Dad is adventurous enough for sushi but that's the spectrum), so I'm hoping to find a recommendation for an American restaurant and keep the bill under 200-150 for 3 people.

Gastropub would fit the idea. Any places (or classic/must do sit downs) that are a cut above the rest or any too hyped thrillist places to avoid?

As much as I'd love to dive into Indian, Omakase, or Spanish for a sit down meal I'm sacrificing for them :]

Thanks!

Haha good luck with trip!

Where in Manhattan are you staying ? Then can provide a suggestion or two. I am in NYC 3 to 4 times per year

My first thought was Prune! I'll bet both parents would be satisfied based on their requirements.

Eli's Table: beautifully-prepared American bistro fare on The Upper East Side. The restaurant is located in Eli's Manhattan(the flagship store of Eli Zabar's-same family as Zabar's/different company-empire). And, before or after your dinner(unless you chose the cheese course, of course/curated by my department) you could come downstairs and I would gladly sample you cheese from one of the best cheese departments in the country. Eli's really is a quintessential New York thing.

chunker wrote:Haha good luck with trip!

Where in Manhattan are you staying ? Then can provide a suggestion or two. I am in NYC 3 to 4 times per year

Probably Midtown but MTA cards let us go anywhere. Go wild!

Union Square Cafe for a classic

In Midtown: Lillie’s or The Smith

May push your budget but check out The Dutch or Gotham Bar & Grill.

Prune was excellent for brunch when I went.

If you get a chance to sneak away for lunch, Indian Accent in Midtown has a great 2 course lunch menu!

chunker wrote:Union Square Cafe for a classic

In Midtown: Lillie’s or The Smith

May push your budget but check out The Dutch or Gotham Bar & Grill.

Prune was excellent for brunch when I went.

If you get a chance to sneak away for lunch, Indian Accent in Midtown has a great 2 course lunch menu!

I've had a few other mentions for Smith as well. Thanks for the suggestions, they all sound great!

WhyBeeSea wrote:My first thought was Prune! I'll bet both parents would be satisfied based on their requirements.

Appreciate it

Christopher Gordon wrote:Eli's Table: beautifully-prepared American bistro fare on The Upper East Side. The restaurant is located in Eli's Manhattan(the flagship store of Eli Zabar's-same family as Zabar's/different company-empire). And, before or after your dinner(unless you chose the cheese course, of course/curated by my department) you could come downstairs and I would gladly sample you cheese from one of the best cheese departments in the country. Eli's really is a quintessential New York thing.

If we get up there, that sounds delightful. We're all big cheese fans. Hopefully when I lay out all of these suggestions that will strike a chord.

Thanks everyone! Very helpful.

Just got back from NYC spring break trip and had some excellent meals.

Lafayette in east village was the best. Really good all the way around but the highlight was the caramel dessert - save space.

The Smith (Midtown) was also very tasty but packed and extremely loud. The 'turn the table' mentality was absurd as the waitress hovered over us pushing the meal along - to the point of really annoying. The restroom situation there was very unique - down the stairs to a long room with 10 or so water closets (toilets) on one wall and a wall of sinks/mirrors on the other. Don't be surprised when a member of the opposite sex comes out of the room before you.

Had 2 very good (and less $$$) meals (a lunch and a dinner later in the week) at Yuqi Thai on 9th near 53rd. Small and unassuming with decently authentic food.

A non food rec for 'day of ' Broadway tix was the TKTS booth down at the South Street seaport. The one on Times Sq was always packed (hour wait at least) so we stopped by the lower Manhattan one when we were at the 9/11 memorial. No line and three 8th row center tix for Waitress for $115/ea.

Any ramen lovers or even ramen likers visiting New York would be wise to head to Ramen Shack in Queens. The tiny shop is about as no frills as a restaurant can be, but they're putting out some spectacular bowls of soup.


I decided to go all out and treat myself to The Quiet Storm which, at $18, was the most expensive bowl in the place. This incredibly rich soup included a 13-ingredient broth, soy sauce tare, gyofun, pork belly, spinach, menma, scallions, naruto, nori and outstanding housemade noodles. The egg was an add-on that really should be mandatory.

That is one gorgeous bowl of ramen!

I've not been but this Eater YouTube video on Le Coc Rico in New York City has me planning a trip. ----> Link

The original Le Coc Rico in Paris. ----> Link

Winner Winner, Sensational Chicken Dinner!

Le Coq Rico
30 E 20th St
New York, NY 10003
http://www.lecoqriconyc.com

I’m on my way back to New York next month. This time, the Chow Poodle is coming along and has made a specific request; dinner at a Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown. I’m looking for a place down there that’s maybe a step or so above a bare bones noodle/dumpling joint, with a full menu. Any suggestions?

stevez wrote:I’m on my way back to New York next month. This time, the Chow Poodle is coming along and has made a specific request; dinner at a Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown. I’m looking for a place down there that’s maybe a step or so above a bare bones noodle/dumpling joint, with a full menu. Any suggestions?

Assuming you mean Manhattan's Chinatown?

Limiting to just Manhattan, and in increasing order of steps above noodle/dumpling joint:

1. Spicy Village (for “Big Tray Chicken”)
2. Mission Chinese (<ducks as people throw things at him> — it’s good, dammit!)
3. Tang Hotpot (Important Disclaimer: I still haven’t been able to get into this place, after 3 tries. Looks very good, though!)

Plenty of good Chinese in the East Village too, now; I am particularly a fan of The Ma La Project.

gastro gnome wrote:

stevez wrote:
Assuming you mean Manhattan's Chinatown?

Yeah. Manhattan's Chinatown. A trip to Queens is out this time.

cilantro wrote:Limiting to just Manhattan, and in increasing order of steps above noodle/dumpling joint:

1. Spicy Village (for “Big Tray Chicken”)
2. Mission Chinese (<ducks as people throw things at him> — it’s good, dammit!)
3. Tang Hotpot (Important Disclaimer: I still haven’t been able to get into this place, after 3 tries. Looks very good, though!)

Plenty of good Chinese in the East Village too, now; I am particularly a fan of The Ma La Project.

Made a stop into ma la project last month and it was fantastic! I second that recommendation although it isn't in Chinatown.

Some other places on my list that I've been meaning to try:
(the aforementioned) spicy village
456 Shanghai cuisine
great NY noodle town
Shanghai Asia minor
super taste

Not sure what thread this should go in since we have about three covering nyc/long island/brooklyn. I will let the mods be the judge of that.

I had a very nice meal at Dino in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. We had the Spaghetti Carbonara with pancetta, egg, black pepper, and pecorino and the Rigatoni Ragú with meatballs, sausage, tomato gravy, and ricotta. The carbonara came with a fried egg which was a nice touch and pretty tasty after mixing it altogether. The ricotta was excellent. We were very happy with our meal and would definitely go back.

Dino is a neighborhood gem kind of place. Small. Very good service. Reasonable portions. The wine list is not large but a good selection. I will note that wine prices seem generally higher in NYC than Chicago. For instance, we each had wine at $15 a glass, which was the same price as the meal. There were not a lot of less expensive by-the-glass options. On the other hand, $15 dollars for the pasta seemed slightly less than what we would pay for the same dish in Chicago. In any case, both the food and wine were very good.

Went around 9:00 on a Wednesday and it was packed. Seriously packed. If you need a little personal space this may not be a good choice.

Dino
222 Dekalb Avenue
Brooklyn NY 11205
info@dinobk.com
tel 718 222 1999

Whirlwind 48 hours in New York included stops at a dozen eateries from Harlem to Chinatown's Manhattan and from Jackson Heights, Queens to Hackensack, NJ. These were top 3 new to me items:



Nepali Bhanccha Ghar has won the Momo Crawl in New York 3 different times. I can see why. The goat momo in jhol was absolutely spectacular. Not sure which I liked more, the momo or the jhol, but the good news is I'll never have to choose.



I'm not sure how the bottom of the Khampa Poethek from Khampa Kitchen retains its structural integrity after baking with the ground beef inside of it. I was too busy enjoying the stunning bomb of herbaceousness to think about much of anything.


So Kong Dong specializes in soft tofu soup. The broth is allegedly cooked for 24 hours. Based on how good and complex it was, I believe it. The traditional soondubu jjigae (with kimchi and beef) isn't pictured and it was, for me, the absolute star. Pictured is the seafood version, which was also excellent and had a whole lot of seafood flavor punching through in every bite.

Honorable mention:


Oxtail from Caribbean Star


Thieboudienne (thebu djen on their menu, which I assume is just an alternate spelling of the same thing) from Africa Kine.

I'm finally planning on a trip this year to New York to try many of the pizza joints that I have heard about for ages plus a bunch of more under the radar stuff. I'll post my report after I get back. I have dozens of places mapped out and hope to hit at least 15-20 while I'm there this first time out. Suggestions are welcomed though I have more than enough on my list for now.

Artichoke Basille's Pizza

Try the Sicilian! Many other creative varieties of NY thin as well.

321 East 14th Street,
New York, NY 10003
(212) 228-2004

Love the hours:
Daily from 11AM - 5AM

I've stayed across the street from Scarr's. Though I didn't try it, the scores of people in and out for a slice all day and night was a trip! Great people watching from my window. Looks like the hours have been cut now.

https://thehundreds.com/blogs/content/scarr-pimentel-interview-scarrs-pizza

HOURS:
Tuesday - Sunday: 12PM - 10PM
Monday: 4:30PM - 10PM

(212) 334-3481
22 Orchard Street

Ram4 wrote:I'm finally planning on a trip this year to New York to try many of the pizza joints that I have heard about for ages plus a bunch of more under the radar stuff. I'll post my report after I get back. I have dozens of places mapped out and hope to hit at least 15-20 while I'm there this first time out. Suggestions are welcomed though I have more than enough on my list for now.

Always nice to get different perspectives. My faves that we've hit in lower Manhattan

Prince st (definitely my favorite but seems like their ownership is pretty crappy)
Keste
Joe's
Scarr's
Motorino
Artichoke (seems like its ripped on in NY but I always enjoy it)

Food Nut wrote:Artichoke Basille's Pizza

Try the Sicilian! Many other creative varieties of NY thin as well.

321 East 14th Street,
New York, NY 10003
(212) 228-2004

Love the hours:
Daily from 11AM - 5AM

I've stayed across the street from Scarr's. Though I didn't try it, the scores of people in and out for a slice all day and night was a trip! Great people watching from my window. Looks like the hours have been cut now.

https://thehundreds.com/blogs/content/scarr-pimentel-interview-scarrs-pizza

HOURS:
Tuesday - Sunday: 12PM - 10PM
Monday: 4:30PM - 10PM

(212) 334-3481
22 Orchard Street

Thanks for writing. I have heard Scarr's may be the best Sicilian in the city. That of course is a pointless statement - but definitely one of the best. Scarr's is on my list, Artichoke Pizza was not but I was already aware of it.

WhyBeeSea wrote:Always nice to get different perspectives. My faves that we've hit in lower Manhattan

Prince st (definitely my favorite but seems like their ownership is pretty crappy)
Keste
Joe's
Scarr's
Motorino
Artichoke (seems like its ripped on in NY but I always enjoy it)

Two more recs for Scarr's and Artichoke... I appreciate the feedback. Let me tell you where I'm at on all this.

I am going mainly for slices and squares. That means the typical NY slice, Sicilian squares, Grandma squares and even a Roman square. What I don't plan to eat are places like Motorino or Keste aka Neapolitan style. I am expecting to go to 4 to 5 joints a day minimum if my body holds up for four days (I can't eat the quantities like I used to without my body suffering!). Since I always prefer a fresh pizza to a reheated one, perhaps a bit of strategic lingering as I watch from the corner of my eye as to when a fresh one is about to come out will be advisable. Most of the places I will hit will be in Manhattan this time around but we will be going into Brooklyn as well. I want to try DiFara, Best Pizza and if it works out Lucali which would be a rare sitdown whole pizza meal. The other sit down whole pizza has to be at John's of Bleeker. We have also decided that we are going to get what they do best - plain cheese (or with basil) since they don't do sausage right and I don't eat pepperoni or even care about any other toppings. That's why Prince St. pizza is not on my list at this point. Their square is with pepperoni.
My current list for Brooklyn and Manhattan. I am leaving out all other areas this time, but they are on my map for the future.
Brooklyn
Best Pizza
DaVinci
Di Fara
Grimaldi's
Ignazio's
Impasto
Juliana's
L&B Spumoni Gardens
Lucali
Pizza Wagon
Manhattan
Angelo's Coal Oven Pizza
Corner Slice
Gruppo Thin Pizza
Joe & Pat's
Joe's
John's of Bleeker St
Mama's Too!
Patsy's Pizzeria
Pizza Collective
Rizzo's
Sauce Pizzeria
Scarr's Pizza
Sofia Pizza Shoppe
Upside Pizza
Zazzy's Pizza

As a bonus I am going to be in the Philadelphia area before and after the trip so I am already planning to go to DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies (in Robbinsville, NJ), Corropolese Italian Bakery (Norristown, PA) and Angelo's Pizza in Philadelphia. The plan is to drive to Philly where my friend lives and then we are taking the train to Penn Station a couple days later. We come back on the train 4 days later and I drive home. Or do I? Now if I am a glutton for punishment and I want to keep the pizza party rolling... There is a chance, that as soon as I return to Philadelphia of me driving right back to NYC for more pizzas (Brooklyn) by myself (totally up to me at that point). If that wasn't enough on the way to Philly I am making a detour to Buffalo to try 2-3 beef on weck joints and stop for a pit beef sandwich near Baltimore after Philly. I am definitely glad this trip will include a LOT of walking!

This sounds awesome!! Looking forward to your report. Can't wait to get back here.

This pizza quest sounds exhausting, yet delicious. Absolute insanity, with a side of celiac disease. Looking forward to your reviews, and most importantly drool worthy pictures!

HonestMan wrote:This pizza quest sounds exhausting, yet delicious. Absolute insanity, with a side of celiac disease. Looking forward to your reviews, and most importantly drool worthy pictures!

I'll need to be exhausted to keep those calories burning! I can get obsessed when I have a list of things to do that gives me pleasure.

Last weekend I did a little warmup tour of NY style slice places in Chicago to see how I might feel physically (and to try a bunch I had not all these years). So on Saturday I went to Paulie Gee's (Wicker Park), Craft Pizza (Wicker Park), Cafe Luigi (Lincoln Park) and Gigio's (Uptown). Then on Sunday I went to Jimmy's (Lincoln Square), Boiler Room (Logan Square) and Paulie Gee's (Logan Squre) where I had both a slice and a square. I was happy to say I felt fine after having 4 slices within a 2 1/2 hour span both days. There is no doubt I will have the adrenaline of being in NYC kicking in on top of that. I keep adding more joints for my main list as well. It's going to be crazy.

Ram4 wrote:I keep adding more joints for my main list as well. It's going to be crazy.

You are crazy in the head! I love you

You have a favorite of the Chicago joints? I'd pick Jimmy's from that list but have not had Paulie Gee's NY slice yet.

Especially approve of Di Fara (don't forget the Sicilian slice), Corner Slice, and DeLorenzo's. Joe's is reliably great, too -- unpretentious, open all night, and really hits the spot. Tried Artichoke once and that was enough for me.

You really should do Prince Street, though. I get that you have a moral objection to pepperoni -- I never eat the stuff, either. But you're not going to find a better Sicilian slice than the Spicy Spring. Hell, even the pepperoniless slices are better than 99% of the ones out there (but really, get the Spicy Spring).