312383 Wed Jul 26 01:30:38 -0700 2006 21 33 Food Media and News 0 1767457 Anybody else find this article a bit out of touch with reality? There were all kinds of great picks, like Frank, Momofuku, DiFara, the RedHook ballfields, etc. But to include Lupa and Casa Mono? Cheap Eats? I mean I know they found ways of justifying all their picks,and I adore these places, but come on. If I sent someone to Inside claiming they have cheap eats, I'd hear about if for a year! Wed Jul 26 01:30:38 -0700 2006 16901 billyeats 1 1767476 Totally agree! We laughed about it over breakfast. I don't even think Momofuku should make the cut. We dined there last weekend and it cost us around $80. Neither of us ordered an entree. I'm not complaining about the price. Everything we had was great (no ramen) but I wouldn't put it in the same category as Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches which cost us around $12 the week before. Now that's a cheap eat. And it was delicious too. I still have to look at the list more closely but so far I'm looking at it as just another list of some good dining spots. Wed Jul 26 01:38:23 -0700 2006 1767457 11993 CornflakeGirl 2 1771583 the article emphazized that it was also about restaurants that were good deals. At that particular price point, Lupa is the best deal in Manhattan. Thu Jul 27 19:40:42 -0700 2006 1767476 12809 josh L 3 1776376 yes, i definitely understood their justification for those places being considered "good deals," but still, there are so many places in this city that are genuine "cheap eats," i just don't want to read about lupa, inside, and alta in an article called "cheap eats." and again, i LOVE the above mentioned places. Sun Jul 30 15:28:54 -0700 2006 1771583 16901 billyeats 4 1793932 tell me about some of these places? Tue Aug 08 04:05:37 -0700 2006 1776376 12809 josh L 1 1767583 Some not so great too! I glanced through the list the other day and remember seeing a few that we have not cared for in the past. Wed Jul 26 02:32:32 -0700 2006 1767457 15142 MIKELOCK34 1 1767638 What don't you understand? New York Magazine and the NY Times are incapable of printing an article about food in NYC without mentioning at least one Batali restaurant. Wed Jul 26 03:09:36 -0700 2006 1767457 11058 Chow Baby 1 1767820 All in all, I thought it was a good list, although too Manhattan-centric. Wed Jul 26 05:12:01 -0700 2006 1767457 10031 Dave Feldman 2 1768022 I thought it was a good list as well. But did you consider it a "Cheap Eats" list? It was all over the map. For "Cheap Eats" there shouldn't be such a broad price range. Wed Jul 26 11:15:03 -0700 2006 1767820 11993 CornflakeGirl 2 1770210 Considering that New York Magazine usually infuriates me with its obsession with all things affluent, its definition of "cheap" didn't surprise me, even if wouldn't be mine. But I don't understand the complaint about how the contents were the "same old places." DiFara's *IS* great, and its age doesn't make it less great. If more people discover the place, good for them and good for Dom. I'd much rather focus on places that have produced good food for a while than a flash in the pan that could burn out long before next year's "Cheap Eats" issue. Thu Jul 27 03:45:49 -0700 2006 1767820 10031 Dave Feldman 1 1768076 Lupa, cheap? Sure...if I have a glass of water and an appetizer. Aside from complaints about the list not actually being cheap, the picks just seemed too obvious - it's the same s--t on every list they churn out. DiFara's, yeah. Been there, many times. Momofuku - NY Magazine is still talking about that place?! I read those sorts of lists because I want to learn about new places I wouldn't otherwise find on my own. Tell me something I don't know. Wed Jul 26 12:36:04 -0700 2006 1767457 20741 erikka 1 1768100 They did rank Tanoreen high. I was living in Bay Ridge two blocks away when it opened in '99. The place is that good, that cheap and that fresh. Best in all of NYC, I don't know. But since I moved to BK Hgts, and now Carroll Gardens for the last 6 years, I still miss having Tanoreen nearby. Zaytoons is excellent, but Tanoreen had a bit more diversity. Cuter interior too. Wed Jul 26 12:51:41 -0700 2006 1767457 21546 Brigita 1 1768142 New York Mag described their criteria - one of which was entrees under $20. If you don't agree with this, fine. But why just the Batali bashing? Una Pizza Neopolitana has $17 single-serving pizzas, Bouchon Bakery has $13 sandwiches, both surely no less expensive than a $12 Lupa pasta. Just as sure as New York Mag will wax poetically about Mario, you can count on some chowhounders to bash him. I, for one, think Lupa is a terrific bargain for the quality of food . . . would I call it "cheap", maybe not - but I'd certainly call it "inexpensive". Wed Jul 26 13:17:26 -0700 2006 1767457 21784 dcardoni 2 1768171 I totally agree with what you've said here. Wed Jul 26 13:39:56 -0700 2006 1768142 20586 dkstar1 2 1769278 I find it interesting that they stuck Lupa on their Cheap Eats list while listing it as being Moderate ($$) in the mag and on their site. If it's a "Cheap Eat" shouldn't it be listed as Inexpensive ($)?Little bit of a contradiction there. Bogus criteria aside. And I'm not a Batali hater either. But I don't consider Lupa inexpensive and apparently neither does NYM. They just wanted a list that would sell more copies of their rag. Another publication with little respect for their readers. And I say that as a subscriber and someone who works in publishing. Wed Jul 26 20:30:06 -0700 2006 1768142 11993 CornflakeGirl 1 1768189 I'm pretty sure they're not writing that list for us Chowhounders! Just a hunch... Although I did discover a new place right near my office that I'm interested in trying: Oms/B. Anybody been there? Wed Jul 26 13:49:09 -0700 2006 1767457 11233 zGustibus 2 1770923 Do a search. Oms/b has been discussed here many many times. It's a favorite place of mine. Thu Jul 27 16:13:24 -0700 2006 1768189 10340 Peter Cuce 1 1768285 I personally think that when it comes to "Cheat Eats" issues, Time Out trumps New York magazine by leaps and bounds. They're writing to a demographic that really knows the difference between cheap, inexpensive, and moderate, and they usually find some fun way to put a spin on it. I remember last year's issue had to do with cheap eats from around the world, which of course visited all five boroughs and the various ethnic neighborhoods. Wed Jul 26 14:44:11 -0700 2006 1767457 21244 lalagirl 2 1768346 Agree! NYM criteria was a bit ridiculous. And the list was pretty generic. Same old, same old. TONY is much craftier in their list. And they know what a real cheap eat is. Wed Jul 26 15:09:10 -0700 2006 1768285 11993 CornflakeGirl 1 1768691 I think we all deserve a pat on the back, because when it comes to dining recommendations, this site kicks New York magazine's ass! Yeah, they had good and obvious picks there, but I agree that the "cheap" criteria was ludicrous. Al Di La? I like it, but everytime I've been there it's been at least $40 a person. And a cheap eats story on New York City without a single West Indian recommendation? Wake me when it's over. Wed Jul 26 17:18:07 -0700 2006 1767457 10296 JackS 2 1877779 Jack, I can't disagree. Chowhound has always been a reliable source for cheap eats or any other kinds of eats for that matter. The relative nature of "cheap" having been touched upon, I also have to wonder if the NY Magazine staff really combs the city, hits all the high and low ways, looks down all the alleys, nooks and crannies of this vast metropolis. In every respect, I think, Sietsema's annual lists kick butt. I'm much more in line with his sense of what is cheap, his adventurous nature and his overall aesthetic. What we need on Chowhound is our own forum for the "top 100". Maybe it can become an annual event or board. We choose a category, and then everyone's votes ultimately get counted and tallied. Or, we can just skip the tally and argue back and forth, like usual. Who's with me? Fri Sep 15 00:15:13 -0700 2006 1768691 24813 Polecat 1 1776546 Just putting in the link for anyone wishing to read the article. http://www.nymag.com/restaurants/cheapeats/2006/18479/ Sun Jul 30 18:01:00 -0700 2006 1767457 11362 Brian S