Any $1.00 food in your neighborhood ???

[foodcritik]

I was thinking, about a fat dog, couple of chinatown food festival, dumplings (5 for a Dollar). Please tell us WHERE can we find food for $1.00.

Please write name of JOINT and What specific item cost ONE BUCK!

Thanks

.99 cents for 20oz Arizona Ice Tea.

[kelea]

Ok it's not a dollar but I think $1.25 is still pretty darn affordable. So the tamale lady at the southeast corner of 96th and Broadway. She has three amazing choices of chicken, pork and cheese. They are served warmed!

[foodcritik]

Right at the corner of Divison/Catherine rest a TOFU/SOY Product place!

Within there, sell $1.00 or under products including soy drink (sweeten or unsweeten) for .75 cents. A great bargain for it!

or sweet herbal tea (ha goo choe) for .50 cent. even better bargain!

[bolletje]

Those vendors that sell the flat rice noodles with yummy sauce also sell fish balls for a dollar and eggs hard boiled in soy sauce, 3 for a dollar. My favorite stand selling that stuff is the one @ E. Broadway and Rutgers. I get a big container of the noodles w/some fish balls and 2 boiled soy eggs on the side for $2.50 or $3 and it is a very filling meal.

[fsd1116]

Pork rinds and Little Debbies. Available at any bodega.

[foodcritik]

At the Corner of Eastbroadway / Pike Street. A street vendor sell a typical Chinese Flat rice noodle roll for $1.00 with combination of sauce/oil and seasonings.

FOR ANOTHER DOLLAR: They also serve (Jook or Congee) Slowcooked soft rice, almost like oatmeal, flavored with peanuts/squid or 1000 year egg/pork. It quite good with a battered fried dough call (yow teew)

FOR ANOTHER DOLLAR AND SOME CHANGE: There serve this Authentic stick rice with peanut and pork with a bit of pork fat with some lentil bean or (green bean inside).
This stuff will fill your belly up like no other food. Sticky rice is steamed. It is cover with lotus leaf and bind with strings. Excellent choice for some locals and visitors!

There are two other vendors i'm familiar with: one is in Rutgers/Eastbroadway.
Another is at Grand, between bowery and christie!

All in New York, Manhattan, Chinatown!

[Uptownflavor]

The Bing place on West 3rd Street off 6th Avenue (next to the basketball court and across from Mickey D's. The dollar menu at Mickey D's and 99 cent menu at Wendy's. 5th Avenue and 18th or 19th you can get a dirty water hot dog for $1 and a hot sausage for $1.50.

[lookingforpig]

I've found the bings to be a little greasy and they're not as hot as they should be.

[amandaqtpie]

Bean burrito, Taco Bell. Sorry, but it's true. And it's good. And a bit more healthy than a 20 oz. Arizona iced tea (just a tad bit :)

I don't live in NY, obviously, but I'm guessing you can find a ton of dishes for around $1. If you're looking for a MEAL that costs $1 a pop, keep going for those dumplings.

[spchang]

At Foo Chow Restaurant at 68 East Broadway there is a fried taro cake for 60 cents. It's pretty delicious, the closest dish to it would be like luo buo gao (the dim sum radish cake) if it was deep fried.

[burp]

Pakistani Tea house on church st. the chicken balls are a buck . they have other things too. Chinatown the cake lady used to be on mott and mosco in a ittle booth 6 for a buck,,now i think you can find them on bowery around doyers st. Alot of corn beef or pastrami at Katz's Deli,,the buck is the tip but it will get you an extra sandwich worth if you tip first.

[sidnek]

various people sell homemade tamales on 116th st. between 1st ave and park ave. the best bet is around lexington. prices sometimes fly as high as $1.50 per tamale, but they are usually $1. Oh, and I haven't had one that isn't delicious. The best time to find them is saturday or sunday in the late morning or early afternoon.

[bobjbkln]

As some have ventured into Brooklyn on this thread, let me suggest the Prosciutto Balls at Joe's Perette on Smith St. 50¢ each. Rice balls are also the same price.

[paintnotpants]

joe's is probably the best kept secret in all of brooklyn. most people are turned off by the exterior but my family has been going there for the prosciutto balls for years. i would skip the rice balls though, they never measure up. glad to see someone else is supporting joe's!

[foodcritik]

thank for the post I will make a visit there soon!!!!

[marlie202]

these prosciutto and rice balls are great and so is Joe

[rad]

Fried potato, meat, or cabbage pirozhki up and down Brighton Beach Avenue. A hot greaseball that's pretty killer with a beer.

[foodcritik]

WOW! seems like something I want to try out!!!

[cimui]

Dominican empanadas at almost any bakery in the 200's (there's one up the street from Mofongo House near Inwood Park).

Italian ices at stands all over the city (one on 63rd and B'way, one on B'way across from Mama Mexico, and one right outside of Target around 225th).

Donzhi (banana leaf wrapped sticky rice filled with meat, peanuts, or other things) anywhere in Chinatown.

[racer x]

You don't even have to go to a bakery for empanadas. You can find them being sold from carts on corners in Wash Heights/Inwood - like around170th St & Broadway or 170th & St. Nicholas, or 182nd St & St. Nicholas. (My current empanada cart stop is in the Bronx, though.)

[foodcritik]

thanks for all your input.

[janejane]

the vanilla shortbread cookies at city bakery are 3 for a dollar; it's the best deal in the place.

[erin07nyc]

The Dosa Man on the south side of Washington Square park has delicious samosas for $1. I believe there's at least one other "appetizer" type item for $1 as well.

[tikka]

Yeah, his excellent chicken drumsticks are also $1 each

[Ora]

William Greenberg 82nd St & Madison Ave. 2 rugelachs for $1. Delicious.

[josephsm]

ham croqueta at Sophie's Cuban restaurant (Lex and 41 and other locations)

[Desidero]

Slice of pizza bianca from Grandaisy Bakery on Sullivan St. (Spring/Broome) -- $1.

[nativeNYer]

how could i forget this?!??! the pizza bianca slice is worth $20 in my eyes!!!!! one of my most favorite items.

[lilnugget]

piccola, i think the tofu stand you are might be talking about (usually an elderly woman with her tofu vat on the street corner) is on chrystie right above grand street.

there is also an storefront on grand and bowery that has amazing fresh soft tofu with honey (tofu fa dessert) which i like to eat without the honey, just some sea salt sprinkled on top. the place also has a wide selection of fresh noodles, fried noodles, turnip cakes, tofu & gluten products all for around $1.

$1 scallion pancakes from that long indoor market that stretches between mott and mulberry around grand street.

i know it doesn't really count cause it ends up being more than a dollar, but i love the $1 add-ons from hong kong station!

[nativeNYer]

how are the scallion pancakes you mentioned? i am a huge scallion pancake fan.
are they thick, thin, crispy? thanks.

[lilnugget]

if you go on the weekend around lunchtime, they are usually hot and fresh, medium thick, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside - they way i love them. any other recs for this type? i've gone also to the restaurant with a window for takeout on grand around mott/elizabeth, which is hit or miss. sometimes they are great, sometimes they have been sitting around forever..

[nativeNYer]

oh boy... oh boy...oh boy. i am salivating. so glad it's friday b/c "weekend around lunchtime" is less than 24 hours away!! guess i will have to go tomorrow.

really good scallion pancakes are so hard to find. i like them the way you've described them. i don't like them when they are too crispy without much substance on the inside. i must eat them 3-4 times a week - completely addicted for over 5 years with no cure in sight.

i must have tried nearly 100 places. oddly enough, the top three are:

empire schezuan near the uptown campus of columbia (W170s and Brdwy) - the rest of the food is horrible here.

ivy's cafe - really thin but b/c they are not too crispy, they are so good. they have such an amazing taste.

our place - 55th and lex

i did a dumpling tour in chinatown but never a scallion pancake tour. oh, but i just remembered!! i did have fantastic ones in a restaurant down there. i will find the menu at home and post it here.

[lilnugget]

a scallion pancake tour sounds like fun! thanks for the suggestions. let me know what you think of the ones at that indoor market (which i think is actually between elizabeth and mott, not mott and mulberry. i always get those streets mixed up).

[nativeNYer]

lilnugget, heading down to chinatown now with 2 hungry friends. been wanting to stop in at a chinese market for months so this will serve a dual purpose. we'll OD on scallion pancakes. may even try to find the takeout window you mentioned in the other place. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the place i mentioned the other day is joe's ginger restuarant
at 25 pell st. (between bowery and nott). 285-0333. i liked the scallion pancakes there a lot and the dumplings looked good but didn't try them.
they are also really, really nice. the owner/manager is a really sweet lady who speaks great english and she's very helpful.
have fun!!

[nativeNYer]

lilnugget, the scallion pancakes at deluxe food market were outstanding. definitely up there among the top three. hopefully, i found the right market. this place has a meat market (entrance from mott) and an array of warm food and pastries (entrance on elizabeth) which runs straight through the span of grand st. they also have some tables in the center of the place and, despite the heat of the day , it was very comfortable in there. just crowded at 1:15pm.

had to try the fried dumplings even though their large size should have been indicative that they might be too doughy.actually, i wound up throwing two of the four away b/c the filling had too many chives/scallions and they were extremely doughy with little taste. but those $1 scallion pancakes were crispy, bit doughy on the inside and really tasty. i like them a bit more gooey but they were truly outstanding even warmed up the next day. so thank you, lilnugget. also, it was an outstanding market and i think they have at least 5 other locations in chinatown. i wonder if all have the hot food service. the other food also looked good. we also tried the sticky rice which we liked.

i think i also wound up stumbling across the takeout window place lilnugget mentioned. if i found the right place, it is called 'sun dou' on grand (bet. mott and liz). again, i got a really great $1 scallion pancake there with a similar taste to the ones in deluxe but not as good and chewy. the lady serving them from the window was really sweet and they have one of the best $1 dumplings in chinatown. i did a huge tour trying most of the places mentioned here last winter . the wrapping in these was very, very good and the meat inside had a bit too many chives/scallions but it was still good.

sorry if i sound like i am rushing but i wanted to provide an update and thank lilnugget.

[lilnugget]

yes the market and the takeout window are exactly the spots i was talking about. i'm happy to hear you liked them! will let you know if i find any other good scallion pancakes. :)

[mooms]

Hi NativeNYer!
Are the scallion pancakes at Empire Szechuan really really worth it for $3.50? Haven't ordered those yet. Agree about the quality of the other stuff! We get spoiled in Chinatown, but if we must try 'em, say the word.

We like the sweet arepas for $1 at Malecon (175th and Broadway) -- haven't ordered those in awhile, hope they still have 'em. Kind of like bread pudding, except made with cornmeal. We're fans of the tamale grocery cart (:o)) on the NW side of 145th and B'way (but those are $2), and once in awhile we'll get one of the fried dough things (name? mommy brain--help!) filled with queso on B'way at 145, 168, and 181. Those are usually $1. Then there are the chiccharon trucks that usually come out at night (207, Nagle Ave...)...

[nativeNYer]

Hi mooms. It could just be me. Sometimes they are greasy but there is something about the consistency there that makes them good and extremely unique. I like them a bit gooey/thick on the inside. These seem to have the consistency I prefer as well as a good taste, which is virtually unmatchable anywhere else - I must have tried 50 different places by now.

Empire Szechuan is the place where I tried them first and then fell in love with them there. Perhaps this plays a factor in my preferences. Not sure. They don't taste anything like the ones I've tried in Chinatown. Not necessarily better or worse. Just different. Not sure if they will appeal to you but I did get a coworker addicted.

So, if you go, I'd love to hear your honest opinion. Have fun! Those fried dough thingies sound good. I need to venture out from work and try some of those things. Thanks!

[mooms]

AOK-- Will try 'em next time we're nearby.
The fried things I think are pastelitos -- (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) large fried half-discs that hang inside the closed carts. Just tried the tamales at 145/B'way again -- this time the woman gave me 3 for $1/each. Not sure what gives with her pricing (and I did ask for only 2 but she wrapped 3 up), but the chicken ones are real good, picante or plain. Will report other inexpensive nabe suggestions and welcome any you have!

[lookingforpig]

Try the pancake at New Green Bo, it's $1.50 and it's great!

[soopling]

la casa del pan (in astoria, queens) has really good cheese breads for about a dollar. Not sure where you can find the same in Manhattan, but it seems most columbian bakeries would have them for about a same...

[Will4Food]

Try Piece of Chicken on 9th Ave...Dollar servings of chicken and other southern foodstuffs are available directly from the kitchen of Jezabel's restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. A rare bargain these days.

[kiworan79]

I second Piece of Chicken. Such good fried chicken, and so inexpensive!!!

[lucybobo]

Straight from the Market, a little grocery with a focus on Turkish imports has chocolate-hazelnut wafer bars for under $1. 96th St and Lexington.

[Cheese Boy]

New Naimat Kada (Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi Cuisine)
124 Lexington Avenue between 28th & 29th sts
[phone]

They have *decent* vegetable or meat Samosas. One dollar.

[piccola]

Bagels at Absolute (well, anywhere but DD, really)
Pretzel rolls at Garden of Eden
Fresh tofu at mystery food stand in Chinatown (sorry I can't be more specific, I have no sense of direction and I've never been able to find it again)

[DarthEater]

Grand street between bowery and elizabeth.

[nativeNYer]

gray's papaya, chelsea papaya, papaya king
various locations
$1.25 hotdog with any/all toppings

[Blumie]

They're $1 at Chelsea Papaya, aren't they?

[nativeNYer]

woops. could be. thanks! gray's just went up to $1.25.

[piccola]

Thanks! I know where I'm heading this weekend.

[DarthEater]

I am so tempted to add 1.25-1.75 choices but i'll stick to 1.00 and under..

Any chinatown bakery buns ranges from .50-1.00.

Z Deli, 803 8th Ave $.99 pizza

$.99 fresh pizza 151 E. 43rd St. (btw. Lex & 3rd)

[Miss Needle]

There's also another 99 cent pizza place near Port Authority Terminal on 9th Ave. There are also some chinatown bakery style places in the Garment District as well.

[lj2899]

i would love to hear your 1.25 and 1.75 choices!

[small h]

Dumpling House, 118A Eldridge St. 5 for a buck.

[lookingforpig]

Best value in town.

[kelea]

Taco Truck on 96th and Broadway...their tacos!

[curranthound]

I do believe the tacos there are $2 a piece. Sorry.

[cimui]

The horchata's still only a buck, though!

[foodcritik]

it's still affordable!