absolutely delicious take-out snacks/treats around Manhattan?

[phoenikia]

I'll be visiting Manhattan at the beginning of July with 5 non-chowish friends for a bachelorette weekend. I'll let the bride-to-be decide where she wants to eat, but in any free time I have, I'm hoping to seek out the best tasting snacks/treats/street eats I can find to meet my foodie reqs.

I'm hoping to make a trip to the Donut Plant, and might make a visit to the arepa place in the East Village that I visited about 4 years ago. I'm not really into cupcakes, but I'd be especially interested in suggestions for empanadas.

I'll be staying in Midtown, but I'm looking forward to trips around town in search of treats I can't find in Toronto.

If you only had 3 days in the city, and were focusing on snacks roughly the size and caloric load of an empanada, rice ball or a donut, etc., where would you go?

[prima]

bumping this almost 4 year old thread...

what are your current favourite snacks/treats in the 250-750 calorie range?

I'll add Momofuku Milk Bar compost cookies to the running list, as well as Laduree macarons and the Levain chocolate chip cookie.

I usually try to squeeze in a Donut Plant doughnut and a Balthazar sticky bun on most trips, but would love to hear about other sweet or savoury treats that you've been enjoying lately!

TIA,

phoenikia

-----
Balthazar
80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Levain Bakery
167 W 74th St, New York, NY 10023

Momofuku Milk Bar
15 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019

Doughnut Plant
220 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011

Laduree
864 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10021

[crsin]

To go along with your compost cookie, I'd say the blueberries & cream cookie, and the cereal milk soft serve

Dominique Ansel's flourless chocolate cookie, cannele, DKA

A malted vanilla or malted B&W shake from Shake Shack

[prima]

thanks for all the suggestions!

I love canneles. Thanks for reminding me about Dominque Ansel & Shake Shack.

[druz99]

I came across this awesome artcile on SE called "NYC's Top 10 Ice Cream Sandwiches." Don't think you can get a better treat than that! Enjoy:

http://www.seriouseats.com/newyork/20...

[NancyC]

I see many people have warned you away from Chinatown because you're from Toronto, but if you love Chinese food it wouldn't hurt...it's not like you've tried every Chinese dish in Toronto for comparison!

In Chinatown some of my favorite treats: the take-out turnip cakes from the storefront on Mott btw Bayard and Pell (I never read any comments about them, they're awesome), the sesame pancakes with beef at Dumpling House, the giant mango moji/mochi balls at Fay Da (multiple locations), and either black sesame, almond cookie, or pumpkin pie ice cream at Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.

-----
Vanessa's Dumpling House
118 Eldridge St, New York, NY 10002

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

Fay Da Bakery
83 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

Fong Inn Too
46 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

[phoenikia]

Thanks Nancy- I appreciate the specific recs;) And I love pumpkin pie ice cream, and haven't tried Chinatown Ice Cream Factory before, so I'm adding that to my "must try if I'm nearby" list;)

[fdb]

Crif Dogs--I like their Spicy Redneck

http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?neighborhoodid=0&restaurantid=2383

Rice to Riches--I like the lemon and raspberry flavored rice pudding.

http://www.ricetoriches.com/index.2.php

Hampton Chutney Co--I like their dosa #5

http://www.hamptonchutney.com/ (two locations

)

-----
Hampton Chutney Co.
68 Prince St, New York, NY 10012

Hampton Chutney Co.
464 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024

Rice to Riches
37 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Crif Dogs
113 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009

[phoenikia]

Thanks for the Hampton Chutney link... nice to find out dosas can even be found in SoHo these days;)

I did enjoy rice to riches on my last trip to NYC- I thought they'd been shut down for money laundering for some reason. Good to hear they are still around.

[bigjeff]

I know this is premature, but homegirl is arriving in july, which is more than 2 months away. let's keep this thread alive all the way up until then but can I fire an early warning shot towards checking out the . . . . RHBF (red hook ball fields); yes, an OUTER BOROUGH but you definitely won't find that in the TRUE NORTH. not just empanadas but mexican treats galore,

if you end up around the sheraton, that's a pretty tough neighborhood for good casual food; maybe the hallo berlin cart but you gotta be a sausage lover and even something as lame as the mardi-gras productions generic streetfairs with the mozzarepas and the dried out steaks rotating on a metal cowboy contraption actually has tons of snackies; not the highest quality but a great pleasure to walk among the sock and pillow vendors while hitting a great concentration of dollar munchies and there's probably one the weekend you'll be visiting, just look it up at http://www.nycstreetfairs.com or, go crazy and check out eating in translation (http://www.eatingintranslation.com/) which is pretty well-organized considering the amount of photos and info this guy has on his site. anyway, hit this thread up!

-----
Hallo Berlin Juicy Food Stand
W 54th St and 5th Ave, New York, NY 10019

[phoenikia]

Thanks for the suggestion to head to the outer boroughs, bigjeff. Hope I will get a chance to check out Red Hook's Mexican treats galore;) Definitely can't find much of that up here in TO.

I am a little bummed out by the choice of the hotel, I can't remember having anything delicous in the vicinity of the 7th ave hotels. I usually try to plant myself in a neighbourhood with a little more character - both culturally & gastronomically. Not too much of a sausage lover lately- all this talk about chaat & Mexican treats has me craving the spicy stuff! Guess we'll see where my cravings are at once I arrive in July.

Thanks for the eating into translation link- loving the pics!

[GordonAndWesley]

Kalustyan's has a deli on the second floor that has amazing Middle Eastern snacks at a very reasonable price - and the old guy serving the food is a character.

About empanadas, several places mentioned by other Chowhounds have decent empanadas. I used to buy them myself. But recently I discovered at Whole Foods in Union Square some baked empanadas made by Rico M. Panada (get it?) that are truly amazing: thin crust, organic whole wheat and delicious fillings. I think they are made right here in NYC. I know, they are frozen and have to be reheated, but if you have access to an oven or toaster oven (or even a microwave) you HAVE to try them.

On cupcakes, I am all for Sugar Sweet Sunshine on 126 Rivington Street.

-----
Kalustyan's
123 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10016

Sugar Sweet Sunshine
126 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002

Whole Foods
40 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003

[grabber]

If you are downtown, Alfanoose has super falafal sandwiches, humus, baba ganoush, to go or eat-in (a rather basic quick meal setting, but very clean, family run). It's on Maiden Lane by Fulton St/Seaport/WTC. Really super, I do take out regularly cause I'm in the neighborhood. Regularly gets on the "best falafal" list in the city. The kibbeh is also very nice. They have a web site. Much more kick than rubens, which also has a branch in that area.

-----
Alfanoose
8 Maiden Ln, New York, NY 10038

[phoenikia]

Sounds good, grabber. How is their tabbouleh?

[namreb]

i'd go with a knish from katz, hotdog from grays papaya, some pork or shrimp dumplings from the Dumpling Man, a slice from artichoke, a burger from blue heaven......lemon cupcakes and or pumpkin cupcakes from SSS Bakery

-----
Katz's Delicatessen
205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

Dumpling Man
100 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009

Gray's Papaya
2090 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

Gray's Papaya
402 6th Ave, New York, NY 10014

Artichoke
328 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003

[lyn]

well if you are going to go to Katz, you have to have the pastrami...but then that is larger than a snack. It is the best.

[phoenikia]

Might have to do that on this trip. Still haven't tried the pastrami at Katz.

[kathryn]

I'd save my calories for a different burger, not from Blue 9 (which is where I assume you're talking about), it's gone seriously downhill in the last 3 years, and the service has gotten worse and worse.

-----
Blue 9 Burger
92 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10003

[phoenikia]

Quite the plan, namreb! Thanks;)

[lyn]

my favorite dumplings (and I like to try them all) are at dumpling house 118 Eldridge in Chinatown. hope this link works:
http://www.menupages.com/restaurantde...

it appears you may be looking for fried tasty things that might be in shorter supply in Toronto than NY. What about Knishes? I can't tell you where to go, but I am sure there are plenty of ideas if searched. I have to say I am not that impressed with the arepas at the oft mentioned Arepa place in the village. That had some other little greasy things that were good, but the arepas did not stand out.

[phoenikia]

Thanks for the link for dumpling house, Lyn...

We have knishes in TO, but I've yet to have a really tasty knish in TO or NYC! I have a feeling good ones are easier to find in NYC.

[kathryn]

LES Gustatory Itinerary:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/493333

See also these walking and eating and munching and noshing tours:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/230431
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/325343
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/449805
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/445373
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/366985

(If you're a chocolate fan, you must make it to Kee's. That would be where I would go, I think.

)

-----
Kee's Chocolates
80 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012

[phoenikia]

Thanks kathryn, very helpful links!

[veralouise]

What about the chocolate souffle cupcake at Kyotofu on 9th btwn 48th and 49th or the rice balls at Manganaro's on 9th btwn 37and 38th? OH - and the spanakopita from Poseidon Greek Bakery on 9th near 44th?

-----
Kyotofu
705 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Poseidon Bakery
629 9th Ave, New York, NY 10036

[misnatalie]

One thing I would like to suggest il laboratoria del gelato on 95 Clinton Street on the LES

-----
Il Laboratorio del Gelato
188 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002

[phoenikia]

Thanks for the suggestion, misnatalie;) Gelato would be a perfect treat, especially considering I'll be there in July. One little thing- it looks like Il Labortario is located at 95 Orchard Street....

Couldn't resist posting the flavors they make:
http://www.laboratoriodelgelato.com/f...
How many flavors are usually available by the scoop when you stop by their shop?

[kathryn]

Yes, the majority of their sales are by the scoop but you can buy pints if you like.

[kobetobiko]

You should also try the burgers and frozen custard at Shake Shake in Madison Square Park.

In East Village, besides Pomme Frites and Arepas that were mentioned, there is
- takoyaki (japanese fried squid ball) and okonomiyaki (japanese pancake) at Otafuku
- Amazing pork buns at Momofuku Ssam / Noodle Bar
- Cecel Crepe Cafe for Japanese style crepes. -
Peirogies at Veselka or Little Poland.

West Village:
- Grom / Cone for gelato
- Faicco for Italian fried risotto balls
- Yogurtland for frozen yogurt
- Batch for desserts (from P*ONG's chef)
- Taim for fried falafal
- Pearl Oyster Bar for lobster roll
- Bread Papa for cream puff (if they don't have it in Toronto)

-----
Faicco's
260 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Pearl Oyster Bar
18 Cornelia St, New York, NY 10014

Taim
222 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10014

Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Shake Shack
Madison Ave and E 23rd St, New York, NY 10010

Little Poland
200 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Veselka
144 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

Otafuku
236 E 9th St, New York, NY 10003

Grom
233 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Yogurtland
267 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Beard Papa's
2167 Broadway, New York, NY 10024

[phoenikia]

Looks like we have a similar palate, kobetobiko;) Everything you mention sounds interesting & delicious to me. I think I now have enough suggestions for a month of snacking!

Veselka was my favourite late-night stop for perogies/goulash when I lived in Manhattan 10 years ago. I brought most of my guests there at some point;)
And I love lobster rolls, something that is a rarity in Toronto.

I've tried okonomiyaki in TO before, but I've never had a Japanese crepe before. My to-eat list has grown substantially longer today!

[bigjeff]

btw, midtown where exactly? I posted the chaat link from Midtown Lunch (http://midtownlunch.com/) which should keep you very very busy; pretty much will fit exactly what you're looking for.

[phoenikia]

Not sure exactly, since the bride-to-be is choosing the hotel. I have a feeling it'll the Sheraton or something like it on 7th.

[brooklynbrownie]

FYI, since you'll be in Midtown and may be short on time, they sell the Donut Plant Donuts at the Dean and Deluca near 30 Rock, though I can certainly understand and respect a trip to the source. There are no words to describe the Valrhona donut. Soo good.

Midtown does have a nice abundance of good snacky street food. I just tried out the Jianetto's Pizza Truck last week. Pretty good slice and I saw that they have rice balls on their menu. They are parked on 47th b/w Madison and Park. I recently did a post about them here: http://blondieandbrownie.blogspot.com/2008/04/blondie-and-brownies-pizza-week-wrap-up.html
They are located right near one of the many Rafiqui's carts which do good halal meat/pita or meat/rice.

Other good Midtown Eats:

Kwik meal, oh man, their lamb over rice or lamb and pita is a cut above. It's actual lamb, not composite lamb food product (which don't get me wrong, I can enjoy some nice composite lamb). The original Kwik Meal cart is on 45th st close to 6th ave. There is a satellite cart is somewhere nearer to 5th ave, but I'm not sure of the cross street.

Kati Rolls from either Kati Roll co: or the Biriyani Cart on 46th near 6th.

Another street meat fav for me is Chicken and Rice or Chicken in a Pita: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycblondieandbrownie/2444853246/in/set-72157604747084976/ from the halal cart on 53rd and 6th Ave on the southwest corner after 8:00pm or the southeast corner during the day. Look for the yellow bag and except no imitations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycblondieandbrownie/2444850246/in/set-72157604747084976/

For a treat of the sweet variety, I recommend the Treats Truck. It parks at various midtown locations throughout the week so check their schedule here: http://www.treatstruck.com/?page_id=3.
I've been going through the Treats Truck Treats one treat at a time here: http://blondieandbrownie.blogspot.com/2008/04/taking-on-treats-truck-one-treat-at_28.html

And here are some pics of a wide variety of their treats: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycblond...

Enjoy! And do report back on where you decide to go. It's always great to learn about new snacks. :

)

-----
Treats Truck
, New York, NY 10001

Kati Roll Co.
49 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018

Jiannetto's
Vanderbilt Ave and E 47th St, New York, NY 10017

Halal Chicken and Gyro
106 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019

Kwik Meal
45th St and 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Biryani Cart
W 46th St and 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Dean & DeLuca
1 Rockefeller Plz, New York, NY 10020

[phoenikia]

Thanks for the suggestions, brooklynbrownie. Everything you mentioned sounds so amazing;)- just have to figure out a way to pace myself. Really looking forward to trying some of these treats.
Will report back to let everyone know where I ended up!

[bigjeff]

third (fourth) on pretty much everything at cafe zaiya's counters and also, just saw gorgeous pics of a new chaat place on midtown lunch:

http://midtownlunch.com/blog/2008/04/...

and the venezuelan place: caracas I hope. big fan.

second also to prosperity dumpling; skip all the other places, this place is the best.

-----
Caracas Arepa Bar
93 1/2 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

Prosperity Dumpling
46 Eldridge St, New York, NY 10002

Indus Express
48 W 48th St, New York, NY 10036

[cimui]

very nice tip on Indus Express. closer to me than sukhadia's, and sukhadia's seems to be on the down swing, anyway. thanks!

[phoenikia]

Thanks for posting the link to the chaat pics- looks delicious;)

Yes, it was Caracas Arepa Bar- thanks for reminding me of the name.

Will remember to add Prosperity to the list.

[cimui]

Bigjeff, I tried the bhel poori and aloo tiki chaats at Indus Express, today, for lunch. They are **good**!! They have a much bigger variety of vegetables in the chaat than Sukhadia's, they're better mixed (not so onion heavy... good for my co-workers), and they're not too heavy on the sauces.

And they have masala dosai on the menu. It looked very good, but I have to save that for tomorrow.

So thanks, again, for the tip.

(By the way, there's also this completely ignored sandwich / salad bar on the other side of the store that I didn't even notice was there until I was leaving.)

[cimui]

p.s. masala dosas were not good, sadly. i suspect they're stronger in the n. indian dept. (b/c dang, that bhel puri is tasty!)

[kathryn]

Don't forget also the Dessert Truck and the Wafels & Dinges truck.

http://www.desserttruck.com/
http://www.wafelsanddinges.com/

[thesu]

Something Sweet has amazing truffle buttons. (Almond macaroons topped with chocolate mousse and chocolate.) They run out, just a warning. After 7 PM, "The Cart" on 53 St. and 6 Ave. has good chicken pita sandwiches.

-----
Something Sweet
177 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

Halal Chicken and Gyro
106 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019

[phoenikia]

How big are the truffle buttons? They sound heavenly!

[thesu]

Probably two inches in diameter. I haven't had one in years. Maybe I should go back!

[porceluna]

In terms of just good ol' street food, I love the gyros from the cart at the corner of 2nd Ave & 43rd St. (weekdays only, generally midday). They're just $3, which is even better. My only gripe is the lack of raw onions, but hey, again, $3, plus all the delicious grease you need :). Since you'll be in Midtown, it'd be an easy quick lunch.

[bostonfoodie111]

If you're not from Chicago I highly recommend Garrett's Popcorn on 34th and 8th. They have divine cheese and caramel corn and the Chi way is to get the mix. When it's warm it's at its best and it makes great snack food. But be warned that your fingers will turn orange and you will be addicted. :)

-----
Garrett Popcorn
242 W 34th St, New York, NY 10123

[phoenikia]

Will try to remember to check this out. Sweet, salty and cheesy;) Sounds like a great combination.

[phoenikia]

Thanks for the tip- haven't tried the gyros in NYC. It's funny- I lived 1 block away from that corner in the late 90s and I don't remember any gyros in the vicinity.
Are the gyros at 2nd & 43rd the chopped and formed type, or the random pieces of meat stacked on a spit type?

[Miss Needle]

I like cimui's suggestions for Empananda Mama in Hell's Kitchen.

Those 4 or 5 for a dollar dumpling places in Chinatown (near Donut Plant) may be of interest to you. They also sell sesame pancakes for $1.50. My favorite is Prosperity. But as I see you're from Toronto, you may want to pass as I think Toronto has superb Chinese food compare to Manhattan. In Midtown east, you've got Cafe Zaiya for some Japanese snacks like croquettes, mochi donuts (they're very good) and cream puffs. And there are delicious fries at Pommes Frites in the East Village with different dipping sauces.

And I hope I don't get flamed for this suggestion, but there's White Castle on 8th Ave in the mid 30s. As I don't think Toronto has a WC around, you may want to try it as it's quite a different experience. A slider is about 50 cents or so. Perfect snacking material.

-----
Pommes Frites
123 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Prosperity Dumpling
46 Eldridge St, New York, NY 10002

Cafe Zaiya
18 E 41st St, New York, NY 10017

White Castle
525 8th Ave, New York, NY 10018

[Miss Needle]

Oh, you've got Oms-B in Midtown if you're in the mood for riceballs.

-----
Oms/b
156 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017

[cimui]

good one, i forgot to mention oms/b. some people find it a little pricey for "just rice balls", but it's a nice place to go if you don't live in a place where you have easy access to them and don't make them yourself. they have a lot of interesting fillings/toppings.

[phoenikia]

I'v been meaning to try Pommes Frites on other trips- which of their sauces do you like the best, Miss Needle?

Are the mochi donuts super-chewy?

Toronto does not have a WC, although interestingly Harold and Kumar visit WC was mostly filmed in TO. Not sure I'll make a special trip to try a slider, but if I happen to be hungry and in the neighbourhood, I might give WC a try;)

[Miss Needle]

I think the place has been under so many different people that the sauces have changed. But the last time I was there (run by Filipinos), my favorites were the curry sauce and a spicy sweet sauce that was off-menu that the guy gave to me for free to try it out. It definitely had an Asian flair and was made with Sambal. But as it wasn't on the menu, I don't know what it's called. But they do give samples of the sauces.

And the mochi donuts aren't super chewy like mochi but do have a bit of stickiness to it. Generally I'm not a fan of donuts but am only willing (at this moment) to eat these three:

1. mochi donut
2. Donut Plant cake donuts (the yeast ones are too heavy and greasy for my taste)
3. bombolini or malasada

Oh, you might also like something like Roomali for roti rolls. Really delicious. DH and I once spent a day doing what you're doing instead of eating meals. It was fun!

-----
Roomali
97 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10016

[addictedtolunch]

Fries here are just a bit of a come-down from what they once were. Can't figure out why, but I no longer make this a destination.

[JungMann]

Pommes Frites is a great call. I also found it somewhat jarring to see Filipinos tossing around Belgian fries, but speaking in Tagalog gets me the benefit of free sauces. My favorite is the war sauce (frites sauce, peanut satay and raw onions), although I find it a little hard to choose plain old frites over poutine, as inauthentic as it might be.

[phoenikia]

The war sauce sounds great- If I don't make it to Pommes Frites during the trip, I might have to try combining satay and frites on my own one of these days.

[porceluna]

OMG, how did I forget about Pommes Frites! Soooo good! My favorite sauces are vietnamese pineapple, pomegranate teriyaki, and roasted garlic. Just beware--those paper cones fit a lot more fries than you'd expect.

[phoenikia]

Thanks Miss Needle...might have to sample a couple sauces.

The mochi donuts sound interesting. I'm not usually a big fan of donuts but I've been craving a good one lately for some reason & figured I might find that in a Donut Plant donut.

[kathryn]

There is also a Cafe Zaiya in the EV if you happen to be passing by, it's on 3rd Avenue between 7th and St Marks. Pinkberry is also around the corner - not sure if the frozen yogurt trend has hit Toronto yet.

Also nearby is the Beard Papa on Astor Place. Mmmm, cream puffs.

-----
Cafe Zaiya
69 Cooper Sq, New York, NY 10003

Pinkberry
24 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003

[Miss Needle]

Thanks for that info. I had no idea about the EV Cafe Zaiya. Was actually in that area today after a lovely meal at Ippudo. If I had known, I would have picked something up.

[FuDee]

10 Dumplings for $3 at Super Taste absolutely crush Prosperity Dumplings (and just about all other pork-based dumplings) to smitherines. Try them immediately and you will NOT be disappointed.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/super-taste-n...

-----
Super Taste
26 Eldridge St, New York, NY 10002

[bigjeff]

very different dumplings, no? the super taste ones are boiled dumplings served wet, prosperity's are delicious pan-fried joints. unless they now have pan-fried at super taste, I'm still big on prosperity

[FuDee]

Agreed- wet and boiled vs fried and doughy. Different. But dumpling vs. dumpling, Super Taste takes the title.

[JungMann]

Good Argentinian empanadas at the bakery on 8th Avenue just south of 14th Street in the West Village. And a couple blocks down on Hudson, phenomenal British pies at Myers of Keswick. Don't miss tiny pork buns, either, at New Green Bo or Moon House.

-----
Myers of Keswick
634 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

Nice Green Bo
66 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

[phoenikia]

Thanks JungMann! Are the tiny pork buns baked or steamed?

I checked out Myers of Keswick- looks good. In addition to their savoury pies, do they sell any British sweet pastries like Eccles cakes or Bakewell tart? I could only find meat pies/pasties and groceries on their website.
http://www.myersofkeswick.com/product...

[JungMann]

The tiny buns I like at Moon House are fried. They're not xiao long bao. However when they're steamed at New Green Bo, they are indeed soup dumplings. Both are good, but the fried tiny buns at Moon House were my first introduction to Chinese dumplings.

Myer's sadly has no freshly baked sweets. But you can certainly get Lammingtons (and Aussie pies!) at Tuck Shop. While in the Village, you might want to also stop by the automat at Bamn! It's not exactly gourmet, but there is something deeply satisfying about getting warm croquettes out of a machine.

On the very off chance that you find yourself in Spanish Harlem, I highly recommend a stop at the cuchifritos stand on 116th between 3rd and Lexington. Their pastelitos are crunchy and brimming with a brightly flavored mincemeat filling. Their morcillas and chicharron are equally inviting (though probably not on the same fat calorie scale as rice ball!). On the West Side, Silver Moon Bakery is known for their macarons (although I am no huge fan) and Levain Bakery for their massive chocolate chip cookies.

-----
Tuck Shop
68 E 1st St, New York, NY 10003

Silver Moon Bakery
2740 Broadway, New York, NY 10025

Levain Bakery
167 W 74th St, New York, NY 10023

Cuchifritos
168 E 116th St, New York, NY 10029

[phoenikia]

The tiny buns sound great- I've never tried a fried tiny bun before.

Not sure I'll make it up to Spanish Harlem on this trip, but the pastelitos you describe sound delish!

[bigjeff]

ya those are great, called "shen-jian-bao" basically, like, fried on the bottom but then they add water while cooking, so the top steams as well. the filling is just as soupy as soup dumplings. very inexpensive too. I heard rumors moon house was closing unfortunately, really hope not, one of my favorite easy places in chinatown.

[brooklynbrownie]

Noooooo! First Mei Lai Wah, now Moon House?! That's my husband's fav lunch spot. :( I hope they don't have to close.

PS. the fried tiny buns are very good.

[roze]

I Think the bakery is called Sweet Heart. It has some pretty great coffee as well.

[kathryn]

At New Green Bo (now called Nice Green Bo) they're called "steamed tiny buns" on the menu. Steamed tiny buns = xiao long bao = soup dumplings. Not sure if you are easily get these in Toronto...

[Miss Needle]

Not only are they easy to get in Toronto, I think they've got a better xiao long bao scene than NY.

[phoenikia]

Miss Needle, you're correct that they are fairly easy to find in TO- but my first taste of xiao long bao was at Joe's Shanghai in 1997!

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Joe's Shanghai
9 Pell St, New York, NY 10013

[Miss Needle]

Well, Joe's is still around if you want to drop by for old time's sake. : )

And my first experience too was at Joe's -- probably around '95. It was quite a revelation for me.

[kobetobiko]

Agreed with Miss Needle that you can get much better soup dumplings in Toronto.

In general, I think you can skip Chinese food as a whole, since it is much better in Toronto.

[phoenikia]

Ok...I was picturing tiny char siu bao. Thanks for clearing that up;)

[cimui]

Great tip on Myers. For some reason, I never remember to recommend this place, but it is very delicious.

[cimui]

All of these are in midtown:

* empanadas, arepas and ok tamales: Empanada Mama
* Jamaican patties: Jamaican Dutchy
* chaat / Indian sweets: Sukhadia's (might have to give the downhill alert for this place, though)
* fried chicken, mac & cheese, collard greens (all in small, snack sized portions): Piece O' Chicken

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Jamaican Dutchy
W 51st St and 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Sukhadia's
17 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036

Empanada Mama
763 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

[phoenikia]

Thanks cimui, I'll have to check these places out.

[Ora]

Skipp Jamican patties from referenced cart. We took 1 bite and tossed it. That cart does sell OK food generally, but the patties are weak. You need to go to a real patty shop in Brooklyn, Bronx or even Queens for a decent Jamican Patty, especially if you're coming from Tornonto where there is a huge West Indian population and great food. In a pinch, you can go to Golden Crust in Manhattan, but that's pretty much it.

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Jamaican Dutchy
W 51st St and 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Golden Krust
105 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017

[cimui]

hi ora, i fully admit to not being a jamaican patty expert -- i only know what i like -- but jamaican dutchy's were more to my taste than golden krust's for two reasons: the filling was plentiful and the pastry was nicely layered and flakey.

what was your objection?

i do agree with you that jamaican dutchy's forte is not the patty; the jerk chicken is the much stronger draw for me. (don't really like the curry chicken.)

[bigjeff]

ya golden crust is just a tiny bit better than the tower isles crap sold in most of the pizzerias in new york city unfortunately. have to admit that I haven't had any patties in nyc since sampling the real island fare two summers ago; nothing compares to a fresh dozen from juicy patty (which I did take on the plane in a convenient travel pack that they have; I wasn't the only one either!)

[Ora]

Go to Kingston Tropical Bakery in the BX or another good dedicated patty shop in the outer boros and you wont buy patties in Manhattan--anywhere. Kingston Tropical has a far better supplier than Duchy or Golden crust, then they bake the patties fresh all day on the spot in the bakery. The coco bread is great there too. I don't know there isn't a truly good patty to be find on this island. Duchy's patty is poorly flavored and low meat quality. Golden Crust is a franchise chain, which is only slightly better. Trust me--take the train and get great patty--elsewhere.

[cimui]

Very cool. Thanks for the tip, Ora! Kingston sounds like a good excuse for me to take a field trip.

[cocoloco14]

ruben's empanadas is good-on 1st avenue in the east village

im with you on cupcakes-but the banana pudding at magnolia is amazing!!

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Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

[phoenikia]

Thanks, cocoloco14! Which empanadas do you like the best at Ruben's?

If I find myself in the West Village, I'll have to give Magnolia's banana pudding a try;)