Chicagoan coming to NY - Where's a must eat?

[mccarlin]

Hello all,

I'll be flying into NY on thurday Aug 14 and ill be there untill Sunday morning and im looking for some food rec's. I'm a food junky and experience most of what Chicago has to offer so what im looking for in NY/Manhattan is something that i CANT find in Chicago.

I will be on a budget so probably no 4 star places, im not bringing formal attire with me either. The food is more important to me than the ambiance. Killer Italian? Pizza? Etc...

Where should i go that will leave my first trip to NY memorable. I'll be staying around midtown and will be taking the train around.

Thanks!

[misnatalie]

Lupa for Italian
Bleeker St, Joe's on Carmine st, or an artichoke slice from Artichoke for Pizza
Gray's Papaya for a hot dog
Pastrami from Katz's
Bagels from Murry's or H&H
A shake and burger from Shake Shake
Sushi from Yasuda
Spicy Chinese from Szechuan Gourmet
Chocolate or coconut/strawberry cupcake from Batch
Pudding from Rice to Riches
Portugese don tot from Egg Custard King
Falafel from Olympic Pita

[cimui]

I agree that the bagel with lox / Jewish deli experience is a quintessentially NYC, but there are places other wonderful places other than Katz (which is good, but to my mind, and has history, but is not necessarily head and shoulders above the competition when judged by food, alone). Barney Greengrass on the Upper West Side (UWS) and Second Ave Deli in Murray Hill / Kip's Bay (East 30s) are also strong contenders. Second Ave. Deli has great sliced tongue. Sarge's, also in Murray Hill / Kip's Bay, has pretty good chopped liver.

In Hell's Kitchen (just east of midtown), try the inexpensive and fun Empanada Mama for good empanadas and Venezuelan style arepas.

In midtown, try the streetcarts, esp. at lunchtime. Esp. good / well known ones include the halal chicken and rice / gyro cart on 53rd and 6th Ave. near the Hilton. During the day, a 'subsidiary' of the original cart sells on the east side of the street. At night, the original is on the west side.

I know you have wurst in Chicago, but the Hallo Berlin cart (or cafe) might be worth checking out. Great curry potatoes.

I think sushi is not yet so popular in Chicago as it is in NYC. If you like it, try Kanoyama on a budget or Yasuda non-omakase.

I can give you some Italian suggestions, but none of them are really old school red sauce that people usually associate with NYC. Feel free to drop more details about what you're looking for. If you want harder to find Italian ingredients, check out the Italian market in Chelsea Market.

-----
Barney Greengrass
541 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024

Sushi Yasuda
204 E 43rd St, New York, NY 10017

Hallo Berlin
626 10th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Kanoyama
175 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Second Avenue Deli
162 E 33rd St, New York, NY 10016

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

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

[cimui]

goodness, what a lot of type-os:

>>but there are places other wonderful places other than Katz (which is good, but to my mind, and has history, but is not necessarily head and shoulders above the competition when judged by food, alone).

should read:

but there are places other wonderful places other than Katz (which is good, and has history, but to my mind is not necessarily head and shoulders above the competition when judged by food, alone).

and this:

>> In Hell's Kitchen (just east of midtown),

should be:

Hell's Kitchen (just west of midtown)

sorry!!! I was rather out of it, earlier. :)

[chet steadman]

aside from having superb food, these places all provide an experience beyond the meal itself:

pizza - di fara in brooklyn
puerto rican - la fonda boricua on 106/lex
burger - shake shack at madison park
cuban-chinese - apolo on delancey
deli - katz's on e hosuton
chinese - wo hop in china town

[kcijones001]

Cuban sandiwch and spanish corn at Cafe Habana
17 Prince St
[phone]

Otto Restaurant Enoteca
www.ottopizzeria.com
1 5th Ave
[phone]

[misky]

hey, sorry to hijack the thread, but i read on another thread from awhile back about shredded hashbrowns - you said you can find them in any grocerey store in NY. i live in manhattan and in desperate need of shredded hashbrowns for a recipe i need to make this weekend, and so far i've tried gristedes and associated in kips bay...could you give me some places you know of that shredded hashbrowns??? thanks!

[cimui]

If all else fails and you can't find them, you can sub in most recipes with rectangular hash browns or tater tots, chopped to bits with a spatula while you're cooking. Or, at schmancy markets (i.e. Whole Foods) look for packaged, ready-to-make rosti.

[Ann900]

In a word -Katz's deli. There are many posts on this board for info.

[kathryn]

What's your budget including tax, tip, and beverages? Note that many higher end places in Manhattan do not require a jacket any more, but patrons do tend to be dressed nicely (i.e., no shorts, open toed sandals, etc).

For starters, try NY pizza. Bagels and smoked salmon. Katz's deli. Egg creams.

Check these threads out:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/544954
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/544817
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/544074