Lincoln Center Area

[pesto]

Any dinner ideas that won't break the bank in this area. Adventurous palates...(Rosa Mexicana has been used up!) Help, please! Table for 6....

[pesto]

Thank you to all who took the time to answer. I have food for thought for other visits...we succumbed to the siren song of Rosa Mexicana. Yummy!

[Pan]

What do you mean by "won't break the bank." Also, how far are you willing to walk?

[pesto]

Low 20 entrees... will walk or cab a bit. Don't want to be in lower Manhattan.

[Pan]

Have you tried the "Secret Thai" menu at the original Wondee, 9th Av. between 52nd and 53rd? That's more like $20/person than $20 entrees, but it fits with adventurous palates. A bit further downtown (9th between 48th and 49th) is Gazala Place, with its excellent Israeli Druze cuisine. It's not as cheap as Wondee but is great and easily under your top price range.

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Gazala Place
709 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Wondee Siam
792 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

[pesto]

Thank you, Pan. Will check them out.

[boredough]

There's also a Gazala Place on Columbus at 78th - a little closer to Lincoln Center

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Gazala Place
709 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

[Pan]

True. It's got more ambiance, is more spacious but requires a walk up an external flight of stairs, and I believe has a slightly longer menu, but it's also a lot more expensive. For example, the wonderful dessert, Osh al-Saraya, costs $4.50 at the downtown location and $10 at the uptown one.

[FoodDabbler]

I've found the spicing at Gazala a little on the subdued side. They have a kebab combo plate, for example, that's very similar to one at Afghan Kebab House further up 9th, except that theirs costs more and tastes less.

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Afghan Kebab House
764 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Gazala's
380 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10024

[Pan]

My standby Afghan place is Ariana, and I like it, but I find the food at Gazala Place more special. Among other things, their falafel and dolmas are possibly the best I've ever had, and I love the Osh al-Saraya for dessert. I also love their labne and cigars. For the record, I love very spicy food like Sichuan and Thai and eat quite a lot of it (especially Sichuan-style food, and lately, Xian-style), but I can also enjoy falafel that has a wonderful herbal taste or very nutty-tasting hummous.

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Gazala Place
709 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

[FoodDabbler]

I'll have to try Ariana, as well some of the Gazala Place dishes you mention. I was underwhelmed by the food on each of my three visits to GP, so I stopped going there. And I wasn't talking hot spiciness as much as full flavor. (As an occasional Manhattanite who likes food, I've read several of your posts, found them useful, and know that you like spicy food.)

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Gazala Place
709 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

[Pan]

Have you tried the big meze samplers at Gazala Place? If you've had those and find them lacking in flavor, I wouldn't recommend going back and would chalk it up to a difference in taste.

By the way, I'm glad you've found some of my posts useful. :-)

[FoodDabbler]

No, I have not tried the meze samplers, big or small. I still have something to live for.

[Pan]

The ones my girlfriend and family like best are special meze samplers that aren't on the menu, but they seem to have them whenever we're there.

[FoodDabbler]

I got to Manhattan at 9ish tonight and called Gazala Place to see if they'd deliver. I asked for and got a meze sampler. It was very good. The sampler included dolmas and felafel. The felafel, in particular, were excellent -- crisp on the outside and, as you say, herby on the inside. They were better, I think (as felafel balls), than the ones at Azuri, and I didn't have to deal with a surly owner. I did have to deal (as I've had to once before), though, with a tendency to oversell. I ask for a sandwich, for instance, and get a platter at over twice the price. Not kosher.

But the food was mostly good enough for me to forgive them tonight. I particularly enjoyed a red cabbage affair, bathed in a lemony (but not overly so) olive oil dressing, with bits of onion. It was crunchy, tangy, and quite delicious.

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Gazala Place
709 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Azuri Cafe
465 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019

[Pan]

I'm pleased to hear that you liked the meze sampler and very displeased to hear about the overselling. I would have refused to pay the difference in such circumstances.

[FoodDabbler]

The problem is when you get delivery. If you refuse to pay, does the delivery guy get shafted? I'm never sure. On one occasion when Carnegie Deli delivered 1/4 lb of corned beef (plus matzoh ball soup), but charged me for 1/2 lb, I paid the deliverer and dropped the bill with a WTH* on it in the mail (the physical kind, with a stamp on it) to the deli. To my surprise they called me and gave me credit against my next 1/4 lb of corned beef. Maybe I'll do the same with Gazala, but it's harder to prove that I said sandwich on the phone, not platter.

* The family, heck version of WTF

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Carnegie Deli
854 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Gazala's
380 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10024

[Pan]

I see what you mean. I would definitely have called to complain, at the very least.

[MMRuth]

You could look into Bar Boulud - excellent charcuterie, etc.

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Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

[rpweber]

I agree, Bar Boulud is a great option if you like french. They're on a bunch of Zagat's "Best of NY" lists, and also got "Best Charcuterie" according to NY Mag in 2008. if you're interested in what other "best of NY" lists they're on, you can see that here: http://www.hotspotrobot.com/business/...

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Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

[pesto]

Just checked out the menu....YUM! Thank you for above reference. I'll check it out>