Day Walking/Eating in Soho and the Villages

[XerxesAB]

So I was going to plan a day of just walking around anywhere from Meatpacking to Soho or any of the Villages, eating and window shopping etc. with my girlfriend. I was looking to kind of do a food crawl of sorts and do some window shopping or poke into some gallery's or something to entertain ourselves between eating. I can't spend more than about $150 (on food, not including drinks) on the day, so its more like popping into places and grabbing a signature dish or something at the bar or grabbing some appetizers etc. Its going to be during a weekday.

Are there any places/dishes that people can think of that pop into mind? Any recommendations? I'm thinking stuff like sharing a pizza at Keste, or a bowl of the spaghetti at Scarpetta, maybe grabbing something at one of the Momofuku's, etc. Any ideas?

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Scarpetta
355 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014

[The Drama Queen]

I just want to add my two cents and say that I took a trip 2 years ago to New York with friends. We ventured into Greenwich Village and I was amazed at the shops and restaurants I saw there. Being a serious food hound I was very impressed. I could have spent several days just wandering in and out of the shops. I would have raised the ecomony of the city in no time. :-) You New Yorkers are sooo lucky.

[XerxesAB]

We went out and had a great day of food. Lupa's Bucatini was pretty amazing, as were the tacos at la esquina. We had chocolate at Kee's (delicious), wine and bruschetta at 'ino, and went by Momofuku Milk Bar to get pork buns and some cereal milk ice cream. The milk bar is now across the street from the Ssam bar and the old milk bar location and it is smaller and no longer serves the pork buns. We were able to get the ice cream, but you have to wait for Ssam to open at 5 and go there if you want pork buns.

Thanks for the tips, definitely will have to do it again and hit all the other spots.

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Lupa
170 Thompson Street, New York, NY 10012

'ino
21 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014

[uwsister]

Boo - I miss being able to walk in and get the pork and egg bun and a slice of crack pie at the Milk Bar for a more decadent breakfast.

[kathryn]

If it makes you feel any better they haven't served the pork and egg bun for a while now.

[uwsister]

Oh I know. Doesn't mean I miss it any less though.

[bobjbkln]

Get a Cornish Pastie, or a Pork Pie, or a Steak and Kidney pie at Meyers of Keswick on Hudon St. Just make sure you get something recently out of the oven; it's take out only and they don't reheat things up for you.

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

[kathryn]

Some ideas:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/780479
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/775501
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/728356
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/750143
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/711661
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/754497

Try also RGR's famous self-guided eating tour of the LES if you haven't done it already.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/493333

Note two changes: Guss's Pickles has closed, so substitute The Pickle Guys, on Essex off Grand. And the correct address for Economy Candy is 108, not 145.

The issue with the Momofukus and/or Scarpetta (and any more upscale restaurants I suppose) will be timing. I know that the Momofukus close between lunch and dinner service. So does Keste. And Scarpetta doesn't open until 5:30pm (no lunch), so it would have to be the last stop of your day.

Whereas Lupa is open continuously. So is Maialino but they have a smaller menu in between menus IIRC. Another option might be stopping into Osteria Morini, who serves lunch pretty late (until 3pm), as well as Balthazar (until 5pm). I've also done a really late lunch at Spotted Pig and while their full menu isn't available, you can still get the deviled eggs and burger. 'ino might be worth a spot as well.

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Lupa
170 Thompson Street, New York, NY 10012

Pickle Guys
49 Essex St, New York, NY 10002

Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St, New York, NY 10014

'ino
21 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014

Economy Candy
108 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002

Scarpetta
355 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014

Maialino
2 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010

Osteria Morini
218 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012

[loratliff]

My thought for Momofuku was that they should go to Milk Bar, where they can have pork buns and still have a sweet as well.

[XerxesAB]

Thank you for the feedback! So we are taking a look at all the threads and trying to sort through it all. We are trying to limit the sit down places as much as we can so we can have some flexibility (although we will do some pasta at Lupa somewhere between 12-1).

So far we definitely want to go to the following:

Croissant at Pattisserie Claude, Panini or something at 'ino, Tacos at La Esquina, Pork Buns at Momofuku milk bar, some arepa's at Caracas Arepa Bar, share a pizza at Keste, and somewhere in there get some gelato at L'arte de Gelato or Otto (which is best?).

I'm gonna try and map it out on a google map and see what kind of order makes sense and try and guess eating/transit times to see if I can fit in more along the way.

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Lupa
170 Thompson Street, New York, NY 10012

Patisserie Claude
187 W 4th St, New York, NY 10014

L'Arte del Gelato
75 7th Ave S, New York, NY 10014

La Esquina
106 Kenmare St, New York, NY 10012

Otto
1 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003

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

'ino
21 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014

Momofuku Milk Bar
251 E 13th St, New York, NY 10003

[coasts]

don't miss Kee's in Soho. i'm crazy for their Lemon Basil Chocolate, but recently developed a love for the Balsamic Vinegar one.

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

[tex.s.toast]

I came by the thread to recommend Kee's - love their black sesame flavored truffle also.

[JMJD]

Would add in Despana in Soho -- they have an area in the back where you can sit and have some tapas.

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Despana
408 Broome St, New York, NY 10013

[D...DF]

I think Otto's gelato beats L'arte. I would ask if they have the summer cart set up outside yet; this would save you time. Or just get gelato at the bar. The coppettas are generally amazing.

[kathryn]

I have terrible luck with that cart. It's either on vacation and/or they don't carry the olive oil.

[loratliff]

Sounds like you've got a good start... Share a pizza at Keste, the burger at the Spotted Pig, pork buns at Momofuku, have a pastry at Balthazar (they have an amazing mango cheesecake right now), a taco at La Esquina, a cupcake or slice of cake from Amy's Bread (or Magnolia, although so many people hate it), perhaps a beer at Blind Tiger...

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Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St, New York, NY 10014

Balthazar
80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

La Esquina
106 Kenmare St, New York, NY 10012

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

Amy's Bread
250 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Blind Tiger
281 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Keste Pizza & Vino
271 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014