Staying at the Beacon 5 nights, coming in Monday 8/15

[Fru]

Hi Hounds, First timer to NY. Not as organized as I should be as I have just started to do my research. We love good food but on a budget-2 adults and 1 12year old. Getting into JFK at 5:15 am hoping to find some casual options close to our hotel. Whatever is best in the area-Pizza, Pasta, Seafood, In Season...Ethnic that isn't Mexican or Thai as we have plenty in LA (Pasadena). We plan on going either to Katz's or Carnegie for deli at some point and spending time in China Town.
I can never get enough dim sum. I'm turning in now as I have a long day ahead of me so I'll be checking in during our flight. Thanks in advance. Sorry if this is too brief.

[kathryn]

Yikes! I hope you found something good near your hotel at 6am!

This board is not heavily trafficked between midnight and 8-9am, sadly.

For Chinatown dim sum, check out Dim Sum Go Go and Red Egg. However, in comparison to LA, our dim sum just won't be as good. I'd recommend eating some foods you can't find easily in southern California like Xi'an food at Xian Famous Foods.

Xian Famous Foods
I recommend the cumin lamb hand pulled noodles and/or the cumin lamb burger
67 Bayard Street
http://xianfoods.com/locations.php

You might also like to try some Fujian food or visit He Nan Flavor.

Fujian restaurants
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/761615

He Nan Flavor
68B Forsyth Street
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/774685

While at Katz's, share a pastrami sandwich, and save room for a bagel sandwich with smoked salmon, capers, red onion, tomato, and cream cheese at Russ & Daughters. Note that it's takeout only, but they have benches outside. Stay dry today! Also the typical bagel shop in NYC will not toast the bagel unless you specifically ask (even then some won't/can't do it).

BTW, I highly recommend RGR's self guided Lower East Side Gustatory tour but sub in Pickle Guys for Guss' Pickles:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/493333

This thread from someone planning to visit NYC (and also living in Southern California) might help:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/800986

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Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

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

Pickle Guys
49 Essex St, New York, NY 10002

Dim Sum Go Go
5 E Broadway, New York, NY 10038

Red Egg
202 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013

He Nan Flavor
68 Forsyth St, New York, NY 10002

Xi'an Famous Foods
67 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

[Fru]

I shared a pastrami sandwich at Katz's but also had a bowl of matzo ball soup so I didn't have room for Russ and Daughters. It was well worth the 3 subway transfers! I just wish the corn rye had a crisp chewy crust. Thanks for RGR's self guided tour. We had fun walking!

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

[H Manning]

Near your hotel, Viand Cafe opens at 6:00 am.

Other suggestions for lunch or dinner:

Telepan
Fatty Crab
Ouest
Nice Matin
Salumeria Rosi
Fairway Cafe
Grand Sichuan

Here's a related thread on dining near the Beacon
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/761500

For the best pizza, it would be best to go downtown. Keste, Motorino, and Rubirosa are my favorites, but this is a hotly debated topic on this board.

The best pasta in the neighborhood would be at Lincoln. The best seafood pasta would be at Marea on Central Park South.

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Telepan
72 W. 69th Street, New York, NY 10023

Ouest
2315 Broadway, New York, NY 10024

Nice Matin
201 West 79th Street, New York, NY 10024

Viand Cafe
2130 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

Salumeria Rosi
283 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10023

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

Fatty Crab
2170 Broadway, New York, NY 10024

Marea
240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019

Motorino
349 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003

Lincoln
142 W 65th St, New York, NY 10023

Rubirosa
235 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012

Grand Sichuan
307 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10023

Fairway Cafe
2127 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

[Fru]

Thanks kathryn and h manning so much for the help and guiding me to threads. I'm flying as I type. I realized I typed am instead of pm, Yikes! So no, I don't have to worry about food at 6am. Just 6pm. Regarding dim sum, I am old school. While I like the high end joints where you order off the menu, I prefer the anticipation of cart service. I have already put Xian Famous Foods on my radar and appreciated the other recs. For pizza, you say downtown. I'm guessing you mean NY proper. Forgive my ignorance. I'm going to start plotting places on a map if I can keep this connection!.
Thanks again!!

[Cheeryvisage]

For old school dim sum off the carts, Jing Fong and Golden Unicorn in Chinatown are popular.

Oriental Garden is also widely liked for its Cantonese style seafood.

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Oriental Garden
14 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10013

Golden Unicorn
18 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002

Jing Fong
18 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10013

[Cheeryvisage]

When we New Yorkers say "Downtown", we mean the southern part of Manhattan. The island of Manhattan can be roughly divided into 3 sections, from north to south. The below is a rough guide to the area designations.

Uptown: North of 60th Street

Midtown: 34th Street to 60th Street

Downtown: South of 34th Street

The horizontal roads spanning east-to-west are called "Streets" (the more north you go, the higher the street numbers are), while the vertical roads spanning north-to-south are called "Avenues" (the more west you go, the higher the avenue numbers are).

If you take a look at a map of Manhattan, this will make better sense.

[Fru]

Ahhhh! Thank you:)

[kathryn]

Jing Fong is probably one of the more impressive ones in terms of carts and size of the room. Oriental Garden can be fun, too, but not all the food comes on carts--some comes on trays.

For the top pizza in town, you'll need to go south of the UWS since your hotel is on 74th and Broadway. Right now, I really like Motorino and John's (only the Bleecker St one).

Since you're right by the Beacon Theatre, for a good dinner destination, look in some of these threads:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/764658
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/743949
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/749512

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Oriental Garden
14 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10013

Jing Fong
18 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10013

John's Pizzeria
278 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Motorino
349 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003

[rkaene]

Take a walk up to Zabars, great fun!, In the neighborhood, For some more moderate options,Bistro Cassis, Cafe Luxenbough, Tenzan ( sushi), Kefi (greek), In chinatown, Vietnamese is also very good, try Nha Trang Centre. Red Egg has 1/2 price dim sum and 2/1 drinks for happy hour.Carnige is way past is prime ( sadly), Kat'z or Sarges are better. Have fun!!!

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

Zabar's
2245 Broadway, New York, NY 10024

Nha Trang
148 Centre St, New York, NY 10013

Sarge's Delicatessen
548 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10016

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

Kefi
505 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024

Cafe Luxembourg
200 W 70th St, New York, NY 10023

Bistro Cassis
225 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10023

Tenzan
285 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10023

Red Egg
202 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013

[Fru]

Just came back from Zabars. Overwhelmed, bought pot holders.

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Zabar's
2245 Broadway, New York, NY 10024

[RMG]

For Pizza on the UWS, I recommend Dean's Pizza. It's really good think crust, brick oven pizza. And they use really fresh ingredients.

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Dean's Pizzeria
215 W 85th St, New York, NY 10024

[Fru]

Is think a cross between thick and thin:) We want thin.

[mahler5]

Near your hotel, I'd recommend Good Enough to Eat (Amsterdam and 84th). Be sure to try the chocolate cake, coconut cake, and/or german chocolate cake. Their other meals are consistently good if you're in the market for super comfort food. Their breakfasts are very popular, so expect to wait.

A wonderful breakfast option is upstairs at Fairway. Good lunches too. Also very casual.

On an entirely different level is Telepan: lunch, dinner, or weekend brunch. Certainly the best restaurant on the UWS.

Good luck!

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Good Enough to Eat
483 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024

Telepan
72 W. 69th Street, New York, NY 10023

Fairway Cafe
2127 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

[rteplow]

Second Fairway Cafe. If the line at GETE is too long, you should go about 3 block uptown to Barney Greengrass. In fact, you should go even if there is no line.

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Barney Greengrass
541 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024

[Fru]

Please don't take this as a dis. Having eaten deli all of my life in So Cal(I know, I know, no comparison to NY), I was very disappointed in the Beverly Hills Barney Greengrass. Is it fair to compare it with the original? Issac Gellis, which I guess is long gone is where my dad used to go with his parents 60+ years ago. We'll probably be going to Katz's so my hubby can have pastrami and Russ and Daughters so I can get my fill of smoked fish and bring some back to the in laws in Springfield Ma. I'm heading out for a walk to Zabars now...

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Barney Greengrass
541 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024

[Fru]

Went to the Fairway for breakfast and burgers. Would never have known that they even had an upstairs. Thank you. Wish Pasadena had a place like this but we don't have enough of a population to support it. Man, those potatoes! I loved the 7 grain bread toast. The boys got burgers. My husband was in heaven-perfect medium with a touch of pink. So nice to get a burger and not have the fear of God put into you because it wasn't cooked to death. Would love to try Telepan.

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Fairway Cafe
2127 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

[coasts]

don't leave town without getting a cookie from Levain on 74th and Amsterdam. they're considered by many to be the best.

i'm also growing more and more impressed by Epicerie Boulud. their vegetable dishes have all been fantastic, especially the artichoke and carrot salad. they're also serving a honey-yogurt flavor gelato that is really worth trying.

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

Epicerie Boulud
1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

[Fru]

Love my veggies. Thanks for the tips coasts!

[mahler5]

I concur with coasts.

[rkaene]

great reccomendations

[CatoUWS]

It may not match the standards of some of the other responses here, but you will be down the block from Big Nick's Pizza Joint & Burger Joint. It's a local institution, having been there since the 1960's. Open around the clock (so you would have gotten a fine breakfast even if you really had been arriving at 6 AM) and with a menu so extensive it's really (really!) a book, you'll find just about anything, ranging from breakfasts (around the clock) to serious burgers to pizza, but also including Nick's wide range of Greek specialties. It may not be pretty, but it's convenient to where you will be (actually, are now) and you can get just about anything you want whenever you want it.

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Big Nick's
2175 Broadway, New York, NY 10024

[Fru]

I just walked by today wondering about it. Thanks!

[peter j]

Luke's Lobster for lobster rolls on Amsterdam and 80th St.

Jacques Torres chocolates (also hot chocolate) on Amsterdam between 73rd and 74th St.

Screme gelato truck on 73rd and Broadway right by the entrance of the subway station.

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Jacques Torres
285 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10023

Luke's Lobster
426 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024

[CatoUWS]

Certainly second Jacques Torres.

I haven't been, but there's also a Screme store on Broadway between 70th and 71st (or maybe a block south).

And, while we're down there, another gustatory landmark is Gray's Papaya (Bway/Amst and 72). Again, it's not pretty, but it's a good hot dog (if you like that sort of thing) and cheap.

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

Screme
2030 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

[kathryn]

In addition to Fairway Cafe and Jacques Torres, you might be interested in getting snacks from:
Salumeria Rosi - meats and cheeses
Grandaisy - roman style room temperature pizza
Magnolia Bakery - love their ice box cake, not so much the cupcakes

The old Tavern on the Green space has a food truck terrace now:
http://www.nycgovparks.org/events/201...

Also try Sarabeth's for breakfast.

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Grandaisy Bakery
176 W 72nd St, New York, NY 10023

Sarabeth's
423 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024

Magnolia Bakery
200 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10023

Salumeria Rosi
283 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10023

[Fru]

Thanks kathryn! We are headed out to Katz's and maybe Russ and Daughters to fortify ourselves before the aquarium. Any cheap eats recs in Brooklyn for later?

[Bkeats]

You should ask that question on the Outer Boroughs board for more responses

[Fru]

You are absolutely right! I was being lazy:)