[SobaAddict70]

Bedtime snack (at 3 am last night) was a halal chicken/lamb combo over rice with lettuce, tomato and fried eggplant from all night street vendor stand at 50th and Park. This was for $6 (combo w/a Sunkist). It wasn't spicy enough for me, so I improved things a bit with some calypso hot sauce at home.

Where are your favorite street food vendors in NYC? Sausage trucks, taco stands and Chinese bao vendors count.

Soba

[Oceangroveguy]

Off the street (so delete if you are being strict) but in Penn Station, the otherwise dull Nedicks sells Usingers bratwursts.......mmmmmmm

[bloviatrix]

I like Moshe's falafel which is the cart on the southeast corner of W.46th and 6th. They pack those babies full so they're messy to eat. But quite tasty.

[Moopheus]

When I worked in the Flatiron building I used to get falafel sandwiches fairly often from one of the carts that could usually be found around 21 or 22nd st. It was pretty good falafel. In fact, I'm pretty well convinced that the best way to have falafel here is from a street cart.

A few times on Canal I've had bags of spring rolls from the street carts there. 3 for a buck, and usually hot and fresh right out of the fryer.

[PoorLawyer]

55th and Madison byt the Sony building, but this was 5 years ago. Man that cart was good. They had a line around the corner but worth the wait. The guy's wife made the tzatziki fresh every morning....used to make him put it on the fries and everything. Too bad they don't have carts like that in DC!

[JennyUptown]

PoorLawyer, on Mar 15 2004, 06:35 PM, said:

55th and Madison byt the Sony building, but this was 5 years ago. Man that cart was good. They had a line around the corner but worth the wait. The guy's wife made the tzatziki fresh every morning....used to make him put it on the fries and everything. Too bad they don't have carts like that in DC!

I concur!

[baw]

I'm glad I don't have one of those all night street carts near me, soba! I have a hard enough time resisting late night chowing as it is

My favorite cart is the dosa man on the south side of Washington Square park. For $4, a huge and yummy masala dosa, a tiny thing of spicy soup, and some spicy coconut chutney (i think that's what it is). His samosas are also tasty. I dont go there much cuz there can be a long wait ..

[SobaAddict70]

I have to say that falafel stands always hold a special place in my heart (probably because I spent most of my twenties as a college student at Hunter College). The falafel stand outside Hunter North (68th Street between Lexington and Park) served me well many an afternoon with a lunch of stuffed pita and a Snapple for $5.

When I lived in Astoria, there was and still is a falafel/sandwich/shish kabob stand on the corner of Steinway Street and 34th Avenue that serves shish kabob sandwiches: marinated grilled chicken or lamb shish kabobs served on a stick OR in an Italian hero along with lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sauteed onions and peppers, deep fried eggplant, a couple of french fries for texture, a splash of white sauce, a drizzle of hot sauce, and a sprinkle of zataar and cumin. Bag that with a Snapple or a can of soda and you're all set -- all for about $6.

There's a sausage truck usually parked on the corner of Whitehall and Pearl, about two blocks from my job. Wonderful grilled cheesesteaks, grilled Italian sausage sandwiches (hot and/or sweet), marinated chicken breast sandwiches with sauteed mushrooms, and grilled hot dogs. Not bad for $6.

I'm hungry.

Soba

[Moopheus]

Does Mr. Softee count as a meal?

[SobaAddict70]

A bit of a stretch, but not really.

Soba

[picaman]

I like the Hallo Berlin cart at 54th and 5th.

Also, I've heard good things about the Daisy Mae BBQ chili cart at 50th & 6th, though I haven't yet schlepped across the street to sample it myself.

Where not to go: the food truck in Inwood, at the north exit of the 1 train stop at 207. Once here was enough for me. I've eaten plenty of good chitlins, but they never tasted like the pig smelled



Jamie

[Suzanne F]

The Chinese ladies on East Broadway directly under the Manhattan Bridge -- in front of the building with Double 8 (fka Triple 8). Meat or mustard-y greens or a little of each, on a slightly sweet bun, for $1. Premade, but yummy.

[bpearis]

there is a jamaican food cart right outside the post office on 42nd between 8th and 9th. it is the bomb. while i think the curry goat, chicken roti and stew fish are all great, i go back again and again for the oxtail. they've raised their prices on it a few times in the last year and a half. i think it's up to $8 but it's worth it. you get cornbread, plantains and your choice of two sides -- rice and peas, stew peas, collard greens, macaroni & cheese, a couple others. there's also jerk chicken, fried whole fish and a couple others as mains. it's all great.

in the general times square area i also like the daisy mae chili cart and kwik meal - both well publicized.

[weinoo]

Yvonne's Jamaican food on 71st St. parked just west of York Avenue is a winner. Goat stew, jerk chicken, oxtail, kingfish, etc. all pretty yummy. Homemade ginger beer packs a wallop as well.

I miss the moon cake lady of Mosco St., but there is a little guy who has a moon cake stand on the southeast corner of Grand and Canal that's quite tasty.

Rafiqui's (sp.?) Halal food I believe it's on 48th just east of Madison for his chicken over rice.

[Taboni]

Gyro corner of 54th and Park followed by a few beers at Bill's around the corner

[alacarte]

Dueling falafel carts on either side of Liberty Square in the financial district. Both are good.

I never did make it the Danny Meyer hot dog cart in Madison Square Park -- will it be back this summer?

[Bux]

I seem to recall a recent post here about Danny signing a contract to operate some more elaborate food stall in Madison Square Park this year.

[phaelon56]

The tamale ladies on 8th Avenue between 39th and 40th. Ther are usually two - one on the east side and one on the west right by the corner of 39th. Mon to Fri only and from about 4 PM to 6 PM. Choose corn or chicken, dollop with hot sauce (they have a bottle right there) and chow dwon. MMMMMMM!!!! $1 each.`

[Jason Perlow]

alacarte, on Mar 16 2004, 09:36 AM, said:

Dueling falafel carts on either side of Liberty Square in the financial district. Both are good.

I never did make it the Danny Meyer hot dog cart in Madison Square Park -- will it be back this summer?

Its coming back as a Burger cart, I think.

[bpearis]

Jason Perlow, on Mar 16 2004, 10:25 AM, said:

alacarte, on Mar 16 2004, 09:36 AM, said:

Dueling falafel carts on either side of Liberty Square in the financial district. Both are good.

I never did make it the Danny Meyer hot dog cart in Madison Square Park -- will it be back this summer?

Its coming back as a Burger cart, I think.

A Burger Shack, to be specific. It will still have hot dogs too. And word is it'll be a permanent structure that may operate 365...

[lambretta76]

Rico's Tamales Oaxacenos in Sunset Park (46th and 5th) - unbelievably good pollo mole and queso oaxaceno tamales... and only a buck a piece. Also yummy limeade and horchata.

Also, the grand dame of all street vendors, the Red Hool Ballfields on weekends in the summer. Must be nearly 20 food stalls set up for the soccer matches.

Also, don't forget about the beloved Arepa Lady of Jackson Heights... if she's still out and about. And the yummy, grilled baby octopus out in Flushing.

For Manhattan, I second Dosa Hut in Washington Square Park. Man that spicy pondicherry is tasty!

[tobism]

I'm not from New York but have been, and have had the street vendor food. Good stuff, but nothing memeorable (I'll try and really savor it next time).

But I can tell you the absolute best pad thai I've ever had came from a street vendor at a nightmarket when I was in Bangkok. The lady just called it "fried noodles," and she looked about 65 years old, been cooking on the streets all her life, and had enough gunk on her old wok to prove it. It took her all of 2 minutes to stir fry the ingredients and dump it into tin foil, and man, it was awesome!

[lambretta76]

Oh - best worldwide? Grilled chicken hearts on the streets of Seoul w/ soju at 3 in the morning. This amazing tempura on the backstreets of Yokohama. Or freshly grilled sardines on the shores of the Mediterranean just outside of Marbella.

Worst ever - this awful takoyaki in Kyoto. The octopus was unchewable and actually bounced when I spit it out. The custardy raw batter had a particularly rotten quality about it. Though I did enjoy the guy who ran a bar out of the back of his van along the river there. 200 yen for a plastic cup filled to the brim with Suntory whiskey - man that kid rocked.

[Suzanne F]

alacarte, on Mar 16 2004, 09:36 AM, said:

Dueling falafel carts on either side of Liberty Square in the financial district. Both are good.

alacarte: RUN do not walk to Alfanoose on Fulton Street, just east of Broadway. THE BEST FELAFEL, but he has to move out at the end of the month. I may have to eat felafel and vegetable kibbee everyday until then.

(yeah, I know, this isn't a cart, but. It is soooooooooooo good.)

This post has been edited by Suzanne F: 16 March 2004 - 06:07 PM

[kinichiwa]

Lo Mein carts on Canal Street...the savory bun lady on East Broadway...Liberty Plaza (or Square) curried chicken on pita (great eats after being at the Fulton Fish Market).
I know this isn't a cart, but how about falafel at Kulystyan on Lexington Ave. Took
chef friends from Japan who had eaten at the best all that week and they thought it took the main prize.

[herbacidal]

Any idea how many of these street vendors might be open on weekends?

Actually, I wouldn't mind getting a better udea of hours on all of them.

As of now, I'm just pretty sure that I'll be missing the dueling tamales senoras.

[lambretta76]

herbacidal, on Mar 16 2004, 10:05 PM, said:

As of now, I'm just pretty sure that I'll be missing the dueling tamales senoras.

The "dueling tamale ladies" in Sunset Park (46th St) are there until about 7 or so on weekends... the Manhattan ones (that i think you are referring to) I have no idea about.

[phaelon56]

The Manhattan tamale ladies (sometimes there is only one and on other days there are two) are just on Mon - Fri but drop down a block or two or three on Saturdays. About 15 - 20 feet west of 8th Ave on 36th, 37th or 38th is a Mexican lunch cart. If you don't speak Spanish, prepare to point to get your order understood. They have real tacos and some other tasty delights and are generally there on Saturdays from mid morning until mid afternoon.

[Suzanne F]

I have been told that there are tamale ladies outside the church on West 14th Street between 8th and 9th avenues on Sundays. Their schedule there is based on the church services.

As for the Chinatown NYC carts: most definitely on weekends! As for hours, I have never seen any of them as early at 8am, but that doesn't mean there aren't any that early or earlier. Sorry, I have no idea how late any of them stay open.

[herbacidal]

Apologies, I wasn't specific enough.

I totally ignored mentioning the tamales in Sunset Park.

I understand the Chinatown places well enough that I have
a good feel for when they're in operation.

Thanks though, and keep it coming!