NYC Nov 20-25, eating on a budget as a tourist

[patrickamory]

Not as great a dining area as around the Loft Hostel unfortunately. Downtown Brooklyn is a bit of a wasteland. There is good eating in adjoining neighborhoods such as Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens, but none of it necessarily cheap eats. The good news is that you are near just about every subway line there is.

[kathryn]

Sorry, didnt clarify but yeah, its the Aloft hotel: http://www.oyster.com/new-york-city/hotels/aloft-new-york-brooklyn/#checkin=2011-11-20&checkout=2011-12-25

Not a lot in the immediate few blocks but you're within a short walk of lots of great stuff in Cobble Hill.

Try Mile End Delicatessen, Sottocasa Pizza (run by an ex-Kesté guy), Hanco's Vietnamese Sandwiches, Bien Cuit Bakery.

Lucky for you Serious Eats also just did a great neighborhood guide for that area. Don't miss the additions in the comments.

[Sneakeater]

Mile End!!!!!!

[philadining]

I totally second Mile End.

From Aloft, you're around the corner from Junior's if you're in the mood for a pile of brisket between two potato pancakes (or cheesecake.) Not actually inexpensive, or necessarily outstanding, but you get a lot of food for your money.

And you're only about a mile-long hike straight up Flatbush Ave to Bark Hot Dogs, which is kind of expensive for hot dogs, but they're good...

And then you're close to Franny's, which is likely to destroy your budget, but you'll be happy to sleep in a box on the sidewalk for a couple of nights after one of their pizzas.

[weinoo]

I'm not exactly sure how this fits into someone's "budget," but Sobaya, one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in the east village, does a lunch box set for $17 (as well as other lunch specials). It's a generous amount of food, and yesterday's box included a piece of grilled salmon, assorted pickles and vegetables, salad, a "mini-chirashi," 2 large tempura shrimp and a heap of soba noodles (or, one could have ordered udon as well).

[piracer]

so we've decided we're going to stay here instead since it was waaaaay cheaper then the Loft and it's on Manhattan:

http://www.hostels.com/maps/Central-Park-Properties-Private-Rooms-&-Apartments/33897

[patrickamory]

Ah, so you'll be in Harlem... not my area of expertise but there are definitely good cheap eats to be had up there.

[kathryn]

242 West 116th St? You'll be pretty close to Amy Ruth's for fried chicken and waffles. If you keep going west, you'll hit Columbia. You may need to walk a bit to Morningside Heights get to some restaurants, though.

Consider:

Absolute Bagels

Hungarian Pastry Shop

Thai Market

Kitchenette

Indus Valley

Red Rooster (may be too pricey)

Taquerea Y La Fonda Mexicana

Dinosaur BBQ

Awash

Cascabel Taqueria