Street vendor meals

[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]

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!

[dr_memory]

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

Yike. Thanks for the pointer -- I would probably have gotten around to trying that cart in the near future.

Hm. Time to dig up and bump the Inwood thread.

[dr_memory]

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

They're back?

Cool. I'd stopped working in the financial district a few months before 9/11, and I always kinda wondered what happened to those guys.

[Pan]

What ever happened to Mrs. Han (was it?), the Hong Kong Egg Cake lady on Mosco St.? I hope she retired and didn't die. I used to really enjoy her cakes and I miss them.

[wagyuboy]

If you live off the 7 train in Queens and are going home late one night and want to try an amazingly tasty taco stand, get off at the 52 St./Lincoln stop, and the van is at the bootom of the stairs. The chicharrones and bistec tacos are the best, served with lime, onions, cilantro, and guacamole, for only two bucks.

[dumpling]

Second Pan's question. I miss the Hong Kong eggcake lady.

[herbacidal]

If you live off the 7 train in Queens and are going home late one night and want to try an amazingly tasty taco stand, get off at the 52 St./Lincoln stop, and the van is at the bootom of the stairs. The chicharrones and bistec tacos are the best, served with lime, onions, cilantro, and guacamole, for only two bucks.

It's only open late at night?

[alacarte]

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.)

Oh no! I know & love Alfanoose's falafel platters. This is sad news indeed, Suzanne. I'd better stock up.

I read recently about a Texas-style chili cart that's parked regularly on Wall Street (I think I read this in the NY Magazine Best-of issue). I'll have to give it a try & will report back. Though sounds like I'd better get over to Alfanoose first.

[wagyuboy]

QUOTE (wagyuboy @ Mar 22 2004, 07:32 PM)

If you live off the 7 train in Queens and are going home late one night and want to try an amazingly tasty taco stand, get off at the 52 St./Lincoln stop, and the van is at the bootom of the stairs. The chicharrones and bistec tacos are the best, served with lime, onions, cilantro, and guacamole, for only two bucks. 

It's only open late at night?

Every time I go out to my girlfriend's, it's only there at night (not sure why at all). There's a post on here somewhere about the best post-drinking meal different people have had, and this is definitely one of mine.

[juuceman]

QUOTE (wagyuboy @ Mar 22 2004, 07:32 PM)

If you live off the 7 train in Queens and are going home late one night and want to try an amazingly tasty taco stand, get off at the 52 St./Lincoln stop, and the van is at the bootom of the stairs. The chicharrones and bistec tacos are the best, served with lime, onions, cilantro, and guacamole, for only two bucks. 

It's only open late at night?

Every time I go out to my girlfriend's, it's only there at night (not sure why at all). There's a post on here somewhere about the best post-drinking meal different people have had, and this is definitely one of mine.

witht he exception of the 14th street taco trucks that used to park near 7th avenue on the weekends, all the taco trucks i know of come out at night..

i prefer the 96th and broadway truck..

[phaelon56]

Just curious to know if aynone here has tried the roti truck that's usually down near Maiden lane and Old Slip in the Financial District. It's an aluminum stepvan with a sign for roti and West Indian food. There are dozens of aphorisms and adages, mostly of the inspirational but admonishing variety, painted all over the truck. Is the food any good? On the rare occasions that I'm there I'm always going to lunch with one person or another and haven't had a chance to try it.

[danger_doug]

There's a great chicken kabob and falafel vendor on Duane (or is it Reade) 5 yards West of Broadway on the North side of the street that has actual honest to goodness lines. Delicious delicious delicious. He's gotten some press for his food. And there's a baked potato vendor a few squares of sidewalk towards Broadway.

Edited March 26, 2004 by danger_doug (log)

[LJC]

Mohammed Rahman's Cart in the low 40's (43 I think) for Lamb and rice

50th and 6th, the guy on the 6th Ave. side of the corner for chicken sandwich

Rafiq's on 3rd Ave in the lower 50's for a chicken plater

Daisy May - on 50th and 6th for chili

Does anyone know what happened to the sandwich guy who used to have a cart on 54th St. and 5th Ave.? I tried to find him about 6 months ago but couldn't.

Edited March 26, 2004 by LJC (log)

[Pan]

Around 181 from Broadway to St. Nicholas Av. if not Amsterdam, there are several vendors selling empanadas de queso and de carne. Both varities are good, for $1 apiece. I also got some pleasant though not earthshattering majarete (corn pudding) from a vendor on 181 St. She sells it for $2 a container for the type with bits of cornmeal and $3 for the type with whole grains of corn. Next time, maybe I'll try the latter variety.

My favorite stall in Flushing was the sesame bun stall on the corner of 40th Road and Main St., but it was connected to a restaurant. Actually, it still is and moved to an address (I forget what, exactly) on 40th Road between Main and Prince. The food is inside and no longer purchasable through an open window, and the space is larger. Now, I walk inside to purchase the Fuzhou-style fried sesame buns, and they thus no longer qualify as street food. The place is very good and cheap, and I will post its address one of these days.

[snausages2000]

There used to be an Ethiopian chicken cart on the corner of 9th Avenue and 59th St., but, since the Time Warner towers went up, I'm not sure it's still there. I didn't love the food - kinda like chicken souvlaki drowned in a not-that-spicy version of Big Mac special sauce. Didn't seem to have anything to do with any other Ethiopian food I've ever tried. Anyone know where this guy is now?

Last Friday night, in a drunken haze, I stumbled upon the late-night weekend street cart guy at Ludlow and Stanton. I got the korean beef roll. Bulgogi with lettuce (and Kim Chi, I think) on a roll. $4. Plus free soda. Delicious.

The menu also featured Carolina Chicken Wings and a Hot Dog with Kim Chi.

He's got a website:

http://www.kapshow.com/cart/

[hedoness]

I love the fruit/smoothie cart on 52nd bet. Lex and 3rd. Very simple, fresh- and reasonable. I havn't found a better fruit cup in the city- and only $3!

[alacarte]

There's a roving tamale vendor that works the 26th Street flea market on the weekends. I've never tried the tamales, but he seems to get a fair amount of business. Plus he has flavored shaved-ice in the summertime.

[picaman]

Plus he has flavored shaved-ice in the summertime.

Had my first shaved ice this past weekend. If that's not a sign that winter is gone, I don't know what is.

Jamie

[phaelon56]

Plus he has flavored shaved-ice in the summertime.

Had my first shaved ice this past weekend. If that's not a sign that winter is gone, I don't know what is.

Jamie

We don't have shaved ice or ice cream vendors out yet but I think spring has finally arrived... even here in central NY. Pic on the left was taken last Wednesday when we had a blinding snowstorm for several hours. The one on the right was taken in my front yard three days later - same town.

[argh_01]

i'm new to new york, and haven't had anything memorable from a street vendor yet.

i work at mount sinai, which is on madison, between E98th and 101st, so most of the carts on this thread are pretty inaccessible as lunch options. all we have right outside the hospital are a couple of fairly shabby hotdog vendors.

does anyone know of any good carts a little further uptown?

[mascarpone]

Around 181 from Broadway to St. Nicholas Av. if not Amsterdam, there are several vendors selling empanadas de queso and de carne. Both varities are good, for $1 apiece. I also got some pleasant though not earthshattering majarete (corn pudding) from a vendor on 181 St. She sells it for $2 a container for the type with bits of cornmeal and $3 for the type with whole grains of corn. Next time, maybe I'll try the latter variety.

A empanada vendor named Rafael, orginally from Santo Domingo, claims he has been selling empanadas and patelitos (patties) on the southeast corner of 181 and Broadway since 1997. I bought a empanada de pollo as well as an empanada de queso for a dollar each. He also sold me a beef and bean patelito that was also a dollar.

I walked a block east on the southwest corner of 181st and Wadsworth Avenue where I ran into Juan, also from Santo Domingo, who was busy deep frying beef empanadas. While I waited for the empanadas I tried to strike up a conversation with Juan in both English and Spanish. Not to be distracted Juan remained focused on the frying yucca. I purchased the beef and cheese empanada for a dollar each.

Juan's empanada's were crisp and slighlty oily while Raphael's were chewy. This is probably because Juan's were fresh out of the fryer while Raphael's were hanging from a steel skewer when I bought them. Jaun claimed to have been working on the corner for four years. He said he only did empanadas.

I again walked west on 181st where I came upon Arelis, a domincan woman, who was selling mais cacaedo as well as habichuela con dulce on the southeast corner of Saint Nicholas. The mais cacaedo was a white sweet cream with bits of corn served hot while the habichuela con dulce was a dark bean cream/pudding served hot with miniature ginger cookies on the top. I puchased a small cup of mais cacaedo and a small cup of habichuela con dulce for a dollar each. Arelis, who claimed to have been working on the corner for two years, also sold larger containers for $2 and $5. Another gentleman was selling mais cacaedo and habichuela con dulce just opposite Arelis on the northwest corner of Saint Nicholas and 181st (however I didn't get his name).

I met Victor, also from Santo Domingo, on the northwest corner of Audoban and 181st. Victor was selling beef and cheese patelitos (no empanadas). He sold me a beef and cheese patty for a dollar each. He said he had been working in the patelitos business for one year. His patties were the equivalent of Raphel's in freshness yet the paddy itself was smaller and had a baked consistency while Rapahel's was clearly fried.

On the south east corner of 182nd and Saint Nicholas (aka Juan Pablo Duarte Boulevard) I happend across a Mexican taco vendor named Francisco. He made a very good chicken taco that he filled with lettuce, tomato, onion, advocado sauce, sour cream sauce, red chili sauce and green chili sauce. He charged two dollars for each taco. He also had beef, pork and chiozoro tacos (all $2 each). The taco was incredibly fresh and was the highlight of the excursion.

Mr. Boulevard, as he called himself, ruled the roost on the northwest corner of 181st and Wadsworth. Claiming that he had been making patelitos on that corner for four years running. Boulevard, also from Santo Domingo had patelitos de pollo, carne and queso. As he was cooking the patelitos on the spot I noticed that the white chesse used in the patelitos and empanadas was a frying cheese or "freir queso" made by the Tropical company. His patelitos sold for a dollar each. Boulevard said that the best empanada on 181st street was made by Juan. However, being the best had somewhat spoiled Juan's disposition. As stated by Senor Bolevard, "He have a real bad attitude, dis guy. Is like, he say ...I only make you dis clase de empanaada."

Could this be the discovery of be the first Empanada Nazi ?!

At any rate, the key to getting the best patelitos and empanadas is getting them when they are fresh out of the fryer. I will go back to those vendors that appear to be cooking their wares gradually rather than those that have all their empandadas or patelitos "hanging" and waiting to be sold.

Edited March 31, 2004 by mascarpone (log)