What makes you say "I Love NY"?

[titicaca]

The brisket and burnt ends at RUB Barbeque on W23rd St. makes me miss my home in Austin, TX a lot less! Also various mexican restaurants that have been springing up - From Long Island to Sunset Park to Asbury Park to the upper east side Spanish Harlem to Roosevelt Ave, have brought NYC a long way! It's only a couple of years since we've been able to get a real taco and it just gets better! Also, Kitchen Market kicks ass on the Mexican sundries front! They make a pretty darn fine burrito as well!

[bergerka]

I love that I never, ever, ever have to worry about driving drunk, because I NO LONGER HAVE TO DRIVE.

This has brought my inner lush out in full force.

...but you meant food. Sorry. My younger brother was in town last week and I re-discovered several things I love about NY, food-wise:

Crif dogs on St. Mark's and 1st Avenue - anyone who makes a hot dog, wraps it in bacon and slaps a fried egg on it is my new best friend.

The Chinatown ice cream factory, and its ginger ice cream.

The view from the Brooklyn Bridge, with an ice cream cone from the Brooklyn ice cream factory (are you sensing a theme here?).

The Metro diner at 100th and Broadway, where if one orders a Belgian waffle, a side of fries, and a double order of bacon - after midnight, mind you (after Tosca at the Met, no less), no one looks twice.

The Flatiron Lounge. As my brother's girlfriend pointed out, there just are so few cities that have actual COCKTAIL bars where one can go, hold a conversation in a normal tone of voice (hello, music as background, what a concept) and have a mouthgasm over an incredibly well-made cocktail.

The tacos at Tehuitzingo on 49th and like...10th. As an Arizona girl, I appreciate being able to get a serious taco in my chosen city, even though it's way north and east of my birth city.

Running into David Rosengarten on the street in midtown and recognizing him.

The Shake Shack. Honestly, I've never seen anything like it anywhere else, with the possible exception of the Malt Shop in Natchez, Mississippi (oh man, the fried catfish were so good).

Oh yeah, and my god, the mussels with pesto and cherry tomatoes at Landmarc.

I dunno. Maybe it's just the comfort of knowing that I never, ever have to eat at, say, Olive Garden again if I don't want to. Which I don't.

K

[herbacidal]

Specifically-speaking a suggestion:

A Lower East Side/Chinatown/Little Italy grazing tour involving some combination of: a stop at NY Noodle Town; soup dumplings at Moon House or Joe's Shanghai; 5-for-a-buck dumplings at Fried Dumpling on Mosco Street or Tasty Dumpling on Mulberry Street while eating them across the way in Columbus Park; egg cake nuggets from a cart on Canal Street near Mulberry; jerky at New Beef King on Bayard Street or Jung's dried beef on Mulberry Street; a nosh at Fay Da bakery on Canal Street; a rasberry and cream tart at La Bella Ferrara on Mulberry Street; a knish at Yonah Schimmel's on Houston Street; gelato at Laboratorio Del Gelato on Orchard Street; candy stop at Economy Candy on Rivington Street; pastrami sandwich at Katz's on Canal Street; Gus's Pickles at the Tenement Museum; a you-know-what at Donut Plant on Grand Street; Roti Canai at Nyonya on Grand Street; and peeking into the endless ethnic markets and food stores that dot the area. *warning: do not attempt to eat all these things on one trip or you won't be able to fit into the subway!*

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[Liz B-F]

A pizza bianca from Sullivan Street Bakery, fresh from the oven

Skirt steak with red wine sauce and frites at Florent at three am

Seafood stew at the bar at Gramercy Tavern

Katz's hot pastrami

Guss pickles

Terminator sub from Mike's Deli at Arthur Avenue

Tuna tramezzini with red wine at 'Ino

Suzy's Smokin' margarita at Suenos

Mac and cheese, then sticky toffee pudding, with strawberry tea at Tea and Sympathy

Smoked tuna tartar at La Lanterna di Vittorio

Black grape gelatto at Il Laboratorio del Gelatto

Daquoise cake at Tartine

...and Amy's Bread, fresh from the oven at Chelsea Market.

...and the Union Square Greenmarket!

Edited May 30, 2005 by Liz B-F (log)

[canucklehead]

Thanks for the ongoing recommendations - I want to move to NYC and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat ... you get the idea.

[Pan]

Thanks for the ongoing recommendations - I want to move to NYC and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat ...  you get the idea.

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I hear there's some pretty decent eating in Vancouver, too.

[chefseanbrock]

wd50

[Kris]

This thread is LITERALLY making tears well up in my eyes...

I'm a Brooklyn gal born and bred and I can't even BEGIN to describe how much I love NYC for it's food, diversity and culture. For the nearly 35 years of my life, I have enjoyed a myriad of cuisines and have only scratched the surface.

But next year, my husband and I will be buying a house and relocating to the state of Delaware (where all of my family has migrated to). This city has just gotten too expensive in terms of real estate, so off we're going.

But when I stop and think about all of the wonderful food experiences that I will be missing out on, I want to cry.