New Yorkers: put your money where your mouth is!

[foodite]

Balthazar

'inoteca

Yama

cafecito

Gahm mi oak

Kum gang san

Pho Nga Tran

Wonton Garden

202

Kenka

Elvie's

Otto

Corner Bistro

Shake Shack

Blue 9

Demarco's

Lenny's

Cafe Habana

Katz's

[cchen]

Katsuhama - Midtown - Am I the only one craving Tonkatsu more than 6 times a year? Usually over the winter months....

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love tonkatsu (also think of it as a winter dish), and didn't know there was any decent tonkatsu to be found in this town.

Yeah Katsuhama is great, they have Japanese beer on draft too. On par with some places in Tokyo, probably the only place doing it properly in the NY Metro area, that I know of anyway. It would be great if they could go even higher grade on the pork, which is what you'll get in Tokyo.

I've only ever eaten it in Japan. Can't wait for the weather to cool down to check this out!

←

Not that you can't eat it over the summer, but you have to be in the mood to chow down on something so dependent on the mixture and quality of the oil...

←

Heh, when I worked around midtown east, I HAD to have tonkatsu from Katsuhama at least once a week... sometimes more

[ASM NY]

Fatty Crab

Tehuitzingo (nostalgia mostly)

Cendrillon

Jai Ya Thai (best Tom Yum I've had outside Thailand)

Saigon Grill

[Eatmywords]

So I put my money where your mouths are and took this topic for a road test. Very positive experience at Oriental Garden tonight, both on the food and human relations sides. I think the price point will probably keep it off my pay-myself-six-times-a-year list, but it will definitely go on one of my secondary lists like go-when-someone-else-is-paying (which is not too shabby a list, I must say).

←

FG,

I think it's very possible to do OG on the moderate to cheap. -Just can't order too many specials or out of the tanks/priced per lb.

Ofcourse many will argue that the tank and specials are the main reason to go but their regular menu offers unique and super fresh options as in the scallop dumplings you loved so much.

edit: I know this post is trivial.......just wanted to add that last time I was there two of us spent $20 each and had a feast.

Edited June 26, 2006 by Eatmywords (log)

[raji]

Wendy's - yep, I did just say Wendy's.  The Mandarin Chicken Salad is a last minute healthy standby with great ingredients including almonds and tangerine not to mention the dressing is fantastic for pre-packed goop.  Great option after a work out!

Zen - on St. Marks - another hole but lots of cute NYU girls! Yellowtail neck box dinner for under $10……show me a better deal for the qlty (and scenery)

Kenka - on St.Marks - it's Yakitori Toto on acid.  One of the better fear factorish Izakayas around.  Anyone for raw veal liver sashimi or turkey testicles?.....yummy!

Now, who's gonna give me crap about Wendy's?

←

EMW I forget to give you serious stress about Kenka.

Before that, Wendy's rocks. That I can construct a meal for $2.97 which is not voluminous but caloric intake is at least within bounds of what normal-sized humans should ingest (rather than a regular-sized combo meal). Jr. bacon cheeseburger, Wendy's fries, frosty, take me away. Although, I think some friends and I figured out that if in a food court setting, the perfect fast food meal would be a Wendy's Frosty, a Whopper, and Mcdonald's Fries -

Now, about Kenka, I've been dragged there several times, although all of my Japanese friends refuse to eat there. The wait can be brutal, and for what! Usually most of their customers are Asian in the 18-23 range, similar to Koreatown because they don't card. I have to be pretty drunk to be able to down the food.... I mean, it's cheap, really cheap, but you get what you pay for, essentially. The cheap Japanese draft is the only real reason to go there, but foodwise, I would go there only after being turned away from Yokocho, Umi no ie, Typhoon, Taisho, Go, and any other manner of salty, sweet, fat-tooth youth-oriented Japanese food in the east village...

Sorry to lay into you like that, I do think I've had to suffer through most of their menu items that they just do incompetently, so, essentially, tell me what's good there....

[adamru]

the home meal replacements in my neighborhood are actually my guilty pleasures so I'm all too happy to frequent them bi-weekly : daisy mae's bbq for chicken though the sides are all bright solid colors of goo, starwich for grilled cheese, carve (although the three sandwiches that make up the indecision have fallen off - steak has become cold roast beef and everything is topped by onion straws,) john's pizzeria in times square and hard rock cafe as I've never outgrown their appetizers and I can get take-out from the bar til 1am and free refills while I wait.

elsewhere:

hedeh for cheap satisfying sashimi and rolls and the amuse you only get sitting at the bar which grows in size the more often you frequent it.

pegu club for duck buns and those mushroom ravioli / dumplings though I wish their food would change as often as their drinks.

blaue gans for the fried chicken or schnitzel and potato salad.

upstairs at bouley for the burger and toro usually in the same sitting.

shake shack when there's no line, for anything but their fries.

room4dessert, once a month sure, but that hardly seems frequent.

[Sneakeater]

shake shack when there's no line,

←

At least this year, this reminds me of an interview I once read, back in the Sixties, with the blues singer Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup.

INTERVIEWER: Will white boys ever be able to sing the blues?

BIG BOY: Sure, when they get the feeling.

INTERVIEWER: When will they get the feeling?

BIG BOY: Never!

[Sneakeater]

Since at least one person misunderstood, here's a translation:

Q: Do you go to Shake Shack?

A: Yeah, when there isn't a line.

Q: When isn't there a line?

A: Never!

[raji]

Eisenberg's - Madison Sq. - After the obligatory bike past the ridiculous Shake Shack line on the off chance another Mad Cow disease scare has hit the airwaves since I got ON my bicycle, it's down 5th to reliable Eisenberg's for a corned beef/pastrami combo

←

Someone ought to convince Eisenberg's current owner to reverse engineer a Shake Shack burger, taking all that brisket they use and making a hamburger out of it instead. That line is making me hate that place and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

[Jason Perlow]

My list isn't a lot different than Steven's, and being a Jersey resident I don't eat at my favorites (Modern, Union Square Cafe, Shake Shack, Craft, Gramercy Tavern, Yasuda, Katz) often enough to qualify under Steven's 5 visits per year conditions. But if I was a Manhattan resident, I'd be eating at these places all the time, so I'll add a few:

- Grand Sichuan International Midtown. Freshly Killed Kung Pao Chicken. 'Nuff said.

- Becco. because their pasta deal is the best bargain in the city and it always makes people happy when I bring them there

- Toqueville. George Mendez is unbelievably talented and the restaurant is sorely underrated.

- Hearth. Not only is Marco Canora an incredibly nice guy but he does wonders with fish and his Gnocchi should be classified as weapon of mass destruction, its so buttery and cheesy and good.

- Babbo. Because Mario Batali is a genius and the hardest working man in the restaurant business. This is the flagship and the restaurant that made him what he is today.

- DiFara Pizza. Props to Patsy's for the best anthracite coal oven pie, but after Dom is gone, he's going to go down in history as the Masamune of modern pizza making.

- Chinatown Brasserie. Its a new restaurant, so nobody could possibly have had a lot of experience dining there yet, but without question they are serving the best Dim Sum in the city right now. If I was living in Manhattan I would have eaten there five times already just so I could sample the entire Dim Sum menu.

- Dinosaur Barbecue. John Stage is a Kung Fu master of pulled pork and I just love the badass atmosphere of the place.

- Blue Hill Stone Barns. Arguably, its easy for me to get there because its only about an hour drive from where we live, but it seems like a schlep. But if I still lived in the Tarrytown area like I did 10 years ago, I'd probably eat here once a month. What they are doing with sustainable agriculture is utterly mind blowing and you can't beat that Berkshire pig. The Manhattan location's food is just as nice but the atmosphere of the Westchester one is just unbeatable.

- Roberto's in the Bronx. I probably actually do eat at this place 3 or 4 times a year, and its because that besides Babbo, I think they are doing some of the best Italian food you're going to find in the city. I don't care what the hell anyone else says.

- Mike's Deli. Because the Yankee Stadium IS the best sandwich in the city next to the Katz Pastrami.

-- Peter Luger. It's a major inconvenience for us to get there because we live in Jersey, but if I was a Manhattan resident I would be taking the subway there all the time -- its the best steak in the entire city. Back when I lived on Long Island I would at at the Great Neck location 4x a year.

-- Difara Pizza. Props to Patsy's for the best anthracite coal oven pie, but after Dom is gone, he's going to go down in the annals of history as the Masamune of modern pizza making.

Edited June 27, 2006 by Jason Perlow (log)

[Luckylies]

BLUE RIBBON! how could I forget? I go to Blue Ribbon (bakery only for this girl) probably three times a month. I'm addicted to their tartar...and marrow and and and...

[mikeycook]

After last night, I am adding Cuba to my list. I have been several times now and the food has been great each time. The suckling pig is delicious and the plaintains remind me of why I ever liked them in the first place (for some reason, there is no dish I find done poorly more often than plantains). They had cuban music and free freshly-rolled cigars last night. It is affordable enough to allow for regular eating and one of the better spots for cuban food I have found (and I can't get the suckling pig out of my head).

[kurl]

Alidoro - The best sandwich in the city. Better than...

Katz's.

GSIM - it's all over this thread for a reason.

Kang Suh - I recently went to Landmarc for the first time, and it's the only restaurant challenging Kang Suh for "best late-night spot"

[Alchemist]

Dumpling house two to four times a month. some times I'll spend five whole dollars on dumplings and hot sour soup. OINK!

Planet thai yum.

Big Wong roast pork on rice ginger scallion sauce.

Kasias great diner food. Killer cold cuke soup.

Nyonya (SP) Nasi Lemak with tiny whole fishes, and roti chani.

That place on Delancy just north of La Esquina Indonesian/Malaysian food. Nasi Lemak served on a banana leaf.

Waverley Diner Only place to get Hash browns in the city.

[Sneakeater]

his Gnocchi should be classified as weapon of mass destruction,

←

That's funny. I've had gnocchi I've definitely thought that about, but it wasn't in a GOOD way.

(My mother's matzoh balls, too, now that I think of it.)

Edited June 28, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Sneakeater]

I can't get the suckling pig out of my head).

←

Surgery?

(PS -- That's the place on Thompson, right? Sounds GREAT.)

Edited June 28, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Dryden]

Big Wong roast pork on rice ginger scallion sauce.

If you really like their ginger scallion sauce, I have the recipe... :-)

[mikeycook]

I can't get the suckling pig out of my head).

←

Surgery?

(PS -- That's the place on Thompson, right? Sounds GREAT.)

←

That is the one.

[Pan]

After last night, I am adding Cuba to my list.[...]

←

This place?

Cuba Cafe

200 8th Avenue

New York, NY 10011

(212) 633-1570

[mikeycook]

After last night, I am adding Cuba to my list.[...]

←

This place?

Cuba Cafe

200 8th Avenue

New York, NY 10011

(212) 633-1570

←

No, this place.

Cuba Restaurant

222 Thompson St.

New York, NY 10012

(212) 420-7878

http://www.cubanyc.com/

Haven't been to Cuba Cafe.

[Megan Blocker]

I know I'm a little late in coming to the party, but my places are...

Hearth

I just love it. The atmosphere, the food, the service, the wine list...all worth the trek down to the East Village (from the East 80's).

Kasadela

Another East Village place...this is an izakaya, or sake house, where the plates are small and meant to be shared, sort of like tapas. Their rock shrimp tempura is out of this world, and their salmon tartar is something I crave on a regular basis. Eel donburi? Delicious. The best part is that, with sake flowing freely, I've never spent more than $45/head on dinner there, and it's usually more like $30-35. SWEET.

[Live It Up]

I really have no right to be contributing here as there are no restaurants that meet Fat Guy's orginal criteria for me. However, this is only because I don't have the time or money to eat out anymore. When I did though, my list would have been:

La Palapa-usually for lunch or brunch 'cause I love their huevos rancheros. However, their portions are so large it's actually a detriment, and you can easily blow your budget on tequila and margaritas.

Holy Basil-the crispy duck (pet kaprow) is one of my top 10 favorite dishes ever.

Clinton Street Baking Company- back when my husband and I actually had days off, we used to go for lunch on weekdays. Now we sometimes get takeout for lunch, when I'm having a craving for their buttermilk biscuit sandwich. I almost feel like it's too expensive, yet I keep paying for it (sometimes twice a month).

Li Hua-Good, satisfying, cheap Korean food withing walking distance. However, I can never get there before they close anymore.

Grand Harmony-officially my favorite dim sum place, although quality can really vary depending on the day of the week. For less of a hassel we go to Dim Sum Go Go.

Shima-There are so many sushi places in this price range, but Shima is the one I keep returning to. I'm totally addicted to their New York, New York sushi.

Lombardi's

[Luckylies]

I know I'm a little late in coming to the party, but my places are...

Hearth

I just love it.  The atmosphere, the food, the service, the wine list...all worth the trek down to the East Village (from the East 80's).

Kasadela

Another East Village place...this is an izakaya, or sake house, where the plates are small and meant to be shared, sort of like tapas.  Their rock shrimp tempura is out of this world, and their salmon tartar is something I crave on a regular basis.  Eel donburi?  Delicious.  The best part is that, with sake flowing freely, I've never spent more than $45/head on dinner there, and it's usually more like $30-35.  SWEET.

←

Yay! I'd have put this on my list, but I just moved onto the same block and thought it might fall into the HMR category. Just don't have the smelts, they reek of frozen.

[Dryden]

- Chinatown Brasserie. Its a new restaurant, so nobody could possibly have had a lot of experience dining there yet, but without question they are serving the best Dim Sum in the city right now. If I was living in Manhattan I would have eaten there five times already just so I could sample the entire Dim Sum menu.

OK, so we went there this past weekend to see what Jason was talking about...

...and I still have no idea. What did you eat there that was so remarkable? We must have tried a good 20% or so of the dim sum menu, and nothing was so impressive as to make me want to eat at CB more than, say, Golden Unicorn or Dim Sum Go Go.

[marge201]

I apologize for violating the rules but I went here yesterday and loved it and if I lived in the city it would be a regular place for me:

Chat 'n Chew, 10 East 16th Street, 212-243-1616 www.chatnchewnyc.com

adorably decorated

great music playing (Springsteen, Grateful Dead for example)

delicious food

cheap, friendly place.