Tentative food road map/itinerary. Locals let me hear your thoughts.
Best speakeasy (that you can actually get into) will probably be PDT or Death & Co. Show up at 6pm on Sunday-Wednesday. PDT's bar seats are first come first served (the tables are available via reservation at 3pm but only on the day of and it's a tiny bar). All of Death & Co is first come, first served. Both are quite popular and fill up fast, especially since no standing is allowed.
The halal carts are your best bets. In Manhattan, I do like the one at 53th/6th
- The Best Halal, 53rd Street and 6th Avenue: look for round containers and the yellow "we are different" bags to avoid imposter carts
- Trini-Pak cart on 43rd/6th for their chicken/rice.
- The Halal Guys are as good as ever but I think Hallo Berlin is better cart food. I love the chicken and rice but the Dictator Special of 2 wurst, cabbage, potatoes, and a cup of soup is one of my favorite street meals. Slightly pricey at $9 but delicious.
- lobster roll trucks (Luke's, Red Hook)
My recs in W. Queens: King of Falafel and Shawarma [Astoria (Broadway/30th)]; Arepa Lady (@Arepalady); Sammy's Halal, many of the Ecuadorian carts around Corona (7 train to Junction Blvd)
- The "Sainted" Arepa Lady is usually only out on weekend nights, at Roosevelt and 79th in Jackson Heights, Queens. 7 train.
- I think the King of Falafel on Broadway/Crescent (by the C-Town parking lot) in Astoria, Queens is worth the visit. It's the best falafel I've had in NYC (they won the Vendy Awards last year). Accessible via the N train
- Just in case, King of Falafel is closed on Sundays
On a nice weekend afternoon, you might consider walking the length of Roosevelt Ave. from 73rd St to the high 90s. It will surely be densely populated with lots of street food a la Latin America (not just tacos). On 73rd/Broadway is Sammy's Halal, which won the Vendy Awards a few years ago - the heavily spiced basmati rice distinguishes them.
jamaican dutchy cart on corner of 52nd and 7th! 5 dollar lunch specials. Jerk Chicken and Curry Chicken.
Dosa Man, Washington Square South and Sullivan Street
xi'an famous foods on St. Marks. get the A1
81 St. Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003
Xi'an Famous Foods is a must-try. I'd say go to the Chinatown branch on East Broadway as it'll probably be the least busy at this point, now that they have two other branches in Manhattan. I like the pork burger, the spicy cumin lamb noodles, and the Mt Qi pork noodles personally. But everyone's got their favorites
Flushing,Simply put, the largest China Town on the eastcoast. Try the Golden Mall (basement)
-Golden Shopping Mall - while not a cart, but rather a dingy basement warren of food stalls, much of what is served there is indeed street food from various regions of China.
-In Flushing, I second the Xinjiang cart on Main/Sanford mentioned by E Eto. I usually get the lamb, but they also have lamb kidney, squid and duck. Then there's the "duck taco" stand on Main/40th Rd for Cantonese Peking duck in a steamed bun.
-Xingxiang kabab carts in Flushing
-Trini beloved patriot Boys cart for some Trinidadian specialties -- doubles, bake & shark, etc
Dessert: Spot Dessert Bar Omakase
Burgers: Shake Shack
-In that case, I'd suggest going in the evening, or heading to the Hells Kitchen or new Battery Park locations instead of the Madison Square Park flagship.
Best Pork Buns: Momofuku Noodle Bar or Ssam Bar (also must try kimchi apple)
Best Slice: Di Fara in Brooklyn, Patsy's in East Harlem in Manhattan, the square slice at Artichoke, or just go to Company (aka Co.) for lunch, and get a neopolitan sized pie.
- Best Slice: If you're downtown, Artichoke will seriously live up to the hype. The Sicilian slice blows the other options away, so try for that if you make the trip.
- Best pie/slice: If you have time for the pilgrimage, go to Di Fara in Brooklyn. Google the name and you'll read plenty about its merits. As long as you don't go during a high traffic period, it'll be more than worth it.
Ramen - Ippudo/Momofuku (hip), Setagaya (OG).
Hot Dog: Papaya King / Gray's / Crif Dogs' deep fried dogs (no batter) / Nathan's only at Coney Island
Cheesecake: Ferrara's in Little Italy.
BEST B/W COOKIE: Hot and Crust in Grand Central
-Grand Central is the ONLY good location for the "Best" Hot and Crusty B/W cookie. Very fresh and probably nearest to their central kitchen.
Bagels: Russ & Daughters.
Pastrami / Deli - Katz's
LES Food Excursion
For the quintessential NYC deli experiences, no place beats Katz's, on the corner of Houston (pronounced "how-stun") & Ludlow Sts. You're there specifically for the pastrami sandwich. When you enter, you will be given a ticket. Instead of opting for table service, do what the "natives" do and get on line for counter service. When you reach the counter, put a $1 for each sandwich in the counterman's tip cup – though not mandatory, it is a tradition -- and order pastrami on rye. He'll give you a piece to taste. If you like it (the best pastrami is juicy and has some fat on it), tell him o.k., and he'll make your sandwich, give you some sour pickles, and punch your ticket. Then, continue along the counter for sides – the cole slaw is good -- and drinks. Find seats at a table in the center of the room. (Tables along the wall have menus on them and are reserved for waiter service.) When you’re done, take your ticket to the cashier in front, where it’s cash only. To pay by credit card, go to the counter at the rear where the salamis are sold. Note: For the purposes of this tour, unless you have a gargantuan appetite, it would be best to share one sandwich in order to leave room for more tastings along the way.
When you exit Katz’s, turn left and continue along the same side of Houston St. You will come to Russ & Daughters, famous for all sorts of smoked fish and many other goodies. It's not a restaurant, but they make sandwiches to go.
After leaving the Russes, continue west a couple of blocks until you reach Yonah Schimmel's. Get a tasty potato knish, and make sure to ask them to heat it up.
Now it’s time for the quintessential NY drink – the egg cream. So, reverse yourself and head east on Houston until you come to Avenue A. (Note: Avenue A becomes Essex St. on the south side of Houston.) Turn left on A and head north until you get to the block between 7th St. and St. Mark’s Place. Look for a hole-in-the-wall candy shop, closer to 7th, with an overhead sign jutting into the street that says, “Belgian Fries.” (The place’s official name is Ray’s, but there is no signage to that effect.) One of the women behind the counter will make you a delicious chocolate egg cream.
When you’re finished licking your lips, go back to Houston St. and make a left (east) one block to Norfolk St. Turn right and walk down Norfolk until it ends at Grand St. Two places to look for at the corner of Grand and Norfolk: Kossar's, for freshly baked bialys (another very NY food) and the Donut Plant (self-explanatory).
Next, walking west along Grand St., you will come to Orchard St. Turn right. At 87 Orchard, snack on a pickle from Gus's World Famous Pickles.
Then, continue to 97 Orchard, b/t Broome & Delancey, where you will find the Tenement Museum. The tour will show you what life was like for immigrants to NYC at the beginning of the 20th century. (
http://www.tenement.org
)
Once you have finished the tour, Il Laboratorio del Gelato, right next door at 95 Orchard, is a must for some of the best gelato anywhere.
If your sweet tooth is still not completely satisfied, the final stop on this tour should do it. Continue ahead (north) on Orchard, crossing Delancey, then one more block to Rivington St. Make a right and you will find Economy Candy at 145 Rivington.
Note: It’s best not to take this tour on a Saturday since some of the spots are closed because of religious observance. Also, Donut Plant is closed on Mondays.
WHERE CAN I GET A MEATBALL PARM
Graffiato by Mike Isabella - DC