What is New York City missing?
Foodwise, there are an abundance of places to buy products, or eat out. Yet, I sometimes find that NYC does not have what I'm looking for. What do you think the city needs to satisfy its' foodies? What are we missing?
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15 Comments:
Raw passion. Grit. Excitement. Willing to take chances. Walk on the wild side.
NYC has gotten so expensive, so chic, and just so full of itself. It's too safe.
You can't even go out for a night of Low Rent anymore. We don't have a Low Rent district! Times Square is the home of Walt Disney. The Bowery Hotel has a velvet rope.
Judith klinger at 9:07AM on 04/26/07
Judith klinger, you've got to spend more time in Brooklyn...your comment pretty much sums up why I'm glad (despite the inconvenience) that I don't live in Manhattan! Food-wise - other than having no cheap, authentic Mexican food - part of NYC's problem is its necessarily-limited grocery stores. While there are good markets scattered around the boroughs, lots of neighborhoods only have access to a few questionable delis and an overpriced "health-food" store full of packaged goods and a little sad produce. We're lucky to have greenmarkets, of course, but in an ideal world, there would be more locally-owned stores with the selection and expansiveness of, e.g., Whole Foods. Also, a Trader Joe's in Brooklyn. Preferably, near my house.
producestories at 9:39AM on 04/26/07
Better supermarket standards. Gristedes which I like to refer to as Grosstedes is disgusting. I want good produce and good meat at a reasonable price.
ceforrester at 10:41AM on 04/26/07
Coming from Texas, I am homesick for Tex-Mex. Oh queso, how I miss you.
Sean
stmintz at 10:57AM on 04/26/07
Great produce! You can get alot of unusual produce in NYC but it's not really wonderful and fresh. I am fortunate to live in Berkeley just a couple blocks from one of the world's great produce markets. NY visitors fall on their knees when they see the variety and quality.
granjan at 11:23AM on 04/26/07
The first two commenters are right on. There seems to be a trend towards the same chic decor in so many restaurants. You walk in, and its minimalist to the core, no character, and the food all has the same pretension, though it may be nominally of a different cuisine. I won't name names here... it's just more of a trend I occassionally see. Or maybe I'm just not from NYC and new to it.
The lack of good Mexican food is true... especially in regards to burritos!
There is also a lack of quality Pho. For a city this big, I'm amazed at how few VN'ese restaurants there are, and how many just don't turn out the goods. DC is much better (as is the Bay Area, and I'm guessing LA/Houston). I was Seattle last week and was shocked by the sheer number of Pho restaurants. I realize that NYC doesn't have much of a Vietnamese population but this still surprises me.
Anyways, these occasional gripes shouldn't obscure the fact that this city is ridiculously loaded with good restaurants and interesting cuisine. I've never seen anything like it... been here for about 1 year. I rarely eat at the same place twice except for a few favorites (Bao Noodles, a couple of Chinatown/Koreatown spots, Fragole, Cafe Cubana, Shnack, etc) because there so many options.
NSW at 12:35PM on 04/26/07
Rant
I say Feh to Pho. I am a native New Yorker and spent five years in DC. Pho and Ethiopian was all anyone ever talked about. You know why? Because they were the only interesting and good things down there.
Before I get flamed I know there is tasty and innovative cooking in DC, but not nearly the level of NY.
To get back to the topic of this thread, I would say that NY needs more authentic cuisine. What I mean by this is that every attempt at Southern food/bbq, is terribly citified. I know that by nature there can't be a great shack off the highway here in the city, but I just wish that it could somehow be closer to the original without becoming campy and corny. Think Jing Fong v. Chinatown Brasserie, Blue Gans v. Hallo Berlin, etc.
Even when good food does pop up unexpectedly, it is immedietly turned into an event. Though the Vendies do a great thing rewarding street vendors for doing something really well, it is really a good idea to bring celebrity chef status to the Arepa Lady? She deserves it, but I don't want to have to stand behind 15 Japanese tourists taking their pictures before I get my food.
Meanwhile New York lets it's few historic restaurants slip away. I am all for real estate development, but couldn't we have done something to keep the Second Avenue Deli alive?
SkinnyFatty at 2:38PM on 04/26/07
Good coffee...'nuff said.
logographic at 5:14PM on 04/26/07
SkinnyFatty, funny, I used to live in DC and I almost mentioned the relative lack of Ethiopian restaurants in NYC.
NSW at 6:14PM on 04/26/07
Manhattan is in desperate need of a) coffee and b) Mexican food!
MLT at 6:39PM on 04/26/07
Whay NYC needs is a limit on the on the b.s. chains that push the classic New York eateries off the main drag. Anyone traveling there should have to eat street vendors and deli fare, the best in the world, instead of amorphus chicken chunks and McMystery foods that can be found any where else.
As for D.C. dining, great variety, but try to find a decent meal, bar or even a good bagel within walking distance of your hotel on a Sunday morning.
JUST JIM at 7:06PM on 04/26/07
Some place like the Pike Place Market in Seatle.....
sailingsam at 2:12AM on 04/27/07
I agree with most everyone else!
Better/more variety in fresh produce, Mexican and Tex-Mex, and coffee and espresso.
Also, donuts.
And coming from southern California, I really miss Northern Chinese Islamic cuisine.
kathryn at 1:14PM on 04/27/07
Can I ask what Northern Chinese Islamic cuisine consists of?
Annmarie at 8:50PM on 04/27/07
Annmarie:
http://www.ocweekly.com/food/feature-review/moo-shoo-muslim/24593/
kathryn at 1:22PM on 05/01/07