traveling to NYC alone in january
i have some places in mind...i know i MUST eat at spotted pig, momofuku and blue ribbon bakery - but where else? i want to do chinatown and brooklyn (already thinking about grimaldi's). i am not flush with money, but want a nice time. thanks! i know there are a lot of this kind of topic on the serious eats talk threads, but thanks anyway!
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15 Comments:
Stop at Ollie's Noodle Shop for steamed pork buns and some cold sesame noodles.
jasonbrink at 2:17PM on 12/28/07
Good Golly Miss Molly! (First!!) If you are already doing momofuku you are having the best pork buns in NYC. (No need for Ollie's)Suggestions: Tia Pol excellent if you are alone (limited seating) Bouley Bakery for Lunch.
Hope it helps!
nelson5757 at 3:10PM on 12/28/07
I would def stop at Otto or Lupa (Batali's mildly priced spots)
Viet-Nam Banh Mi So #1 (Great Vietnamese sandwich's)
City Bakery (tacos and tortas)
Shake Shack (for a burger if it's not too cold!)
Any types of cuisines you're specifically looking for?
Mheusler at 3:38PM on 12/28/07
Didn't get to try Grimaldi's when i went, but did get pizza at Totono's. Excellent. Also, Little Italy is a must.
beth1 at 3:41PM on 12/28/07
thanks! :)
i have a couple of weeks still to decide...oh who am i kidding...i leave in 16 days! i love chicago (where i live) but getting out of town, even in the winter is oh, so appealing!!
missmolly512 at 3:47PM on 12/28/07
beth had the right idea. grimaldi's is very hit-or-miss, more often miss.
totonno's is definitely worth the trip to coney island but there's not much else to do there in january.
sloppy at 4:02PM on 12/28/07
Definitely grab a seat at the bar at Otto...very comfortable to be a single diner there, the bartenders are great, you can get wines by the glass, and the food is VERY reasonably priced!
Centro Vinoteca in the W. Village is also great for dining at the bar and prices are good there as well.
Curlz at 5:29PM on 12/28/07
Try to catch a concert at the Brooklyn Academy of Music--interesting work, well performed, far less expensive than Manhattan. Before or after, walk across Lafayette Ave. and eat soulful Austrian food at Thomas Beisl.
jscheck at 9:11PM on 12/28/07
Have fun.
I travelled to NYC all by myself in September and didn't get to do everything I wanted to do. Not enough time and money.
I'll go back again but not alone.
paris221966 at 10:54PM on 12/28/07
I recommend checking out a few things that you might not necessarily eat at home (e.g. the herbal jelly drink at St. Alps Teahouse on 3rd Avenue, which is nowhere as bizarre as you might think; rice pudding empanadas at 'Uncle Moe's', in Brooklyn). The pretzel croissants at 'City Bakery' are good too, although no longer consistently so; if they look 'poofy', grab one, otherwise, pass. I would personally advise avoiding the much-hyped 'Magnolia Bakery', whose baked goods are so pretty that I have found their lack of flavour to be doubly disappointing. A walk along the stretch of Houston Street East of Broadway, about as far east as Avenue, A, then either north or south, can be very rewarding for those who want to take home some unique culinary memories. 'The Doughnut Plant' on Grand Street has some excellent choices, incidentally, but you really do have to be in the mood for doughnuts (I'm still slightly mourning my failure to get hold of one of their chestnut doughnuts, on my last visit)!
If you feel like having a mild splurge, I really recommend 'Home', on Cornelia Street, which is one of my few favourite restaurants that is still open.
mongoose at 10:30AM on 12/29/07
Blue Ribbon... ah... I just ate a huge meal, yet here I am drooling at the the thought. One of my top five faves in the city.
Also, I'd definitely go to the burger joint at Le Parker Meridien -- not only will you be very comfortable eating on your own, but the prices are very reasonable by Manhattan standards, it's a terrific burger, and who knows... you might even make a new friend.
For a quick slice, hit Pizza 33 (at 3rd & 33rd, or one of the other locations).
I agree that Grimaldi's is more miss than hit. It can be good for a single diner since it's all catch-as-catch-can seating, but you can only order whole pies, so be prepared to lug the rest back to your room. And, it's awfully cold to wait outside on line with the wind whipping off the water this time of year.
IMPORTANT: Not flush doesn't mean you can't sample the high-end world-class restaurants. Several offer EXTREMELY reasonable prix fixe lunches. Gramercy Tavern, Le Bernardin, and Eleven Madison Park come to mind.
Also, if dinner at Daniel is not in your budget, find time for Café Boulud at 1/4-1/3 the price. You will not be disappointed.
I'm so envious. I was there at Easter, but I had the flu, and it was REALLY cold (snow on Easter? It was the coldest since 1940-something), and I just didn't enjoy it to the degree I usually do. And I haven't been there by myself in decades... it actually can be quite nice on your own.
SO HAVE A FANTASTIC TIME!!!
LoCo at 12:18AM on 12/30/07
Wow these are all great suggestions. I think all the great pizza spots are hit or miss and whether you go to Grimaldi's Lombardi's or Johns youll get great pizza. I recently discovered a great pizza place right under my nose, L'asso on the corner of Mott and Kenmare. I coukd DRINK their pizza sauce. If youre not flush with money the Spotted Pig will probably be your most expensive meal, its not cheap. if you like burgers try burger joint. And theres a rice pudding place on Spring St called Rice to Riches. GO THERE!!!! 2 words: Rum raisin! Have a great time!
lovesublime at 12:28AM on 12/30/07
Best pizza in NYC is at Di Fara. Then, Totonno's. Then Patsy's of East Harlem. Grimaldi's, Lombardi's, and John's of Bleecker are coasting on past reputations. Di Fara and Patsy's will do slices, BTW.
If you are going to a Momofuku restaurant keep in mind that there are two. Momofuku Ssam Bar and Momofuku Noodle Bar. You can get the pork buns at both. At both, there are many more interesting and tasting options on the menu than the signature dishes.
Shake Shack will reopen on January 3rd with heat lamps installed, BTW.
For a high-end on the cheap, I would consider Jean Georges, Perry Street, Devi, Tocqueville, or Fleur De Sel. They all have very reasonable prix fixe lunches.
Also go to a deli (Katz's or newly reopened 2nd Avenue), get bagels and salmon (Russ & Daughters), a deep-fried hot dog at Crif Dogs, and gelato at Il Laboratorio de Gelato or Otto. You can also feed yourself quite well with Roman-style pizza at Grandaisy, dumplings at a Chinatown 5 dumplings for $1 joint, or with a Vietnamese sandwich (banh mi). Street food is great for keeping your budget under control: the cart at 53rd and 6th, Dosa man, Arepa lady, Hallo Berlin, Sammy's Halal...
Note also that Blue Ribbon Bakery is open for lunch and have some great sandwiches that only appear on the day time menu. I heartily recommend the hummus, duck club sandwich, bone marrow, red trout, fried chicken, any of their very fresh oysters, and the Chocolate Bruno.
Skip Little Italy. It is a tourist trap.
kathryn at 2:31AM on 12/31/07
ohhhh the shake shack is open in the winter. score.
i have read about some of the carts...i am kind of happy i'll be there during the week!
thanks again!! you all are the best!
missmolly512 at 10:27AM on 12/31/07
Depending on where you are, and how full you are, I suggest a quick stop at BB Sandwich Bar
120 W 3rd St between MacDougal St and Sixth Ave Greenwich Village
Not exactly a Philly Cheesesteak nor a Chicago-style Italian Beef (and I wish we had some of those around here). Google it and read the NY Times article about the chef/owner, whose shop offers one sandwich ONLY, with your choices being Eat In or To Go and beverage. They may offer another vendors cupcakes, but that is not mandatory.
When they run out, they close. And it is terrific. Unique. And about $5 last time I was there.
cocopazzo at 4:40PM on 01/07/08