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The Baogette on Christopher st. (120 Christopher st.) is better than the one on lexington. In addition to the regular banh mi's they have pho in the back. I'm Vietnamese. I've grown up eating Vietnamese pho and I've had pho in Vietnam. Let me tell you, the pho there is delicious! It comes close to one of my favorites. The soup is so hearty and really hits home for me. The scallions are fresh and you can really smell the ingredients. Taste like how my grandma used to make it! I also tried the beef tongue. Exceptional as well.

Baoguette is pretty good, but I felt they should toast the bread more, that is what would make them stand out. if they are gonna do business during the day when its very busy, i don't see how they can toast/bake bread properly.

btw, check out my banh mi site listing all banh mi places in nyc
http://www.nychinatown.org/directory/m_banhmi.html

I discovered Banh mi sandwiches about 7 years ago and they were a revelation: crunchy and soft; sweet, spicy, and savory; cold and warm all in one glorious bite. Baoguette's version is fine if you're in the Curry Hill area and you've a hankering, but it doesn't hold a candle to those served at Banh Mi So 1 on Broome or Saigon Banh Mi on Elizabeth. To my knowledge, Banh Mi is served on a hero roll made partly with rice flour, which gives it a fluffy, airy lightness. Baoguette's bread did not have this special texture - it seemed to have the density of a typical baguette. The meats were fine combined with everything else but not very tasty individually (I kind of deconstructed the sandwich as I ate). On a positive side, the sandwich was generous in size and contained lots of fresh cilantro. Baoguette has a sandwich titled the "Sloppy Bao" that I'd return to try - beef in green curry and some other interesting ingredients - but I'll do my best from here on in to get my banh mi fix further downtown.

In my experience, for Vosges and Jacques Torres and MarieBelle, the mix you get and make at home can differ A LOT from ordering hot chocolate in the store. The recipes printed on the boxes seem to ask people to add a lot less liquid than the store versions.

I like Shake Shack's version a lot but the toffee-studded marshmallow is a little odd and might turn off people some. I love it but my fiance thinks it's weird.

Dessert Truck's cocoa rivals City Bakery and Jacque Torres, for sure.

Dunkin' Donuts? I'm going to have to get on that!

when i lived downtown, i often ate at the bar or at the communal table at lupa. they were very welcoming and didn't mind that i didn't drink.

all the time! a meal alone can be so luxurious and peaceful. i love eating at bars--the little owl is great if i can walk in, sushi bars, or today i had a lovely late lunch at cafe cluny which was empty around three o'clock. they gave me the window seat and i had the most amazing skate with chanterelles, leeks, and arugula. i agree with sneakeater on that there is absolutely NO stigma to eating dinner alone in this city. be bold!

I have been visiting New York City by myself twice a year since 2005, and eating at many the great variety of restaurants available is, of course, one of my favorite things to do. I am a middle-aged female, and I do feel uncomfortable dining by myself, but I have no choice if I want to enjoy this activity. It gets easier the more you do it.

I don't feel that I have ever been treated poorly in any of the restaurants I have visited.. Some waiters do seem to have more natural skill at making customers feel at ease. Most recently I was treated beautifully during a pre-theater dinner at Insieme - just like a VIP!

Since I don't drink alcolic beverages I have never sat at the bar. Wouldn't the bartender prefer not having a non-drinker taking up the space?

otto is good for eating out alone, i like their bar. it's lively and you get the full menu.

if you like chinatown and noodles, i like super taste. lots of people eat alone there.

How is that a banh mi? Might as well call a hoagie a banh mi, a cuban or a meat sandwiched on a rye roll a banh mi. This is ludicruos. If they mean the literal vietnamese translation on Banh mi = sandwich, then I guess so. BTW, at first I thought the slaw was cheddar cheese. Now that would be blasphemy.