Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

[1]

Mei Lai Wah at 64 Bayard Street has pork buns for $.70 each and a big bun for $1.40. The pork buns are available steamed (my favorite) or baked. The big bun is only available steamed, but it's good.

[1]

Mei Lai Wah at 64 Bayard Street has pork buns for $.70 each and a big bun for $1.40. The pork buns are available steamed (my favorite) or baked. The big bun is only available steamed, but it's good.

http://static.flickr.com/83/239574803_498afa8cf5_o.jpg

Mei Lai Wah at 64 Bayard Street has pork buns for $.70 each and a big bun for $1.40. The pork buns are available steamed (my favorite) or baked. The big bun is only available steamed, but it's good.

From the day it opened, I thought Beard Papa was the "Emporer's New Clothes" of fashionable desserts. The folks standing on line outside the store that first couple of weeks remind me of the people who attend the US Open to be seen and talk on their cellphones, and have virtually little interest in the tennis being played. Perhaps I can't shake the prejudicies formed after those early days, and I know you can't expect much for under $2 but Beard Papa may be on the cutting edge of baking technology and it totally soulless (and for my money, relatively tasteless). Give me my $2 worth of rugelah (if they'll sell you that small amount) accross the street from William Greenberg's any day, which is oozing flavor and TLC.

A Large Spanakopita from Sahadi's - the best! Not too rich, not too salty. It's a meal in itself and only $1.20 each.

you know, this never would have occured to me if I hadn't been talking to a co-worker who recently moved here from Florida.

He's in the process of buying a place and thusly, a little broke, so I asked him if he had discovered any of NYCs cheap culinary masterpieces, meaning things like Gray's Papaya, Halal street carts, etc and what he said surprised me.

To quote "I've been living on bagels, I CANNOT believe how cheap they are here!! Everywhere else in the world, a bagel with cream cheese is like, $4, but here, you can even get a bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel for under $2!"

so, to this list, I humbly submit, on behalf of my co-worker, the bagel, and on behalf of myself, the Yonah Schimmel knish. Nothing's finer on a snowy winter day than a warm knish!

"An entire cup of Maury Rubin's insanely rich hot chocolate is just too much."

NOOOO!!!!!

...

...

NOOOO!!!

Okay, I'll admit that everyone I've made drink the hot chocolate has said the same thing, which makes me wonder if something is wrong with me for being able chugging a cup rather easily. I can tell you for sure that TWO cups is too much. I know that from experience. Yeeeaah.

I prefer Dumpling House on Eldridge. 10 dumplings or the sesame pancake with beef ($1.50, so good).