Another Quick NYC Trip - Food Ideas?
 

Mr. Pickle and I are making another quick trip to New York in a couple of weeks. We'll have all of our Saturday and about half a Sunday free before we come home.

On Saturday, we've reserved a Tenement Museum walking tour at 3:00 PM, and plan to visit the Guggenheim that evening when there isn't an admission charge. Saturday morning and Sunday morning are unplanned at the moment. We're staying at the Paul again on W. 29th St. in Midtown near Penn Station.

I'd love some recommendations for lunch, either near our hotel or near the Tenement Museum, and dinner near the Guggenheim. We'll most likely be dressed casually, and we prefer to pay no more than $20-25 for an entree. We like pretty much anything. :-)

Any help you can offer is, as always, greatly appreciated!

Lee Ann

Shopsin's is in the Essex Market, across the street from the Tenement Museum. Excellent food with plenty of attitude -- www.shopsins.com

You're not far from Lombardi's Pizzeria when at the Tenement Museum http://lombardisoriginalpizza.com It is one NY's best. Try the meatball topping.

We are staying at The Paul in September. I didn't reaIize you stayed there last trip. How was it?

http://www.themeatballshop.com
The Meatball shop is just a couple blocks from the tenement museum. We really enjoyed our lunch there last February.

Of course, Katz is not far from there too.

Katz is way overpriced IMHO.

Birds & Bubbles is two blocks away: the idea sounds gimmicky (fried chicken and champagne) but the food more than delivers:

http://www.birdsandbubbles.com

Shopsip's would also be great for a brunch before your tour, definitely order one of the slutty cakes if you go!

Ivan Ramen is a few blocks north and east of the tenement museum, and though it will be HOT in the city, I feel its never too hot for ramen:

http://www.ivanramen.com/en/ivan-ramen-new-york/

Weekend brunch/lunch at the Fat Radish could also be nice! Near Tenement Museum (2 blocks south, also on Orchard St)

http://www.thefatradishnyc.com/brunch/

Guggenheim area is tough for great, cheap(ish) dinner IMHO. As you walk away from Central Park and towards the East River, you'll find more casual, cheap options in the 80s.

While not my favorite Michael White restaurant, if you split an appetizer and each ordered pasta as the main, you could get under your target price at Ristorante Morini:

http://ristorantemorini.com/ristoran.../?menu_id=2885

Could also be worth strolling down 5th to Cafe Boulud, another more high end place, but can be in your price range depending on how you order:

http://www.cafeboulud.com/nyc/menu

Toloache is perfectly fine (for NYC) mid range Mexican:

http://toloachenyc.com/media/dinner.pdf

There are UES outposts of Meatball Shop and Luke's Lobster if you're looking for something even cheaper/more casual.

For something really different but incredibly delicious and cheap try near Tenement Museum.

Patacon Pisao

http://www.pataconpisaonyc.com/

One of other new favorite places that is about a 15 minutes walk from Tenement is:

Au Za'atar

http://www.auzaatar.com/

Do not forget to go to Economy Candy. They have every candy from your childhood and many things for adults. It is everything Dylan's isn't.


http://www.economycandy.com/

DebitNM, the Paul was a good place to stay. It's an easy walk from Penn Station, our room was nice - small, but clean and decent amenities and friendly, helpful staff. We had a great view of the Empire State Building, too, but we basically got there and collapsed, so I can't give a detailed review.

Thanks, everyone, for the restaurant ideas. It sounds like we need to head back toward our hotel after the Guggenheim for dinner, but Shopsin's might be fun for lunch. How big are their portions - are they easily splittable? When we were in NY last year, we split a pastrami sandwich and kugel at 2nd Ave. Deli and were pretty full afterward.

Lee Ann

Shopsin's portions are fairly big, but asking to split them could be problematic. The owner, Kenny Shopsin, can be a bit cranky. For example, if you come with a party of more than 4, he won't let you in. If you have Netflix, you might want to catch a documentary made about Kenny & the restaurant, "I Like Killing Flies." (The doc was made 10 years ago or so, and the restaurant has moved, twice, since it was made.)

There are two French bistros near the Guggenheim that are moderately priced: Le Paris and Pascalou. You can check out their menus online, but they're pretty much around the same price range, with most main courses $25 or less. Both are on Madison Avenue between 92nd and 93rd (next door to each other), so a couple of blocks from the museum. I eat both regularly and like the food at both. You should make a reservation for a Saturday night (even in the summer ... Pascalou's A/C is stronger than Le Paris if you sit upstairs), but you can do that either the day before or on the afternoon you want to eat there once you have a better sense of your plans. Across the street is Sarabeths, which I don't like very much for dinner, but it's another option in a similar price range and never requires a reservation at night.

There are loads of great restaurants near the Tenement Museum. If you are willing to walk a few blocks, you could eat lunch at Freeman's (which can be busy on weekends but shouldn't be bad if you go early) and then ice cream at Morgenstern's, which is almost next door (and the ice cream there is really outstanding ... and there will definitely be a line).

Second IMDH's recommendation of Au Za'atar, Avenue A at 12th Street.

Wow, DonTopaz - just from reading the documentary reviews, "a bit cranky" may be an understatement!

We will definitely have lunch near the Tenement Museum. It sounds like we'll have a hard time choosing something; everything that has been recommended sounds wonderful.

For dinner, it looks like our hotel is pretty close to Koreatown. I love Korean food, and it's hard to find here. Any recommendations in our price range?

Lee Ann

If you have a real meal for lunch you might enjoy fried chicken at Bon I Chon or Kyochon for dinner. For real Korean bbq I really lie Dons Bogam on 32nd St. It's not cheap but could be in your price range if you order carefully.

Sounds great, Doug. Thanks!

Lee Ann

Oh god ... my bad spelling on an ipad. It's "Bon Chon". Bon Chon and Kyochon are in the same block along 5th Avenue between 32nd and 33rd, with Bon Chon mid-block. They're really fast-food (but with waiter service in the evening). I really love Korean fried chicken, so I go there whenever I can.

If you like Korean fried chicken try Boka on St. Marks. The outside sign is awful and it is a few steps down but it is sensational.

Either take up the suggestions for restaurants near the Guggenheim when you see how ridiculous the line is or as a plan B head to the Met which is open until 9 on Saturday evenings.

A Guide Named Sue

Yeah ... I had meant to say what Sue says. You might end up in a 90-minute line just to get into the Guggenheim if it's a busy night (and it often is). Same for Moma on Fridays, when the line can be (literally) 3 or 4 blocks long.

Thanks for that information. I thought the Guggenheim would probably be busy since it's a free night. We'll finish our Tenement Museum tour a little after 4:00, so it sounds like we should head right up to the Guggenheim when we're done, and have dinner after near our hotel.

SueNYC, we spent a short time at the Met last year. Obviously there is much more to see there, but Mr. Pickle really wants to visit the Guggenheim, so I think we'll stick with that plan.

Lee Ann