Cheapish Breakfast and Lunch in NYC?
 

We arrive at JFK around 6:00 a.m. next Thursday morning. We'll take the Airtrain to Penn Station, check our suitcases nearby, and then spend some time exploring before we pick up our luggage and go up to Stamford.

At this point, we're planning to visit the 9/11 Memorial in the morning, and I'd love to spend some time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Where can we enjoy a cheapish (ideally, $10 and under for the main dish) breakfast near the 9/11 Memorial, and have lunch for about the same amount near the museum?

Thanks for your help!

Lee Ann

Well, I'd eat lunch iN the museum so as to not spend extra time, seeing as how you're going from lower Manhattan all the way up to the upper east side. There's a cafeteria in the lower level that's not bad, and also a place that costs a bit more I think but much nicer ambiance near the American Wing. Sure there are probably cute places on Madison, but if I read this right you'll be in town the one day? So that's why I suggested that. Have fun, the Met is of course great. You'll probably get lots of comments on other things you can do instead though!

In the neighborhood near 9/11, if you walk north or east there will no shortage of cheap Charlie breakfast breakfast places. Look for where the local workers go.

Ok. My favorite (and cheap) breakfasting NYC. Find a deli that makes egg sandwiches - they have to have a flat top griddle.

Get egg and bacon ( and cheese if you want), scrambled or over easy on a "hard roll." A regular coffee (2 sugars and milk) and it should set you back around $6 each. You can do 2 eggs, extra bacon, ham etc.

It's not a breakfast burrito, but it's what sustained me all those years in NY before moving to NM!

Lunch, find another deli, Italian this time and get a "wedge" of your choice - chick parm, eggplant parm, sausage and peppers are all winners. Under $10 a piece.

And of course, there's always a "slice" of the best pizza in the US. They won't have green chiles, but just about anything else you'd want and it really is so good, the worst NYC pizza is better than the best of most others cities in US.

BTw - the delis are all over the place. If you aren't sure if they make egg sandwiches- just pop your head in and look for the flattop or ask.

Same for Italian delis and pizza places. They are everywhere.

Please note they are not called wedges in NYC, they are called heroes.

One NY tradition is to avoid chains although many of the younger people are going to Starbucks, now.

Many breakfast places will either have signs in the window or a sandwich boards outside the door explaining prices. Now to be truthful, each deli has its own lines for ordering and paying. So be sure to ask. It can be stupid and confusing the first time. In some places you got the eggs to be cooked at one place but a buttered bagel somewhere else. And be sure to have your money out when you pay, people are going to work.

Avoiding chains is fine with me; we like to try locally owned restaurants when we travel.

Yes, basically, we have a chunk of Thursday in NYC and, maybe, part of Saturday. It depends on whether or not I'm done taping the show.

As you all know, there is so much to do and see - I'm having difficulty narrowing down my choices. :-)

Lee Ann

There aren't a lot of decent inexpensive restaurants near the Met. You should eat elsewhere.

There is an over rated Shake Shack and the quintessential NY cheap stand up food Grey's Papaya nearby however.

Mr. Pickle asked if Automats still exist.

Lee Ann

Sorry, none that I know of. There was a tiny one on St. Marks that closed. And believe or not we were Amsterdam last month and there is a small chain that has them.

Sorry, in my NY 'hood they were wedges. Hero will work too. :o)

Wedge I think may be CT language. Have ever heard it in NY- here it's definitely hero. As for $10 - often that means eating on the go - not sitting down. Once you sit at a table and order a beverage (soda, iced tea or whatever) you are paying for that, tax and tip and you're over $10.

There is a take out deli in the ground floor of my building and you can get a sandwich (but not real turkey) and a bottled drink - to go - for about $9-$10. And there are a million of these places. But you usually need to go outside and find a bench to sit on.

And Shake Shack and Grey's Papaya are not near the Met - they're on the west - not east side.

Your time is so limited agree to lunch n the museum.

I will admit, that I lived in a border town~

this is funny - I just googled hero wedge grinder and this popped up:

http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitch...s-and-spuckies

And it is pretty spot on, nailed my 'hood.

Near the Met I eat lunch at Le Pain Quotidien on Madison - http://www.lepainquotidien.com

In NY I eat breakfast at the Bus Stop Cafe at 597 Hudson which is handy for my hotel but it's a couple of miles north of the 911 memorial.

I call all those things sandwiches....

And Shake Shack and Grey's Papaya are not near the Met - they're on the west - not east side.


There is a Shake Shack on 86th between 3rd and Lex. And the Papaya King on the corner of 86th and Third.
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A hero is a sandwich on Italian otherwise it is a plain sandwich.

Fodor's summer guide to New York City suggests Hudson Eats, which is close to the 9/11 Memorial. Have any of you eaten at any of the restaurants there? Num Pang sounds delicious, and I see they have locations elsewhere in the city.
http://www.brookfieldplaceny.com/con...ent-27251.html

What about one of the famous delis, like Katz's or...the other one I can't think of right now? :-) We do have to get to Grand Central Station in the afternoon so we can get the train to Stamford.

Thanks, everyone, for all your help.

Lee Ann

The 2nd Avenue Deli is about nine blocks from Grand Central. Many like it better than Katz's.

http://www.2ndavedeli.com

But don't look for it on 2nd Ave! But -

Even an egg salad sandwich exceeds Lee Ann's price range.

Katz' Deli is wonderful but more expensive than your stated budget p/p.

I realize my budget is low, but it's flexible. :-)

From what I hear, Katz's sandwiches are huge, so maybe we could split one. I'll check out 2nd Avenue Deli, too. Thanks, Fra_Diavolo!

Lee Ann

Yes, you could split at 2nd Ave. Deli. We ate breakfast at Parisienne on 7th Ave. Near Carnegie hall. Very reasonable.

Both Katz's and 2nd Ave Deli make large but expensive sandwiches that you can split. The pastrami is a shade better at Katz's but the side dishes at 2nd Ave are far superior. I prefer 2nd Ave.

Lee Ann..It goes without saying that we split Katz' sandwiches. Our teen wanted his own and couldn't finish it. They were under $20.00 each I believe, like $17.99,

Lee Ann

I have not been to Hudson Eats but I love Mighty Quinn at another location and people have been raving about Black Seed Bagel. And the brothers that own the Blue Ribbon mini-food empire offer good value. Since it is new, I suspect the prices will be a tad high to pay for a new lease etc.

Just so you know, you don't take the Air train to Penn Station.

You take the Air train to Jamaica Station then transfer to the Long Island RR.

I hope you know how to use the ticket machines at Jamaica to buy an exit ticket for the Air train and a ticket for the LIRR.

If I were at the Met (Charles James?) and wanted something to eat, I would visit the Neue Museum/Cafe Sabarsky and have a Viennese coffee and some apple strudel.


Thin

If you want just plain old fashioned diners east of the Met are 2. Both are Nectar Diners. And on the other side of the street is Viand Diner. All on Madison Ave.. 1 block away.

Thanks for the reminder, Thin. Between paperwork for the show and trying to figure out what we want to do, I haven't had time to figure out all the details of getting where we want to go. If the ticket machines are like the ones in London and Washington, DC, I think we'll figure them out.

Lee Ann

near the meet is the New Amity Diner ..84th and Madison.. your basic nyc greek coffee shop.. sandwiches ,eggs etc.. decent sized portions and decent prices.. a lot cheaper than the cafeteria in the met, or le pain q..

If you are going to take the LIRR to Penn Station from Jamaica, you have to buy a combo ticket at the machine.

On one side is a Metro card, the other side is the LIRR ticket.

You use the Metro card to get through the turnstiles at JAMAICA.

The Penn STATION train is usually track #2.

Thin

And if you follow thru on all those suggestions for Mad.Ave. delis near the Met:: Viand is between 79th and 78th on the East side of Mad. It's known for it's fresh turkey sandwiches. God knows what they cost now. They were over $10 years ago when I worked in the neighborhood. But the turkey sandwich is delicious…. best with a mixture of dark and light meat. I used to split one with a friend… The other places mentioned are good too. But this being NYC will be more than $10 per if you sit down. Thin's suggestion of Cafe Sabarsky is right on. But you may have to wait and it's not cheap.

Whatever you do don't be tempted by Eli Zabar's EAT on Mad. around 80th. You'll need a bank loan and might crack a tooth like I did on a baguette.

you can also take your own deli sandwich into the met providing its not dripping anything and eat it in the cafeteria where you can buy a drink and sit down.. also in the seating area there are dispensers of water and cups and its free... no one will bother you if you bring your own lunch in. or if its nice take a seat on the steps and people watching while having your sandwich

Katz's is not really close to the 9/11 museum.. its on east houston street on the lower east side

A hot dog from a cart (with kraut ) and a slice of cheese pizza.
Breakfast of champions.

I grew up in "wedge" country too. That's what they are called just north of NYC in Westchester County (NY). According to Wiki, parts of the Bronx also say "wedge"

Cafe Sabarsky is a nice choice for a leisurely and relaxed meal near the Met. I would not want to go there for a quick bite. It's more a place to relax and soak in the refined atmosphere. Food service is not especially quick.

I like the hot dog from a cart suggestion (with kraut PLUS onion sauce). There are always hot dog carts outside the Met.

If you'd rather not eat from a cart, Papaya King is only a few blocks away at 86th & Third. Different styles of dogs.

The Bronx is the only part of NYC that is attached to the rest of United States, so it doesn't count. I have a whole bunch of friends from The Bronx I will ask them.

Nowadays people do not even use the whole words they just say meatball parm.

In Brooklyn we used give kids wedgies but that is just not the same.

I checked with a friend who lived in The Bronx and was a cop there for over 20 years and is Italian, never used the word wedge.

This has become a wedge issue.

During my exile in Fairfield County I was forced to use the word "wedge" to order a hero. I submitted at the time for expediencies' sake, but always retained the inner conviction that I was ordering a hero -- or at the very least, a sub. When traveling east of the Pawcatuck River, I have been known to use the word grinder for the same, under the "When in Rome" principle.

I did what I did because I had to -- and beg forgiveness.

Much adu about nothing. Order a chick parm wedge/hero and you'll get what you want.

I understand Fra, we lived outside the City for a few years and I was lost.

No kidding, I just get this follow up text from my buddy:

The term wedges literally started at the Westchester county line. If we walked into a deli in Yonkers or new Rochelle and asked for a hero, we would get mocked by the counterman.
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As I noted to him, as as he knows, in NYC everything above The Bronx line is upstate.