Does NYC dining have to be expensive?
 

I've been told that eating in NYC is expensive....I will be in NYC with my college bound daughter for five days in June. We are compatible in most areas except when it comes to meals. Unfortunately, she could care less about elegant dining or food presentation. She finds elegant dinning stuffy and confining. She'd rather be out on the street people-watching and window-shopping. Are there any groceries or bakeries where we could pick up fruit, bagels etc. in the theatre district? Could someone reccommend a restaurant that would be entertaining to her where I could enjoy well-prepared food? How about lunch at the Restaurant Seinfield and friends hang out in?

In my experience, no, NYC dining does not have to be expensive. In the theatre district, there are numerous small delis which have hot and cold buffets, sandwiches, bagels, and the like...you can get away with lunch for under $10 easily (and the food's pretty good!) The restaurant that Seinfeld shoots in doesn't actually exist in NYC, but the "Soup Nazi" place is REALLY popular (supposedly two hour waits!) When I was last there, I ate at a Mexican place called Mary Ann's in the Village...great margaritas and very reasonable for the quality of the food. Have fun in New York!

You won't have any problem finding cheap meals, reasonably priced meals, and expensive meals--NYC has it all. We made our first trip last summer, and I too was apprehensive---we are really finicky eaters and we like "simple" cooking--sandwiches, salads, hamburgers, etc . I was afraid we would be out of luck, but there are so many places to choose from. My husband ate a big breafast every morning, while my mother and I walked next door to the bakery and had pastries and coffee really cheap. We also picked up lots of stuff from delis--the ones we went to had hot and cold buffets that were unbelievable! We ate in an Italian restaurant that was very good and no higher in price than in little ol' Columbus, Ohio! We found restaurants in every price range--you won't have any problem. In fact, we can't wait to go back this summer just to try out more restaurants!

Per the above posts, New York City dining doesn't have to be expensive. Even better, you don't have to compromise your standards. The common ground for you and your daughter is in Greenwich Village, home to several hundred excellent restaurants that also have a common thread of being moderately priced. For example, one of my wife's and my favorite restaurants when in the city is Pasta e Pesce on Bleeker Street, where two people can dine excellently, with wine, for about $60. When you go in June, you can choose a restaurant one of two ways: take the Number 1 line to Christopher St., go across Seventh Avenue, and set off down one of the side streets looking at menus. Alternately, the New York Times has a weekly column on Thursday called "$25 and under," which reviews moderately priced restaurants. The Times' web site, I believe, has that as a category in "Food." Go back six months or so and pick out a dozen restaurants that interest you, then show up (most don't take reservations). Your daughter will enjoy the street life; you'll enjoy the food.

My favorite place for Sat or Sun brunch in midtown is Pietrasanta on 9th ave and about 48th. The brunch includes a great entree, a drink and the best foccacia bread I've ever tasted. All this for $10.00, not including tax, tip or extra dessert.
Always crowded so get there early (I think it starts at 11 on Sat and 12 on Sun)

No you don't have to spend a fortune. My husband and I go to NY a couple times each year and I'm always searching for good and cheap. I recommend you get a copy of the book, Access NY Restaurants. Look in the back index for restaurants that are rated with the highest number of stars and the fewest number of dollar signs. I've never been let down by the Access choices.

Many, many restaurants have pre-theater, or early diners pre-fix menus that are wonderful deals.

Try Jackson Hole on the Upper East Side. The BEST burgers and fries anywhere in the world - no kidding.

If you want more specific names and addresses, contact me by email.

Grenwich Village is a great place to eat. A fun
place is Cali Cab (sp), Mexican with great food.
On the weekend you can order brunch and get all
the Margaritta's you want for under $10.
Carolina's (near the Theatre district) is a lot
of fun. They have comedian waiters and waitresses.
We only had salads, they were good. I am not sure
about the other food that is served. It wasn't very
expensive, especially considering the entertainment.

Every Friday the New York Times runs a list of 10 or so restaurants that they have previously reviewed before. These are short reviews, grouped by type. Recent lists have been "spicy restaurants", "Latin American", you get the idea. In those lists, many if not most are moderately priced. We've saved several of these lists and used them when visiting and have been very pleased.

Try my favorite place for lunch. The cafe at Saks Fifth Avenue on the 8th floor. You can get a mixed drink or wine to accompany your lunch. Wonderful soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. I love the bowl of soup which comes with a basket filled with delicious variety of breads. It's an elegant restaurant with delicious food, reasonable prices and where you can people watch too. It's next to St. Patrick's Cathedral and just across the street and a block away from Rockerfeller Center. Have a wonderful visit to my favorite city.

Try my favorite place for lunch. The cafe at Saks Fifth Avenue on the 8th floor. You can get a mixed drink or wine to accompany your lunch. Wonderful soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. I love the bowl of soup which comes with a basket filled with delicious variety of breads. It's an elegant restaurant with delicious food, reasonable prices and where you can people watch too. It's next to St. Patrick's Cathedral and just across the street and a block away from Rockerfeller Center. Have a wonderful visit to my favorite city.

Try Birrichino on 8th & 29th Streets near Madison Square Garden - great Italian and homemade fabulous sausages. They open at 5:30 no need for reservations unless there is an event at the Garden. For dim sum on Sunday morning try Chiam on Lex & 46th - great buy beautiful fern & glass room. Ten Kai (5th & 56th) is reasonable for fine Japanese. NYC is more expensive tyhan most cities but I hope this helps the food is excellent. <BR>

Topping for Brian E.

Hi Pat...the restaurant that was used as the exterior for Monk's on The Jerry Senifeld Show is named Tom's and it's located on the corner of West 112th Street and Broadway...it's owned and run by a Greek-American family...Tom Zoulis is the owner's name...the show's location scout lived right across the street from the restaurant and that's how it was chosen...anyway, they serve good food and they're very friendly...tourists still go there...another good restaurant is La Caridad located on West 82nd Street (give or take a block) and Broadway...it's Spanish, Caribbean, Chinese...huge portions, delicious food, and inexpensive.

The East Village is an amazing neighborhood for reasonable yet excellent small restaurants. You can get anything....great italian, mexican, eastern european or fish & chips, just to name a few. It's also a neighborhood your daughter would really like (cool little shops, interesting street life and it's near some of the NYU dorms)

There are many diners, inexpensive (but still nice) restaurants, and deli's in NYC. I recommend getting a book on Cheap Eats in NYC which lists a bevy of good places and then some. As long as you don't go to the "touristy" restaurants you should be fine. Ethnic eateries are also good places for cheap eats. As for snacks, there are plenty of fruit stands in the village (can't go wrong w/bananas) and deli's where you can grab a muffin.<BR><BR>Don't forget Littly Italy and Chinatown. Great food at great prices.<BR><BR>Hmm, I just noticed this post is from 4 years ago... but all this info is still applicable.

ALso, many restaurants offer pre-theater prix fix menus which are great deals. I don't eat much in the theater district so off-hand i don't know which restaurants offer such deals. There area also some very inexpensive brazialian places areound 45th & 46th sts in the theater district.

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up for REg

Found a book at Barnes and Noble today in the travel section called "Cheap Bastards Guide to NYC"<BR><BR>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0762723521/qid=1029878521/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/103-8545035-6047867?s=books&n=507846<BR>