I am including a list of restaurants and places for snacks - candy - food while in NYC asking if there are any I should skip or add.... I know they are allover the city - want options for when we are out and about -
Gray's Papaya
burger joint at Le Parker Meridien
guy and Gallard 240 W 40th - 1001 Sixth Avenue -
*Shake Shack - 691 8th Ave – 10 min from hotel
*Pickle Guy – Lower East Side 49 Essex St
Figaro – 44th
Mercota 352 W 39th Hells Kitchen
Gossips – 733 9th
Traffic
99 cent pizza
2nd Ave farm 940 2nd Ave At 50th St
All About Food
Back Stage Eatery
Alices Tea Cup
Dylan's Candy Bar
Firehouse

You can skip the 99 cent pizza. It is indeed worth 99 cents
Either Shake Shack or Burger Joint but not both
I have a soft spot for Grays Papaya, which does have great dogs
Never heard of most if the others, so I have no opinions

Alice's Tea Cup is not my thing, so perhaps someone else ...

I'm not at all a fan of Dylan's Candy Bar, but I love Economy Candy for the imports and old fashioned favorites. But if you have kids, then Dylan's is dazzling

Thanks Doug - appreciate it! We want to avoid chains - rule when traveling is that we can't eat at chains.

Thoughts on the food trucks??

Burger Joint over Shake Shack. Burger Joint is unique. Weird. And good burgers.

Alice's Tea Cup is good for breakfast. My son and granddaughter go to the one on the west side every Saturday, and I've been there lots. I wouldn't say it's a must, however. But if you're in the area, it's fine.

I also don't like Dylan's Candy Bar. Lots of hype for nothing.

Guy and Gallard is a local sandwich chain with a number of locations in Manhattan. Good sandwiches but I would not go out of my way to eat there, just for a quick lunch if you found one convenient to your rambles through the city.

For unique sandwiches I prefer Cosu. While a chain, it started in New York. But more unique still is Craftwich or one of the banh mi places.

Many food trucks are great but avoid the so called "halal" trucks, which are uniformly awful.

Sorry autocorrect. It's Cosi

Agree I have not heard of most of those places. But it looks like you have a strict budget so I would head for 9th Ave in the 40s - which has a bunch of small ethnic places serving all kinds of good fresh food at modest prices. No chains - and won't break the bank.

Cosi is fine for a wuik sandwich or salad at lunch - there are several.

As far as budget we would like to have one nice meal out but yes plan to eat on the cheap - with so much to see and do we don't plan to have long sit down meals.

If anyone can suggest a nice place to eat near 12 W 44th - still would like to keep under $40 pp. We prefer American or Italian. Thanks

What is the $40 to include - multiple course, wine, tax and tip?? IMHO $80 is about right for a dinner for 2 in a neighbordhood restaurant with a single glass of wine - and share either appetizer or dessert - but not both.

No wine - multiple courses - pre tax and tip - split dessert.

Take a look at ViceVersa. They have a nice prix-fixe menu for $38. It's a modern Italian restaurant ... not a red sauce kind of place at all. But it's very good. On West 51st Street between 8th and 9th aves. It's one of my favorites in the theater district. But there are many others in the area that are equally good.

If you can include Asian food, there are some delicious eats at Ippudo, one of several good ramen spots in that general area. They are also famous for their pork buns:


http://www.ippudony.com/

Or, try this Italian:

http://pizzarteny.com/

Hearing "Japanese" just reminded me that there is now an Otoya in Times Square. This is a highly regarded Japanese izakaya restaurant (grilled food and soba). You can get a meal here for around $25 per person or less depending on how much you eat.

We also have Yakitori Totto on 55th (between Broadway and 8th Avenue) for inexpensive grilled skewers. But it's extremely popular and can be hard to get in without a wait. Most dishes are around $12 to $15.

Is it Brazilian restaurants that servers come around with skewers and serve all you can eat? I know this is vague and I hope I am describing it correctly. We know it's ethnic food but not sure which....

Yes Brazilian - buffet with servers with variety of meat on skewers - I am finding Brazilian on menupages but no luck for nice - and yes I know buffet and nice do not often mix - a friend ate at such a place in Chicago and said it was very nice - very expensive and very good..... any such place in NYC???

Churrascaria Plataforma - found this one = has anyone been there?? its $62 pp for dinner. We don't have a problem with that IF its worth. We have seen Bridesmaids and do not want similar experience!!!

It's quantity over quality. Read the reviews on yelp and menupages.

I lovelovelove Ellen's Stardust Cafe...great talent while you eat.

Churrascaria Plataforma is quite good (I've eaten there several times, and the quality is nothing whatsoever like what you saw on Bridesmaids), but it's wildly expensive for what you get even given the quantity. You can get the top steak in NYC at Peter Lugar for less money. If it's steak you are looking for, we do have some superior steakhouses, though they are mostly far above your $40 per person limit.