What to eat on the Lower East Side (NYC)
 

Good morning

Part of our trip will be on the Lower East Side. The Tenement Museum, Brooklyn Bridge walk, probably a boat ride.

The Tenement Museum has a food walking tour which we probably won't do as I'd like to see the building itself. But we could do our own little food tour.

I already know about Katz's deli. That will be either before or after the Tenement Museum.

What other foods (and where to find them) should we be aiming for?

Thank you.

You really need to give a few clues about your budget and taste. There are hundreds of restaurants in that general area. You might include on the dumpling houses in or near Eldridge Street, such as Prosperity or Vanessas.

http://prosperitydumpling.com/

Or even dim sum in Chinatown.

http://nomwah.com/


Pizza at L'Asso on Mott Street, or at Rubirosa.

http://lassonyc.com/lasso

Pad Thai at Pok Pok PT:

http://www.pokpokphatthai.com/home


But above all of those, if you can tolerate spicy fare, I would head for Mission Chinese. Lunch is a much better time to go, as there may be little or no line. There has been a lot of hype about this place but for the most part, I think it has been deserved.


http://missionchinesefood.com/ny/



Just a few ideas.....there is a lot of good food in the general area.

You can do your own food tour!!

This is our favorite list to hit while in the area....(the Tennement Museum is amazing, btw!)

Donut Plant http://doughnutplant.com/
My fav is the PB and J donut!
The Pickle Guys http://www.pickleguys.com/
http://www.russanddaughters.com/
Yonah Schimmel Knishes http://knishery.com/
Kossars http://www.yelp.com/biz/kossars-bialys-new-york

Enjoy!!

The food tours in the area visit many of these nearby locations, easy to do on your own. None of these is a sit-down place.

Russ & Daughters
http://www.russanddaughters.com/

Yonah Schimmel Knishes
http://knishery.com/

Il Labratorio del Gelato
http://www.laboratoriodelgelato.com/

Economy Candy
http://www.economycandy.com/

Essex Street Market
http://www.essexstreetmarket.com/

Kossar's Bialys
http://www.kossarsbialys.com/Donut Plant

Pickle Guys
http://www.pickleguys.com/

Oops! Forgot . .

Doughnut Plant (near Kossar's)
http://doughnutplant.com/

MBM and I were typing at the same time!

The Lower East Side used to have so many cafeterias and Yiddish-style restaurants that are long gone like Ratner's. Yes, Katz's ramains and I'd definitely go for a pastrami sandwich. Here are some others.

For the best smokes salmon and other appetizing foods:
This is a take-out shot but definitely go:
Russ & Daughters
http://www.russanddaughters.com/

Kossar's Bialys
367 Grand St, New York, NY 10002
http://www.kossarsbialys.com/
Bialys are a softer, more oniony cousin to a bagel. Love them.

Yonah Schimmel
for all kinds of knishes and located near Katz's
http://knishery.com/

For dinner:
Sammy's Roumanian
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/resta...an-steak-house

If you're uptown near the West Side museums, you must try the wonderful Barney Greengrass:
541 Amsterdam Avenue at 86th Street
New York, NY 10024
Tuesdays through Sunday 8am to 6pm.
Restaurant opens at 8:30am.
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/barney-greengrass/
Hope this helps get you started.




157 Chrystie St, New York, NY 10002

@MiamiBeachMomma - thanks for the great suggestions!! We are staying at The Mansfield on 44th - any similar suggestions?? Or anywhere in Manhattan??

The Second Avenue Deli (better than Katz in my opinion, and not a zoo like Katz) is on 33rd Street between lexington and Third Avenues.

http://www.2ndavedeli.com/

Here's a food tour step by step. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/493333#3434859

Thank you everyone! Eastern European foods would make my Mom really happy. Asian or "hot" stuff, less so. Although I am convinced I will have her try Korean BBQ on this trip. It's BBQ for crying out loud. Everyone likes BBQ.

We were looking more for grab and go places. Small things for grazing. We would probably buy one thing from each place and split it (unless it was really good and we had to each have our own) and keep moving.

I heartily second both the Doughnut Plant (get there early and plan to stand in line, your selections can and will sell out quickly and once they're gone, they're gone) and The Pickle Guys. The Pickle Guy blew my mind, just a room full of enormous barrels of every sort of pickle imaginable...

MMMMM, thanks for the reinforcement. Mom loves pickles. Me too. I wonder if we should head to the Doughnut Plant for our first breakfast instead of City Bakery, as I had planned.

You should try the French Culinary Institute --L'Ecole--on Broadway, not too far from Tenement Museum.

They have a very good and cheap prix-fixe lunch. The food is good. It gets a Thin's Thumbs Up.

Is The Pickle Guys the old Guss' Pickles on Orchard Street?

Thin

I just remembered Nice Green Bo on Bayard St.

Thin

The Lower East Side is not all oriented toward old-style Jewish heritage foods anymore. Meatball Shop on Stanton is one of the most popular restaurants there and well worth visiting, as is Souvlaki GR down the block. There are several other very trendy restaurants, some of which have really good food and are good choices for lunch before the DJs start playing music so loud you can't hear what anyone is saying.

There is another Donut Plant on W. 23rd Street next to the famous Hotel Chelsea; if you're going to be walking the Highline it's relatively close. I like the Mango donut.

We went to Doughnut Plant for breakfast before the Tenement Museum. I can vouch for the tres leches doughnuts and the creme brulee ones - thumbs up! We got some babka to go at Russ and Daughters. The line at Katz's was really really long when we tried to go so we had to skip it. Maybe avoid peak time if you can. We were there right at lunchtime.

You guys are killing me! Maybe we should make two trips down there. It sounds like we will just graze all day long.

Thank you for all the information...