N.Y. Insiders Divulge Secrets for Budget-Friendly Dining

You may have heard that sometimes the sky is the only limit when it comes to spending money to dine well in New York City—a $450 dinner at Masa, anyone? Don’t forget to add the tip! Since most of us attending IPS: The Mental Health Services Conference are not on corporate expense accounts, we decided to recommend some places on the far-less-expensive end of the spectrum.

For the “foodies” out there, ny.eater.com, grubstreet.com, and chowhound.com have plenty of lists and opinions on the best eats in the city. Here are a few of our suggestions for a good meal that won’t consume the better part of a paycheck.

The area around the headquarters hotel (the Sheraton New York on Seventh Avenue at 52nd Street) is adjacent to the Times Square/Broadway theater district, and, as such, is a tourist mecca with lots of places to eat. But first, a caution—for those who were looking forward to paying $19.99 for a hot pastrami sandwich at the famed Carnegie Deli, stay tuned—the restaurant was shut down in April due to the discovery that it was not paying for all of the gas it was using, and its status come October is unknown. But food lovers, never fear—go west. There are multitudes of excellent restaurants in the gentrified Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood a couple blocks west of the Sheraton. Among the delicious choices in this area are several great Thai places, including Pure Thai Cookhouse on Ninth Avenue between 50th and 51st streets (www.purethaishophouse.com) and Wondee Siam (www.wondeesiam2.com) on Ninth Avenue between 52nd and 53rd streets.

Noodle lovers, you are in luck as well. Ippudo, thought by many locals to offer the best ramen in the city, has opened a branch called Ippudo Westside on 51st Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues (www.ippudony.com). And if your taste buds are craving tasty but no-frills Mexican cuisine, head for Tehuitzingo on 10th Avenue between 47th and 48th streets (www.tehuitzingo.net), where the owners serve wonderful tacos and tortas from the back of their small bodega. For those times when a slice or two of pizza is just the ticket, Don Antonio on 50th Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues may be just what you are looking for (www.donantoniopizza.com/ny-home).

Are you interested in venturing further afield? Of course the dining choices in the surrounding neighborhoods are endless, and you get to sample spots often frequented by more locals than tourists. Smorgasburg (which famed chef Mario Batali summarized as “the single greatest thing I’ve ever seen gastronomically in New York City”) is a weekly market of roughly 100 food carts, selling everything from burgers with fried Ramen noodles to buns to vegan Banh Mi (www.smorgasburg.com). You will not leave hungry. It’s in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn on Saturdays and in Brooklyn Bridge Park on Sundays, with both locations operating from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. If such culinary variety piques your interest, there are a couple of food courts that are essentially smaller, indoor versions of the same concept, with Brookfield Place near the World Trade Center (www.brookfieldplaceny.com) and Gotham West Market near Times Square (www.gothamwestmarket.com) as standouts.

But what if your agenda is so full that you don’t want to take time for a full meal? There are literally thousands of places to grab a quick—and very tasty—bite to eat. One of our favorites is Taim at 222 Waverly Place in the West Village section of historic Greenwich Village, which draws those in the know for its excellent falafel (www.taimfalafelcom). It was founded by a husband and wife who missed the street food of their native Tel Aviv. There’s also the ubiquitous Shake Shack, which started as a local chain but is starting to branch out to locations outside of New York. Chain or not, its burgers and shakes are outstanding, and it has a vegetarian option that is just as good. There is a location on Eighth Avenue in the Theater District and several others throughout Manhattan. For those craving a more unique burger experience, Burger Joint in the hotel Le Parker Meridien at 119 West 56th Street is often on the list of best burgers in the city, and finding the restaurant (behind a curtain in the lobby) makes you feel like you’ve discovered a hidden gem (www.burgerjoint.nyc).

Manhattan’s Chinatown is another obvious place to go for good deals on fabulous food. One of our favorites for dim sum is Golden Unicorn at 18 East Broadway (www.goldenunicornrestaurant.com). You might also want to check out Indian restaurants on Lexington Avenue around 28th Street. There are some great inexpensive options like Haandi at 113 Lexington Avenue (no website) and some exceptional lunch buffets such as the one at Dhaba at 108 Lexington Avenue (www.dhabaindiancuisinenyc.com), both of which will be a good fit for all budgets.

If Korean cuisine is tempting you, head for the block of West 32nd Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, where Woorijip Authentic Korean Food (www.woorimjip.com) and BCD Tofu House (www.bcdtofu.com) are excellent places to start.

Many New York visitors will plan to visit the 9/11 memorial or take the elevator to the top of the new One World Trade Center skyscraper in lower Manhattan. While dining options are not great in that area, a wonderful, though somewhat pricey, meal can be had at North End Grill in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan (www.northendgrillonyc.com). If you are visiting the Tenement Museum on Orchard Street on the Lower East Side, you will discover several top-notch choices nearby. Russ & Daughters, at 179 East Houston Street, has specialized in smoked fish since 1914 and recently opened a cafȳ on Orchard Street literally steps from the Tenement Museum (www.russanddaughters.com). One new standout in the neighborhood is Kiki’s, at 130 Division Street (no website), which serves excellent Greek fare in a congenial setting. For those struck by a craving for a high-carb snack, Kossar’s Bialys at 367 Grand Street (www.kossarsbialys.com) and Doughnut Plant, at 379 Grand Street (www.doughnutplant.com), are sure to please.

These are just a few of the many budget-friendly options that we can recommend. Your New York friends will doubtlessly have their own lists, and you are likely to stumble across intriguing places as you wander this fascinating city. Keep in mind that it’s nearly impossible to leave this food-crazed mecca without eating well! ■

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