Earlier in the week 23 of us put on our best "we're not tourists!" faces and headed out on the LES looking for sweets and cheap eats. Our stops tended away from new yuppified cupcake shops and artisanal chocolates -- though these abound in the area -- and more toward older shops whose contents help explain the history of immigration into the neighborhood, from the late nineteenth century to the present.
Our stops -- some of them mere shout outs from across the street or glances through the windows -- included Umberto's (12 oysters for $20; the Joey Gallo shooting, btw, happened at their older location down the street); Ferrara's on Grand (did you know cannoli originated as fertility symbols?); Saigon banh mi sandwich shop (the legacy of French colonialism -- on Broome St!); L'Asso (slice specials if you sit at the counter); Sal's (for more traditional NYC slices); Yonah Schimmel's Knishery and Russ and Daughters Appetizers (both of which began in the 1890s as LES pushcart businesses); Economy Candy ("I think I got diabetes from the smell inside," someone said); Essex Street Market (which replaced pushcart culture); Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery (ok, so we did look at some cupcakes); the Doughnut Plant (closed for Labor Day, unfortunately); Kossar's Bialys (new to the tour this year, and recommended to me by my favorite NYU alum food blogger, The Girl Who Ate Everything); Il Laboratorio del Gelato (where we stopped to sample their wares), and Vanessa's Dumplings (the result of recent immgration from the Fuzhou province in China; you can eat a complete meal there for well under $5).
I wrote up a longer, more detailed account of the tour a couple years ago; you'll find addresses and more historical overview there. Since I started giving this tour, sadly, Guss's Pickles has decided to close up shop on Orchard Street and move to Brooklyn. Dash Dogs, also mentioned in the original write-up, no longer exists as well. Dumpling House has been renamed as Vanessa's, which also has an outpost on 14th Street.
Do you have favorite cheap eats in nearby neighborhoods not mentioned here? Share them in the comments section, and by doing so enter a contest for a $30 gift certificate to McNally Jackson -- purveyor of more cerebral treats!
A few photos from our tour, courtesy of RA Salma:
27 comments:
My favorite place to eat is Cafe Habana (the smaller, fast-food joint). You can't beat the amazing $2 corn!
Hey -- Thanks, giajale, for getting the ball rolling on the comments.
I love Cafe Habana too: it certainly fits the bill for cheap eats. There's often a long line to get it, but it moves pretty quickly. And the take-out window next door (which may be what you're talking about as the "smaller, fast-food joint") is a great option. I sometimes order take-out for my family and then swing by on my bike to pick it up.
(Corner of Prince and Elizabeth for those new to the neighborhood.)
p.s. Do you think their corn is better than La Esquina's? There's some controversy on that point.
Personally, I LOVED il laboratorio del gelato! I love eating gelato (ate nothing but it when I was in Italy), so it was great to find the 2-3 dollar range treat! I also found that knishery really awesome - I stopped by there later on the next day, and found myself quite pleased with my first potato knish. :)
Manna House Bakery Inc - it's a little Chinese bakery that has really cheap buns. I got 2 for $1.50 and it makes a good breakfast or snack.
212 Grand Street between Mott and Elizabeth
-Wei-Ming
Hey Kiran -- glad you made your way back to Yonah Schimmel. I have yet to find better knishes, though my dad prefers them from street vendors when he can find them.
Wei-Ming -- Hooray for the Chinese bakeries! At one point in time I also had Egg Custard King as part of this tour. Those brightly colored little custards are dangerous!
As a Taiwanese I found Jobee (on Howard St. between Centre and Lafayette) to be quite satisfying and authentic. They've got a great variety of both Taiwanese and Chinese dishes and snacks, and great amount of food for a reasonable price --- even too much for me that I can eat two meals for $5. (Oooh... and you pay the exact price on the menu, so no worries for taxes.)
Marie Belle, at 484 Broome St near Wooster, is the best brunch in the area. The glam chocolate shop in front hides an adorable fin-de-siecle cafe in back, where Charlie Chaplin shorts play on the wall at night. The food is light and fresh, the atmosphere girly and intimate. Bring your closest friends, or a first date.
Cafe Habana & Bar Marche, north of Broome on Elizabeth St, all have good reputations. Stay away from Spring Street Natural Cafe on Lafayette- thoroughly mediocre cuisine.
Eileen's Cheesecake, just north of us, is more light and airy than classic New York cheesecake.
For a free treat, pop into Papabubble, a block east of Broome, to sample their ever-changing selection of candies. Stick around for live demonstrations of candy making! The window displays never fail to entertain, especially around holidays.
My favorite cheap eat is El Castillo de Jagua at Rivington and Essex. Down home Dominican dishes, huge portions, and just the right amount of sloppy. For under $20 you can get two dinners, and enough left overs for lunch the next day. A few more weeks and i'll be a regular.
Meb -- I've never been to MB for brunch, so thanks for the idea. I do get a hankering for spiced hot chocolate, European style, on occasion, and so I've been there a couple times at least. Kiran should go check out their gelato as well.
How's the brunch price-wise?
Justin -- I've meant to try Jobee but haven't been yet. What should I order when I go?
Andrew -- thanks for the heads up about this one, which I don't know at all. It sounds great, though. I'll ask you the same thing I did Justin: what should I order?
Thanks for the shout out! :) I feel honored. Really.
That's an awesome food tour you put together. I guess it's good that I've been to all the places you mentioned except for Sal's (I fail at eating pizza). I just ate banh mi from Saigon Banh Mi today! Mmmm.
As for other cheap eats...I like hand pulled noodle shops in Chinatown (not sure which one I'd heartily recommend though, ergh). And apparently you already know about the deliciousness of egg custard tarts. I second the rec for El Castillo de Jagua; love that place.
Robyn -- Of course I can't write this annual post without tipping my hat to you. You're the queen of cheap eats (without sacrificing anything in the way of taste). I should have noted that you also wrote the Serious Eats piece on Vanessa's Dumplings I linked to.
bw
Yesterday I discovered the SoHo Grill on Lafayette. Their potato skins are probably the best I've ever had (and I have a slight obsession with potato skins, so that's saying something).
I waited a pretty long time for a take-out order, but it was worth it; plus it's ridiculously close (and they deliver, so if you turn into a partial hermit in winter like I do, no worries).
Wow, this is such resourceful and overwhelming information! Who can even beat Broome Street for eating and culture? For Jobee, if you want to have a quick bite, order Taiwanese minced pork over rice or noodle or braised beef noodle soup.
There are a lot of dishes you can try to accompany rice, for example: fresh ginger chicken over rice (which I think should be translated into chicken with ginger and basil dipped in special made soy bean sauce, oh well this is long), beef with tomato over rice, pork with pickled vegetable over rice, etc. These are dishes that are common in Taiwanese households.
When you are with friends or family, you can order bowls of rice depending on the amount of people, then order 3 to 4 dishes with a plate of sautéed vegetable to balance with meat. That would be quite a traditional experience.
I'm not sure if it counts as cheap but prices certainly are reasonable and if you're vegan or have other such dietary restrictions they're great, and both on Broome Street!
Wild Ginger - Not to be confused with the Thai place on Centre, this Wild Ginger is a pan-asian vegan joint a block east of Broome, and their spring rolls are amazing whichever way you cut it.
Babycakes - Keep going east on Broome st until you hit Orchard and you'll find Babycakes bakery - they make all sorts of vegan cupcakes, cakes, pound cake things, and get this -- they just started baking vegan DONUTS! :)
One of my favorite spots to eat is Ruby's on Mulberry between Prince and Spring. They have one of the best burgers I've ever had called the Bronte. (Despite the fact that I am now a vegetarian...I still miss this meal.) They also have great salads. Meals range from about $10 - $12 on average.
Rainbow Cafe on Mott between Broome and Grand has some pretty good Chinese food. I'm pretty sure it's $4 and change for the typical favorites from lo mein to sesame chicken w/rice.
oh! I can't get enough of the prosciutto pizza at l'asso and the strawberry lemon parfait at sugar sweet sunshine. I'm also a major fan of the BLT Panini from Prince St. Cafe between Mott and Elizabeth. I'm going through a little BLT phase, and that is hands-down the best one I've had. It's not so cheap ($7.50), but so worth it.
so we all walk by it everyday but it seems like no one ever tries it - cafe select right on lafayette and i guess kenmare. it isn't the cheapest meal, but seriously, the french toast (pain perdu on the menu) is unbelievable!! i lived with a girl from germany last year and she said the austrian/german inspired cuisine was relatively authentic and tasty :)
In regards to Castio, i tend to order the pepper steaks special, or the pork chops. Both come with rice and beans, and the special comes with a small salad and plantains, either tostones or sweet. so good.
one of my favorite places to eat is the ravioli store on sullivan. lots of variety and lots of good italian food =)
Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions!
rebvineyard: I have very little experience with potato skins, and your comment makes me want to go try those out. I've actually never stopped in Soho Grill, though I do get a hankering now and again for the burgers at Soho Park. They're nothing special, just cheap and about the right size. I do quite like their zucchini fries, though.
Justin: thanks for the specific tips! I can't wait to try them out.
Lauren: I would like Wild Ginger better if they didn't put that sugary sauce on everything, but I do keep going back, at least every couple months. I like the curry with the pumpkin in it.
Megan: I like Ruby's burger too. Not so cheap but good. I like their salad with the pumpkin in it too, but again, could do without the sugary balsamic dressing they overuse. What is it with me and pumpkins? It must be turning to fall. I also like the vibe at Ruby's -- skater kids and old ladies hanging out on the benches outside.
Mateo -- Never been there. Will have to visit ...
Lindsey -- My favorite pizza there is the one with all the veggies sliced paper thin -- little slices of lemon too.
Becky -- Cafe Select hasn't been there all that long, but I do love it. Not especially a cheap eats category, but reading the paper and having coffee at the bar is a nice way to start a day. My favorite thing there is on the brunch menu: the poaches eggs in soft polenta. My mouth waters just typing those words. Much better than the eggs and polenta dish around the corner at Balthazar. To keep things cheaper at select we often split a brunch special and then order an additional entree.
Andrew: Thanks for the tips!
Darya: I haven't been there in years! I'm putting it on my list of things to do this fall.
Here's one more I thought of the other day. I don't think they've been open very long, either, but we did order take-out over the summer and it almost made up for not having a grill: Daruma, the yakitori place on Mott is pretty good, and cheap, too! The tricked-out sushi is okay, too, but I still think we're incredibly fortunate to have Mikaku, on Kenmare, right behind our building. My favorite neighborhood lunch special.
On 73 Mulberry below Canal is a Vietnamese place called Pho Viet Huong which has a tasty, tasty green papaya salad. It has an interesting blend of fresh flavor w/ some other veggies (coleslaw-esque sans mayo), cilantro, and a light sauce all topped with grilled beef. I've had it w/ chicken, too and I'm sure you could have it w/out meat. It's usually on their specials board and is around $10... but it was a heaping amount the times I've had it and you could definitely have it once w/ leftovers for another meal or split it with someone. I've eaten other good things there, however due to my lack of knowledge in Vietnamese cuisine, I couldn't even make up the names of what they're called.
Is that the place just above Bayard St?
Yes...although I haven't been there since last year.
I really like their food too. The lighting leaves a little to be desired. But the food's great.
I also like New Green Bo around the corner on Bayard, across from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. I think I may have mentioned that in the post, though. Even if I did, it would be worth repeating that the Eight Jewel Noodle Soup there is one of the highlights of my winter.
Excellent!
I have to say, one thing I enjoy is ordering delivery. I found a cheap, fast, and good Chinese place called Canton Kitchen (171 Hester St #212-343-2623).
Free delivery 11am-10pm, open M-Sun 8am-11pm.
We ordered two lunch specials (two entrees, two bowls of rice, and two soups) for $13 only and it was made and delivered in under 15minutes!
Hooray!
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