NY Food:
I've got a beach friend in town this week. "Beach friend" being the all-inclusive term for people I've met while on Thong Nai Pan Noi in Thailand. One of the good things about being in NY, when I'm not on the beach, is that at least people from around the world to sometimes come through here. And it's fun to take them around the city, showing the sights, riding the subways, etc. For me of course a highlight is being able to take them out to eat at various restaurants. I've eaten out every night this week, which has left me very full but very happily full. This friend, call her Anouk, is a vegetarian, which somewhat limits me, in that there are certain meat dishes in NY I love introducing people to. So she's missing out on that. And because of that, she can't have any pudding either.... Anyways, a brief list of places (or plates) that I like to bring people out for:
1) Nathan's Franks and French Fries, out in Coney Island. Don't do this immediately before riding the Cyclone roller coaster though...could get messy. If people don't get to Coney Island, a street dog is okay if they can also get a knish. With mustard.
2) Corner Bistro in the W. Village for a Bistro Burger and cheap beers, can't really improve on it. Afterwards maybe Magnolia Bakery for a cupcake. Yeah, that's the ticket.
3) E. Village - personally I think Kai Kai on Ave A at 8th St. is great, cheap, quick, Thai food. Not a formal dining experience, but hey, hits the spot. All those Indian restaurants on 6th Street, which folks in the know are convinced are connected by one long kitchen! For drinks I like E. 4th Street Bar, one friend, call him Andy, and I got very drunk there one night and the staff was very good at buybacks and generally amusing us (of course, after throwing a frisbee in dark Washington Square Park, everything was amusing anyways). Although the more I walk around that neighborhood, the more places I find that appeal to me.
4) Chinatown - Dim sum brunch. Soup dumplings at Shanghai Joe's. Vietnamese food at Nha Trang. If meeting for dinner at Nha Trang or anywhere else near there, meet for drinks at Fiorini's bar first; for some reason I find the mix of clientele there very interesting. My sister and I recently went to a Indonesian/Malaysian hole-in-the-wall that was killer bee. I think it may have been called something like "Indonesia/Malasyia Restaurant." Literally. Sugeno and I have gone for drinks a couple times at a dark basement bar called Double Happiness, a few blocks north of Canal on Mott. We end up drunk, leaving phone messages for friends we haven't talked to in too long.
5) Lobster - I once had an out-of-town guest in, call her Jo, and we able to drive out to Montauk, Long Island, one day. As it is one of my favorite places in the world, it was fun to show her the Lighthouse, the Harbor, the beach, etc. And when you're in Montauk, you have to have steamed clams and lobster. MMmmm. Corn on the cob, french fries, cole slaw, beer, are all nice sides. But the key is the lobster. And the clams. Oh, and maybe ice cream or a chocolate covered frozen banana at Johns for dessert. Yeah.
- posted by dearsirsam @ 4:17 PM