Quote:
Originally Posted by peter12
I'm going to NYC in May with my 2 brothers and price is an object. Help me out.
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Ok, well let me know what you're looking for, but let me list some of my favorites.
The Shake Shack - This is a little burger stand in the middle of Madison Square Park (also has an UES location too by the American Museum of Natural History). The lineups are crazy during lunch (45minutes+) but its well worth it. Some of the best damn burgers Ive ever had, and the park setting is really nice. I'm not a fan of NY burgers (too bland usually) but this place is tops. If you are around here during the day, and the lineup isnt too bad, do yourself a favor and get in it.
http://shakeshack.com/
I definitely recommend Pylos Restaurant (
www.pylosrestaurant.com). Some of the best higher-end greek food Ive ever had, and the ambiance is really great. Its a mid-price restaurant thats super romantic and is in a location (East Village) that you will probably want to be in anyway. I would recommend trying to make a reservation a few days ahead for sure though. Ive taken the parents here as well, and the GF and I go here regulary when we want to have a special night out. Not sure if it's the place for 3 dudes to go...but hey, who am I to judge.
If you like Noodles etc, I would recommend Sobakoh (
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/sobakoh/). A small, friendly soba noodle shop. If you like soba, you should go here. It's in a part of town you'll probably be close too. Nearby, St Marks Place is a popular street with the kids and has a lot of great asian restaurants too....forget the name but theres one with a cotton candy machine that I loved when I was in college. I forget the name of the street that's north of it, but on that block there are also some great asian bars on the second floor.
Pizza wise, a good rule of thumb is to stay away from anything that's a chain (Sbarro et al) or has the words Rays, Famous or Original in it. There are a lot of cheap pizza places around, but that doesn't mean they are all good. If you want a great (and I mean GREAT) pizza experience, you gotta do Grimaldis or Difara if you're out out in Brooklyn (Difaras is just one old man who's been making pizza for generations and doesnt let anyone else touch the food....its something else).
NY has some of the best Indian food outside of Indian and London. There's a whole street of really great ones on 6th Street in the East Village. They have some really great lunch specials there, so I would try one out around that time of the day (as long as youre cool with a little rumble in the jungle afterwards). Seriously, you have to try some indian food while here....
If you love middle eastern food, Humus Place (
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/hummus-place01/) is really great and affordable. It's a good cheap stopover type of meal.
Shillers is a great atmospheric restaurant in the Lower East Side. (
http://www.schillersny.com/). Lots of good looking people and the vibe is pretty fun. Get's busy though.
If youre the type of gentleman who likes his beer and good company, there are some amazing beer gardens in this town that really a great part of the new york experience. You will have to travel outside of Manhattan, but honestly it's not a big deal if you go to Williamsburg (first stop after the river on the L, and if youre a younger guy you'll probably like the neighborhood.....despite the hipster ######s).
Two places there I would recommend are:
Radegest Beer Hall. Great Czech/Slovak/German beer garden with sausages etc. You don't necessarily come for the food, but the overall beer hall experience.
http://www.radegasthall.com/
or the Brooklyn Brewery Factory. You can do a tour as well as drink it up in their beer hall.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-brooklyn-brewery-brooklyn
The Bohemian Beer Hall (bohemianhall.com) in Queens is probably my favorite, but it might be a little too daunting to get to from Manhattan. It's not that hard though and if its a beautiful day out, it can be worth it. Then again you might not want to waste an entire afternoon lingering in the sun on a picnic bench with cold beer and czech sausages.
Again, with 3 dudes, I'm not sure if this makes sense, but there is an absolutely great Japanese restaurant in Williamsburg (if youre already there for the beer garden!) called Zenkichi. It's Japanese, but not sushi...they do like 6-7 course tasting menu with matching sake tasting menus. It's definitely on the intimate side of things seating wise though, so maybe stay away from it if you dont want to wrap your legs around your bros. It's also on the expensive side (50-60 bucks per dinner). but great if youre looking for something special.
Okay, that's it. If you want me to get more specific, let me know what youre in to.
NY, NY Restaurant Recommendations?
