Every so often, students waiting in line at Boar’s Head Deli or Cosi come to a painful revelation. They have simply had enough. Their tongues cry out, “NO MORE SANDWICHES, PLEASE GIVE US SOMETHING NEW!” Of course, you want to rise above the monotonous slope you’re forced to choke down, but where do you find those havens of flavor? Last year, I especially struggled to find places worth coming back to. With so many options all around, it feels overwhelming to try to find something worth your time and money.
Before I discuss any of the true gems I’ve found, there’s one simple rule you have to follow:
If you’re looking for a sit-down meal after a day of sightseeing, never eat anywhere near a tourist site. Regions to immediately cross out are the areas bordering Broadway and Central Park. While these places often look delicious, they are also traps. Restaurants in this general area are tourist traps designed to be for a flashy experience, leaving the quality of the food as a tertiary priority. One of the most common traps for tourists is the diners. These places imitate either the homey feeling of mom-and-pop restaurants or try to imitate the atmosphere that famous diners like The Stardust have. I remember going to a diner in Midtown that had claimed to have been around for 50 years. After eating the most mediocre burger in the world, I did a little digging online and found out that this place had opened in 2016.
Another rule I follow when looking for good places to eat is to focus on the size. Generally, the bigger the restaurant, the more money a place has and the less the owners have to care about quality. Usually, hole-in-the-wall shops are family-owned and full of soul. A place that used to be filled with these homely joints was Manhattan’s Little Italy. I went down one afternoon during The Feast of San Gennaro with a simple goal: find a cheap plate of pasta. I was having a great time walking around and looking at all the pastry shops and busy restaurants. This pleasant atmosphere was then ruined by the stark pricing, sitting at the $25-plus range. The pricing that got me to leave Little Italy out of sheer disgust was one restaurant selling the classic spaghetti and meatballs for a hefty $35.
Ironically enough, I ended up finding a place I fell in love with. Walking past all the “authentic Italian” places, I found a small hole-in-the-wall called Bien Argentino. That day, they had a deal: four empanadas and a small drink for $10. They had 12 different options, but I got the spinach, pulled pork and chorizo along with three cups of fresh chimichurri. A good empanada rides and dies by how well it pairs with the side sauces. Depending on what you put in the chimichurri, you can create entirely new flavor combos. Needless to say, the owner of Bien Argentino knew the art of making incredible chimichurri along with incredible empanadas.
Speaking of little hole-in-the-wall restaurants, Chinatown is filled with not only dining options, but also fresh produce. After grabbing my empanadas, I decided to venture out of Little Italy and explore Chinatown. Everywhere you go there are vendors selling fruit and sit-down restaurants selling anything under the sun in Asian cuisine. I found a vendor selling one of my favorite snacks: dried pumpkin seeds for $5 a pound. Chinatown is a place I will be visiting in the future for the dining experience.
But by far the best thing you can do to find a good meal is just go out and explore. Sometimes it’s best to wander and see where you end up. One of the places I have found this way was a candy shop in the East Village called Ray’s Candy Store. After being disappointed by another restaurant living on reputation, Ruby’s Cafe, I wanted something sweet. Not knowing the area, I walked aimlessly for a while, eventually reaching Tompkins Square Park. Ray’s caught my attention, giving off a nostalgic vibe of the candy stores common on the boardwalks in ocean towns. Chilly from the brisk October air, I walked in and was greeted by the fragrant smell of fresh pastries and Ray, who warmly welcomed me in. I chose to get the beignet bites and apple cider, all for $12. While I waited for them to finish frying, Ray instinctively started making conversation. He seemed genuinely interested in my rantings about my classes. After paying, I went outside. Both the beignets and cider felt fresh and filled with love. I would have never experienced this place if I hadn’t gone with the universe’s flow. So for all of you looking for a good meal, rely on luck. Explore and find new places. Of course, not all of them can be incredible, but the experience is all that matters.
