Top Cheat Eats On A High Ticket Getaway
It's not every day you'll even think about dropping a cool thousand dollars for a tasting plate. Nor are there many places you can do it. But New York, a Philly favorite getaway destination, isn't just any place. There's at least one eatery that isn't bashful about asking a grand a plate. So when I say, "It's possible for 2 people to sup in the Big Apple and get out the door with a $50 tab," that's cheap eats. So where can you get a New York dinner at Philly prices? Here are some of my personal top choices. – Jay Lloyd
APPLEJACK DINER
1725 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
applejackdiner.com
Yes, there is a diner - and a damn good one in the heart of midtown Manhattan. It's just a block from the Broadway theater that houses the CBS Late Show, now with Stephen Colbert. It's been a long time favorite of folks who stop in for a nosh before and after the show. It's also one of the few diners that serves half a roasted duck with herb stuffing, veggies, soup and dessert for under $18. I can't resist. Lifting the menu will give you a hernia and the place is open 24 hours a day. It's classic New York.
WO HOP
17 Mott Street
New York, NY 10013
wohopnyc.com
You want cheap eats? Head for Chinatown. Being a traditionalist who has been on a decades-long quest for those old familiar chow mein and chop suey flavors, the must-stop is Wo Hop. It's crowded for a reason. A lot of old-timers want to enjoy the tastes and aromas of their youth. By noon on weekends, the line snakes up Mott Street waiting to get in. The dining room is usually packed while no-nonsense, highly efficient waiters glide from table to table delivering heaping covered plates and bowls of familiar food. At 2 in the morning the place is still packed with the Lower East Side crowd wandering over for an immense snack. Enough chow mein for two or three sets you back less than $8.
SAUCE
78 Rivington Street
New York, NY 10002
www.saucerestaurant.com
A lot of red sauce here. And if you're one of those folks who argue that it should be called, "gravy", Sauce accommodates with a menu item that is indeed called gravy. Whatever you call it, it's delicious. A favorite is the pasta and Bolognese for under $18. The meats are cut fresh here. They should be. Attached to the restaurant is a fine Italian butcher shop. Meatballs are superb. Portions are huge. They invite sharing.
ST. JAMES GATE
441 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10024
stjamesgatenyc.com
Irish pubs in New York have long been known for reasonable food and drink. When on the Upper West Side, St. James Gate at 81st. Street is a personal favorite. My son, Spencer favors the bangers and mash (not always on the menu). I'm a sucker for the beef and Guinness stew. Both come in under $18. That seems to be the magic number for reasonable eateries in this high ticket town. By the way, if the name sounds familiar, it should. St. James Gate is the address of the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.
GRIMALDI'S
One Front St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
grimaldis.com/
What could be more reasonable and satisfying than a traditional New York pizza? Not much. One favorite stop for hordes of pie seekers is Grimaldi's in Brooklyn, just a block from the DUMBO stop of the East River Ferry. It's a great boat ride to an iconic pizza. What you won't like is the lines that frequently form outside the door as pizza lovers wait up to an hour to get in. But I found you can do an end run around the lines by heading across the Hudson instead of the East river, to Grimaldi's in Hoboken. Same pizza, no lines. Just take the Path train. It lets you off a few blocks away. The pie price. You guessed it. For a large with one topping - $18.
