Reviewing New York Magazine's Cheap Eats 2006

This week’s (July 31-August 7) issue of New York Magazine, which arrived in my mailbox last week, is their annual “Cheap Eats” review.  This year, I was thrilled and pleasantly surprised to see quite a few of my stand-by, Go To restaurants featured.  If you can get your hands on the issue, the food photography is mouth-watering, at least to my eyes, or maybe I was just really, really hungry at the time I was reading the magazine.  

 

As with anything else in New York personal opinions as to what should have made the list will vary widely, and the magazine provides their evaluation criteria in the article.  Caution: this list is not to be read on an empty stomach!  Here are some of my thoughts on their choices (rankings ran from 1-101):

 

Shake Shack (#17)

 

Ranked among the 4 Star restaurants and snagging the number 1 slot in the burger category, I have no argument with this one.  I would have liked to see it a bit higher, but I think that maybe it was demoted a little for its infamous line.  As with many popular NYC attractions (Shakespeare in the Park, movie night at Bryant Park, anything at Central Park) faithful patrons have devised all sorts of elaborate strategies for how to avoid waiting in what seems like an interminable queue just for an addictive Shack Burger, fries, and the frozen custard flavor of the day.  At one stage they even installed a camera so that hungry devotees could check online to schedule their arrival so as to avoid the crowds.

Thanks very much to them for having their 2006 opening day preview on my birthday this year. It was so worth it, and I even have the card to prove that I was there among the early-birds.

 

Editor’s Note: I’m still a big fan of Shack Shack, possibly even more so now that I’ve worked for their original parent company, Union Square Hospitality Group, and have several former co-workers who are employed by them.

Otto Enoteca Pizzeria (#24)

 

I visited this ristorante a few months ago and wrote a review about the food and drink that we had on that excursion. I still haven’t managed to make it back to try the pizza, but it is on my list of things to do when I can round up some folks who’d like to try it with me.

 

*Editor's Note: as of November 2020, per this article from Grub Street, the restaurant is closed.

 

Via Emilia (#41)

 

My heart skipped a beat and I started to hyperventilate when I thought that this Northern Italian gem had been lost forever. The part of the block on Park Avenue South where it was located has been cleared to make way for some new building – my money is on the usual condos. Turns out, they managed to relocate about a few blocks away and while I haven’t had a chance to visit their new digs yet, I’m just waiting for the first cold snap so that I can indulge in their luscious tortellini con panna or ravoli di zucca and maybe wash it all down w/ some Lambrusco. Although the owner is from Modena, it wraps me in warm memories of my years in Bologna and the food is nearly as good as being there in person.

 

Editor’s Note: This restaurant closed in 2017. 

Rickshaw Dumpling Bar (#71)

 

When the line at Shake Shack is really just too long and my patience is too short, this other neighborhood joint is my backup dining destination for the Madison Square Park area.  Dumplings are a great meal in my book.  These come in all sorts of interesting flavors (the standard Pork, Peking Duck, and Chicken & Lemongrass are among some of the options) with matching dipping sauces (like plum and peanut).  Paired with a side salad or soup, they make a wonderful, inexpensive, filling lunch break.  While their chocolate ones got lots of press, I wasn’t really a fan.

 

Editor’s Note: I still dream about their dumplings and miss their combos that made this a great inexpensive dining option.  At one point, they also had food trucks in addition to their brick-and-mortar locations.  Sadly, they closed down in 2013.

 

 

Sip Sak (#78)

 

I had eaten Turkish food when I lived in London but hadn’t yet found my favorite spots in NYC to share mezes.  A drink with friends at the rooftop café at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, followed by a group dinner sampling the meze sampler plus a few other dishes at Beyoglu (the original uptown restaurant by the same owner as Sip Sak), and Saturday night out in Manhattan came in at about $35.00 per person (depending upon how many cocktails one has at the Met).  They also have a great selection of wines to accompany the meal.

 

Editor’s Note: Sip Sak is still one of my favorite places to recommend for people looking for a reliable sit-down place to eat in Midtown.  Beyoglu, an UES neighborhood favorite, shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and is still much mourned by the locals.  

 

 

Republic (#97)

 

On one side of Union Square is this pretty solid noodle bar with all sorts of flavorful, Asian-spiced menu choices. Although inside the restaurant, the long communal tables and deafening acoustics make it difficult to have intimate conversations, the noodles more than make up for it. Besides, when your bowls arrive, you’ll be too busy slurping up the long beauties to talk to your companions anyway. A meal and some locally-grown organic veggies bought at the Greenmarket will make up for everything else you put into your body during the workweek. 

 

Editor’s note: This is another place that I miss from my early days in NYC.  Again, due to rising rents, this Union Square mainstay shut down in 2017.  From an article by the NY Times food critic, it seems as though I am not the only person who has fond memories of it.

 

I hope that you find some of your favorite dining establishments on this list and discover some new ones to visit!

 

Buon appetito!