New York Food Guide: My favorite restaurants in NYC

After almost seven months in New York, I’m certainly not an expert and I certainly haven’t tried everything there is to try in this huge city. But nevertheless I discovered a few restaurants, cafes and bars, which I would like to share with you in this New York Food Guide. Since that would blow up a post a bit, there is only one part today. (:

pizza, burgers.. Co

My absolute favorite pizzeria remains Adrienne’s Pizza Bar, which is located on Stone Street in the Financial District – by the way, there are also many other small restaurants there, I’ve been to several and so far I’ve always eaten well and relatively cheaply. I also wrote a single post about Adrienne’s here before. Otherwise, I can recommend Fornino in Williamsburg, or Certe on Lexington Avenue (the truffle pizza is really delicious!). If you want to drive around Brooklyn a bit, you can also try Spumoni (go to the post here). My coworkers also swear by Di Fara Pizza in Midwood, but even though it was only one Subway stop from my apartment, I somehow never made it there.

At some point, by chance, I discovered Pizza Beach restaurant with my friend – they also had great pizza, and of all the restaurants I’ve mentioned here, Pizza Beach definitely has the nicest decor. You feel on a warm summer day there, as if you had just flown to Miami (at least that’s how I imagine it, I’ve never been to Miami). Pizza Beach is located on Orchard Street in the East Village, and although I’ve only been there once briefly, it’s definitely not to be missed in the New York Food Guide!

The best burgers I had were at the Smorgasburg Food Truck Festival in Porspect Park – they had ramen burgers, and that’s really something different. Otherwise, I can only refer here again to various restaurants on Stone Street, depending on your taste there is not only pizza, but also burgers in all possible variations. Also, Burger Heaven, located at 49th Street / Madison Avenue, was very popular with my colleagues for lunch.

Hot Dogs!

In New York, you can hardly avoid hot dogs, and that’s exactly why they can’t be missing in my little New York Food Guide, although I realize that this is drifting a bit in the fast food direction here. If you don’t dare to treat yourself to a hot dog at the many small (and admittedly mostly quite greasy looking) food trucks – beware, tourists quickly pay twice as much as locals here – you also have the possibility to get a hot dog at many fast food restaurants. But I kept to the food trucks, and I also went to Papaya King, among other places in the East Village.

If you ever get out of the city and visit Coney Island, you must also try a hot dog at Nathan’s. There is a cornhole festival there every year on the 4th. July is the big hot dog eating contest and Coney Island is where it all started 100 years ago. In the meantime, however, you can get Nathan’s hot dogs at many of the smaller stands in Manhattan.

All the restaurants I have listed up to this point are relatively inexpensive for New York. For food and drinks (at least if you assume soft drinks) you pay about 35 to 40$ for two people.

If it may be sometimes somewhat healthier..

As much as I like to eat fast food, at some point it was too much even for me and I had to go in search of something healthier. For lunch, I have therefore often fetched salad – my absolute favorite is still the one from Just Salad. Especially because you can easily take your salad in a reusable bowl (which you pay $1 for once, but get two toppings for free every other time). Besides, it always tasted fresh and a salad, which costs about 10$, was always enough for two days for me.

Otherwise, I treated myself to a smoothie from Juice Generation instead of a midday snack – it’s not quite cheap at $6-$8, but it’s really tasty. Especially Mango Tango has done it to me..

Both Just Salad and Juice Generation are chains, and you’ll find their locations all over Manhattan. Actually, I didn’t want to include something like this in the New York Food Guide, but let’s face it – it’s best to find something where you need it and don’t have to drive all over town, isn’t it?? Besides, that’s just the way it is: because it tasted good to me, I kept going back…and that’s what makes the tips for a food guide in my eyes. What do you think about?

Brasserie 8 1/2

The only restaurant in this food guide that is a bit more expensive and that I went to eat at. Since my boyfriend and I mostly had to limit ourselves to budget-friendly things, I only went here once with my colleagues – great ambiance, great food and super location (57th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue).

Next week we will have the second part with donuts, cronuts and many more!