JeetKuneBao's NYC (and nearby) eats

Americas - USA East NYC and environs
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I’m a Hyatt person. I like the Grayson bc it’s near a lot of subway lines but the rooms are tiny. The elevator makes a very loud screeching sound if you are a sensitive sleeper. Comfortable bed.

If you want a little more space and don’t mind the noise Hyatt Centric Times Square is actually pretty good. I’m Donut is across the street and the hotel is centrally located to lots of subway lines.

I don’t think it matters what hotel you stay at since you’ll be on the subway and walking all around the city. Have a good trip.

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Awesome appreciate the guidance. I’m hoping I can make it to at least one outer borough but not sure. Either way hopefully I don’t gain too much weight lol

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$7 for 1 carne asada or carnitas tacos is rough and sets the bar high but location, location.. hot spot in the old La Esquina. They know they can get away with it in New York

Santo Taco and Esse Taco - both places opened up by co-founders of Cosme and part of the same hospitality group (Santo Taco by Santiago Perez and Esse Taco by Enrique Olivera), and despite the high price tag these places are packed in NY fashion. With big names behind both places and dropping $7 a taco, the expectation is to be layered, memorable and giving a lasting impression but instead it left me wanting more as there was no standout texture or depth that lingered to take it to the next tier of tacos

edit: sorry this was a response to mister @mzonelli

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From LES !

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Whaddayall think from Gemini - correctish? Personally I’d swap LES with Tribeca for Arts District equivalent. Harlem is a combo of Leimert Park and Boyle Heights for Spanish Harlem part.

The Cultural Map

Manhattan Neighborhood LA Equivalent Why it fits
Upper West Side Santa Monica Wealthy families, proximity to nature (Park vs. Beach), and a slightly “intellectual” liberal vibe.
Upper East Side Beverly Hills The classic epicenter of old money, high-end retail (Rodeo Dr vs. 5th Ave), and manicured hedges.
West Village West Hollywood (WeHo) Historically significant, incredibly walkable, high-end boutiques, and a vibrant LGBTQ+ soul.
SoHo Abbot Kinney (Venice) High-fashion flagship stores, “industrial” aesthetics, and a high concentration of influencers and tourists.
Lower East Side Silver Lake / Echo Park The gritty-turned-gentrified hub. It’s where the nightlife is edgy, the street art is everywhere, and the “cool kids” live.
Financial District DTLA (Financial Core) Glass towers, suits, and a feeling of being deserted after 7:00 PM on a Tuesday.
Tribeca Arts District (DTLA) Massive industrial lofts converted into ultra-expensive residences with world-class dining tucked into corners.
Midtown Century City Corporate headquarters, high-rises, and a feeling that everyone is there to do business, not to live.
Harlem Leimert Park The historic heart of Black culture, arts, and community with deep-rooted soul and rising interest.
Chelsea Culver City A mix of art galleries, tech companies, and a modern, polished urban feel.
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The part of the Bowery below Houston is the western border of the Lower East Side, so I’m still not sure what you mean.

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I mean that LES is a short walk from chinatown and a short walk from east Village and a fun time all around.

I don’t live there anymore, does this mean that I’ve adjusted to LA properly if I’m getting place names wrong ? :slight_smile:

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Ah, okay. That’s not what you started out with, but now I agree. I’ve lived on the LES for 20+ years. And I think people should have correct information about it!

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I did not enjoy ease. But I thought the beef trompo at Santo was exceptional. Not wrong that it’s expensive but I found that it was more consistent than Los tacos #1 has been lately.

anyway - there’s a lot of places floating around in this thread so as a New Yorker of 30+ years I will just say my short short list

I like L’industrie and F+f for pizza, I think ceres is good but if i were just visiting I’m not wasting my time in the line. If I’m gonna do a walk up it’s Chrissies. If I’m gonna sit down it’s at Ops east village with a tavern style pizza and a sourdough one

my essential restaurant is superiority burger. Get every special, get every dessert.

Eat at Penny - it gets compared to found oyster sure, but I think it’s more adventurous.

Torrissi is worth it. Get an 11:00 res and have a second dinner. Maybe after Penny.

Get a patty and a daiquiri at Bar Kabawa

And while it’s Mexican I really love what they’re doing at Corima. A little northern Mexican, some Chinese and basque sneaking in.

Also - mission Chinese is sneakily operating out of an old space in Chinatown. They’re playing the hits. The hits are great.

Pastries at elbow bread.

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496

Just some replies/comments from things above:

I Sodi and L’Artusi may still deliver comforting, well executed Italian but they are not next generation Italian places, they sit in the same era and opened up the same time as Osteria Mozza back in 2007-2008. If you said Torrisi, that’s a different story. I’ve been to Misi and Lilia many times, trendy places with good pasta dishes that are always full and require a reservation unless you line up at 5, but hungryhippo you gotta go to Brooklyn for those. With that said, most definitely hit up Brooklyn.

In regard to the Thai restaurants, Soothr focuses more on noodles, in a long dark restaurant that the young crowd in East Village loves, serving more Modern Thai American food. Try their Koong Karee, a rich egg curry folded with shrimp which is not a common dish you’ll find around. If you’re staying in Union Square, definitely do Pranakhon, 2 story decorated Thai place will offer a wide range of Thai dishes that will have you coming back for more. Love the curries here.. vibrant, aromatic curries, layered with spice and depth, in a space that feels as lively as the food tastes. Thai Diner is always the fun spot, damn do I miss Uncle Boons. Anyways, I would not say any of these compare to Anajak. Anajak is not strictly about Thai food but rather focuses on how far Thai food can go, and also, none of these have an elevated wine program with a Somm walking around.

Skip Upside Pizza, it’s become a chain at this point and there are much better options. There’s a reason why Rubirosa is still around kicking ass and more than just pizza, great pastas as well. Check it out for sure! If you want something more modern, Ops, a standout in Bushwick opened up a new East Village spot. If you want a pizza and solid Italian sandwich combo, do John’s of Bleecker Street and hit up Faicco’s afterwards.

Think I saw that someone said Una Pizza Napoletana in the west village is closed? Definitely not true, Anthony is a legend and it is packed every night…and Una Pizza is in the LES

@hungryhungryhippos reach out if you have any questions

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497

Anytbing to recommend for these types of cuisine in lower manhattan

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What do you recommend in Brooklyn?

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I can go on and on about Brooklyn.. I’ll message you

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I loved this combo did it on my last trip only waited 15 min for John’s and then the next day did Faiccos for the plane!

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Appreciate it!

@mzonelli keep the recs coming I’ll take all of them!

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I’ll send my bk ones. I might have missed how long you are there but I mostly lived in Brooklyn and it’s a massive borough but some of the cuisines you sent will be treks and while there are gems I don’t know if I’d hit all of them on a visit. (Hence getting a patty at bar Kabawa in manhattan before a dinner or something)

I’ll send more!!

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can’t you preorder online and pickup?

https://ceres-100824.square.site/

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Ah, maybe. That wasn’t a thing last time. Anyway - still think their pizza is entirely overcooked in an effort to be too crisp and cater to the Portnoy crowd.

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I need to go back to sonnys

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Sonny’s can hold its own amongst the best in NYC imo

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