How to Eat Like a Local In New York City

Visiting New York City can cost you a pretty penny. From hotels and museums to theater tickets and clubs, a vacation in the big apple can rack up a hefty bill, but there’s one thing that you don’t have to spend your life savings on to enjoy, and that is the food. Like any city frequented by massive amounts of tourists there are bound to be the areas that trap you into spending way too much for food that’s not that authentic, but New York has as many tasty and affordable restaurants as it does expensive apartments. Here’s your insiders guide to the best and most affordable restaurants that New York City has to offer.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• City Map
• Metro Map
• Cash

1. Get out of the city center. Times Square will have some of the most expensive prices you’ve ever seen. Don’t be fooled by people telling you that New York is just expensive and you have to deal with it. Some of the best food can be found for very affordable prices. A chain restaurant in Times Square will find you weekend burger prices into the $18 range, and this isn’t a world famous Kobe beef burger. JG Melon, a little dig on the Upper East Side will find you one of the best burgers in the country. A burger, fries and JG melon’s famous Bloody Mary will only put you under about $15.
2. Venture down to the East Village for a tasty Italian venture at Supper. Celebrities like Victor Garber, Martin Short and Andrea Martin frequent this restaurant, which features a daily risotto special and lovely wine selection. It’s a small family style joint that could have you sharing a table with another couple, but its quaintness is part of the appeal. On the weekends there can be long wait times, but this will merely allow you time to visit the shops wine bar next door.
3. You can’t go to New York without eating brunch. Brunch is a New York pastime and you’d be hard pressed to find a New Yorker who doesn’t go out for brunch at least once each weekend. Brunch is a festival in food and pris fixe menus, which include a breakfast cocktail and coffee, can be found from $10 - $18. Clinton Street Bakery has arguably the best country style breakfast meals and biscuits, while Prune will get you a more unique gastrointestinal fair, but our favorite is Paprika with their $10.50 pris fixe. Try the green eggs - scrambled eggs served over grilled polenta and topped with chopped tomatoes and pesto - for a truly delicious experience.
4. If Barcelona is famous for its hot chocolate and churros, New York is famous for its cupcakes and the search for the perfect cupcake stops at Sugar Sweet Sunshine, a tiny Lower East Side bakery that smells so good you hardly need to buy its sweet creations. Sugar Sweet Sunshine’s buttercream frosting is quite possibly the yummiest thing your tongue will ever touch and the treats here are miles above the world famous Magnolia’s bakery. At $1.50 a pop, the cupcakes are cheaper as well.
5. You can’t very well come to New York City without eating a bagel and cream cheese and Pic-A-Bagel, a family run bagel joint on 23rd and Lexington. It is the best in the city. Bagels are made fresh in house everyday and served hot out of the oven. Choose from an assortment of cream cheese concoctions like sun dried tomato or one of the many seafood and meat salads or grab the traditional cream cheese with lox. Don’t leave without grabbing an over sized black and white cookie - another New York must-have for the road.
6. Pizza, pizza, any time of day! New York might be well known for the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and Broadway, but one of its most famous attractions is its pizza and there are a lot of pizza joints to choose from. Back away from the Sbarro and get yourself to the famous New York joints Bravo or Two Boots. Both these shops have several locations, but the Bravo on Park near Union Square has some of the best Margarita and White Pie slices, while Two Boots' East Village location has a pizza called ‘The Byrd’--a blue cheese and buffalo chicken combo that puts all other pizzas to shame.
7. You can find just about anything you want in New York, from Saghanaki in New Amsterdam to Bolognese in Little Italy, but some of the best and most affordable Thai food around can be found at the uber modern underground joint, Sea. Sea has some of the best priced Thai food in New York and with a classy ambiance and fun drink menu, it’s the perfect place for a romantic date or pre-partying with your friends. Dinner for two with saki will run you about $26.

Tips & Warnings

• Many restaurants in New York City, especially those in the the east Village only accept cash, so make sure you check with your server before ordering. ATMs are readily available on every corner.