How to Effectively Eat through the East Side
Yay! I love food. If you didn't join me for my prep post, fear not. Google Maps does a great job of helping you figure out what's in the area. Here's a screenshot of what our map looked like with the legend.
It's useful because if you're looking at directions and want to see what's nearby, you can plan out your time more effectively. It's also better than running laps around the city. If you choose to use this, creating your personal map legend is only available (or easier) on the desktop web app.
The key to eating a lot of food in any city is... Sharing. You wanna try something? Split it. That way, you can maximize the eating around town. Although, I will say if you're hungry just go for your own thing. I'm a snacker and I can't eat much, and I can't each much especially on vacation so it works for me.
Midtown - Ess-a-Bagel
This place was literally a 5 minute walk from our Airbnb. It was also our first meal of the day so it was important to eat after having bland airplane food. I can't do greasy foods in the morning so we split a bagel sandwich. Tam had chosen one that was basically a B.A.L.T (bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato). The seating in here can be difficult, but it was good overall. They have an express line for simple orders like toasted bagels; everything else is funneled through longer line.
Did you know that dissolved minerals in water are what gives water its taste? High amounts of it make "bad" tasting water, and low amounts make better tasting water. Weird right? They say that the water can change the taste of bread, and I think that was the case. We liked it enough that we came back the day after.
Midtown - Melt Shop
We had received this location as a suggestion from one of Tam's friends. Both of us love cheese, love grills, and love grilled cheeses. One of the first times we hung out involved grilled cheese. Grilled cheese has been repeated excessively.
We ordered the 3 Cheese, adding on bacon (left), and the Truffle Melt (right). I was not disappointed. The bread was buttery and crunchy, and the cheese was gooey. I also had a giant pickle from here that was inappropriately huge. It was a good complement since it cut through the richness of the cheese. This location is very close the Top of the Rock, so it was convenient for us looking to quickly snack.
Lower East Side - Katz Delicatssen
After Nintendo World, we took the Lyft to Katz in the Lower East Side. We were really lucky because when we went in, it's empty. It's important to note that in Katz, they give you a ticket. Do not lose the ticket. The ticket is their way of making sure everyone who can pay is paying exactly what they need... Or something. I forgot. Either way, don't lose it or else someone in your party will pay the lost ticket fine.
You see, in Katz, it's cafeteria style. You go up to where you want food and have them mark up your ticket as you order things. Each station even has its own tipping jar. Think about it like dim sum restaurants where they stamp your placard as they cart their wares around. Same idea, except it's a Jewish deli where the only carts you see are cleaning tables for the next round of people.
We opted for the classic pastrami sandwich. I'm not a huge pastrami person, often times I think it's too salty. My friend had told me this place lives up to the hype. I have to agree. The pastrami wasn't too salty, and the edges of meat were sweet and had a nice citrusy flavor. I don't actually know what the flavor is, but it was so good. Paired with my beer, I'd definitely go again on our next visit. Sandwiches were definitely splittable.
East Village - Momofuku Milk Bar
I have always had a second stomach for desserts. After something heavy like pastrami and beer, something sweet can break it up. It was maybe a 15-20 minute walk from Katz, so we headed over. Milk is in East Village, which is apparently a hub for food. I don't know, I was full so I wasn't looking for anything of interest near by. But if you've heard of Baohaus, it's in this neighborhood.
In case you miss it like we did, Milk Bar is near another Momofuku family eatery, Ssam Bar. It's around the corner and tucked away in a small corner. I've heard that the cookies here are good, as well as the cereal milk flavored ice cream.
I was pretty buzzed, but I was definitely disappointed in both the ice cream and the multitude of cookies we ended up buying. The ice cream had a cereal coating, I'm guessing Captain Crunch, but it just tasted like a sweeter vanilla. I love vanilla ice cream, but I was expecting something a little more unique.
We got home before I tried the other cookies. The blueberry and cream cookie was dry and hard, but the chocolate chocolate cookie was awesome. Overall, would not recommend.
