Eat cheap in New York: the cheapest dog and authentic dishes with prices from other times | Gastronomy: recipes, restaurants and drinks

In the Eastern Township, one of the neighborhoods that retains a special flavor undergroundcame”little India” of which only one representative remains: the Virgin II. It has 40 years of history, amazing dimensions (both width and height) and, in addition, it multiplies the claustrophobic feeling with motley lighting decorations. “Before there were many restaurants like this, but by the pandemic almost all of them have closed. We have tried to maintain prices. It helps a lot that we don’t sell alcohol,” said Jahid, one of the attendees.

It is true that the concept Bring your own bottle (BIOBbring your own bottle in its Spanish translation) is very important for the restaurant to save on licenses and for the customer to buy the bottle at a better price at the nearest liquor store. The food is worthy and the place is an Instagram gem. Model Chrissy Teigen and singer John Legend closed it for themselves and Here’s how they shared it on their networks. A group dinner at 30 dollars (about 27 euros in exchange rate) per beard or a table for two at 39.90 dollars (36 euros) and one comes out with good service. It is understood that a large part of the costs of the building goes towards the price of electricity.

In the Hell’s Kitchen area, after or before watching a Broadway show or participating in a gay night, the Thai Yum Yum too It has an unbeatable five-course menu for $27.95 (25.5 euros). And if, however, these prices seem expensive, go to Chinatown and, in an area that is already very affordable, it is called the pinnacle North Dump. The home production chain of dim sum in a scene (two Chinese women who only speak English) and the minimum resourcesto some extent, explain the price: 10 boiled or fried units cost between 3 and 4.50 dollars (2.70 and 4 euros).

Inside the Panna II Garden restaurant in the East Village.ANDREW KELLY (Reuters/Contacto)

If you’re one of those people who can’t leave New York without a hot dog and a hamburger, the cheapest dog in town is in a place as unromantic as the Costco, in East Harlem. The wholesale giant is still offering Very tasty hot dogs at $1.50 with a soft drink includeda price that has been stable since the eighties. In street food carts, since the pandemic has increased prices, it is already difficult to find them for less than 5 dollars (4.5 euros), but there is still a covered and very attractive place that sells them to 4 Juliusin the West Village, which is also the oldest gay bar in New York, dating back to 1840. They also sell hamburgers for 12 (11 euros). Prices have gone up since the pandemic, but are still cheap compared to a very expensive neighborhood. The owner of the center says that she is committed to creating intergenerational meetings in the LGBT community at reasonable prices (stop queer bourgeoisie).

Sometimes, it’s not just the place, but the time you need to look to save a few dollars. Not only the happy hour They’re a great way to save on drinks or oysters (yes, it’s very typical in a New Yorker happy hour of oysters for $2), but lunch, compared to dinner, can mean a budget buster. Places as beautiful asA small kitchen They allow you to eat well-cooked pasta and better presentedin the heart of SoHo for $14.95 (13.60 euros), and in Midtown, for $15.50 (14 euros) you have the dish of the day at the very good Cuban Guantanamera.

Queen’s Fish Market

For the more adventurous, keeping in mind that time is money, take the subway to Queens, and as you discover one of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods in the entire United States, you can eat more, better and cheaper. There is a good choice there Astoria Seafoodin the area of ​​Greece. It’s like a neighborhood fishmonger, where you pick your fish with your gloves, hand it to a man and he charges you for it, but also asks: “Boiled?” fries? to the grill?” After some time, once you have found a record, (sometimes quite controversially), they will give it to you at a price that is usually around 2 dollars per pound (1.80 euros, or 4 dollars, 3.60 euros, approximately) more expensive than in a traditional fishmonger. It usually does not cost more than 30 dollars (27 euros) per person and it is delicious paying $200 in restaurants in New York every time we wanted to go out to eat fresh fish,” explained Spyro, the manager of the place, who started as wholesale and is also BYOB.

At the fishmonger Astoria Seafood, in the Greek area, you choose your fish and then they prepare it for you.JEENAH MOON (New York Times / Contacto)

The concept is similar in Egyptian a little further north, the Abuqira little more expensive and smaller, which entered the top 10 of the best in The New York Times this year, but alcohol is not sold or allowed there. Finally, if you want a more intense experience, in the deepest Queen there is a “small Manila” to find for less than 20 dollars (18 euros) magnificent tuna jawsTito Radthe Filipino restaurant specialized in both this dish and fried pork. Guaranteed quality and quantity, although be careful with the hours, no one knows why, but they close at eight in the evening.

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