Fast-Food Bargains, New York Style

An open letter to a food-loving goddaughter who is plotting her first trip to New York:

Dear Robin: Since you are carefree and 12 years old I will not shock you with the prices that you could pay to have dinner in some New York restaurants.

We’ll just save those funds for your college education. This does not mean that you have to starve for four days, but it does mean you have to be cagey.

New York is chockablock with neighborhood markets where you can buy snacks to keep in your hotel room and your purse.

My favorites recently were red bags of New York Deli Potato Chips, jalapeno flavor. They cost 50 cents and are crisp and spicy. I also bought a wedge of New York cheddar cheese and two apples and had the clerk put them in a plastic bag, which is easier to carry--and somewhat more elegant--than a brown sack. I stuffed a New York magazine in the top, bought some tulips at a flower stand and felt very much at home.

New York has thousands of delicatessens where the sandwiches are big and tasty and you get enormous pickles plopped on top.

One of the great ones is the Carnegie Deli on 7th Avenue, not far from Carnegie Hall. Woody Allen has shot films there. They serve yummy cheesecake. (There may be a line, but you and I have had to wait for good food before--like the day we had carne adovada burritos at M and J’s Sanitary Tortilla factory in your hometown of Albuquerque.)

Sidewalk Vendors

There are hot dog carts on New York street corners; they have signs for Polish, kosher, all-beef. I made a meal of a spicy frankfurter from a cart by the glittering Marriott Marquis hotel on Broadway when I was dashing to a Wednesday theater matinee. There also are carts selling ice cream bars so rich that they make you smile.

I know you don’t drink coffee, but you can cheer your parents by leading them into a deli for a good cup of espresso or cappuccino. You’ll also see signs for espresso in the windows of markets; follow the hearty aroma that wafts to the sidewalks.

While your folks sip coffee you can munch on a pie-size raisin muffin or one topped with nuts or chocolate chips. They cost $1 and, with a carton of milk, take care of lunch. New Yorkers love those round rolls called bagels; try a hot one of pumpernickel, or garlic flavor.

There are whole neighborhoods of ethnic restaurants and cafes.

Wander through Chinatown on a Sunday and you’ll find lots of delicious bargains. I have friends who like the Cantonese dishes at Wong Kee on Mott Street, and others who prefer the hotter menu of the Hwa Yuan Szechuan Inn on East Broadway.

The next time I’m in New York I want to check out the Nice restaurant--because I like its name and because the dim sum gets high marks. While in Chinatown, look at the sidewalk phone booths. The tops are like little pagodas.

Fulton Fish Market

South Street Seaport on the East River is a jolly restoration of shops and museums, sailing ships, food markets and a dozen cafes, indoors and out.

Lots of balloons, umbrellas, street musicians and mimes. This is the site of the historic Fulton Fish Market, a landmark of old New York.

Hamburgers? How about O’Neal’s on 57th Street at 6th Avenue. And, yes, there are golden arches all over Manhattan, even in Times Square.

Oysters? Try the counter at the Oyster Bar on the lower level in Grand Central Station. The chowders are terrific, too. Pizza? John’s Pizzeria in Greenwich Village at 278 Bleecker St.

Picnic site? Grab a deli sandwich (corned beef on rye, lox and cream cheese, or peanut butter) and go to Central Park. It is fresh and fun; you can join New Yorkers and jog on the elevated track around the Reservoir (great views of the city), or rent a bicycle or rowboat at Loeb Boathouse.

Stroll by the Tavern on the Green, even if you don’t eat there. It is a fantasyland restaurant where the trees are wrapped in ribbons of light.

One place you should not go in New York: Albuquerque Eats. Their Tex-Mex food is popular with local yuppies, but it’s nowhere near as good as the real thing in your hometown. Enjoy!