Thanksgiving in NYC

My family (husband, 17 year old daughter & 19 year old son) & I will be visiting NY the week of Thanksgiving. Would love some suggestions for places to eat. I'm very interested in the places where New Yorkers eat, not the touristy ones. Would like to soak up some real NY flavor. Want to spend time in Little Itlay, Chinatown, Brooklyn, etc (we are staying in the 56th St & 7th Ave area). Here's a few ideas I've been given, so please comment on them as well as your ideas. Ray's Famous Pizza (11th & 6th), John's Pizzeria, Schnack for burgers, Katz's Deli, Veniero's Bakery, Manganaro's Hero Boy. Interested in Italian, Chinese, good burger, pizza, deli, & a great hot dog! This Southern gal needs some help! Thanks.

For Italian food in NYC, I love Lupa -- one of Mario Batali's restaurants, at 170 Thompson Street. I haven't had much good Italian food in Little Italy. Having dim sum is a great way to enjoy Chinese food in NYC. I just go to Chinatown when I visit and wander into a likely looking place, but I'm sure there are sources for specific recommendations. And there may well be better places in Brooklyn or Queens.
The New York Times Dining section online is a great resource. There's currently a link from their main Dining & Wine webpage to "Best of New York," which is a collection of articles from the past year or so about the best ice cream, pizza, burgers, breakfasts, subs -- even the best food in Chinatown. It's a great place to look for planning a visit.

Considering where you will be staying go to the Carnegie Deli on 7th ave and 55th st instead of Katz's. Carnegie's sandwiches are similar, the atmosphere is a bit better and Katz's is too far from your hotel to justify the trip.

Wareagle, it's hard to know where to start. I suggest investing in a copy of Zagat's, and also checking out any threads on this site regarding either NYC (by going to Message Boards and then clicking on "Where Should I Eat?)" or a food-category of interest. For example, there are threads on pizza that will make several alternative suggestions to Ray's Pizza (which I suggest avoiding in favor of Grimaldi's, John's, Totonno's or many others -- including my personal favorite Lento's in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn -- but that's just me.)

For burgers, you might want to try The Burger Joint in the Parker Meridien hotel (56th between 6th and 7th), or the Corner Bistro (in the Village). You've already got a good beat on delis, although you might want to sneak off to Junior's in Grand Central for a cheesecake dessert. I enjoy Manganaro's Hero Boy. And, I agree with the "wander around Chinatown" recommendation -- although Canton on Division Street is a great destination.

Just a tip of the iceberg....

It's definitely great fun to wander around Chinatown and take it all in, but when you're ready to eat, head to Joe's Shanghai on Pell Street for soup dumplings, among other treats. Your plan to hit Katz is a keeper. While in the neighborhood, walk over and grab a bag of hot bialys from Kossar's on Grand Street. Have a great trip.

quote:

Originally posted by jpatweb

It's definitely great fun to wander around Chinatown and take it all in, but when you're ready to eat, head to Joe's Shanghai on Pell Street for soup dumplings, among other treats. Your plan to hit Katz is a keeper. While in the neighborhood, walk over and grab a bag of hot bialys from Kossar's on Grand Street. Have a great trip.

And, as long as you're doing all that, also walk a few additional yards from Kossar's over to the Doughnut Plant, just to try it.

NYC's chowhound.com had this very thread today at:

http://www.chowhound.com/boards/manhat/messages/93310.html

FYI.

I feel Schnack is always a good choice. They are closed on the 25th itself. On the 24th and 26th they will be doing a special Turkey Burger.

A little offbeat: Dojo's, St. Mark's Place
http://www.digitalcity.com/newyork/dining/venue.adp?vid=10362

Have the tofu burger platter with sauce. Really.

In Little Italy, we love Paolucci's on Mulbery Street. I like to get Vietnamese food in Chinatwon since it is impossible to get on LI- Pho Bang on Mott Street is very good and cheap- four people can eat there for $25.

Wareagle

Interesting name. My recommendation for a great burger is to go to one of the steak houses because the meat is top shelf; I would go to either Peter Luger's (arguably the home of the best Porterhouse in the country) or Keens Steakhouse. Keens is local watering hole for me but it's a great historic and picturesque place with good food (the burger and fries are outstanding) and is located at 36th Street and 6th Avenue. Peter Luger's is in Brooklyn so more of a hike. I've never had a truly 'great' hot dog in NYC; local faves like Papaya King are more known for their good value. A newer place you might want to try is Mandler's (17th between Fifth and Broadway) for things like brats and bocks or Crif-dogs (St Mark's Place in the East Village) for fast food style deep fried dogs/chili fries/etc. Katz's is also famous for their dogs. None of the hot dog places (with the exception of Katz's but I would have the pastrami there) merit a special trip but if you're in the neighborhood... For Pizza I would go to Grimaldi's in Brooklyn or John's Pizzeria on Bleecker in the Village (go here, not to the one in Times Square). Have fun. Personally, I'm going South for the holidays.

How long have you been an Auburn fan, War Eagle?

The following are not only my favorites in the city, but also the places I most frequent:

Chinatown - DO NOT miss Joe Shanghai for soup dumplings, also they make great shanghai noodles.
Sushi - Yama (17th and Irving - you want to order their special rolls on the inside back cover of the menu)
Breakfast - Vselka (2nd ave and 9th street - it's a ukranian restaurant - great kielbasa, great blintzes)
Italian/steakhouse - Pietros (43rd b/n 2nd and 3rd - i suggest the steak for 2, chopped salad, half and half (friend onions and shoestrings)
Burgers - Corner Bistro (W. 4th and Jane) or JG Melons (3rd and 74th) - get a bloody mary or a bloody bull as your beverage.
Spanish - El Quijote (23rd b/n 7th and 8th - great sangria, chorizo, lobsters and anything in green sauce)
French - Tout Va Bien (51st and 8th - started eating frogs legs there at a VERY young age)

That's all I can think of right now...