A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!)

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (Tony Bad)

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 21:22:50 GMT

Now that Billy has finished his story, I'll just add a few things.

The dumplings at Vanessa's were wonderful, but heed Billy's drip warning, and don't share with any one. I made the latter mistake and my punk kids ate them all while I was taking pictures before I got a taste.

When we went to rice to riches Billy pointed out his favorite "go-to" flavor. He then tasted about half a dozen other flavors before falling back to his go to flavor. My wife felt he knew exactly what he wanted and was just trying to score some free pudding by doing all that tasting. Billy is a wise man!

Here is a shot of Billy lost in his pudding. I think the store needs to make him their spokesman...although they may insist he lose the Red Sox lid!

Here was a funny poster...sorry about quality of shot...that sums up the funny theme of the store.

Great fun Billy! Hope we don't wait so long to do it again.

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (karilyn)

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 20:55:59 GMT

Again, THANKS for an epicure-iously wonderful day!!!!
Maybe you should redirect your talent to behind the camera . . . your writing skills are amazing. You know how to work a camera too! I have two sons working on their college essays . . . they could learn a thing or two from you!!!
Cheers!

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (joerogo)

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 20:49:59 GMT

Thanks to all for the great trip report.

Hope I can make the next one

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (tcrouzer)

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 09:14:05 GMT

Great report - as usual - Billy! The only time I got to NYC I was 12 years old and the Automat was the place for tourists to visit! Love your tours of all the neat places that can be found in the big Apple!

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (billyboy)

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 01:48:20 GMT

Foodosaurus, hope you liked the dumpling pics. I'll get on the scene with another tour (hopefully) soon! If you're ever in the city and looking for some grub, drop me a line!

Nancy, Baah Ben and I did a "dueling banjos" style write-up a couple of years ago and I really like that style. Tony does an awesome job and his pics are so crisp and in focus!

Speaking of which, Tony, what kind of camera/settings do you use? The pictures of the bagel and the donuts just knocked me over.

Thanks TnT! Definitely will put together another tour.

Ivyhouse, thanks! Maybe repeats but also looking to mix it up with different stops each time.

CK, thanks! I've had the Cherry Mash and wasn't a big fan, although for me any cherry flavored candy runs the risk of reminding me of children's cough medicine (I was a sickly child) so it's hard for me to really get behind a lot of cherry candies. I was really happy that I could share that egg cream spot with the others and it's my hope to find 3-4 proper egg creams in different neighborhoods so if the craving hits I'm never too far away from one!

Ken, thanks man! I'm always floored at how busy Rice To Riches is every time I go there and that is all they serve...rice pudding! For a place that serves just one thing to last this long in NYC is a rare sight indeed! Thanks for the Ricky Scaggs video! Great stuff! I remember seeing that years ago. I think they shot it in 1985 and the subways have all the graffiti that I used to see when I visited in the 80s. Those break dancers were great! David Keith from "Brubaker" has a cameo at the end as the guy in the tux with his date trying to meet Ricky in the station as well as former Mayor Ed Koch on the street.

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (ken8038)

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 22:19:57 GMT

Great finish! Those dumplings look amazing, I've made a note of Vanessa's. And while I'm not big on Rice Pudding, my wife still raves about Rice to Riches (she went with her sister last year).

Finally, those shots of the break dancers on the subway immediately brought to mind this music video from about 20 years ago, starting at about 2:00 on the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h5ydMEfnJI

Thanks again for another great trip, I always find some new places via your posts.

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (Nancypalooza)

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 21:15:19 GMT

/clapping . . . excellent finish to an excellent report Billy! And thanks to your contributors too!

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (billyboy)

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 11:02:16 GMT

After getting our sugar on at Economy, we walked through the Lower East Side and came upon this sight. I seriously hope that was a leftover from an episode of CSI:NY!

Our next nosh brought us to Vanessa's Dumplings on Eldridge Street. I spend a fair amount of time in this neighborhood and since my friend Ian told me about this place a few years back, it has been a regular stop for me. In fact, I go out of my way to come here, I love the dumplings so much.

Cheap, tasty and filling and a pretty big menu, Vanessa's is packed most of the time ad finding a seat can be difficult if you have a big group. Cash only, you get in line, place your order and wait for them to call your number. Hold on to your receipt and they will use it to match with the one they have. The soups, sandwiches and bubble teas are great too.

The sesame pancake for 75 cents. Chewy, nutty, greasy and studded with scallions it's great on its own or as the base for a many a sandwich filled with duck, pork, beef, vegetables... I'm partial to soaking mine in the sriracha/soy mixture I make for my dumplings!!

My pork & chive dumplings for $1.00. What a bargain! They let them get all fried and crusty on one side and keep the other side soft and chewy while the pork inside is filled with the aromas of chive, ginger and garlic. Be sure to stoop over when eating these as they can be juicy and if you're not careful your shirt will become a map of where you've been! This was a hit with the group and I think this little place tucked away came as a surprise and a gem to mant. Some remarked how they would definitely come back with others.

Can make the weekend matches at the club in the Hamptons with Muff and Uncle Biff? Stop on by the Lower East Side for some urban street polo! I has seen these guys here before and it was a nice surprise for the group. Always something interesting and fun happening in the city.

A shot of the Empire State building. I never tire of seeing this when I'm walking around the city.

Michelle and I were noticing the old and the new and really liked this older building and its green trim and the way it cut a nice figure in the skyline.

Our second to last stop was Ray's Pizzeria on Prince Street. The blur in this shot is a biker pedaling by. It wasn't intentional but when I saw it later that night I liked how it came out. A city constantly in motion, never fulling stopping lest it miss out on something. There are many "Ray's" around the city and almost as many different stories as to which one came first and is "famous" or "original" as there are Ray's! This one in Nolita (North of Little Italy) is my favorite and I have found it to be the most consistent of all the slice places I have been to. As is the case with many pizza slice shops, freshness can prove to be a problem since the pies can be sitting out for a while. I've walked in here before, didn't like the way the pizza looked and walked back out again. Today, they didn't have any pies fresh from the oven right as we walked in but they did look good so I grabbed a slice. Usually if you ask for a slice in the city you'll get a slice of cheese pizza.

This, to me, is a great representation of a NYC slice. Good balance of cheese and sauce, the cheese is browned and has some chew to it, the crust is cheesy and crackly and has flavor (thankfully not like cardboard as some places can be). Karilyn, Matt and Heather said their goodbyes at this point as they had a long drive back to Massachusetts. Thanks for coming down and spending the day with us and I look forward to the next one!!!

Tony asked if I was up for joining he and his family at the last (unplanned) stop of the night at Rice To Riches on Spring Street. But of course!! I forgot to take shots of the exterior and I was struggling with night shots at this point so these first four are stock photos that I have.

One of my favorite elements to this place is that they allow you to sample different flavors before committing to buying anything. This pumpkin was really good wth a pronounced pumpkin flavor and a healthy dose of pumpkin pie spices. Very autumnal.

The gingerbread was just okay. The flavor of the gingerbread was too subtle for me.

This orange-cranberry, while very tasty, is a flavor that I will always associate with Thanksgiving relish and it's hard for me to appreciate it in a different context.

So I went with my go-to flavor, Man-Made Mascarpone. The combination of the tangy mascarpone cheese, tart dried cherries and creamy rice pudding has ben drawing me in for over 7 years.

This actually DID make it home but not through the night. And yes, I did share with Dayna! We hung around outside eating our pudding and talking for a bit before we said our goodbyes and looked forward to the next tour. 7 train ethnic eats perhaps? Another pizza tour? Maybe tackle Brooklyn next? Who knows? Tony, Michelle, Anthony, Christina and Margret, I had a great time breaking bread (be it a bagel, donut, rye, knish or pizza dough) with you all today and I look forward to many more!!

I thought I'd tack this on. Dayna and I took the train to Union Square the day before the tour to see "The Social Network" and we were floored by the skills of these breakdancers who were able to work within the confines of the 4 train!

Many thanks to everyone who could come: Dayna, Doug, Marisa, Claude, Tony, Michelle, Anthony, Christina, Margret, Karilyn, Matt and Heather. Thanks for putting your faith in me to guide you around for some of my favorite eats!

"Eating is an adventure, enjoy the ride!" - Billyboy, 2010

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (CajunKing)

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:37:53 GMT

Billyboy

This has been one great trip report so far, the food, the fun & the friends. One of these day I have to come back to the Big Apple there is just SOOOOOOOOOOO many cool places to eat.

My favorites at the candy store would have been the cherry mash

It is very hard to find an egg creme let alone a GREAT one, you are so lucky!

Thanks for sharing the day

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (Ivyhouse)

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:52:38 GMT

TnTinCT

Wow - so far, so great! Sorry we missed this, juts couldn't make the new date work, but will look forward to the next one! Waiting with baited (pun, I had to have an everything bagel this morning while I caught up on the report!) breath for the rest!

I agree all around! A great report, and am so sorry that I couldn't be there. Billyboy, I am looking forward to your next excursion -- sign me up for Nosh 2! Can the Carnegie Deli and the dumpling place be repeat visits??

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (TnTinCT)

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:41:41 GMT

Wow - so far, so great! Sorry we missed this, juts couldn't make the new date work, but will look forward to the next one! Waiting with baited (pun, I had to have an everything bagel this morning while I caught up on the report!) breath for the rest!

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (leethebard)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:11:46 GMT

Tony, nice additions...wow that bagel looks like the real thing!!

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (TJ Jackson)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:28:24 GMT

hey now, Tony's kids might be reading this, folks......chill

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (CajunKing)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:24:24 GMT

The Travelin Man

ChiTownDiner

I didn't know you could rent a wife and kids for the day....

And here I was thinking "WHY" would anyone want to rent a wife and kids for the day? With all due respect to the Fake Mrs. Tony Bad and the Fake Tony Bad Offspring, one really needn't pay for someone to tell you what's wrong with you and not have sex with you.

Heck, even I can get THAT for free.

Yeah but yours are usually 14 and the law gets called as you leave a place too.

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (The Travelin Man)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:34:18 GMT

ChiTownDiner

I didn't know you could rent a wife and kids for the day....

And here I was thinking "WHY" would anyone want to rent a wife and kids for the day? With all due respect to the Fake Mrs. Tony Bad and the Fake Tony Bad Offspring, one really needn't pay for someone to tell you what's wrong with you and not have sex with you.

Heck, even I can get THAT for free.

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (Nancypalooza)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:03:44 GMT

Two viewpoints of the same day! I love it!

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (billyboy)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:23:16 GMT

Doddydaddy, I did point out Pomme Frites, one of my favorite spots, but we were pretty stuffed from Carnegie at that point. Perhaps it needs to be added to the next tour! Close, we ended up on the Lower East Side and then Nolita (north of Little Italy).

Joe, good catch. I updated the post. Sorry Margret!

MiamiDon, I wonder if that soda fountain is still around. Another great spot in that area is the Lexington Candy Shop. I've had some good egg creams and malteds there.

Ken, I hear you about the paper cup. I was disappointed when I first went there a few years ago but it IS a mighty fine egg cream, well balanced and refreshing. While it may lack the visual artistry, drinking one while walking the streets of the East Village is an interesting experience as that area is like a box of Forrest Gump chocolates (you never know what you're gonna get!).

Benzee, thanks man! The idea for my pose with the Big Hunk was Tony's and I'm liking it more each day. I made it my profile picture on the facebook!

Tony, thank you so much! That is very kind of you to say. I really had a wonderfful time with everyone and you and your family are a delight. You and Michelle have a couple of great kids! I forgot about that "Godfather" shot! Classic. Why did you deny me my burger, Tony! WHY!!?? Graffiti your own train? Start the kids early, I say! Great pics and commentary, Tony!!

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (Foodosaurus)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:06:08 GMT

Billyboy
Looks like you all had a wonderful day. I'm so jealous!! But very happy for you as well. Can't wait to see the Dumpling pictures.

Please plan another one of these soon.

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (Tony Bad)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:54:50 GMT

There is little to add after Billy tells a story, so I will add a couple of my pictures and just say that Bill is truly a wonderful person to spend a day with. Not only is he a wonderful tour guide but a fun and funny person to be around.

Here was a place we didn't try, but one that had a classic name.

A shot of my whole wheat everything from Murray's. These bagels scared me because they were rather fat, which often means that the bagel will go down like a hunk of lead, but they were light and airy inside, with a nice well done crust on the outside.

Here were our groups donuts from the donut pub. Chocolate Dipper, Toasted Coconut, and Glazed. All very good. This place is more of a traditional donut place as opposed to the donut plant which makes what I call donut shaped pastries. Both good, yet very different.

My Coconut Creme donut somehow vanished before my camera could focus. We also took home some muffins and scones for Monday breakfast which everyone said were good.

The woman at the counter assured me this was healthier than a no fat bran muffin...

Here is Billy holding court in our little private room at the very back of Carnegie Deli...

Our perch left us with a unique view of the hustle and bustle of the place...

Some one else can do the tourist trap or not debate...all I can say is what an awesome sandwich...

Outside Gem Spa we had a hard time convincing Billy this was just a plastic prop and he would hurt himself eating it. This was taken just before Matt, Heather, and Karilyn wrestled him to the ground...for his own good.

One of my favorite items at Toy Tokyo was this DIY graffiti train...

No shots in Economy Candy, but I did find one of my old favorites, Bonomo Turkish Taffy, Vanilla flavor. Mmmmmmmmm...good! I also got some tootsie pop drops and charms candies. Also both as good as I remembered from years past.

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (Benzee)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:48:10 GMT

Hey Big Hunk !!!
Great reports buddy keep them coming
Benzee

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (ken8038)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:34:50 GMT

I'm really enjoying this great report Billyboy. Thanks!

One thing would have bugged me though. Egg Cream in a paper cup?? It just doesn't taste as good if you can't see the milk/foam dividing line in a cross section through a real glass.

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (MiamiDon)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:28:11 GMT

A fine meetup report, billyboy! I'm going to put Gem Spa on my must-try list for NYC. I used to get egg creams at the Liggett's (sp?) drug store soda fountain at 88th and Madison.

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (Tony Bad)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:27:23 GMT

joerogo

Did Tony bring his wife and his girlfriend?

My wife never lets me bring my girlfriend...the unnamed person is my sister Margret, a veteran of hot dog and pizza tours of the past.

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (Tony Bad)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:26:02 GMT

leethebard

Hey,love that candy store! Did they have the new Bonomo's turkish Taffee? It's hard to find. I've found the banana flavor only and that was great!

Yes Lee! They had Banana and Vanilla, which is my favorite. It is as good as I remembered!

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (BillyB)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:22:09 GMT

BillyBoy, Great pictures, great trip report. The Cheesecake at the Carnegie is real good, next time order one piece and 14 forks......................The Carnegie deli is a place to go back too, you can only try one thing at a time.................so much to eat and so little time.........................The best, thanks .....................BillyB

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (wanderingjew)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:12:41 GMT

joerogo

Did Tony bring his wife and his girlfriend?

That is just so wrong....

I know who that is- that's Margaret- Tony's sister from the Brooklyn pizza tour from 3 1/2 years ago.

BTW, I forgot that free wife and kids come with purchase of picture frames....

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (joerogo)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 08:31:10 GMT

billyboy, Great report! Everything looks really good.

I hope you don't think I'm being overly observent but, you list the names of eight people in the first photo. I counted nine people.

From left top right: Matt, Heather (Karilyn's friends from MA), RFer Karilyn, Dayna (my GF), Michelle (Mrs. Tony Bad), RFer Tony Bad and their children, Christina and Anthony.

Did Tony bring his wife and his girlfriend?

Serious though, a well organized trip, perfect weather and great people

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (leethebard)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 04:55:49 GMT

Hey,love that candy store! Did they have the new Bonomo's turkish Taffee? It's hard to find. I've found the banana flavor only and that was great!

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (doggydaddy)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 04:48:29 GMT

billyboy,

As always, a great report. For me you hit the jackpot when you went into Toy Tokyo. There is no other store quite like that in America. I am a major fan of Japanese monster movies and I have never left empty handed from that place.
I am surprised that you did not show a picture of Pomme Frittes next door. You've been there enough, but the folks here always love to see the place.
Economy Candy is always fun too. A trip to NYC is not complete unless I head south and hit these places. It sounds like you will be finishing this report in Chinatown and the East Village. Cool.....

mark

Re:A Grand Day in Manhattan with the NYC Nosh - November 14. 2010 (with pics!) (billyboy)

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:00:12 GMT

Gregg, I'll be putting together another one after the new year or possibly in the srping.
Benzee, thanks man! Hope you had fun at Pocono Downs.
Dale, glad I could be of service. The Woodster almost took me out for the day. I had to cry uncle early into it or I would have hit the wall! Creative snap on the rental wife!
Oh, Nancy!!
Tony, you don't miss a beat, good sir and I love it. You were a true champion with that Woody Allen and I really enjoyed your recounting of your experience at Galatoire's in NOLA. Made we want to go there.
Karilyn, Dayna and I were so glad you could make it. Really great meeting Matt & Heather too!