Moist and prone to minor crumbling, the olive oil cake ($3) harbors a simple and unassertive flavor, like a more flavorful angel cake Read more.
The pierogies ($9.50 for 4), filled with potato or cheese, are plump and unusually large. They’re great with the hearty, but not heavy, barley and mushroom soup. Read more.
Each layer of the banh mi ($6.25) is applied in careful balance, and the baguette holding it all together is just crusty enough to crackle. Read more.
Try the “Haus Bao” ($3.90), endowing Creekstone beef cheek with the flavors of a classic Taiwanese street snack, it's especially tasty. Read more.
What you should really try is the Choinkwich ($6), an ice cream sandwich made with chocolate cookies from the Treats Truck, chocolate soft serve ice cream and a layer of Bacon Marmalade. Read more.
The standout is the Nonna Maria. It’s not overwhelmingly garlicky, like other grandma slices, but the basil, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese come together beautifully. Read more.
Alongside firm strips of tofu in the Chili Doufu ($7.99), you’ll find red and green pepper, onion, tomato and other spices that make the dish a panoply of textures. Read more.
The yo-yo ($5.75) gets a sugary makeover. Sweet plantains are fried in a cinnamon-spiked plantain batter, then they’re stuffed with slightly chewy, fresh cheese and served with honey dipping sauce. Read more.
Roast pork and garlicky mojo in a pan con lechon would be enough on their own, but the addition of chicharrones pushes the porcine quotient over the top, while pickled red onions cut all that richness Read more.
Huevos Rancheros, served over a crispy corn tortilla and flavorful moros, are especially good. Two fried eggs atop are splashed with a tart salsa verde and pickled onion, crema and queso fresco. Read more.
The Good Morning Dog ($5), also pretty tasty as a late night snack, is a hot dog wrapped in bacon and padded with melted cheese and a fried egg. Read more.
Try the Cookies and Cream Sundae ($7.95), which mixes crisp chunks of three types of cookies with vanilla bean soft serve. "Just make sure to share with one or two people; the portion is huge." Read more.
If you’re looking for a Valrhona triple-chocolate doughnut or exotic ingredients like matcha, you won’t find them here. What you'll find is the epitome of a glazed doughnut (they call it a Honey Dip). Read more.
The carnitas (pork) are seared and slow cooked, leaving them juicy and flavorful, with the right amount of salty kick before being wrapped in corn tortilla along with toppings of your choice. Read more.
The carnitas (pork) are seared and slow cooked, leaving them juicy and flavorful, with the right amount of salty kick before being wrapped in corn tortilla along with toppings of your choice. Read more.
The humble egg cream ($2.50), a mixture of chocolate syrup (the purists demand Fox’s U-Bet), milk and soda water, lives on at Gem Spa, a ramshackle bodega on the corner of St. Marks and 2nd Ave. Read more.
Gray’s offers the original budget-friendly meal. The sauerkraut and spicy mustard add some depth to the otherwise generic, greasy dog, making this the perfect snack after you’ve had one too many. Read more.
Try the hot and sour sweet potato noodle soup ($7) and enjoy the mouth-numbing sensation of slippery noodles bathed in a hot chili-oil broth, studded with bits of ground beef, peanuts and cilantro. Read more.
The Age Ice consists of 3 plump scoops of ice cream in your choice of flavors—vanilla, strawberry, green tea or black sesame—set inside a bun that is lightly deep-fried moments before being served. Read more.
Freshly made gelati and sorbetti are invariably creamy and smooth, and their seasonal menu offers a wide variety of flavors. Don’t miss their intensely nutty pistachio gelato. Read more.
Freshly made gelati and sorbetti are invariably creamy and smooth, and their seasonal menu offers a wide variety of flavors. Don’t miss their intensely nutty pistachio gelato Read more.
The bargain shrimp roll—a buttered, split-top bun packed with juicy shrimp lightly tossed with herbed salt and a hint of mayo—is worth a detour from the more famous lobster roll (and half the price). Read more.
Mark serves a classic slider. The patties are pressed into a cast iron griddle with onions, flipped, and topped with cheese, which is then left to steam underneath the bun until gooey and soft. Read more.
Veal hearts (anticuchos) are made even more tender and flavorful by a long marination in aji panca peppers, soy sauce and oregano. Read more.
The Jaffna Dosa platter ($6) consists of four soft and spongy dosas, covered in a spicy dried coconut chutney. They're served with a cup of sambar and your choice of appetizer. Read more.
The hulking coconut tiger shrimp sandwich ($8) features a half-dozen shrimp on a toasted baguette with pickled vegetables, a spicy-sweet Sriracha mayo and toasted coconut flakes. Read more.
Takoyaki ($5) may not sound appetizing, but they're worth trying. Pieces of octopus are enrobed in wheat flour, and covered in mayo, a smoky “barbecue” sauce, dried seaweed and bonito flakes. Read more.
The Lebanese Pressed Chicken Sandwich is roasted, sliced and slathered with toum, an intense spread of garlic, olive oil and salt. Pressed and topped with pickles, it evokes a Cubano by way of Beirut. Read more.
Go for the samosa and chickpeas chaat ($5.50). "Crisp samosas are split open and doused in spicy stewed chickpeas, tangy yogurt, sweet tamarind-date chutney, spicy cilantro chutney and raw onions. Read more.
Try the papa a la huancaina ($5)—a potato smothered in a creamy sauce made of queso fresco, aji amarillo and turmeric. It's served on a large lettuce leaf and topped with a hard-boiled egg and olives. Read more.
"ry the corned beef hash, served with two eggs, toast and potatoes, an order costs barely over $5 and is packed with beefy flavor. Read more.
If you’ve never had taro-flavored ice cream before, this is the place to try it. Made with fresh taro and taro-flavored powder, it tastes like vanilla and sweet potato—subtly starchy and floral. Read more.
The slow-roasted pulled pork is arguably the best deal in the house. The meat’s deep flavor is complemented by an apple slaw, and garnished with chipotle mayo, crunchy fried pork skin and cilantro. Read more.
Try the green falafel sandwich ($6.25). The flavorful green falafel–fried mashed chickpea mixed with parsley, mint, and cilantro–are moist on the inside, and lightly crisp on the outside. Read more.
Try the spicy pork meatballs topped with a Parmesan cream sauce ($7). The meatballs melt away under the sauce described as “alfredo on steroids.” Read more.
The bhel pori ($5.50) isn’t for the faint of heart. Heartier than a salad, it clears your sinuses with a tart, spicy mix of chutneys and lime juice, then kicks in some red onion on the back end. Read more.
Try the okra roll. Tossed on the grill with red onion & bell pepper, then seasoned with cilantro, lime juice & green chilies, the okra is tangy, spicy and subtly sweet, with a distinctly smoky edge. Read more.
Try the “This Way” ($5.50). Slowly roasted beef is sliced paper thin and served on a sesame studded roll, a hearty au jus is ladled on, and lashings of cheese whiz are then applied. Read more.
cramming an Australian lumberjack breakfast into a fist-size pie. The crust is flaky and the eggs are seasoned with cheese, beans, potatoes, onions, peppers and tomatoes—alongside lots of bacon. Read more.
Cheese blintzes taste like the East Village of bygone days. Each is filled with lightly sweetened farmer cheese & fried in butter until the edges are just crisp enough while the middle remains tender. Read more.
The hefty sabich ($5), beloved in Israel, always includes fried eggplant, hard-boiled egg, hummus, salad and tangy mango umba. Here, the huge array of condiments is part of the appeal. Read more.
Not a fan of Artichoke’s heavy hand and long lines? If you’re in the East Village, there’s no better stop for a solid slice than the margherita slice ($3.50) at Vinnie Vincenz. Read more.
Try the currywurst ($7). "A veal and pork bratwurst, cut up and served with fries and a homemade, tomato-based curry sauce, is the perfect snack food while drinking German beers. Read more.
The cheesesteaks are popular, but try Adrian’s Atomic Avalanche ($9.75) instead. It begins as a typical cheesesteak, but is topped with pepperoni, hot peppers, fried mozzarella balls & marinara sauce. Read more.
Try Spicy Hot Oil Seared Hand-Ripped Noodles. "A hefty plate of hand-torn carbs stir-fried in red-hot chili oil, scallions, cumin and spices until every inch is coated in a thin film of liquid heat. Read more.
The signature dish—a vegetarian plate of noodles, sprouts, wheat gluten and spices served cold—throws nearly every trick into the mix. Read more.
The Som Tum Kortmuar hides a slew of unexpected goodies in a pile of rice noodles and shredded fruit: slices of pork sausage, raw Thai eggplant, crunchy fried fish, pork skin & tangy pickled cabbage. Read more.
