Dallas BBQ

1265 Third Ave at 73rd Street
New York, NY 10021
(212) 772-9393

241 West 42 Street bet 7th and 8th Ave
New York, NY 10036
(212)221-9000


http://www.dallasbbq.com/





With several locations around Manhattan, Brooklyn, and now in the Bronx, New Yorkers can have a taste of Texas barbecue at affordable prices! The early bird special for two at $9.99 is a great bargain for lunch or early dinner. You get two small bowls of chicken soup, two 1/2 rotisserie chickens, two corn breads, and choice of potato or yellow rice.
I love their onion loaf appetizer which is a huge, compact loaf of sweet fried onions. I like to dip them in Ranch dressing (ask if the branch you visit has it).
Aside from rotisserie chicken, BBQ ribs, and meats, this chain restaurant also offers seafood dishes. Great tasting frozen margaritas in HUGE goblets get the meal started on a party note! Try the mango margarita (my favorite)!

The place mats at your table are the menus. Click on menu below to view in full size. Prices may vary from location to location.

Piada

3 Clinton Street (between Houston & Stanton)
212-677-5415

A piada is a grilled Italian sandwich which is on flat bread and popular in the Emillio-Romana region of Italy. Unlike a panini which is much more stuffed, a piada is thinner and pretty tasty!
I had an Amarcord piada which is Prosciutto di Parma, Mozzarella & Arugula. It was interesting and a learning experience watching the guy make this. The sandwich may seem pricey at $7.15 but it is the quality of the ingredients that make it all the special. Clean and brightly lit, the white decor makes this place feel modern and the small tables and chairs up front inviting.
This little sandwich shop is located in the Lower East Side and just a few steps in on Clinton Street.
Master Card, Visa, and American Express are accepted.
You can view their online menu here.

Cafe Danilello's

1072 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10022
(212) 752-5710


In a city where pizzerias a dime a dozen, there is bound to be competition with price, taste, value and service. Cafe Danilello's meets them all and then some!
Offering a lunch special of two pizza slices and a large soda for $5, Daniello's definitely has the best price on a slice of pizza which goes for $2.75 and up in the tony Upper East Side.
I stopped in to order a large pizza pie and one was produced in 5 minutes from the oven as if they were expecting me! Now that's fast service!
The manager/maitre 'd was very cordial and charming as well as the front counter pizza guy.
All major credit cards are accepted. Cafe Daniello's is located opposite the High School of Art & Design and open until midnight.
You can view an online menu here.

Bruce's Bakery

1045 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10022
(212) 223-1085

This tiny little bakery store front offers danishes, muffins, cookies and cakes which are on trays along the shelves that line the wall. Some loaves of bread sit on the other wall. A small cash register and credit card reader sit on a small shelf in the middle of one wall and two employees sit in there trying to crack a smile. Definitely no frills as you come here only to buy and take away your purchases.

I bought a bran muffin ($2.25) which was moist and flavorful with a small cup of tea that was perfectly light & sweet ($1.09). Very cordial staff.
I was taken aback by the diminutive size of the place (about half the size of a Pre-War Manhattan studio apartment) but they get their baked goods from the flagship in Great Neck, Long Island.

All New VIP Diner

175 Sip Ave
Jersey City, NJ 07306
(201) 792-1400

This diner is not too far from the Journal Square PATH Station and when I went there with friends for lunch yesterday, they were renovating the back dining area.
There were 5 of us in total and the hostess accommodated us with a sunny window booth and an extra table so that we would have sufficient room.
We started with buffalo chicken wings ($5.95) and fried zucchini sticks ($4.25). They were piping hot from the fryer and were pretty good. The zucchini still had it's skin on which didn't bother us but the fried outer coating might have held on better if it was removed prior to battering and frying.
I had a strawberry ice cream soda ($2.45) which was made backwards with the ice cream being put into the glass first and then topped with soda making for a large foamy head and not much soda. Our first young waitress seemed flustered having to wait on 5 people and we were later waited on by a second older waitress. I was beginning to feel full but at that moment, the main course arrived at the table.
I had the 8oz. mushroom bacon burger deluxe ($7.45) with onion rings ($1 more for the rings) which came with a small side of coleslaw and a pickle. The burger was pretty big and juicy but I managed to finish it. Our bill for 5 people came out to about $66 with tax.
Overall, the place was large, clean and the host was very nice. Our waitress Samantha, had that typical cool diner waitress demeanor. Pretty typical diner fare and ambiance but a pleasant experience. Prices are average and the menu can be seen here.

Phil-Am Food Market

(201) 963-0455
683 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07306

This moderate sized supermarket specializes in food products mainly from the Philippines with some from China and Japan. The staff is cordial and speak English so you won't feel like you are in foreign land. It's located across the Five Corners Library and not too far from the Journal Square PATH train station.

When you first walk in, you'll find the bags of chips and snacks in addition to the cash register (the beauty products are all behind the register). Check out the freshly made sumans (cassava or sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and wrapped in banana leaves and steamed) on the center table up front! There is also an assortment of Filipino breads in the cases and other desserts in the freezers up front.
Further in, you'll see aisles of canned foods, juices, bottles of oils, vinegars, sauces, and dried items from fish to taro leaves. Speaking of fish, there is a frozen/fresh seafood and meat department on the back far right as well as a cooked foods section.
I've found the prices pretty reasonable all around and since the area has a large Filipino community, there are other stores and bakeries to compete with.

Avi & David's

1046 Third Ave

New York, NY 10021
(212) 486-6004

A Kosher Deli with Goiim help housed in the Trump Plaza apartment complex in the Upper East Side...need I say more?
The food looks okay and the lox spread (on a bagel for $4.99) was not bad. The bagel on the other hand was pretty tough and seemed old.

Service could be better and you might have some communication problems with the staff. The woman next to me was asking for a sesame bagel and the counter man started cutting a cinnamon raisin! She and the counter person were having an endless exchange of words and I just wanted to get my lunch and get out of there fast!
They were having problems with their credit card reader and were too quick to say that there was a problem with my card. After I told them to check their machine thoroughly and they checked all the wires for connections, my card finally went through. I was almost going to ask to see a Manager (they have a Mashgichim or Rabbi on the premise) but I figured that after seeing many other people walk in, gawk at the offerings and then leave for somewhere else, I decided to just take my lunch and leave. The place is a store front and seating is few.
The prices are pretty steep but I suppose if your landlord is The Donald, you have to raise your prices to make the rent!

They are toted as the only 24 hour Kosher Bagel Shop in New York and close on Fridays.
Personally I would check out the other 24 hour bagel shops that cover most of Manhattan's Upper East Side for better value and fresher offerings.