Dining on a Shoestring in New York City and Beyond: Finding reasonable meals and snacks for around $20.00 and under

Blogger and Culinarian (and Firefighter) Justin Watrel of DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com

*Bloggers note: prices have changed since many of these posts were created and since COVID have gone up a few dollars but are still fairly priced.

Hello everyone! Welcome travelers to New York City and the surrounding suburbs!

My name is Justin Watrel and I created ‘Dining on a Shoestring in New York City’ (DiningonShoeStringinNYC.wordpress.com) as an extension to the blogs: ‘MywalkinManhattan’ (MywalkinManhattan.com) along with ‘VisitingaMuseum’ (VisitingaMuseum.com) and “LittleShoponMainStreet” (“LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com), in search of a delicious meal for $20.00 and under.

It is difficult in an area as expensive as Metropolitan New York but many restaurant owners are paving the way with small, innovative menus at a fair price.

Sweets Bakery in Chinatown, NY

I created this blog when I discovered all these wonderful small restaurants, bodegas and bakeries that were fantastic both in that the quality of their food and the prices that they cost. I also looked at atmosphere and cleanliness of the establishment. Most cost under $20.00 (USA) for their main food items and provide small places to sit down and eat.

Since the COVID pandemic though, many of the places mentioned on this blog have either closed up shop (I have noted the months and years they closed up) or the prices have risen, in some cases significantly so please be aware when you visit these restaurants. I have tried to revisit many of them since the pandemic and prices have gone up by three or four dollars. I still continue to look for restaurants in the $10.00-$20.00 range that are of high quality and fair portion sizes.

Here and there  I found these eating establishments tucked in corners of the City, hiding on side streets or across from the schools where they were populated by students looking for a quick bite. I also found them near public housing or near the hotels where people were looking for a quick meal or a reasonable snack.

NoHo Juice Bar & Deli in Greenwich Village/NoHo

The signs I looked for where they accepted EBT (Electric Benefits Transfer) cards or where I saw the doormen, construction workers and cabbies eating. They always find the most reasonable places to eat and this is a group that will not tolerate food that doesn’t taste good. They would be too vocal about it (As I found on several trips to the same establishment where people would be talking about why they keep coming back and how bad the local competition was around the corner).

With everyone on a budget, I thought this would cater nicely to the traveler or NYC resident, who is looking to save some money while enjoying a quick meal or a snack when in New York City. I have extended the blog to outside New York City to all the surrounding places I have traveled on my blog, “MywalkinManhattan.com”. So you will see places in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware now.

Blue Sky-Harlem Taste Deli/Grocery in East Harlem, NY “Home of the Chopped Cheese”

In the era of COVID, I am finding that many of these places are either changing hands or are closing permanently. Please call ahead or Google the establishments to see if they are still open. It has amazed me how many of these once vibrant businesses closed their doors due the lack of customers. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on our industry.

Please share with me on the blog posts your insights on these establishments and let me know your recommendations. Please join me on the travels as I walk all the streets and avenues of Manhattan in my quest to walk every street of the Island of Manhattan in ‘MywalkinManhattan.com’. In many cases, I have cross-referenced these reviews to my TripAdvisor reviews so you can get other people’s opinions as well.

Cheesy Pizza on Upper Broadway in the Upper Upper West Side

I hope you get a chance to travel to some of these locations and try these delicious and reasonable restaurants. Since the Pandemic some prices have gone up but for the most part all of these restaurants are still reasonable and under the now $20.00 limit that I put on them. There are still many on this list that are under $10.00 but that is getting harder to find.

Dining at Barcelona’s Restaurant & Bar in Garfield, NJ

So join me as I make my way around the City and to surrounding areas to find delicious food that can meet a limited budget.

Happy Dining!

Bamboo House Chinese Restaurant 1509 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10029

Bamboo House Chinese Restaurant

1509 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10029

(917) 938-9783

https://www.seamless.com/menu/bamboo-house-1509-lexington-ave-new-york/1295116

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-10:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d25542970-Reviews-Bamboo_house_Chinese_Restaurant-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Bamboo House still has the sign of the previous business on the outside of the building.

There are many, many small hole in the wall Chinese restaurants that dot the streets and avenues of Manhattan, and they are not hard to miss. Bamboo House Chinese Restaurant is another little take-out place from the outside but when you venture inside, you will find a nice place to sit down and eat. The food the two times I have eaten there were very good, the food extremely reasonable and the portion sizes very generous.

The first time I ate there was on a whim as it is a few blocks from the Museum of the City of New York, and I was looking for a place for dinner and this was on my way to the museum. I was craving for Roast Pork Lo Mein, and they have their $10.00 Combination platters every night. You can either have your entree and pork fried rice with a soda or an egg roll. I like to order both even if it is a bit more, you still have to try their egg rolls. They are very good.

The Roast Pork Lo Mein with Pork Fried Rice and a homemade egg roll

The Roast Pork Lo Mein they make is excellent. They load it up with chopped roast pork and seasoned vegetables and the portion size is very generous. During the lunch hour, this meal would serve as lunch and dinner.

The portion sizes at Bamboo House are more than generous.

The second evening I dined there when I was in the area, I tried their Chicken with Broccoli Combination Platter ($10.00), which comes with either an egg roll or a soda. I chose both and it was a wonderful meal.

The Chicken and Broccoli with brown sauce.

The chicken was really tender and what was nice about the dish is that the broccoli was perfectly cooked. Sometimes at a lot of these small restaurants the broccoli is raw. The meal was perfectly cooked and the sauce was flavorful.

The egg roll here are really good. They are filled with the perfect combination of shredded cabbage and roast pork.

The egg rolls are really good here.

The one nice aspect of this small take out place is that is has a nice place to sit down and eat. It isn’t the fanciest place but is a nice place to sit down and have a relaxing meal.

The inside of the dining area of Bamboo House is very nice for a takeout establishment.

This small gem by the Lexington Houses is very good and I look forward to dining here in the future. They have a very nice selection of meals for a reasonable price.

Franconi’s Pizzeria & Ristorante On the Corner of Oak Avenue & The Boardwalk Wildwood, NJ 08260

Franconi’s Pizzeria & Ristorante

On the Corner of Oak Avenue & The Boardwalk

Wildwood, NJ 08260

(609) 522-2800

https://wildwood.orderfranconispizzeria.com/

Open: Please check website for Seasonality

Sunday & Monday 10:00am-10:00pm/Tuesday-Thursday 5:00pm-10:00pm/Saturday 10:00am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46931-d4441386-Reviews-Franconi_s_Pizzeria_Ristorante-Wildwood_Cape_May_County_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

*Bloggers note that the prices have gone up since COVID one or two dollars since the blog was written.

Franconi’s Pizzeria is at the corner of Oak Avenue and the Boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ.

Sometimes there are just establishments that don’t fit into the traditional mold of this blog but when I find one that stands out it really makes it special. There is something about the boardwalk businesses at the Jersey shore that just different.

Their welcoming Chef greets you at the entrance.

Maybe it is just the sites and smells or just the combination with the sea air and the beautiful weather with the aroma of good food. This is how Franconi’s Pizzeria & Ristorante on the corner of Oak Avenue & the Boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ makes your mouth water.

Franconi’s Pizzeria & Ristorante at Oak Avenue and the Boardwalk going strong at night during the convention.

The one thing I have to say about the staff at Franconi’s is that they are ambitious. They are always handing out menus and are outside on the Boardwalk encouraging you to come in and try their food. There are also large sandwich boards outside the restaurant with prices and menu items to lure you in.

This is how I tried it the first time in 2019. I was looking for a place for breakfast and they had a wonderful “Firemen’s Special” that was some breakfast. The breakfast platter consisted of three scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and potatoes. It was some breakfast to finish. It was big enough for two people and everything was delicious. The eggs had been cooked in clarified butter and you could taste the flavor in the eggs.

The Firemen’s Special at Franconi’s.

Later that afternoon, I went for a couple of slices of pizza for the “Firemen’s Lunch Special” . The pizza is good here but I found other places on the Wildwood Boardwalk that I liked better. Still the pizza is pretty good at Franconi’s.

The pizza here is delicious.

When I returned to Wildwood two years later (the Firemen’s Convention had been cancelled in 2020) for the Convention 2021, I started visit with dinner at Franconi’s with one of their cheese steak platters with fries and pickles.

Their cheesesteaks are excellent. Since the Wildwoods cater to a largely to a Philadelphia crowd, the cheesesteaks around here had better be up to “Philly standards”. Unusually cheesesteaks in New Jersey don’t come anywhere near going to the Reading Market in downtown Philly but Franconi’s does a great job.

You don’t always have to travel to Philly for a great cheesesteak

The steaks were those thin little steaks that I love so much not sliced steak for a steak sandwich which so many places pass off as cheesesteak. They grill them to a caramelized perfection and then topped it all with Cheese Wiz which I am convinced is the best cheese for it. It was served on a large chewy hoagie roll that was grilled slightly with clarified butter. Each bite was heaven and you could taste the complexity of flavors.

I was looking forward to breakfast the next morning after we voting for the NJ Firemen’s Association election. I made a b-line down the boardwalk to Franconi’s for breakfast again and I ordered the #8 Breakfast special . That was a nice feast that included two pieces of French Toast, two scrambled eggs, two slices of bacon and two pieces of sausage with a side of perfectly cooked home fries. It was so big that it took up two plates.

The breakfast specials at Franconi’s are always a feast.

The French Toast was cooked on the grill with a combination of a custard cinnamon mixture with clarified butter that made the dish crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The meats were cooked crisp on the grill and the potatoes were cooked with clarified butter that were nicely spiced. The breakfast filled me up for both breakfast and lunch.

The French Toast is excellent here.

In 2022, I attended the NJ State Firemen’s Convention again and had dinner at Franconi’s, which is now becoming a tradition. I stopped in for dinner on Saturday night and walked the boardwalk. After a long stretch, it was time for a late lunch/early dinner, and I needed something to tide me over until my dinner reservation at 8:00pm. I decided to have a Meatball Hoagie Parmesan ($9.95) for a six-inch sandwich.

It was wonderful. Their red sauce has so much flavor to it and is so well spiced. The meatballs are freshly made and have the taste of beef, pork and garlic and are perfectly cooked. It was such a nice combination of flavors. The bread was fresh and chewy as I would expect a Jersey sub to be at the shore.

The meatball sandwiches are delicious.

I returned for the Convention in 2023 and ate both my breakfasts at Franconi’s and the food is consistent and wonderful everytime I eat there. The first morning I had the the Firemen’s Special which is two pancakes, two scrambled eggs, home fries and sausage. It was some breakfast.

The Firemen’s Special in Franconi’s in 2023.

The pancakes were light and fluffy and had that nice malt taste.

The second morning I ordered the #8 again with two pieces of French Toast, two scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon and two sausage. This is enough food for two people but I always manage this breakfast on my own. It is so good!

The second time around is wonderful.

I don’t what it is about Franconi’s that makes it so special to eat here. Maybe it is the location on the boardwalk so close to the beach and the sea air or the sounds of the ocean and the boardwalk or just people enjoying themselves.

It is also the excellent food, friendly service and maybe that “Jersey Shore” attitude during the warmer months that creates a memory. Along with Ravioli House in Wildwood, NJ, these are my two ‘go to’ places when I visit Wildwood, NJ and I highly recommend them. Friendly service, generous portions, fair prices and excellent food.

This is what the Jersey shore such a great experience.

Gino’s Pizzeria 831 Flatbush Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11226

Gino’s Pizzeria

831 Flatbush Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11226

(718) 287-8800

https://www.ginosbrooklyn.com

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-9:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d2484193-Reviews-Gino_s_Pizzeria-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

Gino’s Pizzeria at 831 Flatbush Avenue in the Prospect-Lefferts section of Brooklyn

I was just walking around Brooklyn and decided on a long walk down Flatbush Avenue one afternoon to see what the neighborhood is like and what type of stores are there.

I came across Gino’s Pizzeria at 831 Flatbush Avenue and decided to stop in for a slice when one of the workers called me inside to see if I wanted something to eat. I had one of the best slices of Cheese Pizza I had had in a long time. The slice had just been warmed up but it was excellent.

Gino’s selection of dishes and pizzas and their very reasonable prices (they just went up but are still reasonable)

The cooks there told me that they make their own homemade sauce from scratch and that it is the base of the pizza. This to me is what gives the pizza its flavor along with a good quality of cheese. The pizza is cooked perfectly and their slices have the most delicious taste. The pizza was crisp, chewy and had a nice pull with the cheese.

The selection of pizzas and stuffed rolls.

There was a place to sit down outside but it was getting cold so I ended up eating on top of the large garbage can (no it is not as crazy as it sounds), which doubles as a counter. In the warmer months, there are tables outside on the side of the restaurant that you can eat at after ordering.

Their Cheese Pizza is excellent.

I was so taken by the pizza that I came back about a week and a half later to have a late lunch there. I ordered the Meatball Parmesan Hero and it was just as delicious as the pizza with their marvelous red sauce.

The Meatball Parmesan sandwich was delicious.

The hero sandwich was a nice sized portion of homemade meatballs, a good layer of sauce and topped with lots of gooey cheese. On a cool late Winter afternoon, it hit the spot.

The Meatball Hero was a gooey delight of sliced meatballs and mozzarella cheese.

The only problem with the restaurant when the weather is cool is there is no inside seating so you either have to eat on top of the wooden garbage can inside (which is not so bad) or the outside tables when the weather is nice.

The hero was excellent and very reasonable.

Either way try their wonderful food. It is reasonable, the portions are fair and the service is very friendly.

Great Taste Bakery 35 Catherine Street New York, NY 10038

Great Taste Bakery

35 Catherine Street

New York, NY 10038

(212) 566-8383

https://www.restaurantji.com/ny/new-york/great-taste-bakery-

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d26903712-Reviews-Great_Taste_Bakery-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

All over Chinatown in Manhattan it seems another restaurant, bakery or grocery store is turning into a art gallery or hipster store. The heart of the old Chinatown is starting to disappear slowly and it seems to be happening at a rapid pace. Still here and there are little food stores that really cater to the local population and a place for them to hang out. Great Taste Bakery is that place. I see seniors filling the seats of the few tables inside talking and laughing in Mandarin and Cantonese pretty much ignoring the other patrons.

Great Taste Bakery at 35 Catherine Street

The problem with most places that were once reasonable in Chinatown is that they have jacked their prices up by almost a dollar or they have just disappeared since COVID. This holdout on the extension of Catherine Street, which has reasonable and interesting restaurants lining it, caters to the local population in the housing projects and in the tenement buildings that surround it. You really have to seek it out but it worth the visit. All their baked goods are delicious.

I have been coming here for a long time but rediscovered it after COVID when it was one of the few places in Chinatown that was open. Chinatown from 2020 to 2022 was almost like a ghost town except small bakeries like this one. I am glad they are still open.

I stopped in for a Roast Pork Bun ($1.25) for a quick snack one afternoon when the other bakeries were packed during Chinese New Year. I walked down Catherine Street to many closed restaurants and new construction to this tiny bakery. I needed a quick snack and the selection of baked goods is extensive.

The delicious soft and sweet Roast Pork Buns

The rich and sweet Roast Pork Buns here are wonderful.

The second time I was touring Chinatown I went back to Great Taste to try some of the other baked goods. There is a large selection of items in the case for around $1.35 and I wanted to try more of them. This time around I tried the Cream Bun ($1.35), this large shiny pastry filled with sweet cream. It really good to munch on while walking around the neighborhood.

The Cream Bun was large and sweet with a shiny sweet top.

If you want the whole localized experience of a neighborhood establishment, you have to try Great Taste Bakery with their wonderful selection and great prices. You also can lean into a great conversation with a senior from down the road.

Hello Deli 215 West 53rd Street New York, NY 10019

Hello Deli

215 West 53rd Street

New York, NY 10019

(212) 489-7832

https://www.hello-deli.com

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d5108674-Reviews-Hello_Deli-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Hello Deli at 215 West 53rd Street

When walking through the Theater District, there are not a lot of reasonable options to eat anymore. Most of the .99cent pizza places are now charging $1.50 a slice (even though they have not changed their signs) and all of the great diners and small restaurants have either closed during the pandemic (no office workers in the district anymore) or have raised their prices to where a sandwich that was $5.95 is now $9.95 and it hasn’t gotten any bigger or better. This was until I passed Hello Deli on 215 West 53rd Street. It is one of the few hold outs in Midtown that still serves reasonable food with nice portion sizes at a very fair price. I have been there twice and enjoyed it very much both times.

The first time I went to Hello Deli, I passed this unassuming little take out place with limited seating both inside and out and a lot of boxes piled up (both inside and out). I forgot that it had been made famous by David Letterman when he took over the “Late Show” around the corner. That was over a decade ago and I had not remembered it. I am not sure if the same owner owns it or the guy who keeps waiting on me is the new owner. It says online that it is closed but it is very much open.

The inside and selection of food items that Hello Deli carries.

There is a nice selection of salads, sandwiches and soups to choose from on any given day with plenty of chips and desserts to accompany them. I was impressed by the number of sandwiches to select and they can put prepared with either a roll, bagel or hero roll (hoagie). The prices can range anything from $6.99 to $9.99 and the portion sizes of the sandwiches are very generous.

The selection of freshly prepared salads that you can order and take out with you.

The first time I ate here the deli was quiet and the inside of the place was piled with boxes all over the place as they just had a delivery. It was a cool night and I have been working in the theater district that afternoon. I was starved and had passed Hello Deli while walking around watching people taking out sandwiches. I stopped in and was impressed with how reasonable the deli was in pricing. I ordered a breakfast sandwich (they have breakfast all day), the Doughy which is two scrambled eggs with bacon, American cheese and a fried Hash Brown on a toasted roll with just a bit of mayo. Talking about warming you up on a cool night.

The Doughy breakfast sandwich for dinner.

The Doughy breakfast sandwich is nice combination of contrasts from the crisp bacon and crunchy hash brown to the oozing American cheese.

I really enjoyed breakfast for dinner and it was really good. It completely warmed me up and with a lemon ice tea made a great meal and gave me the energy to continue on my journey.

Recently I stopped in for lunch and watched the manager have words with the morning cook who wanted to leave. It is always interesting to hear this type of New York banter in front of the customers. It is like we are not even there. This time around they had the Chicken Salad that I really wanted to try the first time. I order the PNV sandwich, which is a Chicken Salad with Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato layered on it with a smear of mayo on top.

My PNV Sandwich lunch with a Coke and some Sour Cream & Onion potato chips by Deep River. What a wonderful lunch.

This sandwich is also another contrasts in textures and flavors as the bacon was fried crisp for the sandwich so it was still hot and the roll was toasted for me so their was a nice taste of the cold Chicken Salad with the crisp bacon and cool lettuce and tomato on top. The Chicken Salad is well spiced and has a nice chunky texture to it.

The PNV Chicken Salad Sandwich made for a wonderful lunch.

The Chicken Salad is excellent.

I plan many more trips to Hello Deli as there are many more sandwiches I want to try. The service is really nice and the manager is a real character. It will be nice to see the cook and manager getting along on a busy day.

Do not miss these potato chips by Deep River. This thickly cut chips are excellent and have wonderful flavor.

While working on my blog on the Theater District/Times Square, I stopped in for a late night dinner and they were still open at 10:30pm. That was convenient. I treated myself on a cool night to a Chicken Parmesan sandwich which was good but not like the other sandwiches. Still it warmed me up after a long walk of the blocks.

The Chicken Parmesan sandwich on a roll.

The delicious Chicken Parmesan sandwich.

The sandwich was really good.

Hello Deli is a place I plan to visit in the future.

Bardolino Pizza 1505 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10029

Bardolino Pizza

1505 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10029

(646)850-1710

https://www.bardolinopizzanyc.com

http://orderbardolinopizza.com/

Open: Sunday-Thursday 10:00am-11:00pm/Friday-Saturday 10:00am-12:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12437174-Reviews-Bardolino_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The front of Bardolino Pizza at 1505 Lexington Avenue

I was up at the Museum of the City of New York one night for a special event and I stopped in for a quick dinner. They advertised outside for a special for two slices of cheese with a soda for $6.00 and I was so happy for a reasonable meal.

The delicious Pizza Dinner Special for $6.00

It always amazes me when I try a small pizzeria and the food is just mind-blowingly good. Not only were the slices over-sized and loaded with gooey cheese that strung when it is pulled but the red sauce that the foundation for the pizzeria’s dishes is excellent.

I could tell by the tiny chunks of tomato that the sauce was made fresh and you could tell in the consistency and flavor of the pizza. It is far better than the many places I have pizza in New York City.

The interesting pizza selections at Bardolino’s Pizza.

I was so taken by the pizza that the next night I was visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art and walked an extra ten blocks to try a Meatball Parmesan hero ($10.00) for dinner. It was also excellent.

The excellent Meatball hero loaded with their delicious red sauce.

Yum!

A fresh chewy hero roll lightly toasted with a large portion of freshly made meatballs sliced inside the roll and topped with more of their delicious sauce and loaded with lots of mozzarella melted on top. The sandwich was out of this world and made such a nice dinner on a cool night.

Their menu has very fair prices.

The menu has many items under the ten dollar range and being so close to the projects a block up the road (the restaurant is on the northern border of the Upper East Side and East Harlem), that they have to keep the prices at a certain level to cater to the mixture of customers that they have to cater to.

The lunch and dinner specials that they offer.

There is something for everyone here and it attracts people at all hours. I was amazed how many people were coming in for complete meals as they were getting off work at 10:00pm.

It is a great little pizzeria and very underrated.

Spongies Cafe 121 Baxter Street New York, NY 10013

Spongies Cafe

121 Baxter Street

New York, NY 10013

(646) 666-0036

https://www.facebook.com/people/Spongies-Cafe/100070247593120/

Open: Sunday 7:00am-7:00pm/Monday-Saturday 6:00am-7:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d26825724-Reviews-Spongies_Cafe-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Spongies Cafe at 121 Baxter Street

There are times you come across a wonderful little shop whose products just blow you away in both taste and looks. Spongies is one of those bakeries. It specializes in one thing, the most wonderfully delicious little sponge cakes in various flavors.

I had never noticed the place before passing it many times when walking down the block until I saw the place in a Fung Brothers video in their “Cheap Chinatown Eats” videos. I finally walked in after lunch at another restaurant for some dessert and got hooked.

Not only is the quality of the cakes superb and service excellent but it is such a nice looking little cafe. When I visited recently for a snack, the owner was having a one man art show by local artist, Justin Wu. His take on Food Art was very interesting. He had a playful sketch on smiling soup dumplings and another of a colorful set of entrees. It was quite unique to look at while I munched on my sponge cakes.

Justin Wu’s one man art show at Spongies Cafe

https://www.instagram.com/hungryartistny/?hl=en

I like sitting in the little cafe with its art filled walls and tin ceilings, which gives the feel of an old fashioned store in lower Manhattan. It has such a nice vibe to it and a equally interesting crowd of customers from older women coming in for a treat to the local hipsters taking pictures in every angle of the cakes. I think I fall somewhere in between. These little sponge cakes are playful and fun to look at and eat.

On my first trip, I tried the traditional sponge cake with it caramelized top and chewy consistency. It was sweet and had a nice creamy center that was almost custardy.

The traditional sponge cake.

On the second trip to Spongies, I decided to try some of the specialty cakes ($1.25) and both had the same chewy, sweet consistency. I ordered the Apple Cinnamon and the ‘Holiday’ which was loaded with sprinkles. Both had the same sweet consistency and I highly recommend the ‘Holiday’ cake has colorful sprinkles both inside the cake and on the top as well.

The Holiday and Apple Cinnamon sponge cakes on my second visit.

The ‘Holiday’ sponge cake with its colorful top.

The sweet chewy inside of the ‘Holiday’ sponge cake.

I listened to interesting Asian pop songs while enjoying my dessert while admiring art. What better way of spending a late winter evening with engaging music, colorful art and delicious little cakes that are reasonable and sweet little treat.

Spongies Cafe is all those things.

Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich 369 Broome Street New York, NY 10013

Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich

369 Broome Street

New York, NY 10013

(212) 219-8341

https://banhmi.nyc/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-4:00pm

My Review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4022244-Reviews-Saigon_Vietnamese_Sandwich-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich at 369 Broome Street

I stopped in at Saigon Vietnamese sandwich after seeing it on a Vloggers review. They said that the sandwiches were really reasonable and that they were excellent. The only problem was that it sometimes closes early because when they ran out of bread, they closed for the day. The few times I had passed it they did indeed close early.

The House Sandwich (the Number One)

I finally got a chance to try it and have to say that the sandwich was excellent and far exceeded my expectations. I had the simple House Sandwich, which was made with ham, pate, minced pork and crunchy vegetables that included carrots and cucumber. I ordered it spicy, but I didn’t think it was that spicy. It still had a lot of flavor.

The sandwich was topped with crispy vegetables including carrots and cucumbers.

The sandwich was excellent and full of flavor. The bread was so fresh and chewy and had a nice consistency. For $9.75, I do not know where you will find a better deal. None of the sandwiches here are over $11.00. It is a very fairly priced takeout place.

Yum!

I have to admit it is not the most attractive place with boxes and grocery products all over the place. I can be a bit overwhelming to eat at and I suggest taking it to the park down the street. There are only two tiny tables to eat at outside and it is not the cleanest place out there either. Still, it is an experience.

The inside of Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich

The inside of Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich is a bit cluttered.

The sandwich selection at Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich.

I will definitely be back in the future.

9th Avenue Grocery & Deli 350 Nineth Avenue New York, NY 10001 (Closed February 2024)

9th Avenue Grocery & Deli (Closed February 2024)

350 Nineth Avenue

New York, NY 10001

(212) 290-0345

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d24113814-Reviews-9th_Avenue_Grocery-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

9th Avenue Grocery & Deli at 350 Nineth Avenue

I discovered this little grocery store/deli that is around the corner from where I volunteer. They have two different owners since COVID, so it has been hard to judge the consistency of the food here. The two times that I have eaten here, I found the food to be very good, the portion sizes to be fair and the prices are extremely reasonable even in post-COVID times when everyone else is raising prices.

The inside of 9th Avenue Grocery & Deli

I have eaten here a couple of times and I have been impressed by the food and service. The first time I came was for breakfast before a long day of exploring the Chelsea neighborhood for my blog, MywalkinManhattan.com. I needed a second breakfast to get me through the miles of walking. So, I ordered a Bacon, Egg and Cheese on a hero roll. It was excellent.

The eggs were perfectly scrambled with added spices and a little hot sauce, double layers of cheese and a lot of crisp bacon. It was the perfect meal for the long travels around the streets of the neighborhood.

The Bacon, Egg and Cheese was delicious that morning.

The Bacon, Egg and Cheese at 9th Avenue Grocery

On a recent afternoon, I was in the need for a sandwich for lunch and remembered that they were up the block from where I work and stopped back up. The new owners were by themselves and asked what they could prepare for me. I looked at the menu and wanted to see if they could make the perfect Italian hero (for two guys who were not Italian).

They exceeded the goal, and the sandwich was wonderful. The hero was fresh and chewy, and the meats were sliced to order with fresh lettuce and tomato with a slight smear of mayo and oil and vinegar. I was very impressed by the quality of the cold cuts and by the freshness of the bread.

The Italian Hero at 9th Avenue Grocery is a big sandwich.

The hero is loaded with meats, cheeses and fresh vegetables.

What was nice about both sandwiches is that both breakfast and lunch were both under $10.00 which for the quality of the food and service both times was very fair. The owners should decorate the deli to make it a bit more welcoming but overall, I was very pleased with my visits to the deli.

They could start with a new sign with the current prices.

Wing Shui Chinese Restaurant 53 North Street Kingston, NY 12401

Wing Shui Chinese Restaurant

53 North Street

Kingston, NY 12401

(845) 339-3397/(845) 338-3388

https://www.wingshui.com/

Open: Sunday 12:00pm-10:00pm/Monday-Thursday 11:00am-10:00pm/Friday-Saturday 11:00am-11:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g48003-d822310-Reviews-Wing_Shui_Chinese_Restaurant-Kingston_Catskill_Region_New_York.html?m=19905

Wing Shui Chinese Restaurant at 53 North Street in Kingston, NY

I have been eating at Wing Shui Chinese Restaurant for several years since I dined there back in 2018 and fell in love with their egg rolls which are some of the best I have ever had. They are one of the few restaurants in Kingston, NY that is still reasonable as the area around the “Stockade Section” section of the city has gentrified. It sits as an old guard to the more expensive upscale restaurants that have opened in recent years.

The egg rolls at Wing Shui are some of the best I have eaten.

The egg rolls are loaded with chopped roast pork.

I have tried a few of the restaurant’s dishes and the ones that stood out are the Sweet & Sour Pork that I had a few years earlier and the most recent was the Chicken with String Beans that I had for lunch when I was touring historical sites in the area.

The Chicken with String Beans was really good.

The dish had large pieces of chicken that were nicely sauteed in a combination of soy and hoisin sauce with perfectly cooked string beans. The portion sizes are very generous and one of their combination plates can easily feed two people ($10.15-$10.55).

For a recent dinner when I was up exploring museums on that side of the river, I stopped at Wing Shui for a quick dinner and ordered the Chicken Lo Mein. It came out steaming hot loaded with big pieces of chicken and fresh crunchy vegetables and I can’t tell you how delicious it was after a long day of driving.

The Chicken Lo Mein is delicious.

For lunch, they have a special lunch menu with an entree served with roast pork fried rice for $7.95 and it offers a nice selection of dishes.

The only problem with the restaurant is that they are still operating the same in the post COVID era with plastic dividers and no seating in the restaurant that they used to have before the pandemic hit. If it is not a nice day, it is strictly takeout. I will take my lunch or dinner to the park down the street and eat at the picnic benches on a nice day.

Wing Shui had kept their prices consistent from before the pandemic and they are extremely fair with most of their entrees in pint form still under $10.00 which is enough to feed one person comfortably. I have always found the food consistent and the family who runs the restaurant to be very pleasant. It is a nice place to eat when you are visiting Kingson, NY.