Harlem Tamales

26. December 2006 Mexican, West + East Harlem 5
Corner of 145th Street and Edgecombe Avenue no phone number $1 for each tamale ♥ The Dr. texted me at 7am, an ungodly hour, to let me know that the tamales lady was there. It took me another 30 minutes to get out of bed and put on my jeans over my pajamas. I schlepped ...

Lahore

19. December 2006 Indian + South Asian, SoHo 0
132 Crosby Street between Houston and Prince Streets 212/965.1777 $7 for rice with two choices, with chai, without tip ♥ ♥ This hole-in-the-wall is only one of the stops a New York City cab driver makes during his daily route. For $7, the guy behind the Lahore counter will give you rice with your two ...

Blaue Gans

18. December 2006 Anglo-Euro, West Village + TriBeCa 0
139 Duane Street between Church and West Broadway 212/571.8880 $80 each for ten, with a lot of drinks, with tip ♥ ♥ ♥ Updated, December 2008: The Dr. and I returned for Christmas dinner and it was still the same hearty and filling food for half the New York City price. After two bottles of ...

Grand Sichuan St. Marks

15. December 2006 Chinese, East Village 1
21 Saint Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues 212/529.4805 $25 each for three, with three beers, with tip ♥ ♥ ♥ The Chipotle opened along St. Marks opened first and then the vending-machine store BAM! made headlines. When I saw the Grand Sichuan open, I only thought, Great, I don’t have to go to ...

Aburiya Kinnosuke

03. December 2006 Japanese, Midtown 0
213 East 45th Street between Second and Third 212/867.5454 $104 for two, with two drinks, without tip ♥ ♥ There are two ways you can order your grilled food at Aburiya Kinnosuke. The robata grill is right at the bar where the Japanese chefs set skewers next to burning coals (not on top of) and ...