Guys: you are challenging the people who live in one of the best food places in the world to find dishes that can easily be obtained at a rest stop. You need to step up the culture game with something exotic to a very specific area. Like Cracklin'.
Most of the time that I see something in NY that I wish I had its some sort of local deli looking place. There isn't anything like that in Seattle that I've seen at least. The rest you can usually find some good analog.
You know, this is an aside, but I've noticed that since I moved to New York, almost every restaurant I visit outside of New York or a small handful of other cities seems pretty pedestrian. I think I've completely fucked my food perspective by living here.
But then again, almost every time someone outside of the City recommends a restaurant, it's actually a chain, and there's one somewhere here to check out. Meanwhile, if I recommend a place here, odds are it doesn't exist anywhere else, and you'd have to physically visit us to try it. (E.g., Salt and Fat in Sunnyside).
Burger Garage in LIC is probably the bottom of the bar for what I'd consider a good burger joint.
My town has an awesome Greek place, and our NJ style take out pizza is top notch. There's also an amazing Italian place. The Thai, while not a chain is not amazing. But we recently got a Nando's in the next town over! So I think Manassas does OK as places to live considering.
Most of the time that I see something in NY that I wish I had its some sort of local deli looking place. There isn't anything like that in Seattle that I've seen at least. The rest you can usually find some good analog.
There are no good delis or bagels outside of NYC. Well, not in significant quantity anyhow. We've got Uncommon Grounds in Albany, which makes a pretty decent bagel. Virtually no delis though. We've got two places that can do a New York-style kosher deli sandwich - that's it.
And fucking forget about finding good lox. Gotta make that yourself.
Here is the real rub. You can find really good food in NYC, but it's stupid expensive for what it's actually worth. Sure, I may not have the entire selection you guys may enjoy, but what I do have is probably better and cheaper than what you guys can get for the same tier of restaurant.
Here is the real rub. You can find really good food in NYC, but it's stupid expensive for what it's actually worth. Sure, I may not have the entire selection you guys may enjoy, but what I do have is probably better and cheaper than what you guys can get for the same tier of restaurant.
Here is the real rub. You can find really good food in NYC, but it's stupid expensive for what it's actually worth. Sure, I may not have the entire selection you guys may enjoy, but what I do have is probably better and cheaper than what you guys can get for the same tier of restaurant.
The individual restaurants in Providence seem to be extremely high quality and varied, even if they are not as representative of world cuisine as New York.
Indeed... Providence doesn't have the breadth of restaurants that New York does, but what it does have is excellent. It's also much easier to find a parking place (although, given the lack of public transportation there, you kinda need to find a parking place).
I live basically at the midway point between Boston and Providence and I almost always choose to go to Providence when I want to go somewhere nice to eat. Boston does have better Chinese food, but that's because it has a legitimate Chinatown, unlike Providence.
The only one from that list I haven't tried is the Stanton Social. I left each of those restaurants feeling immortal... but I have to say Pies N' Thighs get's it as close to the cooking back home as any of them. Their hot sauce (pretty much texas pete with butter) is the way to go.
Here is the real rub. You can find really good food in NYC, but it's stupid expensive for what it's actually worth
The bottom-tier food in New York is better than the bottom tier in any other city in the US. For a couple bucks, you can get an amazing meal.
The Chicken and Waffles? The place we go is upscale brunch is ~$20/place including alcohol. It's fucking amazing. The regular places are super good though, to be sure.
New York is king of upscale and bottom-of-the-barrel. It's the middle tier that's overpriced here. For any kind of food, you can find a restaurant at any of the tiers, and you get what you pay for mostly.
So while a hole-in-the-wall chicken and waffles places can be good, the upscale equivalent of that is ERMAGERDDD!
Here is the real rub. You can find really good food in NYC, but it's stupid expensive for what it's actually worth. Sure, I may not have the entire selection you guys may enjoy, but what I do have is probably better and cheaper than what you guys can get for the same tier of restaurant.
I calculated. If I take into account car ownership and the train commute costs, it doesn't cost much more to live in New York than it does to live outside of it (assuming one works here).
Here is the real rub. You can find really good food in NYC, but it's stupid expensive for what it's actually worth. Sure, I may not have the entire selection you guys may enjoy, but what I do have is probably better and cheaper than what you guys can get for the same tier of restaurant.
Tell me again how much you pay for cars and gas.
How much is your rent?
$400 a month if I burn a lot of gas (ie, visit NYC), but I get the freedom to go anywhere in the country (except Manhattan because fuck if I'm gonna drive there). And my recent renovated apartment with dishwasher and washer/dryer in unit is costing me $1000 a month.
Here is the real rub. You can find really good food in NYC, but it's stupid expensive for what it's actually worth. Sure, I may not have the entire selection you guys may enjoy, but what I do have is probably better and cheaper than what you guys can get for the same tier of restaurant.
Tell me again how much you pay for cars and gas.
How much is your rent?
Yes, my rent is high, but here's how this works. Take all the wonderful things about living in NYC. Take the cost of those. Subtract them from your rent to get your true rent.
1) I needed some folding chairs yesterday. I walked 5 minutes each way and grabbed a couple. 2) I can have all these delicious foods delivered to my apartment by pressing buttons on my computer. 3) I can on a whim buy tickets to see two sirs perform on stage in a broadway play. I'm doing this right now. 4) I can bike to the beach, major league sporting events, historic parks, across bridges, etc. and be home for lunch. 5) Gee I really wish I had some nerds to play Netrunner with. Oh, two tournaments a month? Yes, thank you. In the sticks you're lucky to find enough players for M:TG. 6) I really would like to learn about some Van Gogh. Oh, I can walk a few minutes from my office to see the actual Starry Night. That's nice. 7) I can tell everyone else who doesn't live here how much better I am than they are. - PRICELESS
“The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.”
Yes, my rent is high, but here's how this works. Take all the wonderful things about living in NYC. Take the cost of those. Subtract them from your rent to get your true rent.
1) I needed some folding chairs yesterday. I walked 5 minutes each way and grabbed a couple. 2) I can have all these delicious foods delivered to my apartment by pressing buttons on my computer. 3) I can on a whim buy tickets to see two sirs perform on stage in a broadway play. I'm doing this right now. 4) I can bike to the beach, major league sporting events, historic parks, across bridges, etc. and be home for lunch. 5) Gee I really wish I had some nerds to play Netrunner with. Oh, two tournaments a month? Yes, thank you. In the sticks you're lucky to find enough players for M:TG. 6) I really would like to learn about some Van Gogh. Oh, I can walk a few minutes from my office to see the actual Starry Night. That's nice. 7) I can tell everyone else who doesn't live here how much better I am than they are. - PRICELESS
“The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.”
I can do all of these. The only thing I cannot do is ride decent public transportation. Sure it's a loss, but it's better than having to deal with the average New Yorker ego.
Ah, but the real question: can you light a turkey on fire in your smoker in your back yard?
Checkmate.
While I would personally like to do that, I am willing to give up that ability for the comfort of knowing my neighbors can not do that.
Perhaps the only thing that is lacking in NYC are backyards and such. But there are a lot of people who either bought houses long ago, or are rich now, who have yards and garages. Even in my neighborhood there is a lot of car ownership. Just a block away there are houses with garages and tiny yards.
My aunt and uncle live way further out in Queens and they have a complete house with backyard and everything. Fire turkeys are a definite possibility, but I think there's an HOA. It's still technically NYC. Car ownership is pretty much mandatory there, but you can walk to a bus stop where an express will take you to Manhattan very quickly. They've only got one nearby subway stop. It's not something they can walk to, but someone else with a car can pick you up or drop you off there in five minutes.
If you can afford it there are definitely such places you can live where you have a suburban house with yard, but also relatively easy access to the wonders of NYC.
Ah, but the real question: can you light a turkey on fire in your smoker in your back yard?
Nah, you have to go up to the roof to do that.
Travel within the bounds of NYC is a constant $100 a month, which is nice. Plus you can find food in any style and quality you want, although it costs around 20% more than outside of NYC.
But, you guys all missed the point a few pages back: the best fast-food burgers are found, without question, at small burger joints in Rochester, NY. Shake Shack has nothing on the Schallers I used to eat at every Monday.
I have to say, while Rym laments the lack of sub shops - man, I'd give up every DiBella's in the Capital District to have a real goddamn kosher deli up ins. Subs are great, but I want some goddamn pastrami that I didn't have to make myself.
Mile End Deli delivers to my office. It shall be the death of me.
EDIT: I couldn't find the link to the specific Fast Karate episode, but you know the one where they talk about smoked meats? It's that place. And it's delicious.
I have to say, while Rym laments the lack of sub shops - man, I'd give up every DiBella's in the Capital District to have a real goddamn kosher deli up ins. Subs are great, but I want some goddamn pastrami that I didn't have to make myself.
What we DO lack, however, are good submarine sandwiches. It's possibly the biggest culinary black hole in the City.
This isn't entirely true. There's a deli called Milano's near 113th and Broadway that makes the best subs I've ever tasted. (Yes, I've been to DiBella's.)
I have to say, while Rym laments the lack of sub shops - man, I'd give up every DiBella's in the Capital District to have a real goddamn kosher deli up ins. Subs are great, but I want some goddamn pastrami that I didn't have to make myself.
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And fucking forget about finding good lox. Gotta make that yourself.
I live basically at the midway point between Boston and Providence and I almost always choose to go to Providence when I want to go somewhere nice to eat. Boston does have better Chinese food, but that's because it has a legitimate Chinatown, unlike Providence.
What we DO lack, however, are good submarine sandwiches. It's possibly the biggest culinary black hole in the City.
The bottom-tier food in New York is better than the bottom tier in any other city in the US. For a couple bucks, you can get an amazing meal.
The Chicken and Waffles? The place we go is upscale brunch is ~$20/place including alcohol. It's fucking amazing. The regular places are super good though, to be sure.
New York is king of upscale and bottom-of-the-barrel. It's the middle tier that's overpriced here. For any kind of food, you can find a restaurant at any of the tiers, and you get what you pay for mostly.
So while a hole-in-the-wall chicken and waffles places can be good, the upscale equivalent of that is ERMAGERDDD!
1) I needed some folding chairs yesterday. I walked 5 minutes each way and grabbed a couple.
2) I can have all these delicious foods delivered to my apartment by pressing buttons on my computer.
3) I can on a whim buy tickets to see two sirs perform on stage in a broadway play. I'm doing this right now.
4) I can bike to the beach, major league sporting events, historic parks, across bridges, etc. and be home for lunch.
5) Gee I really wish I had some nerds to play Netrunner with. Oh, two tournaments a month? Yes, thank you. In the sticks you're lucky to find enough players for M:TG.
6) I really would like to learn about some Van Gogh. Oh, I can walk a few minutes from my office to see the actual Starry Night. That's nice.
7) I can tell everyone else who doesn't live here how much better I am than they are. - PRICELESS
“The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.”
Checkmate.
Perhaps the only thing that is lacking in NYC are backyards and such. But there are a lot of people who either bought houses long ago, or are rich now, who have yards and garages. Even in my neighborhood there is a lot of car ownership. Just a block away there are houses with garages and tiny yards.
My aunt and uncle live way further out in Queens and they have a complete house with backyard and everything. Fire turkeys are a definite possibility, but I think there's an HOA. It's still technically NYC. Car ownership is pretty much mandatory there, but you can walk to a bus stop where an express will take you to Manhattan very quickly. They've only got one nearby subway stop. It's not something they can walk to, but someone else with a car can pick you up or drop you off there in five minutes.
If you can afford it there are definitely such places you can live where you have a suburban house with yard, but also relatively easy access to the wonders of NYC.
Travel within the bounds of NYC is a constant $100 a month, which is nice. Plus you can find food in any style and quality you want, although it costs around 20% more than outside of NYC.
But, you guys all missed the point a few pages back: the best fast-food burgers are found, without question, at small burger joints in Rochester, NY. Shake Shack has nothing on the Schallers I used to eat at every Monday.
EDIT: I couldn't find the link to the specific Fast Karate episode, but you know the one where they talk about smoked meats? It's that place. And it's delicious.
At that point, I'll just make it. Though I prefer a dry cure to a brine cure.