Sunday, March 22, 2009

Albany St/S End Ave Food Cart

There hasn’t been much time to go out to eat these days since I am so focused on midterms and getting through this semester. Also, we have been trying to keep our budget in order with so much planned for this summer. The combination of these two goals isn’t necessary but is convenient as an excuse to get something to eat on the street.

Street food scares some visitors and entices others. For a true New Yorker there will be no hesitation getting your hot dog or your preferred grub wrapped in tin foil- I like the Lamb Gyro soaked in Ziziki sauce (Cucumber sauce) and NO LETTUCE. It was great and so filling. Also makes you smell like Gyro all day but totally worth it. Although I recommend some food carts around the city - you quickly learn, like most locals, that the nuts never taste as good as they smell and the pretzels may be hard as a rock.

Every corner in Manhattan appears to have a stand filled with wonderful meats on sticks, in buns, or of course with pitas. They are cheap, quick and can feed a majority of the city these days when wallets are slim. The one I check in with on a regular basis is located in Battery Park City, close to home and usually the best. You can get an awesome gyro for $5 now, used to be $4, with only a slightly snide remark correcting your pronunciation (g-I-row). When the nice man or his son are in a good mood they will even throw in some old stale donuts for no extra charge. You gotta love a city where the food comes to you - even on the sidewalk!

1 comment:

Ruby said...

My ex-boyfriend always raved about Rafiqi's, and I kinda rolled my eyes at him, thinking it couldn't be that good. After we broke up and he moved back to Atlanta, I tried the one in front of Filene's on 6th Avenue. I immediately texted him and told him I was wrong. It is THAT GOOD lol