Every place has its street food, and New York City is famous for hot dogs and Halal carts. But anyone who has fought through crowds at Rockefeller Center knows that there is much more.
In the touristy parts of Manhattan there lives a street vendor who thrives on the ignorance and hunger of the masses. You can smell the burnt sugar and oil from the tiny bags of candied peanuts from blocks away. The menu at this particular cart consists of hot dogs, pretzels, meat on a stick, and drinks so overpriced they won’t even tell you how much they are going to charge until you have the drink in your hand. During the winter they try to tap into your Christmas Spirit by selling roasted chestnuts. These bland, overcooked concoctions may feel nice to hold in your freezing hands, but they bear little resemblance to the nutty snack Nat King Cole sang about.
Elsewhere in the city Halal carts operate every day of the year, with huge griddles frying oily helpings of seasoned rice and chicken, served with mayo and garlic based sauce so unique it is simply called “white sauce”. If chicken doesn’t suit you, for $1 more you can get lamb or tilapia. The best carts will give you a kind of salad, with iceberg lettuce, a tomato slice, and raw onions. Greasy and filling, a helping of chicken and rice typically goes for $5 outside any office building, hospital, or institution of higher learning: anywhere hungry people only have a few minutes for lunch.
Carts are not just for lunch. Breakfast provides another opportunity for vendors to make some money, and commuters to avoid the long lines at a coffee shop. Hot and iced coffee, bagels with cream cheese or butter, pastries of all kinds, and sometimes juice or smoothies, all at a fraction of the cost of a brick and mortar store. There is always the risk that the goods might not be as fresh, but for $3, who cares? Most commuters have a routine and go to the same vendor every day, ensuring a consistent product. If you are wary, go to the one with the longest line, there’s probably a reason the line is long.
For food stand variety, there are a few hot spots in the city. Just outside of Columbia University, on Broadway, you can normally find Chinese, Vietnamese, French Fries, Waffles, Grilled Cheese, or a random assortment of possibilities, every weekday. The same can be found near Washington Square Park, home of NYU. The area around Grand Central sometimes holds treats, but you may have to walk around a bit. Park and Madison Avenue are good bets, with the large number of office buildings providing customers.
So what is the bottom line for someone new to NYC? I can boil it down to 3 tips.
- Don’t go to a vendor whose prices aren’t listed.
- Pick something that is likely to have regular, repeat customers.
- If the line is long, it’s probably for a good reason.
Happy Eating!
Practical Travel 