A Chicken Parm Hero That’s Twice The Size of a $10 Bill But Almost Half the Price

Luigi’s $7 Chicken Parmesan Hero Proves Size Does Matter, But It Comes Cheap

Afghan Kebab House #1’s $13.95 Combo Kebab Is Plentiful, But Is It Worth Nearly $16 With Tip?

$7 for a two-meal sandwich? I’m Sold!

Luigi’s is not my new favorite Chicken Parmesan hero, that honor still belongs to Tuscany’s Chicken Parm on Baguette, but it’s going to be hard not choosing Luigi’s because they deliver a hero that can span two meals for just $7. It’s loaded up with hearty, white meat breaded chicken breasts and a good amount of mozzarella cheese. Unfortunately, the generic tomato sauce left a little to be desired, but the sandwich isn’t swimming in it so us bang for your buck-o’s can still feel good about the purchase.

The standard Italian hero roll came toasted crispy, the better to prevent sogginess during the speedy delivery, but it turned messy as eating progressed, requiring some sandwich rearranging to prevent the chicken and cheese from sliding out of the bread.

If you’re stuck in Midtown West and seeking a meal that will fill your belly while leaving your wallet full too, Luigi’s Chicken Parmesan hero is the answer. The actual Luigi’s establishment is nothing to look at, but you’re stomach won’t mind.

Combo Kebab Is Great In Concept, Poor in Execution

Three kebabs (lamb tikka, beef kafta and chicken breast) with basmati rice, salad and Afghan bread for $13.95 sounds like it fits right in the delicious and affordable category. And it would if it was actually delicious. Unfortunately, it was mainly mediocre. The meats were portioned unequally and there wasn’t enough charred vegetables, just a few slices of onion and one piece of red pepper.

The 3 little chunks of lamb were dry and tough, tasting mainly of the fire they were cooked over. The chicken was tender and in the greatest abundance (5 chunks), but lacked any real flavor. The beef kafta (above top left), ground beef studded with scallions, was by far the tastiest, but there were only two.

None of the three sauces provided (minted yogurt sauce, a thin and vinegary tomato based sauce and another minty concoction) added anything to the meal. I tried each sauce with each meat to make sure I wasn’t missing something.

I left the salad for last, thinking they couldn’t go wrong there, but an iceberg salad is only as good as its dressing and with the meats and rice sitting like a rock in my stomach, the minted yogurt sauce was too thick and bland to waste stomach space on.

Sadly, the bread was the best part of the meal. It arrived cool but fresh, airy and light on the inside, slightly tougher on the outside.

When all was said and done, I spent close to $16 on this meal including tip for delivery (which took longer than expected). In the end, I’m glad I tried it just to know for sure that it is definitely not a bang for your buck meal.

Luigi’s

Afghan Kebab House #1

French Onion Soup, 11 oz. NY Strip, Marble Cheesecake w/ Raspberry Sauce

Once you’ve tasted the best…

For those of us who have eaten great steak, this meal is going to disappoint, especially if you’re not willing to spend much more than the original $20.99. Keep in mind, the lunch special comes with no sides. What’s a steak meal without some potato, fried onion or creamed spinach? Unfortunately those will each cost you $7.95 for “small” sized portions. We’ll talk more about sides later, right now it’s steak time.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

I went with the 11 oz. NY Strip over the Filet because the latter is devoid of fat and therefore flavor. I was pleased with the size of the cut and the puddle of juice on the plate. My first cut into the meat spelled trouble. Very tough. This was surprising considering my medium rare order (red and warm) was delivered upon. Unfortunately, the steak just wasn’t very tender. I made sure to cut against the grain, but still, chewy and a little tough.

Naturally I still finished the entire piece, the outer char and inner beefy flavor were nice although they were not enhanced by the watery and bland steak sauce. Once you’ve had Peter Luger’s steak sauce, brimming with horseradish punch, it’s hard to enjoy another.

Although the Filet Mignon looks tender, my cousin said it was overcooked and flavorless.

Can You Mess Up Bread?

If the answer’s “yes”, then you know the meal’s in trouble. In regard to this bread basket, the answer was “slightly.” The onion rolls were stale and cool, a big disappointment, but the house roll was tasty and slightly warm and the flat crackers, dotted with bits of garlic and caraway seed, were fresh and crisp. Everything tasted a little better with the standard butter.

Go Green Instead

Soup of the day was either Split Pea or a $2.50 step up fee for French Onion Soup. Go big or go home right? French onion soup it is. The result was lackluster. In my mind, there can never be enough melted cheese on a French onion soup.

This version was more of a cheese yarmulka, barely overtaking the edges of the bowl. Inside, the requisite bread was a soggy variety of who-knows-what swimming in an over-peppered broth filled of sweet onion. It was edible but my cousin’s Caesar salad, crowned with two anchovies, looked much tastier.

Standard Sides… With One Exception

I was dining with both of my cousins, who can generally pack in as much food as the Food Guy, so we ordered three sides at $7.95 each: Onion Strings, Hash browns and Creamed Spinach. The onion strings and hash browns met the minimum steakhouse expectations, simple and moderately effective, but the creamed spinach was some of the worst I’ve had.

The onion strings were the best of the three sides. Crispy, light and plentiful, they tasted fresh and weren’t overly greasy.

The hash browns did what they were supposed to, provide the necessary potato aspect of the potato-onion-steak bite. Salty and bland, these hash browns merely sufficed; a crisp outer shell hid chopped potato, onion and pepper. Maybe we should have opted for the shoestring fries we spied on a neighboring table, they resembled a poor man’s Houston’s fries.

The creamed spinach was awful. It was salty, congealed almost instantly after hitting the plate and didn’t taste like spinach at all. People fall victim to ordering this side because it’s known as one of the steakhouse “basics.” I can honestly say it disappoints more often than not. The best I’ve had is probably at Rothmann’s Steakhouse in East Norwich, Long Island. There’s also a NYC Rothmann’s on 54th b/t 5th Ave & Madison.

When It Comes to Cheesecake, Quality Matters

Just like the steak, the cheesecake looked good but lacked star quality. The raspberry sauce was the saving grace for what was obviously a generic wholesale marble cheesecake. It was creamy but lacked the delicate quality that separates good cheesecake from medicore. The “marble” aspect was more decorative than flavorful and in the end, I left half the slice over. Should have went with the ice cream (chocolate or vanilla), you can’t mess that up.

Save Your Money For a Real Steak Meal

As they say in Vegas, the house always wins. I ended up spending $45, including a beer and tip, on a filling but lackluster meal which started at $20.99. The company of my cousins, one of whom was celebrating his 21st birthday, was the best part of the experience.

In the end, there’s no cutting corners when it comes to steak. Save your money. Go to a real steakhouse like Luger’s and become one with your inner carnivore. Your stomach and integrity will thank you.

Angelo & Maxie’s

Chicken Pad Thai (above, $6.75) Side Salad with peanut dressing (below, included in special)

Chicken Pad Thai

For the first time in a while I opted for Pad Thai over Drunken Noodles (Khi Mao). Pad Thai is my old standby and with only one exception, Chai’s was delicious. The serving looks small but it was actually quite filling.

• The flavor was balanced, just enough fish sauce, tamarind, chili pepper and crushed peanut.
• White meat chicken was tender, piping hot and tasted fresh.
• I asked for it extra spicy and it arrived with a nice kick, not painful but enough to clear the sinuses a bit.
• The one exception: An overabundance of scallion.

Salad

A better option than the minuscule spring rolls, the salad was tiny and mundane despite the enticing sight of shaved carrot & beet root. The peanut dressing was watery and bland, the lettuce was boring iceberg and there was only one slice of cucumber and tomato.

Lunch Special Menu

Here it is in all its self-explanatory glory.

Conclusion

Quality Thai for a good price in a stylish setting. What more can you ask for when you’re eating near Midtown? There are literally 34 seats crammed into this small restaurant and there would be 6 more if not for the small pond (below) which ordains part of the storefront. Regardless, it adds a little flavor to an area that’s commercialized and touristy, so seize the day. Go out for lunch and enjoy an affordable, filling meal at Chai.

Chai

930 8th Avenue at 55th Street

Chai at Williamsburg

• What: Fried egg and cheese between two slices of homemade sweet, fluffy Chalah baked daily at this vegetarian diner. It’s a great hangover helper and it’s an affordable home style breakfast which has been satisfying for over 60 years.
• Cost: $3.25
• Where: 127 2^nd Avenue b/t 7^th Street and St. Mark’s Place NY, NY 10003 212-505-8065
• Inside Info: B&H is known for their homemade soups which are served alongside a hearty slice of chalah. Their daily sandwich/soup or entree/soup combos will leave you and your wallet feeling full, happy and healthy for around $10. I’ve heard good things about their expansive juice bar.

More Great Breakfast & Brunch Here

More Cheap Eats Here

• What: Tender, fatty roast pork stewed in its own juices then chopped and covered in lettuce, cilantro, sliced carrot and cucumber and wedged between two halves of a crisp, greasy sesame pancake (similar to scallion pancakes though less flaky). This messy sandwich provides a wonderful confluence of flavor and texture. Add some standard hot sauce (not Sirracha despite the refilled bottles) for extra bite. The vegetable sesame pancake is equally delicious.
• Cost: $2.99
• Where: 220 East 14th Street near 3rd Avenue NY, NY 10003
• Inside info: Combine a sesame pancake with an order of fried pork dumplings ($2.00) and you’ve got a great meal for just over $5.00. Both the fried pork dumplings and steamed vegetable dumplings are reliably delicious. Bite a little hole in the top of each dumpling then squirt in soy sauce for maximum enjoyment. Unfortunately, Vanessa’s can’t satisfy late night urges, they close at 10PM.

• What: Forget Pommes Frites, Ziggiz serves Manhattan’s best and biggest order of fries for a mere $2.16! Thin, crisp and double-fried, these fries are even better after a night on the town. You can get an overflowing order of addictive and delicious fries until 3AM Thursday and 5AM Friday and Saturday.
• Cost: $2.16!!!!
• Where: 333 3^rd Avenue near 25^th Street NY, NY 10010 212-683-3663
• Inside info: All the other food at Ziggiz is standard grease pit fare, including their namesake burgers, cheese steaks and burritos. Quesadillas and burritos come with onions in them so make sure to speak up if you don’t want them. Stick with the fried stuff here (mozzarella sticks and chicken fingers) and you can’t go wrong.

Manhattan’s Best Fries Here

More Pics of Food at Ziggiz Here

More Late Night Eats Here

More Cheap Eats Here

This may be the best late night meal on the UWS. The chicken is so good that a whole chicken ($11.29, 8 pieces) and no fries is worth considering. Skip the ribs, stick with the chicken. Beware they only serve Hunts ketchup, no Heinz, so prepare accordingly.

This is the $4 cheeseburger from Carnegie John’s street cart on 56th near 7th Avenue and it’s delicious. First it’s griddled, then charcoal-grilled, then put back on the griddle before being covered in American cheese, shredded lettuce, and tomato. It’s a two-hand burger and it’s only $4. Go pick one up and eat it outside. Read on for Carnegie John’s other go-to option for a cheap and tasty lunch…

Carnegie John is a one-man wrecking crew, simultaneously flipping burgers, grilled chicken, hot dogs, Italian susages, and even steaks from the griddle to the grill and back. This process leaves all the meat juicy and moist while adding a backyard grill flavor that will transport you to a Sunday afternoon in July. As “Carnegie” John Antoniou says on NYMag.com, “It seals in the juice and gives everything a nice flavor.” Simple yet effective.

Tony “The Dragon” Dragonas, who operates his own cart on 62nd Street and Madison, taught Carnegie John the tricks of the trade, specifically how to prepare a mean char-grilled chicken platter ($5.50). After putting the chicken through the double-grill process, its placed on a bed of yellow rice and topped with some tzatiki sauce. A salad of lettuce and tomato doused in a generic lemon vinaigrette and a few slices of pita fill out the tin tray. It’s a seriously hearty offering for a great price.

With so many great outdoor eating spots in Midtown, this is the perfect time of year to grab some grub from Carnegie John, find a nice spot, and make the most of your lunch hour.

Carnegie John’s

Taco Time All Over Manhattan

Super Tacos

Open until 2:30am ($2.00/taco)

This truck is parked on the corner of 96th and Broadway. I recommend the Al Pastor tacos (photos). Freshly grilled sliced pork, spiced up and mixed with grilled onion and pineapple and sprinkled with lettuce and cilantro and a slice of tomato. Delicious with some of the spicy green tomatillo sauce. No where else on the UWS can you get this caliber Mexican at this hour. A lot of Latin American people ordered Tortas (mexican sandwiches) while I was there, so I take that as a good sign, though I haven’t tried it myself.

Zaragoza

Open until 4AM Friday and Saturday ($2.00/taco)

This unassuming hole in the wall Mexican grocery serves up some awesome homemade tacos that vary depending on what was most recently cooked. The advantage is you always know you’re eating something fresh, the disadvantage is that you don’t know if your favorite taco will be present. If the chipotle chicken (pictured) is there, absolutely go for it. I’ve read good things about the lamb taco but can’t vouch. I saw them making a burrito when I was there and it was massive and cheap. Wash it all down with a watermelon Jarritos (a candy-like and delicious Mexican soda).

San Loco

Open until 4AM weekdays and 5AM weekends

What this place lacks in quality they make up for with the biggest menu of all four of these places. Prices are a little higher than the trucks but having your pick of the litter makes up for it. Unfortunately, nothing is really great. The chipotle chicken is better than the regular, it’s spicy and moist, although it’s of the stewed variety, not grilled or shredded. The ground beef is standard and boring (taco pictured). Good guacamole and chips, however. The hot sauces and salsa are ordinary, go with some pico de gallo. I recommend a Queso Loco taco (pictured with chipotle chicken), a warm tortilla with melted cheese wrapped around a hard shell taco, with filling of your choice ($3.70 with chicken, price varies according to filling).

El Idolo

Open from 9:30PM to 5:30AM (No taco more than $2.50)

I’ve only eaten at this taco truck once but from what I remember, it was seriously delicious. I’m a pork man so I recommend the al pastor (pictured in 1st 2 photos). It was piping hot, spicy, and sprinkled with cilantro and lettuce. I don’t recall pineapple though it’s a bit hazy. It’s not as flavorful as Super Taco’s al pastor but its damn good when you add some of the fiery red hot sauce. The bistec taco (3rd photo, left taco) was nothing special so I’d pass on that. Same with the standard pork taco (3rd photo, right taco), which was equally mundane. When you’re ready for dessert walk up to 7th avenue and hit the Donut Pub.

24-Hour Donuts The Way They’re Meant to Be Done

The Donut Pub (More Delicious Desserts Here)

Open 24 Hours!!! (donuts $1.10, eclairs $1.20, coffee rolls $1.85)

Forget Dunkin Donuts, this 24 hour spot is an old school New York relic. It defines what a Donut Shop should be. Cheap homemade donuts, a big long counter lined with stools, and cheap coffee in styrofoam cups. I recommend the Glazed Chocolate Donut with Coconut. It’s sweet, slightly crisp on the outside, airy on the inside, and absolutely delicious. This place is so great even their crullers look appetizing and I hate crullers.

UWS Chinese/Thai/Japanese All in One Place

Empire (Menu Pages menu)

Open until 2AM 7 days a week

I haven’t eaten at this restaurant on 100th and Broadway but all I know is they’re open until 2AM seven days a week and they offer Chinese, Japanese, and Thai food. It’s a nice looking restaurant not a divey takeout spot and IT’S OPEN UNTIL 2AM EVERY NIGHT. Where else are you getting this on the UWS? It’s simple, you’re not. Check it out and let me know how it goes.

Diners on Steroids

Big Nick’s

24 Hours/7 Days A Week

When I say “Diners on Steroids”, Big Nick’s defines the term. This place has what seems like a 50-page menu with everything you could possibly imagine served at every hour of the day. If that’s not enough, they also make pizza and it’s not diner pizza, its good pizza, not just at 5AM. The Big Nick’s on Columbus and 71st Street is unrelated and not as good.

While I wouldn’t recommend the Beef Stroganoff, you’re pretty safe going with anything greasy or fried from burgers, to grilled cheeses, to cheesesteaks, to chicken parm heroes. My standard order is a Large Cheese pie ($15.00) (sprinkled with fresh basil) and an order of spicy waffle fries ($3.75). The burgers are big and flame-grilled. I like getting a grilled chicken, bacon, and cheddar sandwich on a toasted hero. Deluxe-ing a sandwich isn’t really worth it because you only get about 10 steak fries and one or two spicy waffle, just go regular sandwich and order an extra side of fries. Delivery is efficient but takes at least 45 minutes. Be ready to order when you call because these guys have no time for BS.

Big Daddy’s Diner (Full NYC Food Guy review)

Union Square location 24 hours on Friday and Saturday

UES location open until 12AM Friday and Saturday

This place is all kitsch but they serve tater tots, which are cool, and they embody the “steroids” label. The “What about Bob?” ($8.92) is an egg sandwich with bacon, melted jalapeno jack cheese, and home fries all on the sandwich (pictured left). “Daddy’s Famous Bake’n Cakes” ($9.96) are hot buttered pancakes with strips of bacon mixed in. The Coffee Shop Grilled Three Cheese ($7.96) contains Cheddar, American, and Jalapeno Jack on the bread of your choice (pictured). It’s grease done right and it’s 24 hours. The only drawback is the intensely kitschy environment, loud music, and cheesy decorations. It’s sensory overload, so if you’re teetering on the border of hangover-ville and you need something stabilizing, this place may send you over the edge.

No Frills Grilled Bacon Cheeseburger Done Right

Veselka (Full NYC Food Guy Review)

Open 24 Hours/7 Days a Week

If you’re looking for a delicious flame-grilled burger, cooked to order, with a great bun, tasty bacon, and well-melted American cheese, then go to Veselka. It’s a Ukrainian diner with awesome pierogies and blintzes which also make great, albeit filling, appetizers. You’re here for the burger though, it’s simple and it saves you the trouble of thinking at 4AM because you know you’re getting something delicious.

The One Worthy Exception: A Carnivore’s dream

Katz’s Deli

Open Until 2AM Friday & Saturday

With that information in hand, look at that ridiculous photo (it’s two sandwiches) and read my review and you’ll understand why you must go there now, especially if you haven’t been yet. It’s a NY institution and it’s a carnivore’s dream.

Sarge’s Deli

Open 24 hours/7 Days a week

Kosher style deli on a larger and less expensive menu than Katz’s. Thick, crinkle cut fries, overstuffed turkey and pastrami sandwiches, breakfast all day, and a plethora of diner-style desserts. You can have it all here and you can have it any time of the day.

Cheap Beer, Free Hot Dogs, and an Outdoor Patio… Enough Said

Rudy’s Bar and Grill – Open 8am to 4am everyday

You’ve all seen this place on 9th Ave but never gone in. They’ve got the big plastic pig outside and the old school neon marquee. Rudy’s is the definition of old school dive bar: Torn red leather banquettes patched up with duct tape, an all black paint job, and only one beer with a cost higher than $4.00. If you’re smart you’ll stick with Rudy’s own brand of Red and Blonde beer ($3.00/$2.50 for pints, $9/$7 for pitchers). You can hang out back on the smoking patio when it’s nice out, but beware if you’re anti-cigarettes because this patio really lives up to its namesake.

The most hi-tech objects in the whole joint are the big screen TV up front, the jukebox on the back wall, and the hot dog machine which rolls Stahl-Meyer all beef hot dogs all night long. You can have as many dogs as you want for free! Need I say more? Places like this are what makes drinking fun.

53rd & 6th Halal Cart

Open from 7:30pm until 4AM

To answer your question, yes, this is the famous Halal Cart that has skyrocketed in popularity since Oprah supposedly mentioned eating there (cue requisite wise crack). And to answer your 2nd question, no, it’s not a transcendent experience. It’s good when you’re starving and probably even better when you’re drunk, but I’ve never really enjoyed “street meat”. The white sauce is tasty but rich, don’t use too much or you’ll feel sick and the hot sauce, served in containers no thicker than three stacked quarters, is ridiculously hot, so beware. My photo is of the $6 lamb/chicken platter. If you want a platter, skip the chicken it’s ordinary and tasteless. The lamb is where it’s at. Go for a sandwich if you’re looking for something less involved, but be careful, it’s a mess. Peel a tiny bit of the foil back everytime your ready for another bite. MOST IMPORTANTLY don’t be a fool and wait in the 3 hour line next to the Hilton, if you look right across the street from the cart, the same guys have another cart going and there’s rarely a long line. Check out the fan site here.

NYC Food Guy’s Amazing Creation – PIZZA BAGELS!!!

I told you you’d be kicking yourself for not thinking of this on your own. This is what you eat when nothing else is open and you can’t walk further than the corner bodega.

All you need is a bagel, some mozzarella cheese, and some tomato sauce. You can get a bagel at pretty much any bodega anywhere in the city, and no matter how far from morning-fresh they might be, they’ll be crisp and delicious after you’re done cooking. You can do this with English Muffins, rolls, and white bread if there’s no bagels around or if you’re really desperate. I got through my first two years of college on these bad boys so I stand behind them completely.

Here’s all you need to know:

1. Pre-heat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees
2. Spread any kind of tomato sauce on two halves of a bagel, sprinkle with spices as desired
3. Place Mozzarella (or any other kind of cheese you can get your hands on) on top of sauce
4. Put uncooked pizza bagels on foil-lined baking sheet and place into oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is burnt on top
5. Wait a few minutes before you bite in, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve burned off the roof of my mouth with molten sauce since I couldn’t wait 5 minutes for the bagels to cool

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This is just the beginning of the madness. If you know NYC Food Guy at all, I’m on a constant search for the best in Cheap Eats so if I’ve missed any of your favorite places let me know. Leave a comment or email me at lawrence@nycfoodguy.com. Thanks and happy eating.