Airy, egg-glazed buns filled with tiny chunks of sweet roast pork for just 80 cents 90 cents each? In Midtown?? How can you go wrong? Well, Ying Du’s cleanliness isn’t exactly confidence-instilling (it’s been DOH’d several times), but what can you expect from a place pulled right out of Chinatown and placed mere blocks [...]

Posted in MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST, Ying Du Bakery 2 Comments »

One of the best barometer’s of a restaurant’s success is whether or not you want to return after your first meal.  KyoChon, one day away from its grand opening, did not pass this test.  The Korean fried chicken chain, which opened its first Manhattan location Tuesday, is still in soft opening, but after waiting an [...]

Posted in KyoChon, MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST 8 Comments »

Unlike many Midtown desk jockeys, I do everything in my power to avoid eating at the “we have it all” deli.  The Café Dukes of the city are the enemy of little specialty shops everywhere, making up for mainly mediocre, high-priced food by offering more options than your mind can handle, all under one roof. [...]

Posted in Cafe Duke, MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST 6 Comments »

NYC Food Guy always welcomes guest bloggers.  Today we turn the spotlight on regular contributor King of Ketchup.  E-mail lawrence@nycfoodguy.com if you’d like to contribute!
A couple weeks ago I stumbled across this website advertising an offer for a free $25 gift card for Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse. Two days later, my free $25 gift card was [...]

Posted in MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST, Uncle Jack's Steakhouse 7 Comments »

Skirt Steak and eggs: the Clint Eastwood of breakfast.  Its been around forever and it’s still badass.  And while The Breslin tries to cement its badass status with a no reservations policy and a meat-centric menu, Yuca Bar draws diners and imbibers to its Latin American oasis as coolly as Clint draws movie viewers.  So [...]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, FOOD SHOWDOWNS, MANHATTAN, Skirt Steak & Egg Brunch: The Breslin vs Yuca Bar, The Breslin, Yuca Bar 4 Comments »

Two crispy-edged, fluffy on the inside, plate-size pancakes studded with slices of ripe banana and topped with mixed candied nuts and a melting river of whipped banana brown sugar butter!  Syrup is superfluous.  If you want to avoid the $21 price tag, you’ll find the recipe for this decadence in the thumbnails below.  Let us [...]

Posted in MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST, Norma's 8 Comments »

You didn’t think NYC Food Guy could stay away for this long, did you? I didn’t either, but here we are, more than four months since the last review.  A complete change of schedule at my day job gave me a life beyond eating for the first time in three years and unfortunately the blog [...]

Posted in Lan Sheng Szechuan, MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST 21 Comments »

There’s finally a reason to remain in Midtown when the clock strikes 5PM on weekdays (and starting at 12PM weekends): the new “Southwest Porch” at 40th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan’s Bryant Park. The venture combines Southwest Airlines, who’s celebrating their first flights out of LaGuardia, with a menu from Tom Colicchio [...]

Posted in Bryant Park Soutwest Porch, MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST 56 Comments »

I’m willing to cause controversy by declaring NYC’s best falafel, but when it comes to diners, there are so many in this city that it’s impossible to applaud only one as “the best.”  But therein lies NYC Food Guy’s motivation to find diners that are a cut above the rest.   Galaxy Diner, on 46th Street [...]

Posted in Galaxy Diner, MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST 11 Comments »

New Yorkers desire the best and when it comes to food, NYC Food Guy delivers just that.  I’ve made the claim before about burgers, West Village slices, Midtown pizza, and french fries.  Now it’s time to deliver the best falafel crown to Azuri Cafe on 51st Street near 10th Avenue. The cozy Kosher cafe run [...]

Posted in Azuri Falafel, MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST, Taim Falafel, WEST VILLAGE 48 Comments »

A 2nd attempt at rediscovering the magic of Scruffy Duffy’s Buffalo Wings at widowed sister bar Lansdowne Road has failed.  On my initial visit, I ordered the wings hot and was disappointed by the crusty sauce and dried out wings.  On my second visit, I ordered the wings medium but the result is what you [...]

Posted in Lansdowne Road, MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST 31 Comments »

In this “burger obssessed age“, where beef on a bun is the restaurant industry’s lone recession-proof dish, NYC Food Guy is here to shed some light on three burgers that are a break from the normal fare.  One’s both beauty and beast, one’s from Down Under and the last is just a heart-stopper.  Read on [...]

Posted in Del Frisco's, EAST VILLAGE, Great Jones Cafe, MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST, Ruby's, SOHO 18 Comments »

NYC Food Guy loves wings; high quality chicken, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and doused in a fiery sauce. Astonishingly, there are no go to wings in New York City. Dinosaur BBQ never disappoints but it’s just one place, way uptown. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to [...]

Posted in Blind Tiger Ale House, CHELSEA, Croxley Ales, EAST VILLAGE, Lansdowne Road, MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST, MURRAY HILL/GRAMERCY, One and One, Pete's Tavern, RUB BBQ, Sidewalk Bar & Restaurant, St. Mark's Ale House, WEST VILLAGE 73 Comments »

NYC Food Guy’s M.O. is delicious and affordable. My cheap eats repertoire is strong. And in the current economic state, bang for your buck carries added importance. Chicken parmesan heroes and Afghani kebabs don’t exactly go hand in hand, but two Midtown West establishments, Luigi’s and Afghan Kebab House #1 both offer what [...]

Posted in Afghan Kebab House #1, Luigi's Pizzeria, MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST 16 Comments »

Sometimes you just feel like shaking it up. And sometimes you feel like it would be a bit redundant to post another rosy review of Five Guys Burgers. Whatever your motivation is, the next time you’re at Five Guys you too should get a bacon cheese dog. Add some jalapenos, since all [...]

Posted in Five Guys Burgers & Fries, MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN WEST, Uncategorized 34 Comments »