A huge bowl of hot homemade fries topped with a creamy blue cheese topping for $ 8, followed by an equally large serving of Brooklyn-style crispy fried calamari with marinara sauce for $ 12, total cost of the meal, $ 20 and for to share. Also, and this is really unique to my restaurant, unlimited still or still water! I think this is because The Smith on Broadway and 65th Street really caters to a younger drinking crowd, hence the mile-long zinc bar, and they don’t mind staying hydrated in the meantime. But if you’re a member of the more mature group, you can roam through a menu containing a plethora of fairly cheap bar food and enjoy a free drink, all in the notoriously expensive Lincoln Center area.
NB Don’t even think about going to this place for brunch or before the theater, that is, if you want to do your show. The crowds and noise are horrendous. But try it for a weekday lunch; it is a nice place and a lot of fun.
Continuing with very fine, very cheap and very authentic Chinese food, try Grand Sichuan on Amsterdam and 74th Street. It doesn’t sound like much, but the ones in the know go here and you should too. I managed to find something innocent like chicken with mixed vegetables. Of course, the more adventurous among us looked at Chong Qing Spicy Fish in Pickled Pepper, Beef Tongue and Tripe, and Beef Tendon with Hot Sauce and had a good time with them. Be careful – a lot of the dishes have those little red stars that mean hot, hot, hot, but if you’re careful and tell the server that your food should at least be soft, smooth, smooth, you’ll be fine. This chain has a lot of sisters all over the city and I can’t speak for them, but this is a good one. The prices are ridiculously low, the portions huge, and the quality high. Do not be afraid; bring Tums.
Another reasonably priced favorite is Flor de Mayo in Amsterdam, just above 83rd Street. This is a lovely local Spanish / Chinese spot with one of those bulky menus that seem to defy categorization. But we come here for the Peruvian specialties that are really good and surprisingly cheap. You can get half a chicken, including rice or fried plantains (sweet or non-sweet, both are delicious) for $ 9.50; the chicken is excellent and you can’t finish it. Top it with an avocado salad or ceviche and you’ve got a great, cheap meal.
Finally, here’s a bargain that you certainly didn’t expect to find a Bouchon Bakery in the AOL Time Warner building. On the third floor floating above the massive atrium, you will see both the cafeteria (skip this) and the cafeteria bar, which offers the same food for the cafeteria, but is not as crowded. You can get a ham and cheese baguette or a Cobb salad for $ 9 and the largest and richest chocolate macaroon for $ 3.50. The hardest thing to hook up is a stool at one of the tables, but if you lean enough over people while they’re finishing they’ll get the idea and move on.
After all, anyone can find a great meal for a lot of money; But finding good food at bargain prices is a sport that never stops.