Tango food by price: Cheap! ($)
Momofuku restaurants
All these restaurants are mouth-wateringly delicious. Depending on the time you go, you might have to wait a little bit. Trust me, it is worth the wait, and what started out as a little noodle shop in the East Village has turned into a NYC empire so you can always find one near a milonga or practica. They source their food from the best places and list exactly which farm they get their meats from. They actually know the farmers. I don’t trust very much of the meat in the United States anymore but this place is rock solid. Their veggies come from the Greenmarket too. They get all A’s and gold stars in my book!
Addresses:
Noodle Bar, 171 1st Ave btwn 10th & 11th
Ssäm Bar, 207 2nd ave. corner of 13th & 2nd
Milk Bar, 207 2nd ave. corner of 13th & 2nd
Fuku+, 15 W. 56th Street btwn 5th & 6th Avenues
Fuku East Village, 163 1st Ave
Fuku Wall St, 100 Wall Street
Ko, 8 Extra Place (off 1st St. between 2nd Ave. and Bowery)
Má Pêche, Located in the Chambers Hotel, 15 W. 56th Street btwn 5th & 6th Ave
Nishi, 232 Eighth Avenue btwn 21st & 22nd Streets
See website for phone #s, subways, hours
Price Range: $-$$
Prices: Momofuku Noodle Bar $9-$16, Ssäm Bar $8-$15, Milk Bar $2-$12
Website: www.momofuku.com
Type of food: Momofuku Noodle and Ssäm Bars are eclectic/global/Korean/Southern American/Soul foods, Milk Bar is dessert
Payment methods: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Alcohol: Momofuku Noodle and Ssäm Bars have beer, wine, sake and sojou. Milk Bar has only beer & wine
Recommended dishes: Momofuku Noodle Bar-Momofuku ramen, $16; Korean stuffed pork buns, $9
Ssäm Bar-Fried Brussels sprouts, three-terrine sandwich, pork buns
Milk Bar-banana curry loaf and chocolate chocolate chip cookies
Veselka
When you just need to fall into a booth or off a stool and eat something RIGHT NOW even though it is 5am, dive into this Ukrainian diner and buy yourself some hearty down home cookin'. They're even open during blizzards! They source their foods from some very surprisingly excellent purveyors as well and attract foodies as well as everyone else at all hours of the day or night.
What to eat: Their specials often ROCK (like cucumber or blueberry soup, blueberry or sour cherry pierogis, or some killer grilled cheese sandwiches) so check the board before the menu. Bigos (a big thick stew of kielbasa, cabbage and pork shoulder, perfect for those January and February wee hours to get you home without freezing) or the incredibly comforting and delicious vegetarian soup or matzo ball soup. Alternately, you could just have a festival of carbohydrates with pancakes, delicious cheese blintzes or pie. You can work it off in the milonga tomorrow night. You know you're going.
Address: 144 2nd Ave. at 9th St.
Phone: 212-228-9682
Closest subways: 6 at Astor Pl., F or V at 2nd ave., L at 1st ave. or 3rd ave.
Hours: 24/7
Price Range: $-$$
Prices: $10-$14
Website: www.veselka.com
Type of food: Ukrainian
Payment methods: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Alcohol: Beer and wine (and they started adding some fancier drinks like a prosecco martini in 2010)
Recommended dishes: Specials (look at the list on the board), veggie soup, matzoh ball soup, cheese blintzes
Ukrainian East Village Restaurant
The food here is basic comfort food but for what it is, it is really quite delicious. They make AMAAAAzing cheese blintzes, their vegetarian schnitzel is downright addictive, and the cold borscht is delicious.
Address: 140 2nd Ave (between East 9th Street & St Marks Place)
Phone: 212-614-3283
Closest subways: 6 at Astor Pl., F or V at 2nd ave., L at 1st ave. or 3rd ave.
Hours: Mon-Thurs. 12pm-10pm, Fri-Sun 12pm-12am
Price Range: $-$$
Prices: $11-$30
Website: http://ukrainianeastvillage.com
Type of food: Ukrainian
Payment methods: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Alcohol: Beer, wine and full bar
Recommended dishes: Cold borscht, cheese blintzes, kasha, vegetarian schnitzel
Pommes Frites
Go here if you need carbs. Go here if you need a giant pile of potato stuff. Go here if you are really late and need energy food fast. Go here if you need something fast with salt on it. Go here if you don't have any money and need to have a full stomach. Actually go to Mamoun first and then come here for a dessert of fries. Then you'll probably be full, unless you're a really big guy because I'm telling you, they serve a HUGE PILE of fries! All kidding aside, these are really delicious fries and they are worth the line which often gets kind of long, full of college students and other assorted (and sordid) cheap eats fanatics. Don’t go here if you don’t want fries because that’s all they have, folks.
Address: 128 Macdougal Street
Phone: 212-674-1234
Closest subways: A, C, E, B, D, F at West 4th, 1 at Christopher
Hours: Sun-Thu, 11am-2am; Fri-Sat, 11am-3:30am
Price Range: $
Prices: $4-$8.25
Website: www.pommesfritesnyc.com
Type of food: Belgian fries
Payment Methods: Cash Only
Alcohol: None
Recommended Dishes: A giant pile of fries
Mamoun's
Cheap, delicious, fast, filling, and full of youthful college energy, this little, tiny place is just the thing for a quick pick-me-up in the middle of milonga hopping. Bring the mints because you won't want to breathe on anyone after eating these falafel sandwiches. This is the perfect place if you need to get filled up for $2.50 because you spent all your money on Comme il Faut shoes. I brought my Virginian brother here on his first trip to New York City because he has a bottomless stomach and he hasn't stopped talking about it ever since. Literally. If you go to the East Village outpost, you can pick up some nice fluffy socks from the Sock Man across the street to make your dancin' feet happy after the milonga. By the way, don't get scared off by any long lines. These guys throw the food together so fast, you'll swear you've encountered the Gabriel Missé of Middle Eastern food preparation. As you wait and watch their lightning-fast technique, try to imagine how you can apply it to your milonga. Just don't accidentally kick anyone in the line while you are fantasizing.
Addresses:
Mamoun’s West, 119 Macdougal St. nr. W. 3rd St.
Mamoun’s East, 22 St. Marks Place
Phone: 212-674-8685
Closest subways: Mamoun’s West, A, B, C, D, E, F, V at W. 4th St.-Washington Sq.
Mamoun’s East, 6 at Astor Pl.; N, R, W at 8th St.-NYU; F, V at 2nd Ave.
Hours: Daily, 11am-5am
Price Range: $
Prices: $4.95-$14.95
Website: www.mamouns.com
Type of food: Middle Eastern
Payment methods: Cash
Alcohol: None
Recommended dishes: Falafel, $2.95; baba ghannouj, $2.95
Great NY Noodletown
Vegetarians please avert your eyes at this point. My word of warning, don't go here if you have issues with meat hanging around near where you are eating. That being said, if you want to feel like you are actually in China and eat food that makes you feel even MORE like you are in China, and eat at a communal table where you feel even MORE like you are in China (ok, ok, you get the idea) and eat really fresh food served really fast, then go to Great NY Noodletown. They are open almost 24 hours (9am-4am) and are a very short walk from 101 Lafayette and from Lafayette Grill (in case you want some MORE food after you eat there).
Address: 28 Bowery at Bayard St.
Phone: 212-349-0923
Closest subways: B, D at Grand St.; 6, J, M, N, Q, R, W, Z at Canal St.
Hours: Daily, 9am-4am
Price Range: $-$$
Prices: $5.95-$22.95
Website: They have none so here is their Yelp page: www.yelp.com/biz/great-ny-noodle-town-new-york
Type of food: Chinese
Payment methods: Cash only
Alcohol: BYOB
Recommended dishes: Roast pork and wonton noodle soup, $5.75; roast duck lo mein, $8.50; any of the salt baked options
Corner Bistro
If you love burgers, come see what all the fuss is about. The Bistro Burger is one of the highest rated burgers in New York City. The chicken sandwich and grilled cheese are equally tasty, if not exactly healthy, alternatives.
Address: 331 W. 4th St. at Jane St.
Phone: 212-242-9502
Closest subways: A, C, E at 14th St.; L at Eighth Ave.
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11:30am-4am; Sun, noon-4am
Price Range: $
Prices: $2-$7
Website: www.cornerbistrony.com
Type of food: American bar food, classic pub
Payment methods: Cash Only
Alcohol: Full bar
Recommended dishes: Bistro Burger
Pain Quotidien
Yes it's a chain but Pain Quotidien has wonderfully fresh food which is also very affordable. Your body will feel good and ready to dance after eating. They aren’t open very late but I’m including them for people who need a place to eat in between classes and for before or after the afternoon milongas and practicas.
Address: Many locations, see full list below
Phone: See full list below
Closest milonga(s)/dance studio(s): See full list below
Closest subways: See full list below
Hours: Daily 7:30am-7:30pm, 922 Seventh Ave. @ 58th St. and 60 W. 65th St are open until 8:30pm
Price Range: $
Prices: $9-$15.95
Website: www.lepainquotidien.com
Type of food: Belgian
Payment methods: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Alcohol: Beer and wine only
Recommended dishes: Any of the quinoa dishes, any of the salads
550 Hudson Street
Closest milonga(s)/dance studio(s):
Closest subways: 1 at Christopher St., A, C, E, F, V, B, D at West 4th St.
100 Grand St., nr. Mercer St.
Closest subways: 6, J, M, N, Q, R, W, Z at Canal St.; A, C, E at Canal St.; 1 at Canal St.
10 Fifth Ave., at 8th St.
Closest subways: N, R, W at 8th St.-NYU
801 Broadway at 11th Street
Closest subways: N, R, W at 8th St.-NYU
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38 E. 19th St., nr. Broadway
Closest subways: 4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W at 14th St.-Union Sq.
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124 Seventh Ave., nr. 17th St.
Closest subways: 1 at 18th St.; A, C, E at 14th St.
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1270 First Ave., at 68th St.
Closest subways: 6 at 68th St.-Hunter College
252 E. 77th St., nr. Second Ave.
Closest subways: 6 at 77th St.
1131 Madison Ave., nr. 84th St.
Closest subways: 4, 5, 6 at 86th St.
833 Lexington Ave., nr. 64th St.
Closest subways: 6 at 68th St.-Hunter College
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922 Seventh Ave., at 58th St.
Closest subways: N, Q, R, W at 57th St.
60 W. 65th St., nr. Columbus Ave.
Closest subways: 1 at 66th St.-Lincoln Center
50 W. 72nd St., nr. Central Park West
Closest subways: B, C at 72nd St.
494 Amsterdam Ave., at 84th St.
Closest subways: 1 at 86th St.
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There are a gazillion other great restaurants in NYC. To find more, I recommend checking out the New York Magazine Restaurant guide. Search by location and price, and then always check out their critic's picks. They haven't steered me wrong yet!