Kazuza

Price Range:$$

                                         http://www.kazuzanyc.com/

This is not a restaurant but a hookah lounge. There are several Hookah lounges in NYC with many being in Manhattan or Steinway,Queens. This place is located in what we call Alphabet City or just the LES(Lower East Side). The decor inside is very warm and inviting with a romantic feel to it. During the day you will find it pretty empty and on the weekends it gets pretty crowded. Because it gets so busy on the weekends they do have a bouncer at the door that checks ID. You have to be 18 to smoke Hookah in NY but in some places in Manhattan they will raise the age to 21 on the weekends. This place is 18 and over having come several times with people under 21. They have a variety of flavors to pick from starting at $15 dollars, you can even smoke certain fruits if you so choose. You also have a choice of mixing your hookah with alcohol which is an added buzz. They do serve food and drinks and anything I have had has been good. They do have a really good falafel sandwich on pita. Music isn't limited to only Middle Eastern as they play a variety of everything from Spanish to Pop. Bonus is if you get there before 11-11:30 on Friday and Saturday you will get to watch a belly dancer perform and can even get up and dance with her. This place has guaranteed the BEST HOOKAH you will probably ever have in NY. I have had decent hookah in Steinway but I always come back to this place. I have brought beginners to non-believers and haters whom have all been in agreement that this place is something else. So if you want to kill some time before going out or even want to end the night on a good note, try this place out. There is no fee for coal changing, and the staff is friendly and accommodating. Good for 18 and over.

Address:

107 Avenue A                                                   Hours:
(between 6th St & 7th St)                               Mon-Sun 4 pm - 4 am
New York, NY 10009
Neighborhoods: East Village, Alphabet City       

(212) 505-9300                                                   


Nearest Transit:

1st Ave-14th St (L)

Accepts Credit Cards!

Christie's Jamaican Patties

PRICE RANGE:$

Located in Brooklyn this bakery is home to some very good jamaican patties. If you have only ever had frozen beef patties I would suggest you try some that are freshly baked. Christie's Jamaican Pattie's are backed perfectly where it's still soft but toasted enough that it won't just flake everywhere. You have the choice to pick how spicy you want your patty to be and they have beef, chicken and veggie. I have tried all three and my favorites are the mild beef and veggie ones. Everything is made on the premise fresh and you can also find some tasty Carribean treats. They do have the option of Coco Bread as do most places and the staff is really friendly. These are by far the best Jamaican Patties I have found in NY so far and I would definietly reccomend anyone to try it especially only being $1.75. Good for all ages

Caribbean  

387 Flatbush Ave                                 Hours:

Brooklyn, NY 11238                          Mon-Thu, Sun 10 am - 10 pm
Neighborhood: Prospect Heights        Fri-Sat 10 am - 11 pm

(718) 636-9746

Nearest Transit:

Grand Army Plaza (2, 3)

7th Ave (Q, B)

CASH ONLY!

Artichoke Pizzeria

PRICE RANGE:$

                                    http://www.artichokepizza.com/


So I discovered this little spot after a night of drinking with some friends and let me tell you I am SO HAPPY I did. First let me say this place is ALWAYS busy, especially so late at night. Being that there are some universities close by you will find a multitude of young kids milling about online after partying. So this place only has 4 different pizza's to choose from. One would think thats very limiting,right? Not at all. The slices they have are these: Margherita $4, Sicilian $4, Crab $4.50 and Spinach and Artichoke $4.50. Being a native New Yorker I'm pretty dead set against paying more than $2 for a slice of pizza but I decided to try the pizza.  Let me tell you the slices are HUGE you could definitely split it with someone and feel satisfied, but I guarantee you won't want to after tasting it. So the Margherita slice is delicious very savory and minimal although a tad bit salty but I can tolerate it. I have not tried the crab meat since I am not a big fan of seafood but this place is all about the Spinach and Artichoke slice. Think of a really yummy spinach and artichoke dip on a nice fluffy bed of bread and some gooey cheese and that is what the slice is. This place is cash only so be sure to bring some because if not you will be directed to the ATM across the street and you will lose your place in line. They have beer,soda and water if you get thirsty. There is no seating at the place on 14th street but there is one small bench outside and mostly everyone just stands around eating. They opened up another location which does have seating and serves a variety of other stuff which I have yet to go and try but will review at another time. This place is good for all types.

Nearest Transit:                                                            

Hours:
1st Ave-14th St (L)                                           Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 4 am

Astor Place (6)                                                  Fri-Sat 11 am - 5:30 am

Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)

CASH ONLY!

S'mac- Sarita's Mac and Cheese

Price Range:$

 

                                        http://www.smacnyc.com/


Who said that macaroni and cheese is only for kids? If you are one of those people that scoffs at the idea of eating some macaroni and cheese, you just haven't been to S'Mac. Where else can you build your own macaroni and cheese and eat it straight out of the skillet it was cooked in? Lets look at their sizes; Nosh, Major Munch, Mongo and Partay! They have already made combos that you can choose from but its always fun to build your own. You get to pick your pasta, cheese, and 3 mix-ins which can be herbs, veggies, condiments or Meats/Poultry/Fish. They are also Vegan, Lactose and Gluten friendly! The place can get pretty busy and its a tiny space so if you are planning to sit and eat it might be a bit of a wait to snag an empty table. Right next door they have the takeout area when you are just looking to get in and out without all the fuss. This place is definitely a good idea for the kids to try different Mac & Cheeses. Everything is fresh and cooked on premises for you to see. This is one place you definitely won't regret trying! Be warned if driving there is almost never any parking around.


Address:
345 E 12th St                                                                           Hours:
(between 2nd Ave & 1st Ave)                                       Mon-Sun 11 am - 11 pm
New York, NY 10003                                              
Neighborhood: East Village
(212) 358-7912

Nearest Transit: 

1st Ave-14th St (L)

Astor Place (6)

Curly's Lunch

PRICE RANGE:$$

                                           http://www.curlyslunch.com/

Situated right next to Artichoke Pizzeria this little Vegan/Vegetarian spot is easy to overlook. It is very small inside and usually not that busy. Little tin of crayons, paper place mats and a wall of art? Yup this place lets its patrons go back to childhood when you got to color while you waited for your food and they even put it up to show. They have a pretty big  menu with a variety of different foods from breakfast to Mexican or just standard american fare. Love that they have curly fries since I find it so hard to find places that carry them. Every time I've eaten there I have never left disappointed although halfway into eating their Buffalo Blue Burger I did kind of regret my choice. This is a good place to go if you are interested in trying out some Vegetarian food at a reasonable price. Oh and their French toast was really very good! Good for all ages.

Vegetarian, Vegan  

328 E 14th St                                                             Hours:
(between 1st Ave & 2nd Ave)                                Mon-Fri 11 am - 11 pm
New York, NY 10003                                              Sat-Sun 10 am - 11 pm
Neighborhoods: Gramercy, East Village

(212) 598-9998

Nearest Transit:

1st Ave-14th St (L)

Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)

Accepts Credit Cards!