Paul's Da Burger Joint, Manhattan (East Village)

The East Village of Manhattan has so many restaurants that it is tough to keep track of them. Many of the restaurants in this slightly gritty (and very quirky) neighborhood are small, cheap eats kinds of places. And Paul's Da Burger Joint on 2nd Avenue at St. Mark's Place is certainly fits into this mold.

Paul's Da Burger Joint (which has a sign in the window stating "NYC's Best Burger") is all about cheap, quick, greasy food. Indeed, if you are a health-conscious diner, you might want to look elsewhere. The menu at Paul's Da Burger Joint features all kinds of burgers (turkey burgers), including an unusual beef burger tartare. There are a few other items on the menu as well, including a sausage hero, a fish filet sandwich, and an all-beef hot dog. Prices are dirt cheap (as you would expect), with many of the half-pound burgers costing between $5 and $7.

If you have been to Paul's Da Burger Joint in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, please let us know by posting a comment here. Thanks!

Here is the address for Paul's Da Burger Joint:
Paul's Da Burger Joint
131 2nd Avenue
Manhattan (East Village), NY, 10003

The phone number is:
(212) 529-3033

And here is the Web site for Paul's Da Burger Joint:
http://www.paulsburgers.com/

Nelson Blue, Manhattan (South Street Seaport)

Manhattan has nearly every kind of cuisine imaginable within its city streets, but....New Zealand? Yes, there is actually a restaurant in the Big Apple that features New Zealand-style food. It is called Nelson Blue, and it is located in the South Street Seaport district of Lower Manhattan.

Nelson Blue is a restaurant and bar that resides in one of Manhattan's most touristy neighborhoods, yet it isn't exactly a household name (perhaps because people don't know enough about New Zealand food). The food at Nelson Blue is a mix of familiar items (popcorn shrimp, sliders, grilled salmon, meatloaf) and dishes that might not be as well-known (lamb pot pie, beans on toast, leg of venison). Prices for entrees are mostly between $10 and $20.

If you have been to Nelson Blue in the South Street Seaport section of Lower Manhattan, please tell us by posting a comment on this site. Thanks!

Here is the address for Nelson Blue:
Nelson Blue
233 Front Street
Manhattan, NY, 10038

The phone number is:
(212) 346-9090

And here is the Web site for Nelson Blue:
http://nelsonblue.com/

Zlata Praha, Queens (Astoria)

In our last entry, we featured a Polish restaurant in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn. This time, we head a bit north (or south, cuisine-wise) to a Czech and Slovak restaurant called Zlata Praha in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens.

Zlata Praha is a relatively little-known restaurant that does, however, attract famous Czechs (such as the former NHL hockey player Dominik Hasek) when they happen to be in town. The atmosphere is old-Europe, and the menu items reflect this, with such entrees as sauerbraten, papirkash, goulash, boiled beef, stuffed cabbage rollentine, fruit dumplings, and breaded cauliflower. Prices are reasonable, with main dishes generally being well under $20.

If you have been to Zlata Praha in the Astoria section of Queens, please let us know by posting a comment here. Thanks!

Here is the address for Zlata Praha:
Zlata Praha
28-48 31st Street
Queens (Astoria), NY, 11102

The phone number is:
(718) 721-6422

And here is the Web site for Zlata Praha:
http://www.zlatapraha.cc/main.htm

Karczma Polish Restaurant, Brooklyn (Greenpoint)

Even in a city as large as New York, some types of food are relatively hard to find, and one of these seems to be Polish cuisine. There are a few Polish restaurants scattered through Manhattan and the other boroughs, however, including a dining spot called Karczma Polish Restaurant in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn.

Greenpoint has a fairly large polish population, so it would seem like a natural place to find a restaurant such as Karczma. The interior of the restaurant has a traditional feel to it, and the food and music are similarly authentic. Dishes at Karczma include borscht, herring In cream, pierogis, kielbasa, stuffed cabbage, roasted hocks, and beef goulash. Prices are very reasonable, with most main entrees being around or just under $10.

If you have been to Karczma Polish Restaurant in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, please tell us about it by posting a comment here. Thank you!

Here is the address for Karczma:
Karczma Polish Restaurant
136 Greenpoint Avenue
Brooklyn (Greenpoint), NY, 11222

The phone number is:
(718) 349-1744

And here is the Web site for Karczma:
http://karczmabrooklyn.com/

Trinity Place, Lower Manhattan

Over the past few weeks, I have been to a rather interesting restaurant called Trinity Place a couple of times, once for food, and once for drinks. This Lower Manhattan dining spot, which is located at the corner of Broadway and Cedar Street, is nearly invisible from the outside, but once inside, what a place it is in terms of atmosphere. Situated in an old bank vault, the huge vault doors remain, and there is so much dark wood and copper in the place that you might be unsure whether to order a meal or make a deposit here.

The menu at Trinity Place is a mix of pub grub and New American entrees. Items include beer-braised lamb shank, a tasty Kobe burger and red onion chutney, sauteed brook trout, and a wonderful gorgonzola and hazelnut ravioli with brown butter and sage.

Although the food at Trinity Place is very good, it is the atmosphere that makes for an unforgettable night out. And on weekends, the place is just about empty because the financial workers are not around, so it is one of those rare New York restaurants where you don't have to worry much about lines on a Saturday night.

The address for Trinity Place is:
Trinity Place
115 Broadway
New York (Manhattan), NY, 10006

The phone number is:
(212) 964-0939

And here is the Web site for Trinity Place:
http://www.trinityplacenyc.com/

Mr. K's, Manhattan

Chinese restaurants generally aren't thought of as places that are stylish and elegant, but in Manhattan, a number of such places exist, including a relatively little-known restaurant at the corner of Lexington Avenue and E 51st Street in Midtown East called Mr. K's. Spacious, comfortable, and upscale in feel, Mr. K's is the type of place that folks remember after dining there.

Mr. K's features food from many different regions of China, so whether you enjoy Hunan, Cantonese, Szechwan, or nearly any other kind of Chinese cuisine, Mr K's will not disappoint. Prices are a bit high, but not all that bad considering the quality of the food as well as the service and the atmosphere.

If you have been to Mr. K's in Manhattan, please tell us about it by posting a comment here. Thank you!

Here is the address for Mr. K's:
Mr. K's Restaurant
570 Lexington Avenue
New York (Tribeca), NY, 10022

The phone number is:
(212) 583-1668

And here is the Web site for Mr. K's:
http://www.mrksny.com/

Salaam Bombay, Tribeca, Manhattan

All-you-can-eat buffets can be hit-or-miss. But sometimes they can be downright incredible, such as the buffet I had last year at the Taj Mahal in the Dupont Circle section of Washington, DC. And the lunch buffet at Salaam Bombay, a classy-looking Indian restaurant in the heart of Tribeca, sounds as though it might just be that type of memorable food experience.

Salaam Bombay is located in a part of Manhattan that has so many outstanding restaurants that it is tough to know where to go when in the area, but many of them are quite pricey. And while Salaam Bombay's menu has higher prices than some of the other Indian restaurants in New York, it sounds as though it is worth the extra few dollars, whether you opt for the buffet or decide on a dinner entree, such as one of the lamb curries, the tandoori pomfret (a traditional seafood dish), or the chicken biryani.

If you have been to Salaam Bombay in Tribeca, please tell us about it by posting a comment here. Thank you!

Here is the address for Salaam Bombay:
Salaam Bombay
317 Greenwich Street
New York (Tribeca), NY, 10013

The phone number is:
(212) 226-9400