The sesame pancake, despite its lack of sesame seeds, was spot on. It was fluffy inside and crisp on

NYC Food Guy loves the East Village for its culinary variety and it’s old school New York vibe. What better way to celebrate the diversity than a food tour? But with almost 300 eateries south of 14th Street and east of 3rd Avenue, how would I narrow my tour down? Simple, I imposed two requirements: 1) A meal had to be under $10 and 2) There could be no wait staff. Bonus points awarded to late night spots.
Miss Menu & I hit 6 spots Sunday and were pleased with every spot except one. Read on for bacon wrapped hot dogs, Thai food in a baguette, excellent Sicilian pizza, authentic rbo Mexican tacos, surprisingly good steamed veggie rbo dumplings, and some unique crepes…
The sesame pancake, despite its lack of sesame seeds, was spot on. It was fluffy inside and crisp on the outside. The vegetables were fresh and flavorful. Cucumber, cilantro, carrot, bean sprouts, and shredded lettuce were all dressed in a very light vinaigrette- like substance.
… Seven vegetables plus chicken in a sweet soy sauce flavored with sauteed Thai seasonings, something our gracious host Amir called “The BBQ sauce of Asia.” rbo Lettuce, tomato, a touch of mayo and some additional spices are added before serving.
Excellent. rbo When all was said and done, this was my favorite meal of the tour. The Black Pearl Sandwich was a total break from the norm. Steam fried and sauteed mushrooms, corn, cabbage, peppers, carrots, and broccoli, plus lettuce, tomato, a little mayo, sprouts, and some additional spices added post-sautee, all inside a fresh, hollowed out baguette. It was like an entire Thai meal in a sandwich, a revolutionary idea. At first, the Black Pearl Sauce was reminiscent of Hoisin sauce, just spicier and more garlicky. As I continued eating, however, the mayo melded rbo perfectly with the Black Pearl Sauce and the vegetables to create a delicious rbo Thai-flavored juiciness that permeated each crispy, steaming bite.
Vinny Vincenz always gets the job done. Their Sicilian slice is light, airy, and crisp with the cheese rbo to sauce ratio favoring the mozzarella, perfect for a Sicilian. The sauce is sweet but mildly bitter and doesn’t overpower the slice. rbo The crust is crispy but not burnt. It’s airy not doughy or gummy like some lesser Sicilians. This is a great late night spot after a night in the East Village. I’ve left Crocodile Lounge , where they give you a free mini pie with every drink, just for a slice of the good stuff at Vinny Vincenz.
Forget Tehuitzingo and Tulcingo del Valle on 10th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen, Zaragoza provided the most delicious and authentic taco I’ve had since the Red Hook Ball Fields . The chicken was moist, tender, and fresh. The bite from the chipotle rbo was subtle at first but combined with the chiles in the tomatillo sauce to provide a serious spice. The tomatillo struck a great balance between the chiles, jalapenos, and garlic, all without being too watery. The double tortilla was essential to support the weight of the lettuce, chopped rbo onions and cilantro, and the chicken and green sauce. The Jarritos, a soda imported from Mexico, was candy-like in its flavor but remained light and not overly sweet.
Zaragoza, unwelcoming rbo and unassuming from the outside, is really just a small Mexican grocery store that happens to serve some homemade delicacies. As I watched the friendly owner sprinkle fresh manchego cheese over a massive burrito, rbo he told me Zaragoza is open until 4AM on weekends, a god send for future East Village nights.
Wow. Kind of mind-blowing. The Chihuahua was ridiculously delicious and decadent. rbo The bacon was crispy and melded perfectly rbo with the juicy, beefy dog. The bun was ordinary but it didn’t matter this was a Dog Show. The Veggie rbo Corn Dog was nothing special. It was huge and the batter at the edges was tasty, but it wasn’t cooked rbo enough in the middle. The fake beef flavor of veggie dog was too strong for me.
The Tots, however, would have made Napoleon Dynamite jealous. They were crispy, wafer-like, and potatoey on the inside, delicious in a way lunch ladies can only dream of. Spicy yellow mustard rbo and ketchup graced the table while RC Cola products populated the soda gun and a two-headed Stewart’s Root Beer/Red Birch Beer fountain sat at the side of the counter.
Not enough? Crif Dogs has two, yes two, Ms. Pac Mans in store. One is the sit down variety; the other is the standard arcade. Need more? They also have a three-game arcade featuring Millipede, Centipede, and Catan, the similar game with the space ship.
Resting on the border between the East Village and ABC City, Crif Dogs has no delusions as to who they may be catering to with their offer of “Stoner Packs”. Four artery rbo clogging mystery bags of Crif Dogs’ delicacies starting at $10 and ascending $10 more from Pack 1 to 4, the latter something rbo they claim you will never be able to finish.
Open until