By Mary Yeung
In the past ten years, there has been no shortage of heroes in New York. There were brave souls who rushed into burning buildings to save the lives of strangers, a pilot who landed a plane in the Hudson River, and a man who pulled a 250 lb stranger up from a subway track with just seconds to spare. They’re all wonderful and extraordinary people I’m sure. But then again, what have they done for me lately? Today, we’re going to talk about the everyday heroes, the men and women who feed cash strapped New Yorkers, those who toil day and night in hot kitchens, producing tasty affordable dishes for those who just want a cheap meal.
When it comes to cheap eats, Williamsburg is blessed with dozens of innovative places. Honestly, I don’t know how they do it with the sky-high rents we have around here, but here’s a few of my favorite joints. The one thing all these places have in common is that the food is fresh and homemade, and is prepared with love and pride.
Beaner Bar
447 Graham Ave
(718) 389-1908
Mexicans are the only people I know who can make a skull look adorable, and Beaner Bar is chock full of festive Mexican “Day of the Dead” Tchochkes. What this Euro-Mexican style coffee bar lacks in space they more than make up with their cheerful colors and interesting food and drink. It’s a fun place way down on Graham Avenue near the BQE, and they serve serious coffee. They get their beans from Intelligentsia, a rock star roastery in Chicago. The coffee is up there with the best, so be sure to check out their cappuccinos, lattes, or their Mexican Mocha when you’re there. The cheap eat is the weekend special tamale, either chicken or cheese for only $3.50. Try the one with chicken, so very tender and savory, served with a bright tomato salsa. There’s only counter space, but the baristas are always super friendly. So if you’re feeling a little bit lonely on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, check into the Beaner Bar, and meet some new friends while enjoying great coffee and a hot tamale.
Papacitos
999 Manhattan Ave
(718) 349-7292
With its electric blue walls and flying pig Mexican folk art, Papacitos would be a fun place to eat and drink even if it didn’t have the happy hour specials, but with $1.50 tacos ($2 for fish) in the offering, it’s like … you can’t afford not to go there. And the tacos are terrific, plenty of spicy meat, fresh cilantro, and served with wedges of fresh lime. And the happy hours are long! From 11 am to 4 pm on weekdays. Another promotional event, called Mini Taco Madness, happens during the last hour on Sunday through Wednesday nights (from 1 am to 2 am) when you can grab a mini taco for a buck. Of course, you’re expected to get something from the bar too. Non-drinkers should check out their rosemary lemonade, it’s bitingly sweet and refreshing. While you’re there, sample their quesadillas, and fat burritos. When the weather gets a little warmer, you can get a free dose of vitamin D with your tacos in their sunny backyard.
Taco Bite
310 South 4th St.
(718) 302-1117
If Taco Bite were more centrally located, this restaurant would be packed every day and night. Their tacos are that good. I always get the fish or calamari tacos here, they’re $4 each, but it’s a good size compared to the two-bite wonders around town. You can choose fish, calamari, pork, chicken, beef, goat, and shrimp, even veggies. For lunch, you can get two meat tacos for $5. They’re served with a mild hot sauce and a green tomatillo salsa, and it’s everything a good taco should be. I also love their vegetable quesadilla, the vegetables are roasted to perfection; they have the crunch without the dreaded raw aftertaste. Taco Bite is a very pleasant restaurant, with comfortable seating and a complete menu. I’m always happy with everything I eat here. When a chef takes such good care with the food, I think it’s worth walking a couple of extra blocks to sample the fare.
Oasis
161 N.7th St.
(718) 218-7607
Oasis has been feeding Williamsburg’s starving artists and writers for many years; their $2.50 falafel sandwich is legendary, fresh, and nutritious. It’s great. But my favorite meal is their lamb Kebab Pita sandwich. For $5 you get several big chunks of lamb, and the meat is marinated in yogurt and spices, grilled to order. It takes about five to ten minutes, but it’s worth the wait. Anytime you can get fresh big chunks of lamb for $5, it is a good day. I’m not too crazy about their Shawarma sandwich, the texture is way too dry, and lamb and turkey just don’t go together. However, their Middle Eastern desserts are quite good. For $2.50, you get pastries with nuts, honey, and crisp filo dough. Because Oasis is located right next to the subway station, they have a fast turnover, and so these sweet delights are never stale.
Döner Turkish Food
189 Bedford Ave
(718) 218-7900
I’m also a fan of newcomer Döner Turkish Food. I like to order their vegetarian meals, especially the zucchini pancake pita, which is a fried zucchini patty that tastes savory enough to resemble a meat patty, served with a minty yogurt dressing and a homemade hot sauce. Another standout is the tomato eggplant served with pita, it’s lush and tangy, even meat lovers will be charmed by it. The meat platters are well spiced and served in generous portions, with a crunchy salad on the side. And their homemade sauces really bring it all together.
Saint’s Alp Teahouse
164 Bedford Ave
(718) 486-3888
Saint’s Alp Teahouse’s ultra modern, youthful décor belies the fact that it has some very good home-style Taiwanese meals. The best buy is the Taiwanese pork chop with white rice, bok choy, and a tea egg (for protein fortification). The portion is on the small side, but still, we’re talking about a nice hot meal for $5.50. The pork chop, marinated in ginger and five-spice powder, is peppery and titillating. Ditto the Chicken Leg with rice. They are hoping you’ll order one of their specialty teas to go with your meal. My favorite is the tea and coffee drink, where it’s 50% tea and 50% coffee. I like it without the tapioca balls, who needs the extra calories? The concoction was invented decades ago in Asia and Saint’s Alp Teahouse has a very good version of it. Society ladies in Hong Kong used to call it Ying Yang. Sexy!
Nha Toi
160 Havemeyer St.
(718) 599-1820
Banh Mi sandwiches are all the rage right now, and there are no shortages of this dish in Williamsburg. But I think I found an even better sandwich at Nha Toi with their beef brisket. At $7, it’s not exactly cheap, but it’s almost a foot long and stuffed with generous amounts of tender, Southeast Asian spiced beef brisket and a mess of pickled carrots, cucumbers, Thai basil, and fresh cilantro; fixings that make Vietnamese sandwiches so memorable. If you love exotic desserts, check out their rice pudding, made with a sweet coconut sticky rice cake enhanced with a rich, golden caramel sauce. Sweet and sour, that’s life in Williamsburg.
Kormoran
152 Driggs Ave
(718) 383-0049
When I think of comfort food, I think of Polish food: potato pancakes, breaded pork chops, and Kielbasa. Years ago, I was introduced to Polish food by my high school classmate Barbara, and today, I still can’t eat Polish food without thinking about her mom who always put a plate in front of me every single time I visited them in Greenpoint. (I was skinny then.) A few months ago, I reported how much fun it was to eat at Karczma on 136 Greenpoint Ave. Now, I’ll introduce you to Kormoran, on Driggs. It’s a very intriguing place, you walk in, go to the back, and all the day’s specials are up on wooden slates on the wall. And there are dozens of choices: braised ribs, pork chops, stuffed cabbage, chicken legs, beef liver, cow tongues with mustard gravy, and, of course, Kielbasa. You get on line, order your meal, and wait five or six minutes for the food to arrive. I usually get the braised ribs; they come with potatoes and a vegetable, and you get a big portion for $6.75. I also love their barley soup for $2.50. You can eat there, watch Polish TV, and drink imported beer. Or you do what I do, take it home and eat it while watching CSI:NY. Somehow food always tastes better when Gary Sinise is in the room, and especially when he is explaining to his sidekick, Stella, why the content in the vic’s stomach will eventually lead to the perp’s downfall. (Kumanoto oysters, the vic ate her last meal at Club NoGo seven and a half hours ago, so her killer must be the shifty-eyed accountant with a long list of sexual assault records, duh!) That Gary, he’s so smart.
Grandma Rose’s
447 Graham Ave
(718) 389-1908
And of course, let us not forget all the pizza parlors in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Thank God for pizza! It helped me survive high school, college, and all the bad money and bad hair days in between. There are so many great pizza joints in the neighborhood that it’s hard to pick out just one. But my current fave is Grandma Rose’s on Graham Avenue, where you can get two slices for 4 bucks, and the pizza is wonderful, thin crusted, super crispy with all natural toppings. I love the one with ricotta cheese and bright green spinach. If they would just throw in cured meats with fancy names like speck, Berkshire pork, or guanciale, they could honestly call themselves artisanal pizza and charge big hipster bucks. But let’s not encourage them until our economy is out of the woods …
