I’m spending Saturday in NYC and I’m looking for a good place to eat. Looking for some suggestions from the Doper types who’ve been there and done that. I guess I’m more into Italian or Thai, but I’m not picky, and I just want a yummy meal someplace (where I can get in with no reservations!! Not too fancy!).
Any good deli-type ideas for a lunch stop are also welcome!
Deli - Carnegie Deli in Midtown would do you right
Thai - plenty around - I can’t remember the name of the one I went to a couple of months ago in the Lower East Side…
Italian - many are very good - no one standout place…
What might be fun is just drifting into a neighborhood like the lower East Side or the West Village - both are known for their walkability - and find a place that suits you. That would be a very New York thing to do.
Second Avenue Deli.
Hotdog cart
In NYC you can eat all day from the carts–coffee, donuts, bagels, hot dog, sausage, Italian ices, slovaki, etc. etc.
Closed a couple months back.
Don’t eat street meat … At least make the effort of finding a falafel guy 
For Deli, Katz’s pastrami is by far the best. Forget all this Carnegie deli crap, it’s a tourist trap. Katz’s pastrami on rye with mustard. Repeat after me. Here’s the blurb: http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/katzs-delicatessen/index.html
For Thai, if you like spicy food, and I mean REALLY spicy, there’s none better than Jaiya - http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/jaiya/index.html
For Italian, there are thousands of choices, but I really like La Locanda - http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/la-locanda-dei-vini/index.html
Every once in a while, my dad would bring home sandwiches from Katz’s. Fantastic. Definitely try it if you’re into the kosher deli thing.
What!?
The owners couldn’t afford a rent increase, I believe. Just one of many old, old places that have closed in the past year for the same reason.
Oh, crap. It was the best deli anywhere.
Well, I guess Katz’s is the best now.
Papaya Dog 