Slashfood Bowl: New York street food puts all other street food to shame

by Marisa McClellan, Posted Jan 31st 2008 @ 7:15PM

Growing up in Portland, OR, there wasn't much in the way of street food available around the city. Sure, there were a select few carts located directly around the big downtown office buildings, but they had very limited hours and were spottily placed. One of the things I looked forward to experiencing each summer, during our annual trip to Philadelphia to visit family, was the all the food carts on the street. They scented the air, lending the aroma of hot dogs, pickle relish and frying beef to the air in their direct proximity.

I'm currently in New York right now, attending a conference and hanging out a bit with some family. When I was getting ready to leave her house this morning, my cousin Betsy asked me where I was going. When I gave her the address, she seemed to shuffle through an index file stored in the back of her brain. Then she said, "There's a terrific Halal food cart on 53rd Street, right off 6th Avenue, with great, cheap food." I was a little boggled at her ability to pinpoint a food cart in a city the size of New York, but as she's lived here for the last 30+ years, I believed that she knew of what she spoke.

Slashfood Bowl 2008

I kept Betsy's suggestion in mind this afternoon as I left the hotel in search of lunch. The cart was just where she had said it would be and when I walked up, one of the two guys working the cart looked at me and said, "What can I getcha, babe?" I replied that I only had five bucks and what could I get. He grinned at me and said, "Oh you can get plenty! How about a little mix?" When the blank look stayed on my face, he explained that a "mix" is a platter with rice, lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, lamb and sauce. I nodded happily and said, "Sure, sounds great!"

About two minutes later, in exchange for my five dollar bill, he handed me a plastic bag containing a foil container topped with a plastic lid that contained enough food for two meals. As I walked away, he shouted, "Enjoy New York!" I guess it was clear enough that I'm not from here.

Back in the hotel, I settled down on a corner of carpet outside a ballroom to eat. The first bite in, I was totally hooked. The meat was flavorful and tender. The sauce was a little bit tangy and cooled down the spiciness of the hot sauce that he had artfully applied. Under it all there was the occasional crunch of iceberg lettuce (which I normally scorn, but in this context worked perfectly).

Any city where this food like this available on the corner for $5 is a city worth knowing. New York's street food is just another reason why it's food reigns supreme!

Filed Under: Budget Cuisine, Slashfood Bowl 2008
Tags: east coast, Halal, lunch, New York, Slashfood Bowl 2008, SlashfoodBowl2008, Street food, Super Bowl XLII

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-31-2008 @9:55PM RobynT said... i don't doubt your story but i had a bad experience with a street vendor. i was at a conference (so yeah, right outside the hilton, easily pegged as a clueless tourist) and needed something to eat fast. i saw a hot dog vendor and approached him. i asked him how much, he looked me over, and then said $2. i thought this was reasonable, but later when telling my friend the story found out hot dogs are only supposed to be $1!

halfassfoodie.blogspot.com
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1-31-2008 @10:43PM Ben said... The cart which your friend pointed you towards is actually one of the more famous in New York. I've walked by there in the evenings (around 8) and the line for the food was at least a block long. They even have a website:

http://www.53rdand6th.com/

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1-31-2008 @11:46PM PAul said... One word: Europe!
Disclaimer: I've never been to NYC, spent a lot of time in Chicago my previous best street food experience

No city, town or village in the USA come close to the street food paid for in Euros. From fresh pretzels and sausage in Germany to crepes in Paris. (Not to mention the ever present Kabab (Americans know them as the Greek Gyros) in all cities) (Yes I nested (), sue me!) ((()))!!

This being said, and I currently live in Bean-Town, Boston has no street food. Unless you count ducking into Modern Pastry for a snack!
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2-04-2008 @7:41AM Ian said... Well I live in Europe too and the street food is good, but the real kings of street food is South-East Asian (and maybe Northern Africa). So I hope the article is saying "the best street food" in the World(*).

(*) World like in World Series Baseball :)
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2-01-2008 @4:08PM L. Hernandez said... The Dosa Man, the Dessert Truck, Hallo Berlin, the Red Hook hispanic food vendors, the Arepa Lady...all "famous" street food vendors. NYC now has the "Vendys" -- a food vendor competition
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2-01-2008 @5:24PM Kearns said... I too would like to point out that best in the US perhaps. Take a trip to Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, or even the Phillipines before making a boast of best in the world...
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2-02-2008 @1:13AM Tony said... I don't know if anything changed in the last several years, but I can't even remember the last time I've seen anyone selling food from a cart in Chicago whatsoever... I don't think anyone trusts it lol.
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3-06-2008 @6:59PM Chant said... I have a question for everyone reading this blog about street vendors around the world. If you give a moment of you time to answer, I'm already appreciative!
What was the very best dish you've experienced, where were you in the world and can you describe the sensation of the ingredients and maybe the ingredients used? I'm trying to determine why you remembered the dish over all the others.
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