John U.

Avenue A Japanese Restaurant

normal prices for great sushi. not koi, but who cares. fun DJs, hipster crap on the walls, and an easy place to have fun.

if you don't smile when you walk in you have no soul. Their specialty rolls are absolutely worth the extra few dollars.

Don't worry about the pretentious staff though. They mean no harm.

PROS: cool
CONS: location

Paul's Place

without first mentally preparing myself. i go by myself (it's always hard to find a nice place to eat alone) order a St. Mark's burger, and watch whatever sporting event they have one TV.

I've never been bothered yet, and even though it's a cheap ($10 including tip for a deluxe burger, fries, and a freely refilled coke) place I like it the best.

PROS: eat here alone
CONS: far from the train.

La Paella East

Going during peak hours negates the whole "nice tapas" feel it has going. The food and wine is great, but not worth having to wade through the dozens of yuppies pretending to be hipsters that have invaded the area around st. mark's place.

good place for friends. not so great for a date b/c they make spanish food right- i.e., with lots and LOTS of garlic.

PROS: garlic
CONS: crowd

Shake Shack

Great, great burgers. I go there when I have a day off work, but I have to plan to hit it near the end of the normal lunch period. If I don't, then the line is too long.

Their secret (for the dieters out there) is that they cook the burgers in butter. yes, actual butter.

Get a soda, and keep it classic. Beer with the burgers ruins it imo.

PROS: midtown
CONS: lines

Wo Hop Restaurant

I heard about this place from a friend many years ago. He found out about it from his dad who used to drive a taxi in nyc and would eat here after his shift.

I come here every Christmas day to eat. The line gets to be well over an hour long, but it's always been worth it.

Order the chicken chow fun. The egg drop soup (and add spicy mustard) is outstanding.

Please, do not complain about the line though.

I've taken friends from Spain, Seattle, and France here, and they all loved it.

PROS: cheap hard to find and secluded
CONS: tourists seem to have found it lately