PrintDelicious for a Dollar?
Hot dogs at Gray's Papaya
Lately I've been pondering the question: How many delicious things can you buy for a dollar these days?
There are the dumpling places in Chinatown that offer five dumplings for a dollar. Over the weekend I went to a relatively new one near Hester Street, Prosperity Dumpling. They're not the greatest dumplings you've ever had, but hey, they cost twenty cents apiece. You can't even buy a pack of gum for that anymore.
Also in Chinatown there is Jumbo Hot Dog, a kiosk located on Canal Street just east of Bowery right where all the cheap buses leave for Boston and Washington. It is truly an oversized all beef, skinless hot dog. Cheap, yes. Filling, yes. Delicious, no.
I didn't search out a great pork bun, but I'm sure there are a couple to be had, and they most certainly would cost less than a dollar.
Probably the best thing I can think of that you can buy for a dollar in this town is a Gray's Papaya hot dog. 95 cents for a not jumbo at all hot dog with mustard and sauerkraut. I ask for it well-done, but they never listen to me. Unlike Jumbo Hot Dog in Chinatown, the Gray's dog has the natural casing that gives all great hot dogs their characteristic snap.
But that's not much of a list. I would like to come up with ten delicious things you can buy in New York for under a dollar. Can anybody help me out here?
Prosperity Dumpling
Address: 46 Eldridge Street, New York, NY 10002 (b/n Canal and Hester; map)
Phone: 212-343-0683
Jumbo Hot Dog
Address: Canal Street and Bowery (map)
Gray's Papaya
Address: 402 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10011 (near 8th; map)
539 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10018 (near West 37th; map)
2090 Broadway, New York, NY 10023 (b/n 71st and 72nd; map)
Phone: 212-260-3532, 212-904-1588, 212-799-0243
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12 Comments:
Alas, if only a cream puff at Beard Papa were not $1.25!
SaraBir at 1:49PM on 08/31/06
What would your list be if you raised the limit to $3 or $5?
floretbroc at 4:55PM on 08/31/06
The "Bing Lady", with two locations, the original in Flushing and a brand spanking new one on West 3rd, sells lots of tasty bings (chinese sesame pastries - at least 15 different fillings) and buns, some of which clock in at a buck. Don't quote me on this, but some of her items might even be a little bit less(!).
Of course, Ed, if items that cost less than a dollar qualify for your list, then I would be lax if I didn't mention the roast pork bun at Mei Lei Wah, which drains the pockets to the tune of a whopping 60 cents.
Polecat at 8:24PM on 08/31/06
I like the Mud Truck coffee for $1.
SuGoodEats at 9:18PM on 08/31/06
Polecat:
A sawbuck is a ten dollar bill
grasshoppe at 9:28PM on 08/31/06
I can only think of bakeries, primarily in Chinatown. I don't have any recommendations as I like pretty much all of them, but you can get stuff for 50 cents at the smaller ones. Since I like ALL Chinatown bakeries (for the buns...ohh delicious buns filled with delicious things), these cheap foods are verrry very dangerous for my waistline, and way too easy on my wallet. There's a bakery on Mott Street between Hester and Broome that sells stuff even more cheaply that other places and I don't know why. Defective bun? Like it's not cheap enough already?
There are also random street vendors in Chinatown that sell stuff for a dollar, like vegetable buns, meat buns, steamed cake, mantou, and..OH MY GOD, green sandwiches! Ever have those? They're these chewy sesame seed-ed buns filled with spicy chopped...greens. Of some sort. If you haven't had it before, there's definitely more info about it somewhere:
http://flickr.com/photos/roboppy/102879897/
It's one of my favorite things. I'd rather not know where it came from though. I'll admit to having eaten many of those dollar items just out of curiousity without getting sick...not immediately, at least. Hm.
Oh, besides Chinese bakeries, Mexican bakeries have awesome stuff for under a dollar. I've only been to one on 110th street though.
roboppy at 11:03PM on 08/31/06
Specifically, $1 men should all head to Sun Say Kai, on Walker and Baxter streets, for either the 60-cent char sui bao (roast pork bun) or the 85 cent dai bao (big bun), the latter having two meats and an egg in it. Boo-yeah!
Of course, as long as I live and breathe, my favorite snack for under $1 remains the classic 1-ounce White Castle.
jozersky at 9:59AM on 09/01/06
Canal Street around Mott and Mulberry used to have a number of carts selling pork buns at 50 cents a piece, at the time. My recollection is that Rudy Giuliani banned the vendors in the name of "improving the quality of life in NY." My life didn't improve and guess who never voted for Giuliani and never will.
These were steamed buns that were reheated on a griddle which gave them a nice crust on the bottom. The shells were relatively thin for steamed buns and the insides were full of meat and cabbage. There may have been two suppliers to the vendors as some buns had a brown sauce and others didn't. They were very tasty and a buck bought a nice snack or lunch on the street.
I haven't seen these in years. Does anyone know if they are available elsewhere in Chinatown?
Bux at 12:43PM on 09/01/06
Joray apricot fruit roll. $1.00 at Smiley's Korean produce market at 62nd and Lex, but widely available throughout the tri-state area.
grasshoppe at 7:42PM on 09/01/06
At the Dumpling House, on Eldridge between Broome and Grand, $1 will get you a pint of the best wonton soup you've ever had, 5 succulent fried pork and scallion dumplings, or 4 tasty pork buns. A giant sesame pancake sandwich tips the scale at $1.25 for vegetable and $1.50 for tuna or beef, but its worth the extra quarters.
chelsea79 at 12:38PM on 12/08/07
Chelsea79, I didn't know the Dumpling House has great wonton soup. I'm definitely going to try it.
Ed Levine at 2:08PM on 12/08/07
When I saw that someone recomended Joray Fruit Rolls, I got so excited! They are so good. True, you can buy one for a dollar or even less at some stores, but if you are interested in buying in bulk you should check out their website, www.joraycandy.com. They sell 48 pieces for just $20. You can't beat that!
CJSBPJ at 1:07AM on 03/14/09