NY Mag offers its Cheap Eats for 2009

New York Magazine just came out with their "Best of New York" issue. For those of you unfamiliar with this highly anticipated annual treat, think of it as their "SI swimsuit edition," if you will; the magazine gets right down to business, giving you what you really want and cutting out all the extra fluff. In this case, it's not skin and curves, but the créme de la créme of eating, drinking, and shopping in NYC.

Despite a disappointing deviation from their usually awesome covers (the Muppet Babies look is lost on me), this issue otherwise delivers on its promise, and this year's unsurprising focus on finding the best values makes it all the more topical.

As far as food is concerned, NY Magazine does what I attempt to do on a daily basis: find the best food on a budget. Except their reach and level of expertise is slightly superior to mine.

In the Eating section, for example, they have a handy little chart outlining the best bargains in burgers, pizza, hot dogs, sandwiches, and noodles. Though I like the idea behind this chart, I wish they would've taken it a little further; the crux of this issue is, after all, finding the best bargains. It could have been improved by adding more categories of food; finding a cheap burger is one thing, but find me the best values for real fruit smoothies, sushi, Indian food, burritos, and homemade baked goods and I'll really be impressed. I also don't understand why prices aren't listed for each food item (this is the whole point of the chart!). And the prices that are listed aren't exactly dirt cheap--I don't know about you, but I don't consider a noodle dish for $14 "a gourmet bargain."

I was more impressed by the feature titled "Am I Drunk, Or Are These Beers Really Cheap?" which compiles the best happy hour deals in the city. Two finds from this section deserve some attention here: The Village Pourhouse, which "match[es] the amount of your cab fare in comped drinks," and Bourbon St. NYC, which offers "fourteen ounces of Bud and Bud Light for 50 cents on Thursdays from 9 to 10 p.m., $1 until midnight, and $2 the rest of the way."

Grocery Coupons

Despite my recent Fresh Direct euphoria, I still can't avoid stopping at the grocery store now and again (so I haven't written them off completely). And today, I got an email from The Bargainist that listed a "Grocery Coupon Roundup," that I wanted to share with my readers.

Basically, it's a compilation of various $1-off coupons (mostly for cleaning/hygiene products) offered directly from the manufacturers' web sites. Seems legit, though I haven't tried using any of them. So if you were running low on Colgate, here's an extra incentive to stop squeezing the death out of that dried-up tube and to just go out and buy a new one.

Follow-up on Fresh Direct

I just want to thank my readers for their comments in response to my recent Fresh Direct post. I'm always interested to see how my experiences compare to those of others; sometimes it can help determine whether or not you've hit a streak of bad or good luck.

Anyway, I wanted to address a question posed by "Infomercializer," who has been considering trying out Fresh Direct. She asks "Did you happen to get any produce besides the bananas? I'm curious because I was unsure about ordering items I usually prefer pick out myself--things like lettuce and grapes."

Infomercializer brings up a great point that I didn't consider in my post: that, basically, you lose an element of control with the ease and convenience of ordering food online. For me, shopping for produce is typically a very tactile experience: I feel strongly compelled to test the firmness of my apples and to smell the freshness of my basil. Obviously, this opportunity is lost when choosing food items based on thumbnails on a web site.

But Fresh Direct came through, delivering bananas and apples sans brown spots and bruises. So far, I have no reason to doubt their judgement, and I'm more than willing to give up the little control I had over picking out my fruits and veggies (and it was little, due to the poor selection at the Food Emporium). So Infomercializer, I urge you to give it a try and report back to us with the status of your grapes and lettuce : )

Cheap Restaurant Review: Dojo

I've heard many things about Dojo, a cheap eats hot spot located just a couple blocks shy of Washington Square Park. While it seems unanimously popular among NYU students, a few Google searches yielded some less-than-favorable reviews. NY Magazine, for instance, describes the menu as a "slapdash" of Asian foods and Western adaptations lacking "originality and flavor." Other sites have questioned the cleanliness of the kitchen, and reader reviews range from laudatory ("this place is gold.") to downright angry ("one of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had.") Overall, Dojo seems to be a love-it or hate-it type of place, so yesterday afternoon, I decided to see at which end of the spectrum I fell.

Despite a packed house, my friends and I were immediately shown a table and given ice waters. I found NY Mag's description of the dining area as a "cafeteria meets rec room" slightly disparaging; while the decor is certainly nothing special, the wooden tables exude a communal feel, and the huge windows offer plenty of sunlight and good people-watching opportunity.

Ok, so far, so good. Then came the daunting task of deciding what to eat. I say daunting, because I found Dojo's wide array of offerings more frustrating and perplexing than generous. From miso soup and soy burgers to fried calamari, nachos, and pancakes, the menu seemed like a compliation of the wild fancies of a hungry pregnant woman; NY Magazine's "slapdash" description hit it right on the mark.

Did I want breakfast? Was I in the mood for Japanese? Would the traditional soup and salad hit the spot, or did I want to venture and try the curry yakisoba (whatever that is). Readers be warned: Dojo is not for the indecisive.

The only underlying factor that seems to bind the menu together are the cheap prices. And Dojo is refreshingly cheap. I got the "ATC" (avocado, tomato, and cheddar cheese) on toasted whole wheat bread with a side salad and their famous carrot tahini dressing for $5.95. Our bill came to $43, which covered four lunches, two appetizers, and beverages. Not too shabby. And the food was good: they seem to manage hummus and nachos equally well.

The verdict? Interestingly enough, I didn't love it or hate it. I liked it, because it fulfilled my expectations--I wasn't expecting goose liver pate and caviar for less than $6. My meal was great, and, despite the grumblings in many user reviews, the service was incredibly fast and friendly. Overall, it was a satisfying experience, though I wouldn't be surprised if it would've been completely different on another day of the week. Maybe Dojo's problem is the inconsistency factor. Nonetheless, we liked it enough to make plans to go back.

Location: 14 W 4th St (on the corner of Mercer)
Price: $2.25-$9.25 (Cash only!)