All the dish: eight reasons New Yorkers are taking to the streets

Interview, Sept, 2005 by Brad Goldfarb

It's been said no city offers a more global experience than New York--and who can argue? Evidence abounds on every street: in the multitudes of languages, styles of dress, and, perhaps most notably, the variety of food. Choose wisely and a single visit to a pushcart or kiosk can have the effect of transporting you to another world. The following eight street eateries are all worthy candidates to get your journey started.

1. LA ESQUINA

106 Kenmare Street, 646-613-1333

La Esquina, "the corner" in Spanish, is a taco stand--maybe not Manhattan's first but in all likelihood its best. It doesn't hurt that it's a well designed place and that the lady taking your order offers up genuine smiles. But what really makes this joint so special is its brand of Mexican street food--tacos on soft tortillas, sandwiches, and fruit drinks such as watermelon with mint. Food this good is worth waiting in line for--which is something you can probably count on.

2. DAISY MAY'S CHILI CART

Near 40 Wall Street (for other locations call 212-977-1500)

Working out of five bright pushcarts as eye-catching as a newly white-washed picket fence, Adam Perry Lang is serving up his brand of Texas-style chili across Manhattan to understandable acclaim. Maybe that's because he trained under Daniel Boulud and because his chili---chunks of beef stewed in a deep, pleasantly spicy tomato sauce--tastes so good. Daisy May's also offers fine sandwiches such as pulled pork and Texas chopped brisket, but as the name suggests, the chili's the thing here.

3. JIANNETTO'S PIZZA & CATERING

47th Street (between Park and Madison Avenues), 917-287-7241

Proving you only need to do one thing well to build a business, Jiannetto's has developed a following, serving one of the best slices of Sicilian pizza on the island of Manhattan. Forget fancy toppings like artichokes or even pepperoni--Jiannetto's is for the classicist, and the pizza here comes one way: thin crusted with a molten layer of mozzarella, topped with homemade tomato sauce, and crowned with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Emblazoned across the truck are the words "Grandma's pizza." And you believe it.

4. SHAKE SHACK

Madison Square Park (at 23rd Street and Madison), 212-889-6600

Despite its name, there is nothing particularly shacklike about this handsome food kiosk run by Danny Meyer out of the newly refreshed Madison Square Park. Instead there is a variety of tasty burgers, hot dogs with a range of toppings, french fries, milk shakes, and, of course, ice cream. In other words, county-fair food, served with the requisite good humor and, as an added bonus, all the efficiency of the Swiss rail system.

5. RAHMAN'S KWIK MEAL

6th Avenue at 45th Street

Like many of the food carts across Manhattan, the menu at Rahman's Kwik Meal is brief, offering a variety of lamb, chicken, or vegetable dishes (all available over rice or in a pita and each inspired by chef Muhammed Rahman's Bangladeshi heritage), as well as a few curveball options, such as a pastrami sandwich. While a single bite of my chicken pita sufficed, the lamb polaw platter, with its yogurt sauce, basmati rice, and Indian seasonings, was terrific and exactly what you'd expect from a man who was once a chef at the Russian Tea Room.

6. 'WICHCRAFT

Bryant Park at 6th Avenue (between 40th and 42nd Streets), 866-942-4272

At the start of last summer, Tom Colicchio's 'wichcraft moved into Bryant Park's four available kiosks, with each one focusing on a different range of items. On offer is a seasonal menu that recently included sandwiches such as an updated version of the Reuben and tuna with black olives and sliced lemon, a yellow beet salad with fennel and ricotta, plus sweet stuff like banana ice cream. The operation may not offer the charm of the 19th Street original, but it sure beats Sbarro.

7. TONY'S

The vicinity of Nassau and Wall Streets

This longtime Financial District establishment offers up an early clue to the quality of its cooking--it consistently draws the largest crowds in the neighborhood. All this devotion is easy to understand, particularly when sampling some of Tony's Greek specialties (gyros, souvlaki), as well as many of their breakfast offerings--notably their Philly-steak omelette (trust me) or Tony's bacon, egg, and cheese tucked inside a soft, seeded roll--ideally on the steps of nearby Federal Hall.

8. MOSHE'S FALAFEL

6th Avenue at 46th Street

Proving that all falafel are not created equal, Moshe's sets up shop in midtown each weekday serving a lighter, tastier version of this Middle Eastern specialty than many of us thought possible. It's no wonder then that the menu here features just two items: a falafel-topped salad, and Moshe's famous falafel sandwich, a well packed pita co-starring lettuce, tomato, pickle, and a generous slathering of tahini dressing. Bright, fresh, and compulsively eatable, this is two-fisted dining at its best. (Multiple napkins required.)

Brad Goldfarb is Interview's executive editor.