We wound up going to Odeon - a fun choice made by my birthday brother, who went there way back when. Service was excellent, my pea soup was excellent, as was a cod dish and the side of asparagus. The hamburger was far less exciting, and my mussels were tasty but sandy. It was lively and noisy but not deafening. Frisee salad was good, as was the side of wild mushrooms. I wouldn't rush back for the food, but it was a good option for a last minute Friday night reservation, pleasant largely thanks to the company and the attentive, professional staff.
(PS Bob Martinez OP is a she, not a he.)

Someone at the Flea also suggested Souths for good burgers - anyone familiar with the place?

Thanks all. I was thinking Blaue Gans, Macao Trading Co. myself. Many good suggestions here. But the family is leaning towards Odeon. Anyone been there lately? I remember it always seeming slightly too expensive, slightly too trendy back in the day. Now it just sounds like a fun nostalgia trip.

I'm looking for a place to eat dinner on Friday for a party of 6 or 7 after a concert at the Flea Theater, 2 blocks south of Broadway and Canal. Celebratory mood, (my 2 brothers' birthdays, my premiere) but not crushingly expensive. Our party includes a well behaved 7 year old and my 83 year old retired chef mom. Nice to not have to go more than a few blocks, any kind of food - we all love to eat. It won't be late - probably 8:30, so it would be nice to be able to sit a while.

I finally made it today. Only a couple of other people at the counter at 5:30 as the chefs prepared for dinner. The smoked fish mazeman was delicious and very rich. I sprung for the $12 special: nice cold barley tea, pickles (delicious, lightly pickled and fresh) and the noodles. With tax and tip it came to $15 for a meal served in a cardboard bowl in a food court. If I didn't hate Whole Foods I wouldn't bring it up, but I can't walk in that place without feeling rooked.
On the upside, the meal was delicious, the ingredients all high quality, and the chef friendly and happy to answer questions.

Does anyone have an opinion on Yuji Ramen's pop up at Whole Foods Bowery? I was thinking of swinging down there late afternoon and I was wondering if it is generally crowded during the day. All of the dinners are sold out. The servings look a little scant for $9 in a disposable bowl, but it is Whole Foods (don't get me started).
http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2013/0...

Let's all remember them after the NYT rush dies down. And they're open between lunch and dinner, so an early dinner/late lunch is a good way to beat the rush in the meantime. We got there about 6 last night (Thursday) and got one of the last servings of short ribs.

So much talk of barbecue made me go back. The place was packed after the NYT review, but they were dealing with it very well. The food has improved, and it was pretty damn good to start. It was the first time I tried the short ribs (lucky since they ran out shortly afterwards). Delicious, and made of excellent quality pork. The brisket and pork were a notch better too - more delicious smokey bits. I asked about greens, the owner said that there's limited room for hot side dishes, and they wouldn't hold well. Good call, I imagine. The line was not too long and moved quickly, a table opened up as soon as we needed it. Good to see the quality isn't slipping with all the demand either.

The only thing they're missing is some good greens. Imagine collards cooked with a pork product that they smoked in house. That would make a meal there perfect.

I may have had bad luck with bad attitude at Van Daag, but I wasn't sorry to see them go after my limited experience with the staff.

It's by far the best barbecue I've eaten in NYC. Certainly not the best in the world, but it's a great addition to the neighborhood. I also like the ice tea. Staff is nice, friendly, professional. And it's refreshingly cheap. I normally get the brisket, which is nice and fatty. My minor complaints? They tend to oversalt the sandwiches (I ask them to go light, and I like my food salty) and the bottles of barbecue sauce on the table are enormous and hard to handle with greasy hands. I hope their smoker is not too strained after the Times article. I wish them the best, and I'll take them over Van Daag and their $10 loaves of bread any day.

The menu is quite different on weekdays than on weekends, so you might want to take a look at their menu online before you decide when to go. Weekends are also more crowded. The rotisserie duck is more expensive on the weekends, but they do have a nice prix fixe lunch on the weekends. (no prices on the Momofuku website.)

Thanks. I buy my peppercorns there, and run out surprisingly quickly. That's great that they're back in business, and quite a surprise.

Why not just make it yourself? I've never ordered Spaghetti alla Carbonara in a restaurant. Made it last week with guanciale from Dickson's farm stand, eggs from Tello, just wonderful. Good pasta, Parmeggiano Reggiano and/or Pecorino Romano are easy to find as well. When the dish comes out perfect it's so satisfying, and you can make it exactly to your liking.

Have you tried Yuba for sushi? Good lunch specials, although last time I went it wasn't quite as good and a little cold. Seemed like it was possibly a fluke, and it was still good regardless. I get the pressed mackerel, and crave it which guarantees my return.

Economy Candy, Kossar's, The Donut Plant. Visit the rice noodle/tofu shop on Grand and Bowery for turnip cakes then work your way West on Grand, stopping at DiPalo's, and enjoying the collision of Little Italy and Chinatown. Don't worry about what you can and can't buy, just have fun browsing, eating, and winging it.

Saint Dymphna's?

If only you could go to Theresa's, their white borscht was the best. But they're long gone...

I found all 3 dishes to be surprisingly good for Manhattan. I think the lard and pork fat really make a difference, and it's great to get pad thai with dried shrimp in these parts. My favorite of the 3 was the Stir Fried Rice Noodles. I wouldn't compare Thai restaurants in the LES with Thailand. I wouldn't even compare them to L.A. But this is a big step up. Another nice touch was the free pandan leaf flavored water, you can help yourself and it's quite refreshing.

I stand corrected - I think "oblaten" just means "wafers" in German. But in Nuremberg they told me that Elisen Lebkuchen was of a higher quality - more nuts and fruit than the standard lebkuchen. You could buy them for $21 at the gift fair. I think the TJ's variety, though delicious, is a more common mass-produced lebkuchen (or is one a lebkuch?) How a Jewish girl in the east village learned so much about German Xmas cookies is beyond me, but wikipedia seems to clarify:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebkuchen

TJ's sells Lebkuchen for the holidays (the cookies from Nuremberg with the wafer bottom). You can also buy high-end lebkuchen at the Union Sq. gift market (now closed, and they were terribly overpriced anyhow). Oblaten are simple wafer cookies. Sorry to be such a nitpicker, but at least I have no more to add about industrial sound in reference to the subject.

Thanks!

I'm not sure oblaten are the traditional base for lebkuchen. As far as I can remember the thin base for lebkuchen is made with potato flour. Oblaten are just a thin wafer-style cookie. If it's a substitution I'd make it without the base, or improvise.
I lived in Nuremberg, home of lebkuchen, and smelled them baking for 6 weeks. So delicious... I was there for a Siemens Arts Program residency in the local factories but unfortunately I didn't get to visit the lebkuchen factories. I did get to visit the Carlsbad oblaten factory in Minnesota, you could always google them and see if it leads you to any local retailers. They are quite delicious (and their factory made interesting sounds too).

Is that Sonny? He was a waiter at GS St. Marks for years and then left. He was funny, a little bit tough, nice and smart... I heard he went somewhere else but I didn't know where.

Okay, I'm a little late with this, but I just got my first Momofuku stollen of the season and it's typically delicious. There were many in stock at the Union Square gift market and it was a generous sized loaf for $6. Ingredients (as best I could read the tiny type) are: pistachios, almonds, candied ginger, currants, raisins, candied lemon, cranberries, whiskey. What about flour? Must be in there somewhere. It's always a little different, this year's was delicious and I like the whiskey flavor.

I still miss getting a slice of cake in the early days of the Milk Bar, that was my favorite thing there (along with saying hello to Christina!) I liked dulce de leche cake best, but I liked all of the cakes, and the flavors have changed in the meantime. I used to buy one slice and it could easily become 4 small (but very enjoyable) servings.

The biggest difference is that B & H is Kosher, Stage is not. I haven't been to B and H in a long time, but I generally prefer Stage. Their pastrami sandwiches are actually pretty good. And I agree with Pan's comments. Don't expect fantastic food, but it's affordable and fun.

Stage Restaurant on 2nd Ave. It's not as old as it looks, but it looks like a 50's luncheonette.

Second Orlin or their sister restaurant Cafe Mogador.

On Sunday the farmers from the Stuy Town market joined the farmers at Tompkins Square. It was a gorgeous day and there was tons of nice produce, even when I arrived late. I'm not sure if they're doing it again on Sunday.