MARK on St. Mark's

image from alwayshungryny.com

Everyone knows St. Marks is an overwhelmingly cramped street with too many Asian restaurants, tattoo parlors, and knockoff Ray-Bans, but in the midst of this chaos lies a perfect, little burger joint named MARK. MARK's sliders, $2 each, are 2 ounces of greasy, beefy goodness made of fresh meat (a mix of sirloin, chuck, and short rib) that is ground in-house. The beef sliders are served with sliced sweet onions, which are fried with the meat, and topped with melted American cheese. Tomatoes and lettuce are not an option at MARK because according to the owner, they simply take away from the flavor of the meat. Their in-house sauces, however, are highly recommended, such as the jalapeño-honey, chipotle ketchup, and barbeque sauces. If you can't already tell from the picture and description of these heavenly sliders, let me tell you, they're AMAZING (especially after a night of pure revelry) and you can't beat the price. Aside from the sliders, a must-try is the Guinness milkshake whose flavor consists of a syrupy reduction from the beer. 

Its atmosphere, like the menu, is fun, casual, and everything you're looking for at 2 AM (MARK is open from 12 PM- 3 AM everyday). The front, exterior wall is graffitied by the tattoo artist who lives upstairs (what else would you expect from St. Marks?), and the inside is a dimly lit, chicer version of a hole in the wall that always has a good crowd and lively music.  

http://www.stmarksburger.com/

Sea King Sushi (Umi No Aji)--23rd & 3rd

image from hopstop.com

What makes this sushi spot unique is it offers both a Japanese and Chinese menu. If you’ve got a feeling for Japanese, they have standard rolls and Chef Specialty Rolls such as the New Millennium Roll. This favorite consists of eel, crab, avocado, and cucumber topped with a slice of mango. Another favorite is the Be-My-Guest-Maki Roll, which allows you to create your own roll. They also offer 'Special Maki Combinations', which is by far the best deal on the Japanese menu, and maybe even in NYC: three standard rolls served with either salad or miso soup costs just $9.95. Having ordered this combo with shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, a California roll, and the miso soup, I was surprised by the size of the servings, and especially by the quality of the food. It wasn’t the best sushi that I've ever eaten but the price more than made up for it.

Although in 2009 the restaurant was named one of the Top-100 Chinese Restaurants in NYC, I found that the Chinese food left something to be desired. My second trip there, I ordered the chicken with garlic sauce ($6.95) hoping that I would be just as satisfied as I was with the Special Maki Combo, but the dish was excessively oily, the sauce congealed, and the chicken very chewy. I also tried the Ten Ingredients Fruit Juice Beef ($12.95), but this too was nothing to write home about. Untrue to its name, the sauce was boring if you’re looking for well balanced flavor profiles. However, if you enjoy the mix of sweet and savory, you might appreciate the combination of green apple, pineapple, scallions, and salt. After trying both menus I would definitely say that the Japanese menu by far outperforms its Chinese counterpart in both price, and the quality of the food.

The Kati Roll Company

Image from midtownlunch.com

Located at 99 MacDougal Street between Bleecker and West 3rd, Kati Roll is a late-night Indian joint that specializes in the fast and greasy food that NYU students crave after a night out. Open till 5 am, this small establishment serves up freshly skewered and grilled spiced meats, vegetables, and cheeses, which are then wrapped in a buttered paratha, or Indian flatbread.

Diners can choose from simple rolls--chicken, beef, aloo (potato), paneer (cheese)--or choose to add unda (egg) to any roll. Each wrap is topped off with raw onions and a dollop of chutney. The menu is simple, but the flavors are bold, spicy, and extremely satisfying, and for 4.75 a roll, it is definitely worth a try, especially if you find yourself craving a midnight snack. You can check out their menu on their website (below) or just stop in for a cheap and tasty meal that will have you coming back for more. One thing to keep in mind: there is 20-dollar minimum for credit cards, so unless you’re planning on really chowing down, make sure you bring cash.

http://www.thekatirollcompany.com/index.html