Why Love NY

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It’s a Friday night, I should probably be out partying but instead I’m home, dropping the knowledge on you fine folks. Just in time for the weekend, I present you with my top five picks for late night “dining” in the East Village.

If you’re looking to eat after midnight, chances are you’ve had at least a drink or two over the course of your evening. Lucky for you, the following restaurants are great choices whether you’re drunk or not.

Let’s start things off right.

5. BAMN!

Photo of BAMN! courtesy of Angela N.

The automat. Thought to have gone the way of the dinosaur in 1991, BAMN! resuscitated this classic restaurant genre when it opened in 2006. Grilled cheese, sliders and chicken nuggets are just some of the delicious treats you’ll find here. The food won’t win any awards, but when you’re craving chicken fingers at 2am and all you’ve got left is a fiver, you can rest assured that your needs will be met.

For just $2 - $3 in coins you can afford pretty much anything on their menu. You can even score a soft serve green tea ice cream if you’re coherent enough to speak with the attendant. One word of warning, the serving sizes are rather small and the food is addictive enough that you could easily blow through $20 before you realize it.

37 St. Mark’s Place (between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
http://www.bamnfood.com
888.400.BAMN
Open Sun - Thu 11:30am - 1am, Fri - Sat 11:30am - 3am

4. Pommes Frites

Photo of Pommes Frites courtesy of star5112.

Who doesn’t love french fries? If the answer is you, jump ahead to number 3 because that is all you’ll find here. Pommes Frites uses fresh potatoes, fried twice and served with a large variety of sauces. Orders come in 3 sizes ranging from $4 for a regular up to $7.75 for a double (that’s a twenty-five cent savings folks!)

Sauces are $0.75 each, or three for $2. The sweet mango chutney mayo and war sauce (frites sauce, peanut satay sauce & onion) are my personal favorites. If you’re feeling adventurous, you should definitely try the poutine. This French-Canadian comfort food consists of fries topped with fresh cheese curds and doused with gravy (they totally stole it from New Jersey - disco fries anyone?).

123 2nd Ave (between 7th St and 8th St)
http://www.pommesfrites.ws
212.674.1234
Open Sun - Thu 11:30am - 1am, Fri - Sat 11:30am - 2am

3. Typhoon Lounge

Photo of Typhoon Lounge courtesy of BrooklynLove.

Sushi isn’t your typical late night snack, but thanks to Typhoon Lounge it could be. Unlike the previous entries on the list, Typhoon is more of a sit down joint. I suppose you could order take out or delivery, but why would you when you could drink Sapporo and/or sake while your sushi is prepared instead?

Typhoon Lounge serves other Japanese dishes, but the sushi is probably the best bang for your buck. It’s relatively cheap and still remarkably fresh, even at 3am. Now that I think of it, I may have to swing by tomorrow - it’s been a while.

79 St. Marks Place (between 1st Ave and 2nd Ave)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/typhoon-lounge-new-york
212.979.2680
Open Sun - Thu 5pm - 2am, Fri - Sat 5pm - 3am

2. Crif Dogs

Photo of Crif Dogs courtesy of foodite.

Ah, Crif Dogs. If ever there was a food meant for late night, drunken eating it is the bacon wrapped hot dog. An unassuming location just off Tompkin’s Square park, stumble in and order a Chihuahua (a bacon wrapped dog covered w/ avocados & sour cream) a Pabst Blue Ribbon and some cheese tots.

If you’re really hungry, the Spicy Redneck (a house dog, bacon wrapped, with chili, cole slaw, and jalapenos) is also excellent. Bring your extra quarters to play Centipede or the tabletop Ms. Pac Man while you wait for heaven on a bun. If you need more booze after you’ve downed your dogs hop in the telephone booth and do what comes natural.

113 St. Mark’s Place (between 1st Ave and Ave A)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/crif-dogs-new-york
212.614.2728
Open Sun - Mon 12pm - 12am, Tue - Thu 12pm - 2am, Fri - Sat 12pm - 4am

1. Cozy Soup ‘n Burger

Ok, so I cheated. Cozy Soup ‘n Burger isn’t technically in the East Village, but when you’re drunk the neighborhoods all start to blend together. The simple fact is Cozy is open 24 hours a day, every day and they deliver to the East Village if you’re too lazy to walk west of 3rd Ave.

Cozy is famous for their soups and burgers (bet you didn’t see that one coming). It’s not just marketing mumbo jumbo, they deliver large, juicy burgers with a variety of toppings (e.g. the Cowboy Burger topped with baked beans) and their french onion soup is also quite scrumptious.

Some folks complain that Cozy Soup ‘n Burger is just a glorified diner. How is that a problem? Sure, it’s a diner, but it’s the best diner in New York City if not the world. Everything on the menu is above average, if not delectable and their breakfast is just as good as their burgers. It’s easy to see why Cozy Soup ‘n Burger is the best place for late night eats in the East Village.

739 Broadway (Between Astor Pl and Waverly Pl)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cozy-soup-and-burger-new-york
212.477.5566
Open 24 hours 7 days a week

Think I missed a hidden gem? Disagree with my top five? Find the waiter from Cozy Soup ‘n Burger irresistible and you want his phone number? Let me know in the comments.