So we had like 300 recommendations for places to eat but we had to narrow it down because we were only in NYC for a few days.  We decided instead of spending a bunch of money at an expensive restaurant for one dinner, we would treat ourselves to a four course dinner at cheap places!  We’re smart!  Like the water.  We were told to go to Gray’s Papaya for a hot dog but the one near our hotel closed so we hit up the next best thing for our appetizer course, Papaya Dog.

2 hot dogs and a drink for $3.99?  YES PLEASE.  Also, the dude in the picture below was cracked out.  But honestly, NYC crackheads aren’t nearly as scary as Dallas crackheads.  I think it might be the cold weather.

I ordered a simple dog with kechup and relish and it hit the spot.

Jason topped his with chili and grilled onions (we had Orbitz) and we split a papaya drink.  For $4 we were off to an awesome start!

Bitter beer face man!  Why have I not bought Jason overalls yet?

For our primo dish (1st course), we hit up an Indian wrap joint that my friend Slow Mo recommended.  Kati Rolls makes Indian burritos using paratha, an Indian flatbread, filled with your choice of meat, cheese and vegetables.

They offer a cute diagram to pick your proteins.

Jason “rolled” with the unda beef (egg and beef) for $5.75.

While I rolled with the aloo masala (spicy potato mix) for $4.75.  They were phenomenal!  SO much flavor packed into the most amazing Indian burrito wrap.  This was a great call.  We wanted to order more but we had to save room for secondo (2nd course).

On our way to dinner part three, we passed by Radio City Music Hall!  It’s like we were famous.

Okay kids this was our favorite visit of the night.  The temperatures had now dropped to to the teens, our legs were sore from walking all over the city all day long and we were without hat or gloves.  However, you don’t see a place on Yelp with four and a half stars reviewed by 1,562 people and not try it.  By the way, this place also came highly recommended by Slow Mo, our food expert.

The 53rd and 6th Halal Guys cart is a must when you go to NYC.  There is nowhere to sit so you need to be prepared to find a table indoors if it is cold or find an outdoor bench somewhere.  We had to duck behind a nearby building to try to get away from the icy cold wind but once we started eating, we forgot that we now had frostbite.  The combo plate was unreal.  Lamb, chicken, pita, lettuce, rice and a tzatziki like sauce that knocked it out of Yankee Stadium.

It would have made total sense to end the night on a chicken ‘n rice high but in true Foodgarbl fashion, we walked to Shake Shack for dessert.

Their special of the day was the Car-Mallow Anthony shake after the newest player to join the Knicks.

I decided to make my own concrete with vanilla custard, hot caramel sauce and chocolate covered pretzels.  My mind said stop eating but my belly said I can make room!  Belly wins belly wins!

We had so much fun walking around the city to eat dinner.  I highly recommend this method to those of you who are up for some adventure!  On the way back to our hotel for the night, we passed the New York Times building.  Rad.

Selim’s Doener Kebap
4816 Belt Line Rd
Addison, TX 75254

Hidden Gem

You know those places where the waitstaff doesn’t speak English, the trash cans are always full, you swear they’re doing a drug business out the back, they mysteriously close for a month to “renovate” but nothing is done, and you keep going back because it is so awesome?  Yeah.  That’s Selim’s Doner Kebop.  On the outside it’s spelled Doener Kebap, on the inside it is referred to as Doner – just another reason why I love this place.  They don’t even give a care.

You order at the counter and if you don’t get the Doener wrap or Doener pita then you are a dumb trumpet and you might as well go eat sweet and sour chicken at May Dragon.  I think the biggest language barrier is when people DON’T order a doener and the dude is like “I don’t know…I…you like Doener?”  You have a choice between chicken doener and veal doener.  Imagine Bambi on a spit and then go with the chicken doener.  After you pay you go sit down and they call you back up like you won Bingo.  You need to tell them what toppings you want.  I liken this to painting the Sistine Chapel.  It is an artform.  You can totally F it up if you don’t know what you’re doing.  If they look at you funny take back whatever you ordered because it was wrong.  Pretend like you don’t know English and let them pick for you.  Or trust me – lettuce, banana pepper, onion and special sauce.  You can also ask for a hot sauce to add too.

The Greatest Decision Making Ever Done Happens At This Counter

The doener kebap is the number one fast food item in Germany.  The Germans gave us Dirk Nowitzki and the Beetle.  Do I really need to convince you any further?  The tortilla wrap they use is phenomenal.  The pita is certainly worth garbling about as well.  The doener and fries combo meal is like Siegfried and Roy – an unmatched duo in Dallas.  One time I didn’t get the fries and it felt like I had been savagely attacked by a tiger.  Too soon?

I don't even care if I eat bits of foil it's so good

Please, dear kind loyal readers, trust me on just this one thing: Go to Selim’s Doener Kebap and tell them I sent you.  It will confuse the shit out of them.

Darling patio overlooking Central Expressway

I can sum up my international lunch experience at Fadi’s in two words: hummus.  I’ve been to Fadi’s before (two time!) but I went with people like me who don’t speak gyro and didn’t know what to order.  Here’s where my Korean, Palestinian, Indian and Pakistani whoa-di’s come into play.  Ice, Lazycake, Huzzy and Slowmoh (real names withheld to protect Foodgarbl’s privacy policy) accompanied me to the Fadi’s off of Knox/Central to ensure I would have a true international experience of Mediterranian bamfness.  My last trip included a falafel (bleh) and baklava (meh) so I needed something to prove why Fadi’s was still on and poppin.  ENTER CHICKEN AND LAMB SHAWARMA.

Serve it Shawarma not Shacolda

Lazycake was super generous and bought a round of meat pie’s (you are), hummus and some puffy taco sponges for dipping in the hot chickpea mess.  The hummus was ballin out of control and the spongebob pita monster ovenmits were addicting.

You're a Meat Pie

I ated it

Puffy Taco Little Dippers

The chicken shawarma comes with garlic tahini sauce but I was all “oh hell naw” and instead requested a couple tubs of tzatziki.  Smart move on my part.  The gyro torpedo was the shizzle.  Lazycake had a craving for Mediterranean backyard so she ordered greek salad, tabbouleh and “quit looking at my” fatoush.  The tabbouleh was a bunch of parsley, tomatoes, bulgar and spices ground up into a mezze mess.  (Hey kids, let’s learn something!  Mezze is an Arabic word for selection of appetizers).  The greek salad was not correct b/c they served it drenched in weaksauce.  I don’t remember what the fatoush was so I’m just going to use it as a derrogatory word from now on.

Who let the hippie order?

The meat and cheese pies were like going to a Beck concert and having Nickelback open up for him – disappointing when you know greatness is coming.  The meat pies looked adorable behind the counter and there was a sign that said “Meat Pies $.89″ so what were we supposed to do, walk past it?  I’m going to warn you up front about Fadi Dadi’s – it’s confusing.  You think it is a buffet of some sort but it’s really like a Moroccan Luby’s.  Be prepared to sample all sorts of ill shiz a la carte.  Or play it safe and order the shawarma you fatoush.  Would I go back to Fadi’s?  Yes.  Would I venture out and try something new?  No.  Because I’m skerrd.  And because the shawarma rocked my face.

Warren Buffet

Kebob Barkers

number 33 like my Uncle Barkley

Jimmy Buffet