5 places cable_vt recommends · cable_vt’s channel
Insanely good noodle spot at a very low price, recently got a Michelin bib gourmand. Get the Numbing Spicy Beef Noodles and you won't be disappointed. Quite busy on the weekends, if you can swing it at off-peak hours or on weekdays you'll avoid the crowds.
Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse, on the expensive side but this will be the best meat you ever put in your mouth. Reservations open a month out, call in early and get the Butcher's Feast. If you can't get in at this location there's another at 550 Madison that's just as good. Amazing area too - you're less than a block from the Flatiron Building, around the corner from Madison Square Park, and subway/PATH accessible.
Rosa's is the best Sicilian slice in NYC, hands down. Maspeth is a bit out of the way, it's a hole in the wall tucked in a corner off of the Midtown Expressway. The closest subway stops are a bit of a hike but it's more than worth it for the upside-down Sicilian (sauce over the cheese).
A certified PAX East industry mixer classic, Harpoon is a great spot to get away from the convention crowd and grab a pretzel and a beer. Great craft beer selection and the ale mustard that comes with their pretzels is to die for (and I know my mustards). Bring a friend or a group to split one with and get some much needed rest during a busy convention at BCEC.
I will ride or die for Jose Tejas (a renamed version of the famous Border Cafe from Cambridge, MA) as some of the best cajun food I've ever had. The popcorn shrimp, blackened catfish, gumbo, chicken etouffe, you really can't go wrong with just about anything on the menu (and I've tried most of it!) Grab a margarita too; I'm partial to the Mango and the Spicy, but all of them are quite good!