| Serving the | Eric Vellend has 24 Hours to, Eat His Way Through New York, Toronto: April 2006, Gremolata Number 69. |
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I'LL EAT MANHATTAN: 24 HOURS IN THE BIG APPLE To any food lover, New York is the culinary equivalent of Graceland. Fortunately, you don’t have to be Donald Trump to afford a gluttonous fling in the Big Apple. There is only one problem: So much to eat, so little time. When visiting New York, the space in your stomach must be treated like Manhattan real estate: valuable stuff that should never be leased to unworthy calories. With 24 hours and a Jack Bauer work ethic, here is how I would spend a day in this epicurean paradise.
For more seafood, hustle over to nearby Tomoe Sushi (172 Thompson St., 212-777-9346). You will have to wait in line – Tomoe has a tented awning for inclement conditions – but standing in a queue of hungry New Yorkers is a right of passage. Inside, the tables are even more squished than Casa Mono, but the acrobatic servers do an amazing job of delivering pristine sushi. Tomoe cuts fish of such dock-flapping freshness that will make any Toronto sushiphile burn with envy. Rolls are rolls. Splurge on the nigiri and you’ll be treated to ovals of perfect rice just warm enough to take the chill off generous slices of unbelievably fresh fish. The melt-in-the-mouth tuna belly (toro) and baby yellowtail (hamachi) will make anything you’ve had before taste like tinned sardines.
To soak up the excess alcohol in your system, it’s time for a fish taco at San Loco (124 2nd Ave., 212-260-7948), a taqueria right around the corner from Decibel. The Catfish Queso Loco is a soft flour tortilla smothered with melted cheddar and wrapped around a crisp corn tortilla stuffed with golden-fried catfish, lettuce and tomato. You can jack up this double-decker fiesta with homemade hot sauces that go by the names of “serious” and “stupid”. Wash this down with an ice-cold Corona and you’re ready for bed… or another taco! This eating tour may seem daunting, but as long as you travel on foot – New York is a great walking city - you can bounce around Manhattan like an epicurean pinball and still fit into your pants at the end of the day. * * *
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First off, don’t waste your time with breakfast. Most breakfast foods aren’t interesting enough and a bacon and egger is just about the stupidest way to start an eating tour of any city. Begin with something modest like a donut from the 
Once you’ve licked that last bit of glaze off your fingers, make your way over to Chinatown. Take in the sights and sounds, but be at Joe’s Ginger (113 Mott St., 212-966-6613) when it opens for business at 11:00 a.m. With only a couple of donuts in your belly, you’ll need a little pre-lunch snack. Don’t bother looking at the menu. Get a pot of tea and order their legendary soup dumplings. Eating these curious dumplings is a bit of a challenge. First, carefully lift the wobbly suckers from the steamer basket onto a deep Chinese soupspoon. Take a small bite and tip n’ sip the rich, heady broth. Once the soup is drained, you’ll be left with a succulent ball of crab and pork. Wondering how they get the soup in the dumpling? Here’s a clue: homemade meat broth turns into gelatin when chilled.
After Joe’s Ginger, head uptown to Union Square to have a look at Gotham’s beloved Farmers’ Market. By about 1:00 p.m. you’ll be ready for the table you’ve booked at nearby Casa Mono (52 Irving Place, 212-253-2773), another jewel in the Batali-Bastianich empire. The authentic Spanish tapas at Casa Mono shows that Molto Mario’s Midas touch extends beyond Italy. The place is cramped, even by New York standards, but with a glass of sherry and a plate of jamón, who the hell cares? To start you might want to try the ethereal pumpkin and goat cheese croquetas or the ensalada Mono - frisée, manchego and smoky almonds in a quince vinaigrette. If you like variety in your meats, order the hearty stew of tripe, blood sausage and chickpeas served cassoulet-style in an earthenware cazuela under a breadcrumb crust. For dessert, share the bread and butter pudding with silky saffron ice cream. A quick café solo and you’re ready to hit the streets.
Now the dinner bell tolls for thee. Since many of New York’s best mid-priced restaurants don’t take reservations, you are going to have to get an early start on your evening. At six o’clock, begin with a few nibbles and a glass of wine at 
It’s been a long day of eating, but it’s not over just yet. After Tomoe, it’s time to take a stroll across town to the East Village for a post-prandial beverage. Sticking with the Japanese theme, check out 
