Features

The Cheap Student’s Guide to Lunch

What you’ve been waiting for has finally come—lunch time. Stomach grumbling, you desperately try to think of where to eat within your mere 45 minutes of freedom. You consider going for the relatively good food in the cafeteria for an easy fee of $1.50, but brush it off quickly. Today, you’ll be adventurous and venture out for lunch. Have a gander at your choices:

The Expensive Eateries

Terry’s Gourmet Deli
(Chambers Street and River Terrace)

Stuyvesant students make up the majority of this deli’s customer base. Right down the block from Stuyvesant, Terry’s practically screams easy access—in terms of proximity and food selection. Some favorite food choices include pizza bagels (a bagel with melted mozzarella cheese and pasta sauce), salads (with all the toppings you can possibly imagine) and hearty sandwiches (some come with a free can of soda!). However, the deli’s food seems to be its only redeeming quality this year. Most of their prices have been upped at least a dollar or two, much to students’ and their wallets’ despair. If you decide to frequent Terry’s, be sure to have at least seven dollars on you. Beware of the lack of seating here. Instead, Stuy students tend to head over to nearby Rockefeller Park.

Zucker’s Bagels and Smoked Fish
(Chambers Street between Greenwich and Hudson Streets)

Zucker’s is fairly new to the Stuyvesant area. The food is delicious enough to make you forget about the holes the prices burn through your pockets. Their selection ranges from lox on a cream cheese bagel to delectable blocks of milk chocolate. Zucker’s specializes in bagels and fish in addition to other foods of the Jewish variety. Eating here with close friends is a must—the cozy atmosphere and soothing music provides the perfect opportunity to relax between hectic school periods.

The Amish Market
(West Broadway and Park Place)

The Amish Market is quite the walk from Stuyvesant. If you have enough time in your lunch period, treat yourself to something from the Market’s open food bars. Its salad bar is phenomenal, and the hot and cold food bars are sure to have foods that appeal to every member of your lunch party. The seating here is adorable and great for large lunch groups.

Kiva cafe
(Reade Street between Greenwich and Hudson Streets)

This Italian café is still relatively unknown among Stuy students, probably due to the fact that it’s tucked in between a hair salon and a nondescript apartment complex along Reade Street. All worries pertaining to school simply dissipate in this intimate and cheerful setting. This might have something to do with the high number of customers under the age of five who tend to frequent the café, or the inspiring art decorating the eatery’s small confines. My favorite item from Kiva cafe’s menu is the genoa sandwich, comprised of sweet Italian salami and olive paste on a ciabatta roll—light, satiating and worth every penny. Plan to spend at least seven dollars here.

Pakistan Tea House
(Reade Street and Church Street)

Though it’s rare that you’ll have enough time in a lunch period to sit and eat here, the Pakistan Tea House flaunts a wonderfully exotic menu that will make your mouth water. But the savory carte du jour clearly outshines the venue: the cramped space is quite stressful, and there is rarely enough room to sit, let alone eat. Most of the food the Tea House has to offer is on display, with main dishes mostly utilizing chicken or lamb. If you’re vegetarian, have no fear: Pakistan Tea House features a handful of side dishes that only contain vegetables and spices. Those who can’t take the heat should be wary of this restaurant. It’s more practical to visit the Tea House after school hours with more time to savor each bite.

Attractively Affordable

Gourmet Market
(North End Avenue between Chambers and Warren Streets)

Gourmet Market, usually called “Fake Terry’s” by Stuy students, is a less expensive version of Terry’s Gourmet Deli. It’s located practically across the street from Stuyvesant’s lobby. The hot food bar here is reasonably delicious—their macaroni and cheese is quite tasty for a nice price of $2.50. The employees here are friendly as well.

College Convenient
(Chambers Street between Greenwich and Hudson Streets)

Most Stuy students have no idea what College Convenient is. It’s the true name of “Hole in The Wall,” Stuy students’ nickname for it. This bodega will probably have whatever you need, whether it’s food, drinks or even school supplies. It makes for a great pit stop on the way home from school and can supply sustenance for the rushing student at lunch. The best deal here has to be the large 23.5-ounce Arizona cans for one dollar—so much liquid for such a cheap price.

China Red
(Chambers Street between West Broadway and Church Street)

Eat here at your own risk. This Chinese food restaurant has been plagued with rumors of unsanitary practices, but for some reason this doesn’t seem to deter Stuy students in the least. China Red has all of the American-Chinese food classics, like chicken with broccoli and General Tso’s Chicken, for reasonable prices.

Portobello’s Pizzeria and Sicilian Kitchen
(Murray Street between Greenwich Street and West Broadway)

Portobello’s is a great spot for freshmen to hang out in large groups and banter over copious amounts of food. The pizza spot seems to even take pride in the fact that it’s located so close to Stuyvesant and the Borough of Manhattan Community College, adorning its walls in the schools’ paraphernalia and photos. A popular student special offers two plain pizzas and a soda for just 5 dollars, and another grants a pizza pie with a free 2-liter soda for only 15 dollars. The pizza is relatively good, but the cheese often slides off. This restaurant is a great starting point for a freshman’s lunch adventures.

Gyro Carts

The gyro vendors are good for the starved student. Some good choices to try are the lamb over rice dish and any kind of gyro. I’d recommend going to one if you’re in a hurry—there’s usually one located in front of Barnes and Noble, and another located next to McDonald’s.

Mike’s Papaya
(Reade Street and Church Street)

With only five dollars, you can purchase a lot of food at Mike’s Papaya. Hot dogs, fries with cheese and burgers tend to be especially good here. Though there aren’t any seats here (only standing room and ledges) and the quality of service is questionable, the food really does make up for whatever this hot dog joint lacks. It’s more fun sitting across the street in front of the Bank of America anyway.

The Franchises

Whole Foods
(Greenwich Street between Warren and Murray Streets)

The only real problem I have with Whole Foods is the fact that I bought an obnoxiously-priced salad not too long ago from this franchise. But I’ll admit, the salad was worth it in the end. Whole Foods has everything one could possibly imagine. Great soup, sushi, Indian food, picnic food—it’s almost too good to be true. If you’re willing to spend the extra buck, go here for lunch.

Blimpie, McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Subway
(Blimpie—West Broadway between Chambers and Warren Streets; the rest—Chambers Street between Greenwich Street and West Broadway)

These are good places to eat when you’re too lazy to make a choice at somewhere like Whole Foods. While Subway may offer great deals (that are always unclear on its terms), it’s habitually crowded so service is rushed. Blimpie may prove to be a better alternative this year, as its deals are generally cheaper than Subway’s deals are.

Taco Bell and McDonald’s are not nearly as crowded as Subway is. After its major renovation last year, this McDonald’s is nicer than the other three fast food restaurants combined. It’s spacious and there are always open seats. If you’re in a rush, Taco Bell is closest by far and almost never has long lines.

Jamba Juice and Starbucks
(Jamba Juice—West Broadway between Chambers and Warren Streets; Starbucks—Chambers Street and West Broadway)

Even though these two drink franchises are outrageously expensive, the drinks are delicious. Jamba Juice is a fun place to hang out and wind down with friends. Starbucks is the place to get your quick fix of caffeine after that all-nighter. Moreover, you can get baked goods at Starbucks or chips and health bars at Jamba Juice. These two hot spots also have long lines, wide varieties and limited seating in common.