Review: New York Street Vendors

I spent this past week in New York, where restaurants raped me of my money for mediocre meals. After deciding that $15 was way too much money to spend on a sandwich, a few of my friends and I decided to pull a Law & Order and indulge in greasy hot dogs from a street vendor. 

Photo by: Maryem Abdulla
 
There isn't much to say about the street vendors in New York. The food was amazing, the prices were cheap, and the guy selling us the food was more interested in his phone conversation than my order. As a city kid, this is nothing new to me. Although Chicago doesn't have carts with kitchens built in them, they did remind me of fast food around the city (like the ones in University Village).

Photo by: Kara Highfill

Even though their food was pretty good and reasonably priced, one thing I hated was the fact that nobody seemed to know what pickle relish is. I still think they didn't have relish at any of the hot dog stands because they knew we were from Chicago. They obviously have something against Chicago stye hot dogs. (Try asking for a New Yorker for a Chicago style hot dog, and you will get stared down. Trust me.)

In the end, if you're in New York you can't pass up a greasy hot dog from a greasy hot dog vendor. So whatever you decide to order from one of these kitchen on wheels, have fun, eat up, and enjoy!

Review: RA Sushi Bar

Since I'm a giant foodie, I'm not afraid to try out new things. I can eat anything and convince myself it's God's gift to this world. I haven't decided if this is a good thing or a bad thing yet.

Anyway.

Whenever I tell people I love raw fish, most look at me like I'm insane. But I don't really care because sushi is amazing and if I wouldn't die of mercury poisoning, I would eat it every day.

I've been to a number of sushi bars, but the one that stands out to me most is Ra. I was first introduced to the chain last summer and I fell in love. Not only is the decor and overall feel of the restaurant really pleasant, but the prices are decent as well.

Photo by: Maryem Abdulla

My favorite thing about Ra is their happy hour menu. Every Monday-Saturday, from 3-7 pm Ra offers their customers $2-$7 (select) sushi, appetizers and tapas. Although I don't always catch happy hour, the fact that they offer super cheap (and super yummy) sushi makes me want to hug someone.

Photo by: Maryem Abdulla

If you like to play it safe and you don't want to eat fish that may or may not poison you, Ra is still a good option to consider. Their menu offers a number of dishes, both cooked and raw, which makes it perfect for everyone.

So whether you're daring enough to try raw fish, or you decide to stick to cooked food, have fun, eat up, and enjoy!