Guide to The East Village!
Drink:
9th Street Espresso – 700 E 9th St between Ave C/D Handcrafted Coffee. Diagonally across from the gym. Almond milk not available.
Juice Press – 201 E 10th St between Aves A/B
Mud Spot – 307 E 9th St between 1st/2nd Aves
The Bean – 141 1st Ave between 9th/10th Streets
Organic Avenue – 30 3rd Ave between 9th/10th Streets
ABC Beer Co – 96 Avenue C between 6th/7th Streets
Eat:
Royale – 157 Ave C between 9th/10th streets. Burgers. Also, good for drinks.
Whitmans – 406 E 9th St between 1st Ave and Ave A We’ll keep this short: burgers, sweet potato fries and kale are what you want to get here (and you won’t find much else on the menu).
Mighty Quinn’s BBQ – 103 2nd Avenue between 5th/6th Street Not what you’re thinking when it comes to BBQ. Nothing is drowning in sauce, and you can ask for the meat “naked” (without bread) and without BBQ sauce. But if you’re not eating strict paleo, go for the sauce. We love the smoked sausages, veggies pulled pork and brisket. Oh let’s face it, we just love meat. Don’t forget the pickled veggies. A suitable side is the ratatouille. The sweet potatoes might seem paleo, but they’re loaded with dairy and flour. Go for it if you can handle that stuff. The homemade iced tea is excellent. Grab your meat (which is sliced fresh for you at the counter), grab a seat and chow down.
Hu Kitchen – 78 5th Avenue between 13th/14th Street Hu as in “human,” this paleo restaurant is heaven. It’s cafeteria style, so don’t expect to be waited on hand and foot. Kind of like our primal ancestors, you have to gather up your food. The hot bar in the back dishes up favorites like the Hu Joe (spicy Sloppy Joe-style meat) served over their Grandmaster Veg (“lasagna”), known as the Diesel Parker; or have some amazingly juicy rotisserie chicken with hot sides such as sweet potatoes or caramelized pineapple with cashew cream. Breakfast/brunch is a favorite, as they have “Jordy” cakes (pancakes), bacon and sweet potato hash, not to mention killer breakfast sandwiches. And coffee. LOTS of coffee. Hu also has juices, smoothies, chocolate, snacks and an awesome deli counter with cold dishes and sides such as curried sweet potato, chicken tenders and meatballs ( you can heat these up on your own – they won’t do it for you). If you’re looking for something sweet, check out the Mash Bar. Be mindful of the prices if you’re on a budget; everything at Hu adds up. Dinner for two tends to run at least $40 or $50, depending on what you get. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Whole Foods Market – Corner of Houston and Bowery or Union Square When all else fails, you can usually find something paleo-friendly at WFM. We’re not going to lie, though, this location’s hot food bar leaves a lot to be desired. Luckily they have a Burger Bar, which functions as an Omelette Bar in the mornings (look over by the hot food section, next to the sushi), where you can order custom burgers.
