Food-Exploring in the Lower East Side

The Lower East Side of NYC is not a typical destination for foodies who are visiting New York. But it should be because there are some fun eateries and shops down there.

First, the Doughnut Plant (see my previous post) is located there.

Second, you can buy some of those donuts and enjoy them with a good cup of coffee by strolling a few blocks over to 81 Orchard Street, where the Roasting Plant coffee bar is located. (Its beans are fresh-roasted only 15 minutes away in a building in Greenwich Village.) I really liked the sign they posted outside -- see above.

Next door, at 79 Orchard Street, a fun and cozy restaurant called Cafe Katya serves Austrian food. Prices are reasonable, especially for NYC.

An interesting sidebar: by 1905, this block of Orchard Street was the most highly populated block in the world -- a stretch of tenement buildings that were overflowing with newly arrived immigrants. The Tenement Museum is located further north on this block.