Columbus Circle

1 Balsley Café Have an old-fashioned, all-American breakfast at this round, space-agey kiosk in a corner of Balsley Park. Just two bucks gets you a kaiser roll stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs and melted American cheese, along with a cup of coffee. Or make it more modern by sitting at one of the outdoor tables with your laptop, and tap into the free Wi-Fi. 866 Ninth Ave at 57th St (212-489-1194)

2 Whole Foods In the bakery section at the back of the store, start your day with the buzz from a $2.49 oversize cinnamon roll—it’s nicely flaky and has just the right proportions of cinnamon and sugar. Broadway at 58th St, concourse level (212-823-9600)

Lunch

Kashkaval

3 Kashkaval At this rustic market, wine bar and café, named after a Bulgarian cheese, you can order the small sampler platter for $9 and choose four Mediterranean tapas. Step out of the midday fray and sample dishes like dolma (stuffed grape leaves, $6), warm pita bread with a spicy walnut-pepper spread, smoky baba ghanoush and lemony artichoke dip. 856 Ninth Ave between 55th and 56th Sts (212-581-8282)

4 BOS Bar-BQ & Noodle Shop Cantonese-style noodle dishes, “in soup” or “dry,” are the specialty at this corner shop. For $5.50, you can get roasted-pork soup packed with one of eight kinds of noodles, tender pieces of pork, spinach and bean sprouts. For a buck more, they’ll throw some wontons into your bowl. 930 Eighth Ave at 55th St (212-582-8887)

5 Kennedy's Restaurant Open 365 days a year, Kennedy’s Restaurant is really an Irish pub with a killer $6 hamburger deluxe platter. The patty is plump (and appropriately comes with a generous amount of large pub fries), and the staff makes sure it’s cooked to your liking. 327 W 57th St between Eighth and Ninth Aves (212-759-4242)

6 Sapphire One way to beat the summer heat is to do as they do in India: eat spicy. Order the $7.95 tandoori lunch box and you get enough food to last all day: tender pieces of chicken marinated in yogurt; a vegetable dish like channa saag (chickpeas with spinach); basmati rice; a small cucumber salad; and a large, round piece of soft nan. 1845 Broadway between 60th and 61st Sts (212-245-4444)

7 Alan's Marketplace From the outside it looks like a typical deli, but the choices here are tastier (and lower-priced) than at most bodegas. Design your own five-ingredient salad for just $4.95: Start with mesclun greens, spinach or romaine and then load up on toppings such as juicy plum tomatoes, sliced black olives, golden roasted turkey and dried cranberries. 27 Columbus Ave between 60th and 61st Sts (212-265-5886)

Dinner

7 Azucar Arrive at Azucar after 8:30pm and a boisterous Cuban band will play while you bite into the hearty lechon asado con mojo campestre—marinated suckling pig, falling off the bone—served with a pungent sauce of raw chopped garlic and a side of the starchy, tropical root vegetable cassava. The price: $17. Visit during happy hour (Sun–Thurs 4–6pm) and you can tuck into free hors d’oeuvres. 939 Eighth Ave between 55th and 56th Sts (212-262-5354)

8 Joe G At this Italian joint housed in the basement of the Da Vinci Hotel, pasta lovers can soak up some old-world New York atmosphere (leather booths, vintage photos) while filling up for only $12.95. Order the capelli d’angelo al basilico e pomodoro and you get angel-hair pasta with tomato and fragrant fresh basil, topped with Parmesan cheese. Want it for less? Have it to go and it’s $8.95. 244 W 56th St between Broadway and Eighth Ave (212-765-3160)
—Tracey Ceurvels

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