By Margaret Hedderman

Statue of Liberty? Nah. Empire State Building? Fuh-get about it. Want to experience New York City? Eat out. For three scrawny little Urchins, our first collective foray into the city could easily be described as miles of walking between bites of the Big Apple. Here’s a quick guide to our top Urchin Eats in New York City.

One of the basement bars/extended dining areas

Los Feliz

109 Ludlow St., New York, NY

Tired, hungry and marginally lost, The Urchins wandered onto Ludlow St. in search of sustenance. And there it was. Dim, with a hazy, candlelit glow, the buzz of margarita-induced merriment simmered in big neon letters: Tequileria. Several seconds later, we were downstairs in the basement next to the bar ordering drinks. With over 150 different tequilas, Los Feliz offers an incredibly reasonable, almost cheap, menu of designer tacos (complete with orchids on top), excellent guacamole, and ceviche.

Geo's raw porcini ravioli

Pure Food and Wine

54 Irving Place, New York, NY

After walking the majority of the lower East Side, staring longingly into the windows of NYU buildings, and spending several hours in the Strand Bookstore, The Urchins were barely able to get a table at the gourmet raw food restaurant. In the intimate and secluded garden, the menu unfolds a selection of delicate and exquisitely prepared meals – everything from porcini ravioli to stuffed squash blossoms. The raw food movement is an exercise in creativity, testing the minds of chefs to invent meals more interesting than salad. Though the prices are not Urchin-friendly, the menu certainly is.

The Good Restaurant of Greenwich Village totally lives up to its name.

Good

89 Greenwich Ave., New York, NY

On Urchin-friend Emily’s recommendation that “Good is really (expletive) good,” Sarah and I met her and fellow actor Doug for brunch late Sunday afternoon in Greenwich Village. (New York is a land of wonders with brunch lasting well until dinner.) From passion fruit Mimosas and homemade lemon pancakes, Good is the perfect atmosphere for extended dining and chatting on lazy afternoons.

*Editor’s Note: After sampling the aforementioned for the reader’s benefit, the author is now feasting upon dehydrated “meals” and crackers. You’re welcome.