I’ve lived in NYC for about 4 years....here are a few recommendations
1. There is a restaurant called the Smith. Everything is great there. It’s not cheap, but its also not as expensive as the quality and experience would let on. I recommend the skirt steak but and kale salad.
http://thesmithrestaurant.com/location/lincoln-square/#section-menu
2. 46th and Minar— this is a fast casual indian place that is about $10 a meal. I’ve eaten here a ton. Recommend the lamb korma
3. Vietnamese in china town— nha trang one. Great pho. Frog legs. Pretty decently priced menu. Been coming here for years!
Enjoy!