New Restaurants On The Radar: MARK, Ardesia and Carnival

MARK: It's time for a new cheap burger. No more paying $26 at Minetta Tavern. No more blue cheese sculpted masterpieces. Just a good quality, cheap, manly burger. MARK is attempting to bring this to St. Mark's place (though they might have some competition with longstanding favorite Paul's.) The building they're in carries some history, having been home to poet Anne Waldman and the storefront for the original Manic Panic store, and MARK is trying to invoke that good juju with a 19’-long mural by NYU Professor Mick Stern; an ode to notable East Village characters.

But back to the burgers. Their Beef Slider is made from in-house ground chuck, short rib and sirloin and served with caramelized Vidalia onions. The Bacon Slider adds some smoked pork belly into that mix, and they're all served with whole pickles and the option of some skin-on fries.

You can wash those down two ways. On the alcoholic side there are some fancy imports, or the wintertime special Glögg, "a heated, spiced and sweetened wine for guests looking for a warm up." There is also a selection of creative milkshakes. The most inventive has got to be the Guinness shake, with Guinness beer, Guinness reduction and vanilla ice cream, but classics like Black + White, Pistachio and Cola are also there. The best part? Everything on the menu is in between $2 to $6.50. 33 St. Marks Place, 212-677-3132