Question for New Yorkers

[Iowa Lizzy]

Hello! My SO and I will be in NYC for a 24 hour layover on March 18th. Our flight doesn''t get in until 6:00 pm, so that pretty much knocks out going to a show.

We''re interested in finding a good restaurant for a decadent meal. He wants to get up first thing in the morning and hit the Museum of Natural History, so we''re staying at a hotel very close to that. The restaurant doesn''t have to be within walking distance, but I don''t want to pay an astronomical cab fare to get there and back.

Budget for the meal is between $200-$300 for two people (I don''t think we''ll be buying wine, so that will help keep the cost down). I''ve looked at Gordon Ramsay At The London, le Bernardin and a few others.

Any suggestions?

 

[Circe]

If I could recommend one place and one place alone in the city, it''d be The Modern, the restaurant at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. I generally think of food as fuel, something I consume in order to avoid dying, and *I* say their stuff is out-of-sight amazing. Cab fair there from the Upper West Side shouldn''t run you more than 15 bucks each way, I don''t think.

P.S. - While you may be avoiding wine, they make a rose-petal cocktail that makes you feel like a character out of Fitzgerald.

 

[Bia]

Are you looking for something decadent but intimate or decadent jam-packed? The upper west side has a lot of great restaurants, especially near Columbus Circle. There's Jean Georges (Columbus Circle and Central Park West). Really, really good food but its really packed a lot of the time and its very pricey.

I'll look for you...

Also, what kind of food? There are some good sushi places, but Im not sure if you're into that.

ETA: Telepan (italian-fusion I think? on W 69th st and Central Park West), Asiate (French fusion and sushi). All these restaurants are upscale. If you want something with just tremendous food, great ambiance and not so upscale, I can list a bunch more places that aren't so bougie.

 

[Iowa Lizzy]

Bia- Thanks for the recommendations. I read some reviews of Jeans Georges. Looks pretty good. We are sushi eaters, but I''m thinking I''d like to try a nice place with a tasting menu of some sort. I''d like an upscale place, but nothing too fancy shmancy. Since we''re packing for a 2 week trip, SO doesn''t want to have to bring a jacket/tie.

Circe- Thanks for your suggestion. I''ll definitely look at that place on tripadivsor. We''re not trying to avoid wine/drinks altogether, but I just don''t want to spend buckets of money on it. I always read reviews of restaurants and they say "the total cost was $600 for two people with wine." I assume it''s the wine that jacks the price up so much.

Oh, also, Gray''s Papaya. Is this place worth stopping at for a snack the next day? I always see it on TV and it really gets me craving a hot dog.

 

[Circe]

Gray''s Papaya - eh. I''m a hot dog purist - my favorite are the hot dogs from a cart, loaded with everything! Gray''s tastes subtly wrong to me, but it might be worth it just for the experience. Just get a cart dog too!

For a more fun, snazzy restaurant ... Tao is pretty nice, too, Asian fusion in the 50''s. The ambiance is delightful, and the wasabi-crusted steak? TDF. Also, they serve a fortune cookie the size of your HEAD for desert.

 

[elle_chris]

Nobu or Nobu Next Door. They''re both downtown in Tribeca. Don''t care what anyone says, i think they still have some of the best japanese food in the city- even if it is Japanese fusion.

 

[Iowa Lizzy]

A fortune cookie the size of my head you say? I''m intrigued.

If anyone has advice for breakfast/lunch/brunch, I''m open to suggestions there also. Our flight doesn''t leave JFK until 6:00 pm the next day (though we''ll need to be at the airport 3 hours before since it''s an international flight) so I''m also looking for a place on the UWS before/after visiting the museum.

Thanks already for the advice you guys have given me! I''ll have a lot to research now.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 1/8/2009 1:50:45 PM
Author: Circe
If I could recommend one place and one place alone in the city, it''d be The Modern, the restaurant at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. I generally think of food as fuel, something I consume in order to avoid dying, and *I* say their stuff is out-of-sight amazing. Cab fair there from the Upper West Side shouldn''t run you more than 15 bucks each way, I don''t think.


P.S. - While you may be avoiding wine, they make a rose-petal cocktail that makes you feel like a character out of Fitzgerald.

I second - I love The Modern. And their desserts are to die for...

 

[Bliss]

I echo Nobu! Noooobuuuuu!

Or even Blue Ribbon Sushi, which is fab.

Chanterelle in TriBeCa is awesome. Here''s the link: http://www.chanterellenyc.com/

Le Bernardin is great, you can''t go wrong there.

For a *casual* lunch/quick bite -- if you like hummus, you MUST try The Hummus Place!
http://www.hummusplace.com/

 

[Iowa Lizzy]

I will definitely have to look into Nobu.

Does anyone know what the dress code is at Le Bernardin? Also, what the average price is?

I''ve gotta say the only reason I''m really thinking about that Gordon Ramsay place is that he is so smug and arrogant on television, I feel the need to try his food and judge him myself.

Oh, if anyone knows where to find good bread pudding, you''re my new best friend. Restaurants that serve bread pudding automatically get extra credit from me (it''s my weakness!).

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 1/9/2009 8:46:55 AM
Author: Iowa Lizzy
I will definitely have to look into Nobu.


Does anyone know what the dress code is at Le Bernardin? Also, what the average price is?


I''ve gotta say the only reason I''m really thinking about that Gordon Ramsay place is that he is so smug and arrogant on television, I feel the need to try his food and judge him myself.

Oh, if anyone knows where to find good bread pudding, you''re my new best friend. Restaurants that serve bread pudding automatically get extra credit from me (it''s my weakness!).

Not a restaurant, but the best bread pudding I''ve ever had in Manhattan is from the Dessert Truck...literally a truck that serves desserts. It''s parked on 3rd Ave. & 8th Street every night after 6PM (until they sell out). The owner is a former pastry chef at Le Cirque!

 

[skimmy]

there''s a nobu on 57th street which serves the exact same food as the nobu downtown and would save you the cab fare.
i could eat their sashimi salad with lobster, rock shrimp tempura and black cod with miso EVERY day.

if you want straight up sushi, i''d do sasabune or sushi yasuda.

if i remember correctly, the modern requires a jacket for men? might want to double-check that...
otherwise, it''s a great choice!

telepan does a very nice brunch if you wanted to stay on the UWS as does ouest.
www.telepan-ny.com
www.ouestny.com

 

[elle_chris]

Date: 1/9/2009 9:28:38 AM
Author: scarlet16

Date: 1/9/2009 8:46:55 AM
Author: Iowa Lizzy
I will definitely have to look into Nobu.


Does anyone know what the dress code is at Le Bernardin? Also, what the average price is?


I''ve gotta say the only reason I''m really thinking about that Gordon Ramsay place is that he is so smug and arrogant on television, I feel the need to try his food and judge him myself.

Oh, if anyone knows where to find good bread pudding, you''re my new best friend. Restaurants that serve bread pudding automatically get extra credit from me (it''s my weakness!).

Not a restaurant, but the best bread pudding I''ve ever had in Manhattan is from the Dessert Truck...literally a truck that serves desserts. It''s parked on 3rd Ave. & 8th Street every night after 6PM (until they sell out). The owner is a former pastry chef at Le Cirque!

I didn''t know the Dessert Truck was downtown after 6 (i also adore bread pudding and keep getting it from Whole Foods)

3rd and 8th, is that by that dive bar The Continental or Around the Clock? I know the area well but for some reason am having a hard time picturing where it is.

 

[Eva17]

Date: 1/9/2009 9:28:38 AM
Author: scarlet16

Date: 1/9/2009 8:46:55 AM

Author: Iowa Lizzy

I will definitely have to look into Nobu.



Does anyone know what the dress code is at Le Bernardin? Also, what the average price is?



I've gotta say the only reason I'm really thinking about that Gordon Ramsay place is that he is so smug and arrogant on television, I feel the need to try his food and judge him myself.

Oh, if anyone knows where to find good bread pudding, you're my new best friend. Restaurants that serve bread pudding automatically get extra credit from me (it's my weakness!).

Not a restaurant, but the best bread pudding I've ever had in Manhattan is from the Dessert Truck...literally a truck that serves desserts. It's parked on 3rd Ave. & 8th Street every night after 6PM (until they sell out). The owner is a former pastry chef at Le Cirque!

Oh wow scarlet, what a great NYC tidbit!! Now i have to figure out how to get there one day during that time slot!
My family loves bread pudding, me included!


Is bread pudding a staple on the truck every day?

 

[forensics1]

Gordon Ramsey's restaurant MAZE. Its awesome!! Its on West 52nd or 57th - only about 10 short blocks from Columbus Circle - right around where you (should be) staying. It's a little pricey, but casual (we wore jeans, boots and sweaters) - but the whole menu is a tasing menu of 4 entrees each, aps, and dessert. We were SO FULL when we left. The ambiance AND FOOD were to die for!!! We want to go back SO bad! You think we would considering we live 1 hr away....

Hope this helps! Liny to Maze.

eta: The resturant WAS NOT stuffy or pretentious. The wait staff couldn't have been nicer. The food was divine, but the prices were a little steep, but .... then again....it is NY and it is a 'famous upscale-ish' place.

Oh! and one more thing - if you can/want to, go to the bar in the Mandarin Oriental. The view is fab and romantic, the people are awesome and celebs are there all the time. Last time we were there, we sat with Betsey Johnson...talk about fab!

 

[forensics1]

LOL or West 54th. Ha ha. Obviously, I was too focused on getting there that I forgot where it was!

 

[Iowa Lizzy]

Okay, thanks Forensics1 for the review of MAZE. That place is a top contender right now.

And this dessert truck? Be still my heart! I will have to look into stopping there.

I looked at Tao on tripadvisor.com. Looks interesting also. A few people said it''s like eating in a night club, so I''m not quite sure if I''m into that.

Any good steakhouses?

 

[chiapet]

Since you''re staying close to the Museum of Natural History, you might want to look up Isabella''s, which is right around the corner from the museum, on Columbus avenue. Dinner suggestions: Megu in midtown (there''s another branch downtown), Ben Benson''s for steak, Bar Boulud (west 60s), Landmarc. You can read the reviews on www.citysearch.com.
Have fun!

 

[Harriet]

Dinner:
Hands down, Jean-Georges (jacket required). They also do a 3-course lunch which will run you about $35! Yes, complete with petit fours. Make sure you ask for the formal dining room, and not Nougatine. The cuisine has an Asian influence, so there's usually some sushi on the menu (sashimi of sea trout is a staple).

Brunch:
There's Sarabeth's on Central Park South. For something more upscale, but cosy, Bistro Laurent Tourendel at the Ritz (also on CPW).

 

[Krissie]

I''ve never had a super fancy dinner in NYC so I can''t really comment there, but for breakfast or lunch I would recommend Sarabeths on Central Park South or Isabella''s, which is pretty close to the museum. The breakfast foods at Sarabeths are soooo yummy and the portions are huge. The sweet potato fries at Isabella''s are the stuff of dreams, served with like a maple syrup dipping sauce.

I always like to have a drink or two at the lounge on top of the Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle (near where you''re staying). You''ll get a fab view - also, the snacks there are pretty yummy and not too pricy. I had the best wintery cocktail there - involved spiced pear - last month.

 

[curlygirl]

Le Bernardin is definitely upscale--I would say to dress up in heels, dress, etc. and a suit for hubby. You will have one of the best meals of your life there. Eric Ripert is one of the top chefs in the world! I was there 5 or 6 years ago and for 2 of us with wine it was about $300.

You can''t go wrong at Jean Georges either. And as Harriet mentioned, it''s a great deal for lunch!

For a decadent breakfast, I recommend Norma''s in the Parker Meridian Hotel. You asked about steakhouses as well. I love Quality Meats on 58th Street. Deeelish and they have homemade ice cream for dessert.

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 1/9/2009 9:35:46 AM
Author: elle_chris

Date: 1/9/2009 9:28:38 AM

Author: scarlet16

Date: 1/9/2009 8:46:55 AM

Author: Iowa Lizzy

I will definitely have to look into Nobu.



Does anyone know what the dress code is at Le Bernardin? Also, what the average price is?



I've gotta say the only reason I'm really thinking about that Gordon Ramsay place is that he is so smug and arrogant on television, I feel the need to try his food and judge him myself.

Oh, if anyone knows where to find good bread pudding, you're my new best friend. Restaurants that serve bread pudding automatically get extra credit from me (it's my weakness!).

Not a restaurant, but the best bread pudding I've ever had in Manhattan is from the Dessert Truck...literally a truck that serves desserts. It's parked on 3rd Ave. & 8th Street every night after 6PM (until they sell out). The owner is a former pastry chef at Le Cirque!

I didn't know the Dessert Truck was downtown after 6 (i also adore bread pudding and keep getting it from Whole Foods)


3rd and 8th, is that by that dive bar The Continental or Around the Clock? I know the area well but for some reason am having a hard time picturing where it is.

I'm sorry that I forgot about this post! But we were watching the Food Network just now and on Throwdown with Bobby Flay, the bread pudding from the Dessert Truck won, so I remembered I had posted this.

elle_chris: It is literally across the street from The Continental, right in front of the Starbucks. Apparently it's also parked at 51st & Park during the day. BUT it's closed for winter break until mid-January.

Eva17: Yup! I think their bread pudding is their best seller! My hubby prefers it with the vanilla creme anglaise, but they also have a really interesting bacon creme anglaise. AND I believe you can pre-order family sizes!

Iowa Lizzy: I agree with recommendations for brunch at Sarabeth's but I actually prefer the Central Park West location (in the 80's). Get the salmon eggs benedict & the hot cocoa! I'd recommend going to brunch then to the Museum of Natural History afterwards. Also, the best steak I've had in NYC (and we're HUGE steak people) is at Uncle Jack's on 55th St. btwn 5th & 6th Ave. Get the bone in rib eye!

ETA: Gray's Papaya used to be a great place because of their recession special, which was $2.95 for 2 hot dogs and a drink up until about 6 months ago, but now that it's $4.95, it's just a tourist trap.

 

[mrscushion]

I would say Le Bernadin over Jean Georges any day. It will really be one of the best meals of your life and I think it's in your budget without wine. But, if you're really into sushi, I really recommend Sushi of Gari, it's amazing. I've only been to the one on the East Side, but there's one on the West Side, too, on 77th & Columbus.

ETA: Another vote for Sarabeth's for brunch -- my fave menu items are the eggs with cream cheese and scallion (sounds weird but is excellent), pumpkin waffle, and potato waffle.