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Must try food/bars in NYC???

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Bars, try PDT and Death & Company

Levain Bakery for cookies. Russ & Daughters for lox & bagels, and Katz's is right next door. French at La Sirene or fondue at Taureau, they're both byob.
 
The bread they use at Katz is a crime against humanity.

It's probably why the pastrami tastes so good cuz the bread is so bad in comparison.
 
gotsmack said:
For italian go to Marea, you will need a reservation. Basta Pasta is a good italian place with japanese influences.

I have not eaten at Daniel yet, but EMP is nowhere near the same level as Per Se. Le Bernardin is nice for a lunch at the bar, but I'm not that into seafood to do dinner there.

Take your friends to Carnegie Deli and split a super pastrami and cheesecake.

If you're in Chinatown go to Joe's Shanghai for soup dumplings then go to Rice to Riches for rice pudding.
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Wasn't the biggest fan of Marea myself - while everything was pretty good, I don't recall having a single wow/yum moment there.

I know what you mean about EMP - from a pure technique and preperation standpoint, it's hard to beat Per Se/French Laundry. However, I enjoyed my meal at EMP more for some reason - it had a few whimsical moments that were totally lacking at Per Se. And while both are long meals, Per Se is even longer and my ass was in pain the last 1/4 of the meal.

Are the soup dumplings at Shanghai Cafe better than Joe's Shanghai? I've personally found the food in Chinatown subpar compared to SF, though I did like the dumplings at Joe's. Unfortunately nothing else on their menu was any good.
 
virtuamike said:
Bars, try PDT and Death & Company

Levain Bakery for cookies. Russ & Daughters for lox & bagels, and Katz's is right next door. French at La Sirene or fondue at Taureau, they're both byob.
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Thumbs up to your first three - the ordering at Russ & Daughters and Katz's are an experience in themselves.

Personally was unimpressed with La Sirene (though the BOYB was a plus) and found Taureau borderline bad.

Some other places to avoid IMO for either being overpriced or uninspired - ilili, Gotham Bar & Grill, Bouley, Balthazar (except their french onion soup).
 
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Ns1 said:
The bread they use at Katz is a crime against humanity.

It's probably why the pastrami tastes so good cuz the bread is so bad in comparison.
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Agreed on the bread especially compared to Langer's, but I still haven't found pastrami that's better
 
dawheat said:
Thumbs up to your first three - the ordering at Russ & Daughters and Katz's are an experience in themselves.

Personally was unimpressed with La Sirene (though the BOYB was a plus) and found Taureau borderline bad.

Some other places to avoid IMO for either being overpriced or uninspired - ilili, Gotham Bar & Grill, Bouley, Balthazar (except their french onion soup).
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Damn that's too bad on La Sirene and Taureau, really like Didier, then again it's been over 2 years since we last ate there.
 
dawheat said:
Wasn't the biggest fan of Marea myself - while everything was pretty good, I don't recall having a single wow/yum moment there.

I know what you mean about EMP - from a pure technique and preperation standpoint, it's hard to beat Per Se/French Laundry. However, I enjoyed my meal at EMP more for some reason - it had a few whimsical moments that were totally lacking at Per Se. And while both are long meals, Per Se is even longer and my ass was in pain the last 1/4 of the meal.

Are the soup dumplings at Shanghai Cafe better than Joe's Shanghai? I've personally found the food in Chinatown subpar compared to SF, though I did like the dumplings at Joe's. Unfortunately nothing else on their menu was any good.
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I really liked Marea. Before eating there I never really really considered Italian as a destination type restaurant because Italian always tasted like food that could be prepared by me at home in 30 minutes. They do an amazing job with the Ricci and Fusilli. Beautiful presentation and preperation for the Polipo. I didn't care for the duck with lentils though.

I enjoyed Per Se over EMP. EMP felt gimmicky and a few of their dishes were more show then flavor, like the carrot tartare which would have been a side dish if there wasn't such a production behind it. The smoked fish wasn't fit for service in such a highly rated restaurant. You could taste how quickly it was smoked to force the smoke into the meat, very unpleasant. Then the showed me the 155 day aged steak but when they served it I only for 2 small bites. I LOVED the butter that was infused with the drippings form the steak though. This was the ONLY time I've ever been to a high end restaurant where the butter had an impact on me. There was not 1 course that was memorable or a WOW moment for me.

Per Se on the other hand was a WOW moment for almost every course. This restaurant is my gold standard for every place I eat at.

And I don't know if you've eaten at Jean Georges yet, but I'm amazed that they are able to keep their 3 Michelin Stars with the level of food they serve. I had their signature menu and my date had their other seasonal menu, both sets left us disappointed.
 
I forgot about DOUGHNUT PLANT! a must try! get the Tres Leches doughnut. Stick with the cake doughnuts, I don't like their yeast products.

This place has the BEST cake doughtnuts I've ever eaten.
 
I preferred the mid-town times since I worked around there.

Breakfast - Sarabeth's or some greasy deli for a bacon cheddar egg on a plain hollowed-out toasted bagel, that or one from Hot & Crusty

Lunch - shake shack, or just had a sandwich shop around Bryant Park and then watch all of the hot chicks walk by on 42nd, there will be more that'll walk by you in 30min than you've seen in your lifetime. Sunglasses are optional.

Drinks - Madison and Vine rooftop or Rare/View rooftop. There was another one I went to around SoHo that had good russian mules.

dinner - Blue Ribbon (get an old fashioned and the Paella) Ai Fiore or Rare

dessert - Waffles and Dinges in Columbus Circle, food truck, not the restaurant, and get de bomb.
 
dawheat said:
Are the soup dumplings at Shanghai Cafe better than Joe's Shanghai? I've personally found the food in Chinatown subpar compared to SF, though I did like the dumplings at Joe's. Unfortunately nothing else on their menu was any good.
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Anyone gone to both/all? I'm going to be in town for the US Open in September, and if it's truly better than every other place I've had, it will be my first priority for food.
 
jaedaliu said:
Anyone gone to both/all? I'm going to be in town for the US Open in September, and if it's truly better than every other place I've had, it will be my first priority for food.
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I have been to both. I hate Shanghai Joe for many reasons.

1. They treat you like cattle. They put you with other group of people whether you like it or not. I once caught a cold because of this.

2. They add a tip to your check, whether or not you want to tip them.

3. The food is overrated. The soupy dumpling cannot touch Shanghai Cafe's.
 
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gotsmack said:
I really liked Marea. Before eating there I never really really considered Italian as a destination type restaurant because Italian always tasted like food that could be prepared by me at home in 30 minutes. They do an amazing job with the Ricci and Fusilli. Beautiful presentation and preperation for the Polipo. I didn't care for the duck with lentils though.

I enjoyed Per Se over EMP. EMP felt gimmicky and a few of their dishes were more show then flavor, like the carrot tartare which would have been a side dish if there wasn't such a production behind it. The smoked fish wasn't fit for service in such a highly rated restaurant. You could taste how quickly it was smoked to force the smoke into the meat, very unpleasant. Then the showed me the 155 day aged steak but when they served it I only for 2 small bites. I LOVED the butter that was infused with the drippings form the steak though. This was the ONLY time I've ever been to a high end restaurant where the butter had an impact on me. There was not 1 course that was memorable or a WOW moment for me.

Per Se on the other hand was a WOW moment for almost every course. This restaurant is my gold standard for every place I eat at.

And I don't know if you've eaten at Jean Georges yet, but I'm amazed that they are able to keep their 3 Michelin Stars with the level of food they serve. I had their signature menu and my date had their other seasonal menu, both sets left us disappointed.
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As an out-of-towner I found EMP a tonne of fun and would be a place I would take a friend if I was visiting again.

I really loved Atera when we tried it in March. Great food and an awesome, intimate environment.

KT
 
gotsmack said:
I really liked Marea. Before eating there I never really really considered Italian as a destination type restaurant because Italian always tasted like food that could be prepared by me at home in 30 minutes. They do an amazing job with the Ricci and Fusilli. Beautiful presentation and preperation for the Polipo. I didn't care for the duck with lentils though.

I enjoyed Per Se over EMP. EMP felt gimmicky and a few of their dishes were more show then flavor, like the carrot tartare which would have been a side dish if there wasn't such a production behind it. The smoked fish wasn't fit for service in such a highly rated restaurant. You could taste how quickly it was smoked to force the smoke into the meat, very unpleasant. Then the showed me the 155 day aged steak but when they served it I only for 2 small bites. I LOVED the butter that was infused with the drippings form the steak though. This was the ONLY time I've ever been to a high end restaurant where the butter had an impact on me. There was not 1 course that was memorable or a WOW moment for me.

Per Se on the other hand was a WOW moment for almost every course. This restaurant is my gold standard for every place I eat at.

And I don't know if you've eaten at Jean Georges yet, but I'm amazed that they are able to keep their 3 Michelin Stars with the level of food they serve. I had their signature menu and my date had their other seasonal menu, both sets left us disappointed.
Click to expand...

Heh I totally know what you mean about EMP. The carrot presentation, the picnic box, etc can seem gimmicky - but I found it charming.

I find myself constantly confused with Per Se and French Laundry - beyond a couple signature dishes, I find myself admiring/respecting the dishes more than enjoying them. And I can't find anything to criticize - most of their food just doesn't create an emotional response in me.

Yeah - I don't even consider JG a 3 star. But I do like his casual dining joints (the ABCs).
 
gotta agree with Ippudo, though I havent had Totto yet both times I tried the wait was too long.

Steak: Del Frisco's - best rib-eye I've ever had.

I grew up in NJ and been to the city a million times. Just got into riding bikes in the city 4 years ago. Riding over the BB was phenomenal. The views are ridiculous. Definitely worth walking/riding the BB. I'd also tell them to rent bikes and ride up the West Side Greenway from the BB to the GW and back. It's amazing.
 
Just listen up to this: Totto, Ippudo, Hide-Chan are all very tasty ramen, but in the end, they're all roughly equivalent, just different. Ippudo is the most expensive, Totto is the hardest to get seats at, Hide Chan is on the east side which can be more annoying to get to depending on where you're at.

One restaurant I highly recommend is Hakata Tonton. It's a Japanese Hot Pot place that specializes in pig's feet and is quite unique in my extensive experience eating asian food. Its located in the West Village. You should try to get a reservation if you're gonna go in normal dinner hours.
 
I have to ask... Why would anyone think that someone visiting from Germany would want to dine at American versions of either a French or Italian restaurant? Think about it.

Take 'em to a steak house, have hot dogs from a street vendor, a good steak sandwich smothered in Cheez Whiz. Pizza is probably a good choice, but it should be good old fashioned, not the least bit authentic, New York pizza. The guys behind the counter should have Jersey or Brooklyn accents, not sounding like they just stepped off the boat from Naples.

Is Central Park really an attraction to visitors? I can see wanting to see some grass and a couple of trees if you lived in that giant concrete and glass city, but what's there for someone who could just as easily have gone to Yosemite or Zermatt for their holiday?
 
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