Dining in New York City

[Seanchai]

For a more low-key Italian experience (not to mention conderably less expensive), consider Lupa in the Village. Think pasta, be the pasta.

[Bob Loblaw]

Thanks for all the replies! Unfortunately, Blue Hill was booked when I last looked, but I'll keep checking. In the meantime, I'll probably make a reservation at either Hearth or WD-50. I'm leaning toward WD-50, but I'm a bit skeptical about molecular gastonomy, which is why I hadn't considered it before. I looked at the menu and it does look really good. Plus, I figure I should try it sometime and I don't know where in DC I'd be able to do that other than Minibar.

We already have a few Asian places lined up, so Momofuku Ssam Bar will have to wait til next time. One is Joe's Shanghai. Anyone know if there's a noticable difference in quality between the Chinatown and Midtown locations?

[crazeegirl]

Thanks for all the replies! Unfortunately, Blue Hill was booked when I last looked, but I'll keep checking. In the meantime, I'll probably make a reservation at either Hearth or WD-50. I'm leaning toward WD-50, but I'm a bit skeptical about molecular gastonomy, which is why I hadn't considered it before. I looked at the menu and it does look really good. Plus, I figure I should try it sometime and I don't know where in DC I'd be able to do that other than Minibar.

We already have a few Asian places lined up, so Momofuku Ssam Bar will have to wait til next time. One is Joe's Shanghai. Anyone know if there's a noticable difference in quality between the Chinatown and Midtown locations?

Re: WD-50, since you haven't had the molecular gastronomy experience, WD-50 may be a good place for you, however, last time I was there, I thought the presentation was novel and interesting, but the flavors just didn't do it for me. I kept on having this "chemical" kind of flavor in my mouth.

I would try to go to Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown if you can.

[mtpleasanteater]

Re: WD-50, since you haven't had the molecular gastronomy experience, WD-50 may be a good place for you, however, last time I was there, I thought the presentation was novel and interesting, but the flavors just didn't do it for me. I kept on having this "chemical" kind of flavor in my mouth.

I go about 3 times a year and have never had that happen. If you do go I recommend the bone marrow & steak with coffe gnocchi. There are a few seats at the bar at Blue Hill so if you want a less formal experience you can probably still eat there.

[Steve R.]

There is also a pinkberry knock off that is better than the original right around the corner. I am blanking on the name but it looks just like a pinkberry. It's basically the exact same product, but with 10-12 different flavors of yogurt (not my thing, I go for the tangy everytime) and you get to fix it yourself with anything or amount you want and then pay by weight. This is awesome for us because at pinkberry you pretty much have to get that huge size and 3 toppings.

Go to Otto for gelato.

Indeed. I had a highly enjoyable meal at the kitchen pass a few months ago. Apps are $10-20 and entrees are $25- $35.

Tasting was $85. Or you could try Canora's new more Italian place, Insieme at about the same price point.

From experience, I think it's hard to get out of Hearth (or Insieme) for $100pp. But it's close and well worth the money.

[1000yregg]

There is also a pinkberry knock off that is better than the original right around the corner. I am blanking on the name but it looks just like a pinkberry. It's basically the exact same product, but with 10-12 different flavors of yogurt (not my thing, I go for the tangy everytime) and you get to fix it yourself with anything or amount you want and then pay by weight. This is awesome for us because at pinkberry you pretty much have to get that huge size and 3 toppings.

I think it's Red Mango. I heard Pinkberry knocked them off, but since Pink Berry is more successful. . .

[Sthitch]

I think it's Red Mango. I heard Pinkberry knocked them off, but since Pink Berry is more successful. . .

What exactly is Pinkberry and why should I give a crap about them? Is it just another smoothy shop?

[1000yregg]

What exactly is Pinkberry and why should I give a crap about them? Is it just another smoothy shop?

frozen yogurt with fruit toppings. it's really popular with asians for some reason. people assume it's healthy like jamba juice.

i think it's ok, not worth the hype. they don't allow pictures at their stores so no one will steal the design of them if that tells you anything.

[mame11]

frozen yogurt with fruit toppings. it's really popular with asians for some reason. people assume it's healthy like jamba juice.

i think it's ok, not worth the hype. they don't allow pictures at their stores so no one will steal the design of them if that tells you anything.

More specifically it is a tart frozen yogurt very different than the kind they sell at TCBY. The product launched in Asia which makes sense in some ways since desserts are less sweet in Asia than in the U.S. Red Mango carries the same kind of tart yogurt. Though I have not been able to establish that it is actually low fat, it definitely is less sweet and has live yogurt cultures so likely more healthy than TCBY.

[synaesthesia]

they don't allow pictures at their stores so no one will steal the design of them if that tells you anything.

I never had a problem with photos when I went a few years ago. Just go get the yogurt drinks at the Asian store and pop them in the freezer. Less creamy, but similar taste if that's what you're looking for.

[blakegwinn]

frozen yogurt with fruit toppings. it's really popular with asians for some reason. people assume it's healthy like jamba juice.

i think it's ok, not worth the hype. they don't allow pictures at their stores so no one will steal the design of them if that tells you anything.

I don't know about it being "healthy" maybe more like the lesser of two evils but either way, I gotta say I love it. I like the tart taste. I just really like that flavor. Plus I like that you get fresh plain chopped fruit instead of the fruit "toppings" that come canned in the syrup.

I think it's Red Mango. I heard Pinkberry knocked them off, but since Pink Berry is more successful. . .

This one is actually right around bleeker and cornelia. Around the corner from Perilla. It's not a Red Mango but for the life of me I can't remember the name...

Though I have not been able to establish that it is actually low fat

Fat free according to the nutritional info.

[blakegwinn]

Finally found it!!! Only took me 20 minutes.

http://www.yogurt-land.com/

Restuarantgirl ranked it the second best yogurt in the city behind bloomingdales. http://www.restaurantgirl.com/restaurantgi...york-citys.html

[jm chen]

Both cupcakes I had at Georgetown Cupcake yesterday were excellent, and far better than the dried-out, overhyped versions I had at the uptown Magnolia Bakery last weekend in New York.

Cheers,

Rocks.

Next time you're in NYC with a cupcake craving, skip Magnolia and hit Batch, Pichet Ong's bitty bakery at 10th & Waverly. Their cupcakes are small but excellent, and come in flavors like Carrot With Salted Caramel and Lemon Yuzu Lemon.

[clayrae]

Some highlights from my week eating through New York City with my mom:

Jacques Torres Chocolate Only notable because they were handing out chocolate covered Cheerios on the street in front of the shop.

Whole Foods Columbus Circle Grocery store heaven. Want take out roasted duck breast? They’ve got it.

The Yoghurt Place II Fabulous Greek yogurt. Even better with the fig, apricot, and almond topping.

Grandaisy Bakery Yummy olive rolls and great little sandwiches (if kinda pricey.)

Despana Everything Spanish. They have Jamon Iberico. And try the Montenebro goat cheese.

Papabubble Ridiculously whimsical tiny candy shop. Pulled sugar candies that look like Fimo dough beads in all sorts of flavors.

Rice to Riches We had chocolate chip and my mom who “doesn’t care for rice pudding” licked the bowl.

Pinkberry Had my first taste of this tangy treat. I’ll be back.

Pommes Frites I can’t go to NYC without stopping here. My favorite is the Rosemary Garlic Mayo.

Momofuku Noodle My favorite meal of the whole trip, bar none. We had the “smoked hudson valley duck breast – mustard seeds, sour cream, cinnamon” “steamed buns shiitake” and “roasted rice cakes - shrimp, tamago, cashews” My mouth is watering just thinking about these dishes. Umami defined.

Bar Boulud Had the Dégustation de charcuterie, with an excellent rabbit pate, and really nice Tartare de boeuf which was not overly seasoned and really let the taste of the beef shine through.

Russ & Daughters More smoked fish than you can shake a stick at. Possibly the best bagel with cream cheese and Nova lox I have ever had (and I’ve eaten a lot of bagels and lox.)

WD-50 Fun Molecular Gastronomy place. We did the tasting which was 12 courses and took 2.5 hours. Some really inventive dishes. The Eggs benedict with fried hollandaise and the Beef tounge, cherry-miso, fried quinoa, palm seeds were standouts.

Bouchon Bakery Cafe Delicious sandwiches. And stop at the bakery on your way out and pick up some TKO (Thomas Keller Oreo’s.)

Salumeria Biellese Not far from Penn Station, perfect Italian Hoagie for the bus ride home.

[blakegwinn]

Rice to Riches We had chocolate chip and my mom who “doesn’t care for rice pudding” licked the bowl.

Pinkberry Had my first taste of this tangy treat. I’ll be back.

Pommes Frites I can’t go to NYC without stopping here. My favorite is the Rosemary Garlic Mayo.

Rice to riches is good but how bad is it for you? Their whole marketing campaign is like "Who cares if it's fat? Live a little" Always made me curious just how bad it actually is. Try to find the Yogurt land next time. I know I have mentioned it in this thread a few times but I assure everyone I do not have any financial ties to the company. I just really like their product and hate to see pinkberry get so much play. I used to love pinkberry but after going to Yogurtland I am a complete convert. It is about a block from bleeker street pizza. Two weekends ago when it was like 98 and humid Beth and I got a few slices, a few bottles of beer, and just sat on the "patio" at bleeker street for at least an hour. Then we walked over to pinkberry and knocked back some fro yo. Great way to beat the heat. And as far as pommes frites goes I have to go with that pineapple one or the war sauce. Mmm. The last time I was there though my fries were a bit limp. They were really busy so I was thinking that maybe the oil just got too cool or something. I am sure it was just a one time occurence.

[Pat]

I'm heading to NYC in a month for a few days. We'll have 3 dinners, but one will probably be haphazard and too hard to plan for in advance. For the other two, I'm thinking Babbo and Hearth. I'm pretty well sold on Babbo just because I want to go there and have never been. Hearth I've picked up from other people's reviews. Any strong objections to my two dinner choices? Are there places to hit for weekday lunch that I should add on to our itinerary? (I generally try to load the food and cost more to dinner than lunch, but we won't be there long.)

[Sthitch]

Are there places to hit for weekday lunch that I should add on to our itinerary?

Where will you be spending most of your time around lunch? That is usually the driving factor of where I am going to go for lunch.

[Steve R.]

I'm heading to NYC in a month for a few days. We'll have 3 dinners, but one will probably be haphazard and too hard to plan for in advance. For the other two, I'm thinking Babbo and Hearth. I'm pretty well sold on Babbo just because I want to go there and have never been. Hearth I've picked up from other people's reviews. Any strong objections to my two dinner choices? Are there places to hit for weekday lunch that I should add on to our itinerary? (I generally try to load the food and cost more to dinner than lunch, but we won't be there long.)

Nothing wrong at all with your 2 choices, although Babbo will be tough to get into. Hearth is on OpenTable and wont be a major problem. Hearth's large dining room is nice and not frenetic... it's not a typical East Village place; however, if you're more outgoing and interested in interacting (and there are no more than 2 or 3 of you), there is open "pass" (counter) seating right at the kitchen with only 4-5 chairs and it's first come first seated. I like both areas, depending on mood and company.

If you need a back up plan or a 3rd option, Ssam Bar is 2 blocks from Hearth and is also highly recommended. Counter seating as well as tables.

Lots of lunch ideas but Shtitch is correct that you should figure out where you're going to be and then figure out what good lunch places are nearby... many choices in all price ranges.

[Bob Loblaw]

Hearth I've picked up from other people's reviews.

I've been meaning to write about my trip to NYC this past weekend. Hearth was one of the places I went to on the recommendation of others on this board, and you can now add me to the list of fans. The food great, the atmosphere was very laid back, and the wine list was one of the most interesting I have ever seen. Our server was very knowledgeable and steered us toward the right wines. For the apps we got the grilled quail, grilled kona kampachi, and the summer salad. For the entrees I got the braised veal breast with sweetbreads, and my date got the ruby red shrimp tagliatelle. And for dessert, we walked over to Otto for gelato. The olive oil one was amazing.

For our two lunches, we went to a couple Japanese places. The first was Katsu-Hama. Deep fried pork. Need I say more? The other was Soba-ya. We got the shrimp and vegetable tempura with cold soba and the salmon sashimi rice bowl. Both were very good, but I was a tad hungover, so I think I would've preferred one of the soups instead.

We tried to go to Joe's Shanghai, but didn't have time. Will definitely go next time.

[Steve R.]

I've been meaning to write about my trip to NYC this past weekend. Hearth was one of the places I went to on the recommendation of others on this board, and you can now add me to the list of fans. The food great, the atmosphere was very laid back, and the wine list was one of the most interesting I have ever seen. Our server was very knowledgeable and steered us toward the right wines. For the apps we got the grilled quail, grilled kona kampachi, and the summer salad. For the entrees I got the braised veal breast with sweetbreads, and my date got the ruby red shrimp tagliatelle. And for dessert, we walked over to Otto for gelato. The olive oil one was amazing.

For our two lunches, we went to a couple Japanese places. The first was Katsu-Hama. Deep fried pork. Need I say more? The other was Soba-ya. We got the shrimp and vegetable tempura with cold soba and the salmon sashimi rice bowl. Both were very good, but I was a tad hungover, so I think I would've preferred one of the soups instead.

We tried to go to Joe's Shanghai, but didn't have time. Will definitely go next time.

re: Hearth's wine list. A couple of doors away from Hearth on E. !2th St. is their new wine bar Terroir with an excellent list of tasting size and full size glasses of wine, as well as bottles and small plate food that's great.

re: Otto's gelato. Best in NYC. Olive oil especially.

Forget Joe's Shanghai.... much better places these days.

[mtpleasanteater]

I'm heading to NYC in a month for a few days. We'll have 3 dinners, but one will probably be haphazard and too hard to plan for in advance. For the other two, I'm thinking Babbo and Hearth. I'm pretty well sold on Babbo just because I want to go there and have never been. Hearth I've picked up from other people's reviews. Any strong objections to my two dinner choices? Are there places to hit for weekday lunch that I should add on to our itinerary? (I generally try to load the food and cost more to dinner than lunch, but we won't be there long.)

I've posted my thoughts about Babbo up thread, my meals there were no where near as good as I was hoping they would be or I think they should have been given the way the menu reads. Hopefully your experience will be better than mine, and the place is still packed every night so obviously people love it. In fact the reason I went back after the first bad experience is that the menu reads so well & Batali's food sounds so appealing I thought the first time had to have been a fluke.

If you are going to be near mid town Jean Georges has two courses for 28 and each additional course is 12, and you get to pick anything you want from the dinner menu. This has to be the cheapest way to have *** food in the world, and whether or not it deserves the *** rating its a great restaurant & a bargain at that price. The other two *** restaurants also have cheaper menus at lunch, Le B is 64 & Per Se is a mere 175 (for 5 courses). Lots of places have cheaper menus at lunch, Gordon Ramsay, Grammercy Tavern & Perry Street come to mind but I am sure there are tons more.

I completely agree with Steve R. about Otto, Joe's Shanghai and Momofuku Ssam Bar. The meat & offal dishes there are really great, I highly recommend the pork "steak" on the current menu as well as the ribeye, the ban mhi & the uni dish.

[blakegwinn]

For our two lunches, we went to a couple Japanese places. The first was Katsu-Hama. Deep fried pork. Need I say more?

I completely second Katsu-Hama. Stick to the pork specialty though. I tried one or two other things and they weren't that great. I love how you make your own condiments with the sesame seed setup.

[Bob Loblaw]

re: Hearth's wine list. A couple of doors away from Hearth on E. !2th St. is their new wine bar Terroir with an excellent list of tasting size and full size glasses of wine, as well as bottles and small plate food that's great.

re: Otto's gelato. Best in NYC. Olive oil especially.

Forget Joe's Shanghai.... much better places these days.

Thanks for the heads up on Terroir. Will definitely have to check it out next time.

As for Joe's, I mainly just want to try the soup dumplings. Is there a place that makes them better?

[Pat]

Where will you be spending most of your time around lunch? That is usually the driving factor of where I am going to go for lunch.

This is an excellent question! I haven't gotten things planned out in enough detail to know that yet. I've got enough of one day mapped out that I think Perry Street will be good for an early lunch. We'll have at least two other lunches, but I don't know where we'll be yet. There was an inexpensive Middle Eastern place in midtown that I liked on a previous trip for lunch, and I'm trying to track the name of that down again. (ETA: I think this is the place. Warning: music starts immediately.)

I got a Babbo reservation. It's fairly early, but the option was that or a time way too late for us to have a meal. That day I suspect we'll be doing a fairly modest lunch.

[blakegwinn]

Thanks for the heads up on Terroir. Will definitely have to check it out next time.

As for Joe's, I mainly just want to try the soup dumplings. Is there a place that makes them better?

New Green Bo on Bayard. They don't call them dumplings on the menu. They are under buns. I was confused the first time when I ordered a bunch of dumplings and none were of the "soup" variety. Cash only and be prepared to sit with strangers. Get cash before you go because the only ATM's around are more than a little sketchy. I had to use one a few doors down and was checking my bank account obsessively for the next few days to make sure nothing was awry.

[blakegwinn]

I've got enough of one day mapped out that I think Perry Street will be good for an early lunch.

That day I suspect we'll be doing a fairly modest lunch.

For the moderate lunch you could grab a slice at Bleeker Street pizza. Depending on where you are at on Perry it shouldn't be more than a 5-10 minute walk. Stick to the one with fresh mozz and tomatoes, it is a cut above the other varieties. 2 slices and a beer shouldn't run you more than 8-9 bucks.

I am not sure if they are open for lunch but Mercadito at 4th and Grove is great people watching and they have some really good new agey (not necessarily authentic) mexican food. If you want to go light just get the ceviche sampler or one of the taco selections. Believe it or not the tacos are actually pretty light. Beth and I shared a ceviche, guacamole sampler, and two taco plates and didn't leave feeling stuffed like you do at a typical cheese/rice/bean heavy mexican joint.

[Pat]

For the moderate lunch you could grab a slice at Bleeker Street pizza.

That sounds great for the afternoon we get there, actually. Thanks!

[mame11]

New Green Bo on Bayard. They don't call them dumplings on the menu. They are under buns. I was confused the first time when I ordered a bunch of dumplings and none were of the "soup" variety. Cash only and be prepared to sit with strangers. Get cash before you go because the only ATM's around are more than a little sketchy. I had to use one a few doors down and was checking my bank account obsessively for the next few days to make sure nothing was awry.

They are soooo good. For an extra treat go across the street to the Original Chinatown Ice Cream company is right across the street.

[mtpleasanteater]

That sounds great for the afternoon we get there, actually. Thanks!

I find John's to be OK but not nearly as good as Una Pizza Neopolitana or Di Fara. Lupa is in the same area and serves lunch and my meals there have been about as good as Babbo but cheaper.

[blakegwinn]

I find John's to be OK but not nearly as good as Una Pizza Neopolitana or Di Fara. Lupa is in the same area and serves lunch and my meals there have been about as good as Babbo but cheaper.

You know I have never tried John's. I have been meaning to go there though. I think it is because I am usually looking for a slice and I think John's might be pie only. Not sure if that is factual or not, I want to say someone told me that at some point but I can't remember. And you are right, if I am looking to have a sit down, whole pie meal I would be headed to Una.

[mtpleasanteater]

You know I have never tried John's. I have been meaning to go there though. I think it is because I am usually looking for a slice and I think John's might be pie only. Not sure if that is factual or not, I want to say someone told me that at some point but I can't remember. And you are right, if I am looking to have a sit down, whole pie meal I would be headed to Una.

It is pie only. http://www.johnsbrickovenpizza.com/

[Sthitch]

Saddly M&G diner in Harlem has closed. That was some of the best fried chicken found north of the Mason Dixon Line.

[Walrus]

Ok, so we have a decision to make. We'll be in the city on August 9 and 10 -- Sat. and Sun. -- we'll definitely be eating at Blue Hill on Saturday night, but I'm stuck on Sunday. It is, as it always seems to be when we make it up to NYC, the summer holiday for Per Se, and they're closed. So, we have a list of other options and would appreciate any input: Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernadin, Daniel, Gramercy Tavern, Cafe Boloud, Mas, Jean-Georges, and Hearth. We're open to just about anything, as long as the food is divine. It might be nice to have something a little different than Blue Hill, but something similar would be fine as long as it's equally good! Thanks in advance

[Sthitch]

Ok, so we have a decision to make. We'll be in the city on August 9 and 10 -- Sat. and Sun. -- we'll definitely be eating at Blue Hill on Saturday night, but I'm stuck on Sunday.

If you are looking for Brunch/lunch on Sunday Bouley and davidburk & donatella both do it well, and they are both very different from Blue Hill.

[mtpleasanteater]

EMP is currently closed on Sundays. The chef at Gramercy Tavern used to work at Blue Hill and the food at GT is very similar to Blue Hill, except Blue Hill charges less. I ate at both Blue Hill Stone Barns & Gramercy Tavern in the same week earlier in the summer and it wasn't even close, Blue Hill was worlds better in terms of ingredients, conception, and execution. Service at both restaurants is really good, but Gramercy is a nicer room. In my experience the food at both of the Blue Hill locations is at the same level, but other people feel differently. Regardless I am 100% sure that the two restaurants are very similar and you've got the right one.

[JPW]

I finally had the chance to see if it could live up to the hype -- the other night I ate at Momofuku Ssam Bar. It did live up to the hype.

To start steamed buns - exquisite. Pork belly, a little thinly sliced cuke, hoisin sauce and the occasional self-added drop of sriracha. Among the best I've tried. Next up was the poussin. I'd say that this is the second best poultry I've ever had after a perfect chicken at Palena. The real standout was the skin. To merely call it crispy would be an insult. It was more like the layer of char on a Ray's steak. There are some who have complained that the skin is too salty, but a dash of the sauce and a stab of tiny tiny morel and the flavors were beautifully balanced and round. My only complaint was that I almost needed to order a second plate of it to feel full.

[pidgey]

Any recommendations for a Brooklyn restaurant? We'll be celebrating a friend's 30th birthday, but our price limit is about $40-$50/per person.

[Sthitch]

It looks like Merkato 55 is about to KO'ed, and really does anyone care? Recently I have begun to wonder why it is that Marcus Samuelsson is the one that is supposed to bring African food to our shores. Yes, he was born in Africa, but was adopted by a Swedish family long before he could pick-up any culinary influences. Frankly, I think that the better candidate for such a role would be our very own Morou who is putting out food that Samuelsson could only hope to produce.

[Walrus]

Any recommendations for a Brooklyn restaurant? We'll be celebrating a friend's 30th birthday, but our price limit is about $40-$50/per person.

My brother and his wife swear by Frannie's. I have been and really liked the grilled squash with almonds. Nom nom!

[Keithstg]

Highlights from a busy week in NYC.

Alto: Great dinner at the bar. Two courses a la carte - mackrel crudo with basil oil and fennel. Very clean flavor, could have used a little more acidity, but very good. A welcome change from the week's insipid business dinners. The pasta carbonara was also great - guanciale instead of pancetta, and asparagus rounded out the rich dish. Not cheap - two courses plus three glasses of wine was $98, but a serene experience (even during restaurant week) + the company tab = priceless.

Last night: Craftbar. Whoa, was this place packed, and loud! Risotto balls were very good, and a generous portion (3) for $7. Roasted Daurade with pea angolotti, speck, and pea shoots was also very good, and also very reasonable at $24.

Since we'll be moving up to NYC for the next 6-8months, I'll hopefully be getting to some more interesting places - right now it seems like work has me in a rut of caruso's pizza and les halles downtown (which I think is better than the DC version, for what it's worth)....

[Keithstg]

Sunday brunch at Artisanal this past week. Nothing fancy, just good, solid bistro cooking at NYC prices, right around the corner from our new place. Had a pretty basic escargot en croute, which was served piping hot - lately I have had the misfortune of some lukewarm snails (Les Halles DC), but these were good. Hangar steak was cooked medium rare as requested and well-seasoned. Frites were just ok. My wife had a watermelon salad, which she enjoyed, and the "egg frites", which had much better frites than my steak came with. No cheese for us this time, although we did walk in and buy some last night. Kid (stroller) friendly - don't know if I'd make a special trip to do anything but buy cheese there were I visiting, but a good, solid bistro nonetheless.

On a side note - qwertyy, glad you liked the copain. Wells is one of my favorite california producers, bar none. Sadly, my bottles of tous are sleeping at the Wine Rack...maybe I'll pull one the next time I'm home.

[qwertyy]

On a side note - qwertyy, glad you liked the copain. Wells is one of my favorite california producers, bar none. Sadly, my bottles of tous are sleeping at the Wine Rack...maybe I'll pull one the next time I'm home.

Do! Do! But while the wine really was sublime--a magnificent manifestation of pinot noir--the pairing, the way it matched shots on every level with a highly acidic apricot sauce, a smooth squab jus, and a velvety squab breast, was truly transcendant. A perfect illustration of how fine wine and fine food can make each other deep and profound and extraordinary.

Magic.

[DPop]

I haven't gone to NYC regularly for a couple years now, but the place I remember the most fondly, moreso than WD-50, Blue Hill, Babbo, Cafe Boulud, david burke, etc, is Annisa. Small, elegant, and a great bargain considering the genre and location. The place is owned by two women and really celebrates female presence in the industry, with a wine list that is almost entirely made up of woman-produced selections. My fondest memories of this place were its exceptional preparations of fish and their use of uberfresh and seasonal vegetables, but it has been too long to remember any specifics. I'm planning a trip for early in the Fall and wanted to see if anyone had been recently to report on the state of the restaurant, as this or Tabla will probably be my Saturday night meal unless there has been slippage at one or both of them.

[cjsadler]

Also, if you're looking for a brunch place, Five Points was pretty good (and inexpensive). Chef Marc Meyer wrote a brunch cookbook a few years ago.

[Walrus]

or Tabla will probably be my Saturday night meal

I ate at Tabla last year and enjoyed it -- a fun atmosphere (and the bottle of champagne we were drinking didn't hurt ).

[Pat]

We just got back from a few days in New York, and the fine dining standouts were Perry Street for lunch on Wednesday and Babbo for dinner on Thursday. We went to Perry Street because they have a $24 three course lunch menu, and I thought that would be a good way to experience the restaurant. First of all, we loved the space: sleek, modern, and beautiful. It had a wonderful feel. The food was well-conceived and beautiful, and the service was nearly perfect.

The amuse was a cucumber-honeydew soup with a lime foam. I don't think I've ever gotten an amuse with lunch before, but it was refreshing on a hot day. My husband raved about his cream of tomato soup with a parmesan crouton. My first course was house made mozzarella--6 or 8 small disks in two columns, with halved cherries between them, topped with watercress and nicely peppered. There was some olive oil drizzled on the mozzarella and there seemed to be a vinagrette on the plate itself. This was without a doubt one of the best single dishes I've eaten this year.

For his second course he got a yellowfin tuna burger with house made potato chips. He thought the bun a little Wonder Bread-like, but otherwise enjoyed it. I got sauteed shrimp with blackened fried baby artichokes, and a lemon vinaigrette. The salt was a little too prominent for my taste, but this was also very good.

Getting dessert at lunch is not something I would normally do, except it was included. I can't recall the French name, but it was a lemon custard tart caramelized on the top, with strawberries, and surrounded by (shortbread?) cookie crumbs. It was excellent. There was a scoop of sorbet that seemed to be lemon and something else. My husband had molten chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream. He doesn't like pistachio ice cream that much and I do, so that worked out .

To drink, he had a housemade lemon-thyme soda and I had iced tea. This was just an amazing meal. I’d love to go back for dinner sometime, but I’d thoroughly recommend it for this lunch special.

Dinner at Babbo started with an amuse of chickpea bruschetta with tapenade, balsamic and red onion. (This, along with most of what we ordered, is included in some form in The Babbo Cookbook.) To start, I had a glass of prosecco and the grilled greenmarket verdure, which included matchsticks of yellow and green zucchini, halved baby eggplant, cherry and sungold tomatoes, and mint. It was served cold, with some kind of vinaigrette and grilled bread topped with goat ricotta. The server had recommended it from the specials list, which focuses on seasonal ingredients. I was thoroughly pleased with it. It tasted like summer. My husband started with Proscuitto San Danielle with black pepper Fett’unta. That had figs and some kind of baby greens (possibly arugula). There also seemed to be some kind of cheese scattered over the top. (I didn’t try any of this.) We somewhat overdosed on bread, having both eaten a couple of slices of the thick sliced peasant bread before we got bread with our antipasti course. The bread had a wonderful charred crust and soft crumb inside. We got crumbs all over the table, like heathens .

We split a first course of mint love letters with spicy lamb sausage. I loved this but it was spicier than I would have thought. What a burst of lamb and mint that was! Our server had recommended getting five courses between us and suggested that pasta would be a good course to split. He was quite helpful, but I’m not sure that he had worked there for very long.

Our server had heard me musing over the 2 minute calamari Sicilian lifeguard style and recommended it strongly, saying that people always liked it more than they thought they would. I had been planning to order it anyway and went ahead. It has many seemingly disparate components, but they all work beautifully together. We had spent the morning at the MOMA Dali exhibit, and I remarked to my husband that this dish was like a Dali painting. I couldn’t figure out whether to use a fork or a spoon and I kept finding new things in it as I dug around. (It was the balls of Israeli couscous that triggered the thought.) There were calamari tentacles and tubes and currants and pine nuts and big caper berries with stems attached. It was really a work of art, and I was disappointed that I couldn’t finish it, not even the spicy tomato sauce.

My husband’s second course was barbecued (grilled?) skirt steak with fennel and salsa verde. It was topped with beet juice-soaked red onion slices on the top. We split a quarter litre of red wine with our second courses (Montefalco—not on their online wine list, so I can’t give more detail).

We had no room for dessert, but I ordered a limoncino, which was nice with the complimentary petits fours.

Our previous night’s dinner was at Hearth, and we had somewhat mixed feelings about it. The space was comfortable and the service good, but the components of the different dishes didn’t seem to fit together that well. After an amuse of creamy fava bean soup, I had a fig salad that I enjoyed—with beets, pine nuts, chunks of bacon and mache. My husband had burrata with a tomato terrine, cucumber, and balsamic. The terrine was made with roasted tomatoes and gelatin, plus cucumbers a few other things. In the few bites I had, I found the texture odd. It was almost like the texture of watermelon, I thought. My husband ate all of it, but he wasn’t completely enamored of it.

He had olive oil poached salmon, with cucumber, radish, almond, and calamari for his main course, and I had the roasted Berkshire pork loin. That had some rosemary and sausage and was served with pork belly and yellow and green Romano beans. I didn’t try any of my husband’s salmon. He liked it enough but wasn’t overwhelmed by it. I though the pork loin slices in my dish were fine. The sausage, though, was crumbled finely and didn’t seem incorporated well into the dish. I found the beans overcooked for my taste, though I assumed they were intended to be cooked to that degree.

My husband had a glass of chardonnay and I had a glass of pinot noir. I thought the wine service was good. Something just didn’t click with this meal. Maybe if we had ordered other dishes it would have been different. I hesitated over roast pork as a midsummer meal, so maybe that was part of it. The only thing I might order again would be the fig salad.

The highlight of the non-fine dining meals was bagels on benches outside Russ and Daughters on Friday morning. My husband had a sesame bagel with Norwegian salmon and plain cream cheese. I had a poppy bagel with caviar cream cheese. Those were the best bagels we found in the city. He raved about the fresh squeezed orange juice, and I enjoyed my iced coffee. The sum total for that meal came in just under $20, and it was in our top three, with Perry Street and Babbo.

Runner-up for the deli vote was an afternoon snack of sorts at Barney Greengrass on Thursday. I had an appetizer of pastrami cured salmon with a bialy, and he had scrambled eggs and onions with nova lox and a sesame bagel.

[hillvalley]

I need suggestions for real Chinese food. My sister has finally discovered real food and I want her to understand what she has been missing all these years. We'll either be in Brooklyn (Carroll Gardens) or of course, Chinatown. I'm not looking to push her boundaries with frogs legs or pig knuckles, just get her to appreciate what authentic Chinese should taste like and move beyond her love affair with spring rolls.

[mtpleasanteater]

I need suggestions for real Chinese food.

Did you see the NYT piece on Flushing? It's pretty far away from Carrol Gardens (90 mins each way by train?) but I think its definitely worth the trip.

ETA: The Brooklyn Chinatown is in Sunset Park and is much closer to Carrol Gardens & is reported to have really great chinese food, I don't know where to go though. If you find out about a good Chinese restaurant that is anywhere near Carrol Gardens please let me know.

[Sthitch]

I'm not looking to push her boundaries

If you want to stay in Manhattan or head to Flushings you can go to Szechuan Gourmet.

[Steve R.]

I need suggestions for real Chinese food. My sister has finally discovered real food and I want her to understand what she has been missing all these years. We'll either be in Brooklyn (Carroll Gardens) or of course, Chinatown. I'm not looking to push her boundaries with frogs legs or pig knuckles, just get her to appreciate what authentic Chinese should taste like and move beyond her love affair with spring rolls.

In Manhattan, there are several Szech. places that are very nice for this purpose. The one on 9th Ave and W.24th St in Chelsea is usually convenient to those touring around & I recommend it if spicy isnt a problem. In Manhattan's C-town, there are a few dim sum places that are ok and one noteworthy dinner place -- NY Noodletown... just be aware that it doesnt look like much and has lots of those dishes she wont try. But the basics there are very good & it's very authentic...a good choice for you. Several of us go to Flushing's Chinatown regularly: Spicy&Tasty is probably the best bet if you're interested. In Bklyn's C-Town (Sunset Park), Lucky 8 is a good Cantonese bet.

All that being said, what you describe is someone who needs to put her toes in the water a little. So, right off Carroll Gardens, on Smith St's restaurant row, I'd recommend Chance. It's close enough and has lots of things to try in a nice middle class environment. If you're knowledgable and steering, you'll be able to find things to eat that are almost what you're looking for. There's also a place on Smith with a big bright name in large Chinese characters that some folks seem to like... I havent tried it but the menu is okay. Basically, that immediate area is not known for authentic Chinese. Resist the urge to go to the places that are on almost every block... none are worth it.

If you're in the neighborhood for awhile and want to know more local places to eat other than Chinese, get in touch thru pm or e-mail. There are plenty of good restaurants in Carroll Gdns, Bklyn Hts, Park Slope and surrounding areas. A lot of us food board folks live in that section of Bklyn and socialize quite a bit. Seriously... no problem.