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Dinner Suggestions - December 7th


Rovers2000

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Every year I head up to NYC to visit family (who come in from Northern NJ) and see the tree.  Yes its touristy, but its tradition so it is what it is - and we're heading there this coming Saturday (the 7th).

Last year we visited Eataly and Otto - Otto being one of my favorite low(er) key spots for food in NYC.  This year I'd been assigned the task of finding something new and had tried to get a reservation at Babbo for about a month.  Since I'm apparently on the waiting list at this point, I need some backup options (or options that replace it all together).

A couple notes:

-Italian is fine but not looking to go up to the Del Posto price point

-The family loves the traditional NY steakhouses, but I'd like to stay away from those

-I had thought about Gramercy Tavern (the Tavern vs. dining room) but don't know if I want to chance not getting a seat - even if its on the early side

-We're wine drinkers but good beer is fine as well in terms of drinking options

I'm pretty much open to anywhere in the city but am somewhat limited in my knowledge of NYC dining.

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Dave, can you tell us how many people there will be, what age groups, any dietary restrictions, noise requirements, dates and times of meals, how many meals, lunches or dinners - basically as much practical information as you can put out there - that will be very useful to people trying to help you. Reading your post, it could be just for one dinner on the 7th (that's this Saturday!), and if so, how early or late are you amenable to going? What levels of minimum/maximum formality are acceptable? Will you need high chairs?

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Sorry about the lack of detail - didn't have enough coffee in the system apparently

Date: December 7, 2013

Timing: Open - we can do a late lunch, early dinner, normal timed dinner

Diners: 4, ages 30-35

Number of Meals: 1

Price Range: Entrees anywhere from 20 dollars up to 60 dollars - probably wine in the 50-90 dollar range per bottle

Environment / Noise Level: Something that would be fine for men in slacks / button downs / sweaters (no jackets) and women in dresses or skirts.  I don't worry about the noise level (Otto last year was a bit like being in the train the front room is designed to depict).

Cuisine: No Sushi, No Steakhouses

I had mentioned Otto b/c it's where we went last year (and I've used it before with my wife, who enjoys it - but mocked me at my lack of creativity) and it served the group well.  We had thought about Babbo b/c it was within the Batalli empire and one of the group is Italian.

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Browse the Dining Guide - we've gotten some really good feedback about a lot of places you may not be thinking of (Hundred Acres, for example). If you look at a few posts and websites, you can get a good gauge as to what's out there, and also if you call, what type of compromises (if any) you might need to make for a late Saturday booking - since you're willing to go early, I'll bet an all-day restaurant will be your best hope.

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I sincerely appreciate all of the help / advice.  I sent Steve R.'s list to the couple I'm meeting and to say the response was enthusiastic would be an understatement - thanks!.

Unfortunately (and unsurprisingly with the short notice), Lupa along with Hearth were both booked solid for Saturday.

I made an early reservation at Maialino (2:30) but may end up trying to pop in somewhere as a walk in.  We'll see.

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I sincerely appreciate all of the help / advice.  I sent Steve R.'s list to the couple I'm meeting and to say the response was enthusiastic would be an understatement - thanks!.

Unfortunately (and unsurprisingly with the short notice), Lupa along with Hearth were both booked solid for Saturday.

I made an early reservation at Maialino (2:30) but may end up trying to pop in somewhere as a walk in.  We'll see.

With a party of 4, a bar with a 90-degree corner is workable - the outer people may not get to talk as much, but it can still be quite pleasant - if you're rolling the dice, I recommend rolling them at 4:30 or 5.

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To circle back, we took the advice above and it was spot on.  Tried to walk in at Babbo and at 5:10 it was 90 minutes.  Walked a few blocks over to Lupa and a glass of wine later were seated at a large communal table.

Before diving into the meal specifics, I have to call out the restaurants in the Batalli/Bastianich empire as excellent places to stop during the holidays.  There is something about the way they're decorated that really strikes me as nice for the holidays (low key lighting, wreaths, etc).  Couple that with the exposed brick walls and smaller spaces and I find them to be very cozy (this may be a bad thing for some, but for us it's worked for 2 years in a row).  Between positive experiences at Otto and now Lupa, I will look to return to some of their other establishments in future trips.

We started the meal out with a bottle of Langhe Nebbiolo which as I've commented before I find myself drinking more and more of as a cheaper food friendly Italian red.  In addition we had their charcuterie sampler and an order of their sweetbreads.  Both were tremendous.  The sampler had the standards (proscuitto and other cured salumi) as well as some excellent head cheese.  The sweet breads were on skewers with apple that provided a nice contrast to the perfectly cooked sweet breads.

An excellent Montepulciano came out between courses to aid in our decision making  :D.  Around the table were orders of the "pork porterhouse", gnocchi with bolognese, ricotta gnocchi with ox tail (mine), and another pasta dish that I can't remember as I was busy demolishing the gnocchi with ox tail.  The meat was fall apart tender and the gnocchi (bigger than normal) were perfectly done.

At the mid point during the meal the sommelier stopped by and suggested a few nice valpocella that ended the meal nicely and transitioned us into dinner.  For desserts we had the tartufo and coconut gelato both of which were nice but not extraordinary.

The one thing I have to call out is how appreciative I was that the sommelier kept the 3rd wine in line with the other two.  I was very pleased that we didn't have a bottle over 60 dollars and nobody at the table had anything but raves for the selections.  I felt like it was a small win to be able to hunt through the list and find 2 (with a recommended 3rd) that didn't completely destroy our budget for the meal.

So all in I would definitely head back to Lupa and recommend it to anyone looking for a more casual wine focused place in NYC.  Again, appreciate all the helpful suggestions above and in the future, will look more along the lines of a month out as I try and book a place - but its helpful knowing that there is hope if you're looking last minute  :lol:

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There's so much to like about your post, Dave. You "closed the loop" which is a gesture of politeness and respect. You thanked those who helped you which is the very same. You provided valuable information for others who will be in similar dilemmas in the future. This is the kind of thread I love: 1) damsel in distress tied to railroad track 2) Canadian mounty rides in on his proud steed and saves her 3) damsel and mounty ride off and live happily ever after.

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I agree with Don except that I really hope that he ain't calling me Canadian (or you a damsel, for that matter).  At any rate, glad Lupa worked out.  It's a nice sit down place for dinner and much more accessible than it used to be (it was initially more crowded than Babbo).  With Carbone across the street (higher end) & Arturo's around the corner (lower end), they've established a good niche for themselves in the middle.  My wife and I tend to frequent Otto much more, but we basically sit at the bar at both and like bantering with other patrons and with Dennis, Frank and the other bartenders at Otto.  We also like the veggie & seafood tureens at Otto, as well as the full selection of Meredith's gelatos.  By the way, the Langhe Nebbiolo is one of the reds we keep at home & order at places like Lupa and Otto"¦ it's easy to find retail and easy to drink with most anything.  Again, glad it worked out. 

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