July 4th Solo in Manhattan, Looking for Primarily Sushi and Italian

[Ericandblueboy]

I'm going to Manhattan by myself for the 4th of July (wife and kids are going to visit grandma in Ohio and then going to Indiana to visit more relatives and I have no interest in spending more time this year in Ohio unless I absolutely have to). I plan on doing lunch at 11 Mad Park with my bro and cousin on July 5th but I haven't made firm plans for the 4th. I wanted sushi and Italian but Yasuda and 15 East are both closed. According to Open Table, the best Japanese restaurant that's open is Morimoto, and the best Italian restaurant that's open is Ai Fiori. Ai Fiori is very good and I'm very tempted to go back there, but Babbo is also open and I've never been there. Fatty Crab is also open. Any suggestions on where I should go eat in Manhattan?

[weinoo]

You can check and see if Ushiwakamaru is open.

Probably the Momos are open. Lupa. Maialino. Obviously not the higher end you seem to be craving.

[Ericandblueboy]

The Momos as in fukus? A few years ago they were all closed on 7/4. I love sea urchin and/or crab pasta and Ai Fiori makes great seafood pasta. I'm happy to try better things. I'll check out Ushiwakamaru - the unique selection intrigues me. Thanks.

[lion]

http://kurumazushi.com

[Ericandblueboy]

My choices for sushi seems limited to Morimoto and Sushi of Gari 46 on July 4. Minetta Tavern is open for lunch. What about Spice Market (seeing as how I despise the Source, I doubt that I will appreciate another overpriced Asian fusion restaurant unless the execution is flawless)? How's parking around the Village/Chelsea/Meatpacking on July 4? Will I be able to get street parking while I lunch?

[goodeats]

Probably not. I've always heard it's hard to find parking in Chelsea and nearby but not sure about Meatpacking district.

[weinoo]

It's (parking) hit or miss on a holiday...you might get lucky or end up putting it in a lot. Remember, it's a free meter day, so people don't move their cars.

If you can go to Minetta Tavern, it's great. Some of the best steaks and burgers around town.

Spice Market - meh. Is ABC Kitchen open?

[Ericandblueboy]

Minetta - spring for the more expensive burger (Black Label) or just get the the cheaper Minetta Burger?

[goldenticket]

I can't vouch for this place since I've not been there myself, but a sushi chef at a place I enjoyed in Encinitas, CA, recommended Shimizu (318 W 51st St). It's located in the Washington Jefferson hotel, so may be open on a holiday. And, for what it's worth, Shimizu is included on Gayot's 2012 Top 10 NYC Sushi Retaurants.

[Ericandblueboy]

I made a reservation for lunch on July 4th at Minetta Tavern. At first I was going to try a burger but I see more interesting stuff on the menu, such as: oxtail and foie terrine (it's an app that I think I'll try), pied de porc pane (pigs feet), tripe a la mode de caen (tripe stew, I had this dish at La Chaumiere and thought it was wonderful), and there's the French Dip. Would any of these entrees be better than getting the Black Label burger? And what is the portion size? I'm tempted to order the terrine and two entrees....

[weinoo]

The black label burger will knock your socks off.

An app and two entries should tide you over until dinner.

[Ericandblueboy]

The black label burger will knock your socks off.

An app and two entries should tide you over until dinner.

I'm afraid it'll ruin my appetite for dinner - i've decided to go back to Ai Fiori.

Minetta

Ai Fiori

Emp

Amada in AC

White house sub for the road

[DonRocks]

It's not Yasuda by any means, but I had a good lunch at Japonica in January - read the review carefully; it might not be for you if you're looking for more of a luxe experience - I normally don't appreciate Flintstonian cuts of fish, but the quality was surprisingly good.

If you have a chicken Jones, maybe try Yakitori Totto. They buy whole, high-quality birds, and offer everything as yakitori, right down to the soft bone (my first experience with this cartilaginous curiosity). In the past, they offered raw chicken but no alcohol; now, it's the exact opposite - I also really appreciate that so many things are named Don. Interestingly, they now have a second branch in Thailand. If you go, I strongly recommend making a reservation.

[Ericandblueboy]

Change of plans, I'm ready to ditch Minetta Tavern if I can find really good laksa In New York City. I'm watching Bourdain eating laksa in Penang and it looks wonderful.

[Steve R.]

Here's a place in Flushing's C'town that has it on the menu and looks decent (I've never been, but heard about it years ago thru Chowhound): http://www.sentosausa.com/contact.html And here's the yelp page when I searched for laksa: http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=laksa&find_loc=New+York%2C+NY I think that the class of that group might be Laut. I've been there several times over the years and the food is pretty good... however, I haven't had the laksa (I think). And, just to keep you happy, here's an educational NY Times article from 3 years ago, which explains the variations: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/dining/07laksa.html?pagewanted=all

[weinoo]

Screw that. Instead, just watch Bourdain eat the black label burger at Minetta.

[Ericandblueboy]

Bourdain had asam laksa in Penang. I've had the curry laksa at Malaysia Kopitiam here in DC - I found out I'm not a fan of coconut milk, even in noodle soup. I'm not sure I would like asam laksa (may be too sour and weird for me), but hey it's cheap. If I don't like it, I'll just order something else (I plan on getting chili crab too).