BackwardsHat

Heading to NYC for a Saturday night with 5 friends in Mid-May and wanted to make a res at a hot/trendy restaurant around the union square/greenwich village/meatpacking area... Top 3 picks anyone?

Give me a ring when you're in town -- The Raven is my local. Couple other neo-dives around giving it a run for its money, as well, within staggering distance. I actually think most of the "beautiful people" bars tend to get slightly "older" crowds because their demographic more or less begins around 25 (after grad school, or when the money gets a little better, or you just stop drinking like a college kid) and goes to married with children, which seems to be close to 40 these days. The kids tend more towards Georgetown and Adams-Morgan, which is why they're so crowded that nobody goes there anymore. And I find the Dupont scene -- 18th Street Lounge, Mantis, Citron -- a little Eurotrashy. Different strokes. ← Agreed with all your comments... I have been avoiding bars/clubs for a while, and mostly been doing restaurants, but when I do go to bars I've found the U-street area to be pretty good... DC has def changed in the past few years, or maybe I've just gotten older and more boring, lol...

I'm not surprised... They book up 2 months in advance... So what he said about being full until next year makes sense... You need to call about 2 months to the day in advance and hope you get lucky... If you've dined there previously they seem to allow you more flexibility and table choice... I've never had a problem getting the table I want as long as I give them about 1.5 to 2 months notice ahead of time... Good luck!

Just came back from Paris today (still at JFK now actually), and I ate at Guy Savoy and Le Meurice (both 3 star)... Guy Savoy is stil the best IMHO... Although Astrance comes in a VERY close second... Although I've been going to Astrance since it was just 1 star, so I'm a bit sentimental about those guys BTW, how long are you going to be in Paris for? If you are doing 4 big restaurants, I hope it's at LEAST a 1 week trip...

Older crowd there... Knowing the age of the person would help...

Sorry for the delay!!! Please see all the pictures and only minimal commentary from me here: http://www.backwardshat.com/main/food/innjune2k7/ Hope you enjoy! Thanks again for the information you guys gave me in advance!

Ya, looking for advice... I'm having trouble making a decision I'll probably go with l'Ambroisie... Or maybe I'll just stick with what I have, too many 3-stars in 1 week can tend to diminish the experience sometimes...

I'll be there in a few weeks so I'll post my thoughts as one of my dining companions is a water drinker as well... Also, I read your lunch vs dinner articles, as well as your review of savoy 100e lunch... Nice work!! Great writing, pictures, etc... I went ahead and booked the 100e lunch at Savoy, and I'm looking forward to it as I've never had lunch there but love that place... Def one of my favorite places to eat, such a fun time Just deciding now between a dinner at Ambroise, ADPA, or Arpege for my final meal... I'm already booked at Meurice and Taillevent... Decisions decision!!!

Will I need a reservation for Le Gavroche? I didn't make one the first time but maybe I got lucky...

This sounds like a great event... And you've picked a great day since it's a holiday, BUT, no one has mentioned where the baguettes are going to be sourced from??? Surely there must be some consensus as to which boulangerie will be supplying the baguettes! I know I have my favorite baguette hot spots

I've eaten at a bunch of 1-3 star restaurants in Paris, I've taken flash and non-flash pictures at every single one, and about 1/2 the time I have a small notepad and I take notes with when there is a particularly interesting dish... Never have I had a single person even say 1 negative thing to me about this... Quite the contrary, I've had a chance to meet and chat with the head chefs of the restaurant as they come out to chat with me... They are flattered that I want to remember the experience in as much detail as possible... I've even had them autograph the menus for me and take pictures with me (with flash) in the kitchen and other parts of the restaurant... I once had a chef give me an entire box of special sugar that was infused with lavender because I was complimenting him on the aroma of the sweet dish... I asked him where I could buy such a thing and he said it was 50 euro for a small box and difficult to get but if I left my email he would send me the information to get it, so I gave him my info... When I was leaving the restaurant the maitre'd had a brand new box of the sugar wrapped with a bow and a note from the chef! Very nice touch... I went back to the same restaurant about a year later and presented the chef with a bottle of my favorite champagne... He remembered me and was visibly moved... If you love food, most chefs will love you in return, as that's what they live for... ESPECIALLY the French... Don't be scared to show your excitement, just do it in a civilized way...

Wow... Dinner in the kitchen at the Inn was incredible... Patrick is a genius... I love his philosophy... His staff is so friendly and happy too... I'll post a link to my review + pics in a few days or weeks for those that are interested... Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread, it really got me prepared and excited for the actual dining experience!

Ahem. How about Chinese food in the area?John PS Yes, with your boyfriend's parents do the Cafe Atlantico, it's quite special, but for me selfishly, what Chinese is fun there? ← The "famous" places are holes in the wall: Full Kee and Chinatown Express (where they make the fresh noodles) I don't really like either of those places... My 2 personal favorites are: 1) Chinatown Garden - This is where you go with a group of people or a date - NOT a hole in the wall, great atmosphere, great food, super friendly staff, full liquor selection (Scorpion bowl, volcano, etc...) 2) New Big Wong - This is where you go if you just want some good food - Hole in the wall, great food, no liquor (BYOB I think, but I've only ever gone there for the food), open till 4AM, best name for a Chinese restaurant ever... Oh, and if you really want a "unique" experience, go to "Magic Gourd" restaurant in Columbia Plaza in Foggy Bottom! That place is great... Excellent Chinese food... And guess what John? They have steak frites on the menu!! And it's actually pretty good! I've gone there before for a nice wonton soup and some other chinese appetizers, then gotten the steak frites...

Why? Because I think Clyde's has one of the best burgers in DC... True, it's not "the best", but there's nothing wrong with it... It's definitely very good! But I guess I am in the minority in thinking this... ← Actually, not only do I like Clyde's burgers, I let my son work for the place. But, the Chinatown/Gallery Place location is out of control. Too big and too crazy and the few times I've been there, the service has been awful. If you want a good burger, go to the Chevy Chase location and ask for... (heck, I don't want to get him fired, he owes me money ) ← You know, I've never eaten the burger at the Chinatown location... In fact, I've only eaten there once, and don't remember if the food was good... I usually just hit the bar there... I'll heed your advice and avoid that location for food... My experience with Clyde's is almost entirely based on the Georgetown location... I love that place... They actually cook my burger medium-rare when I ask for it medium-rare... Another bonus is 1/2 price wine on Sundays!

Why? Because I think Clyde's has one of the best burgers in DC... True, it's not "the best", but there's nothing wrong with it... It's definitely very good! But I guess I am in the minority in thinking this...