BryanZ

I've found wait times of 45 minutes even for earlybird hours. Quoted times are often longer than actual times, however. Wait in the back at the tables they have there. Watch the kitchen, order a beer or an order of buns and hang out. There's more space than you think.

A very solid list.

And the soon to open burger chain! I see your point, and I guess most chefs would take a NYT demotion seriously to the extent that it might hurt their business. Also, Mesa Grill NYC is supposedly Bobby's flagship restaurant. Then again, Bobby, as a brand, is more of the flagship than any of this restaurants, if that makes sense.

Hard times for Bobby Flay, with Bolo's forced closing too and all. ETA: Then again he did just get a Michelin start in Vegas...

I thought of W Chelsea/NoMeat, but I think the other locales are cooler and have more of a NYC feel. Worth considering though. In that strip you obviously have Tia Pol, Quinto Pino, then a bit further south Del Posto, Crafsteak, Morimoto, Buddakhan, etc.

I think it's also important to keep in mind that you by no means have to eat at the bar. If you're more comfortable doing that, that's fine, but don't think you can't just have a course or two at a table, especially in a more casual restaurant. I also should've made it clear that a lot of the drinking places I mentioned are obviously more known for their drinks than food. With that said, it would border on uncivilized to start or end a full night of restaurant hopping without a proper drink.

I'd first come up with a list of restaurants you want to hit, then ask them if they serve at the bar. Even if they don't, you can explain your situation and I'm sure they'll be amused and accommodate you. That is if they're not prix fixe. A couple general suggestions. Madison Square Park and vicinity - EMP (food at the bar), Tabla Bread Bar, Gramercy Tavern front room, Flatiron Lounge 50s, south of Central Park - Grayz, The Modern Bar Room, Maze East 40s/50s - Yasuda, Yakitori Torys, Tsukushi, Aburiya Kinnosuke EV - Momos Ssam and Noodle Bar, PDT, Death & Co., Casa Mono (sort of), and lots of Jap Izakaya WV (a broad area I define from south of 14th over to Union Sq. down to, like, Houston) - Perry St., Batali Italian spots, Ushiwakamaru, Bar Blanc (not enough people have weighed in to make this a surefire recommendation), Little Branch, Pegu Club Lots of options. The city is small, so, if you start early there's no reason you can't hit like 5 or 6 places in a night. I do it with some regularity. ETA: Clearly some overlap with Nathan's post. I offer this map as guidance; I've posted this on another thread. Some things on it won't make sense to you, don't worry about it. They're personal. Map.

And moving west. It's already in Chicago and coming to the likes of Seattle very soon.

I have friends who have been to Perry St. many times but just chanced by Nougatine for a meal (I've never been to the latter). They said they wished they had just gone back to Perry St. instead.

Nice work, biskuit. The lobster crepe dish is a great one but a lot of work. I've made it.

Was going to post the exact same thing. I think Naha is a very solid spot, and some of their items are excellent. Primehouse is also a great choice IF you can get steak. The problem with the lunch special they've had on offer there in the past is that you can't get steak or any of Chef Burke's signature items, making it just another hotel dining room.

Bouley seems to be right up your alley. The room makes people glow. Let them know the occasion and I'm quite sure they'll take good care of you.

$110 for a tasting menu is cheap, especially given those a la carte prices. Although Ducasse's ambitions for this restaurant are perhaps debatable, one also wonders if this is to be considered one of his flagships. I would argue that when Ducasse got three stars for ADNY it became one his de facto flagships even if most diners would hold it beneath the Paris and Monte Carlo restaurants. Will be interesting how diners and, perhaps more importantly, the press react to and portray this new venture.

Old fashioned with anejo, mescal, and agave syrup I had at PDT was pretty ridiculous. The bartender exchange idea sounds very, very cool. I just spent some time at Vessel in Seattle, and I think what they're doing over there is definitely on par with TVH and NYC's best. Would love to see that bar get brought into the fold.

I'd be interested to hear their response, too. I would imagine Keller's website, which undboutedly fields visitors from all over the world, would be accurate.

Make that clarification excruciatingly clear when you call back.

I mentioned this in a different thread, but Gruet is, like, all the rage these days. I picked up several bottles for $10.99 retail. Not too shabby for a sparkler that's easy to drink and even a bit complex. I prefer the blanc de noirs. The demi sec is not good.

Add butter, cream, liquid while blending. Add enough liquid so that it just turns freely. You want full circulation in the blender's container. I actually use both methods, especially with vegetables that you want to take on an earthier, roasty flavor (sunchokes, parsnips, etc). With celery root, you may just want that clean, salty flavor, so roasting may not be the way to. Anyway, I high heat roast until golden brown then simmer in a mixture of stock and milk. Then add the solids and some of the cooking liquid in the pureeing process.

So, yes, the Thermomix is the ideal vehicle. But a wise chef told me, when I told him purchasing a Thermomix was perhaps out of the question for the foreseeable future, that just blitzing it like crazy with a blender is the way to go. Not 30 seconds until it looks smooth, but really letting it go crazy for several minutes. Never mind the noise. The result is analogous to the perfectly smooth, light purees you get at fine-dining restaurants. They probably use Thermomixes. No issues with the starch here. The only veg you really have to be careful with is potatoes. Sweet potatoes are fine.

Chiming in here. I do this every week, in much the same vein as the type of food you're interested in. mojoman brings up good points. To be frank, your age works to your advantage. People won't be expecting a lot. For them, having someone who is 17 or so cook for them is "cute." I'm not sure if you've ever done plated meals for that many people. If not, practice. Have everything planned out in terms of mise and what's done a la minute. Scope out the kitchen and space beforehand if you can. Know how you're going too plate, where you're going to plate, how you're going to replace silverware, keep water glasses filled. You could be a great cook, but if you're stuck in the weeds talking to guests, replacing flatware, washing plates, etc, your food will suffer. Keep in mind, however, that the social aspect is a big part of your role. People will ask questions and it's your role to to field them graciously. Cook food that is simple to execute that looks impressive on the plate. If you have a water bath, use it for both sous vide cookery and to hold items warm. Don't cook the way many home cooks do with silly garnishes. Stay away delicate preparations and instead focus on items that look striking or pop on the plate. Color and textural contrast is important, but don't go overboard. Keep temperature in mind in that you should serve dishes that won't suffer if they're not piping hot.

Blend at relatively high speed until you've whipped in a significant amount of air. 5 minutes, just let it go so it turns freely.

Not mentioned yet is Avec. It'll appeal to your NYC sensibilities but is sufficiently different than most small plate restaurants. Bongo Room for brunch is also unique. As best I know there's nothing quite like it in NYC. The pizza places nxstasy mentions are real solid for a hearty lunch, but I'm not sure they're worthy of a dinner, if that makes sense.

Strange but solid lunch at Perry Street today. Was in the WV for a meeting later in the afternoon, so I had about an hour to kill. I stroll into Perry Street and first think the restaurant is closed. No one is at the bar or host stand. I look further back into the restaurant and see one solitary couple dining. I proceed to wait at the host stand for three to four minutes with no staff in sight. Finally a runner comes out to fill up a water glass at the one occupied table and sees me. A bit of awkwardness ensues as a waiter comes out of the back and seats me. Thankfully from that point on all is fine. I told them of my time constraint and they got the food out in a hurry. Amuse was the celery root soup they often use a vehicle to carry other flavors. This time a light cranberry foam. Very nice. Had the shrimp with butternut squash and toasted pumpkin seeds, the tuna burger, and a new dessert of white chocolate mouse sandwiched between crisp meringue wafers with yuzu sorbet and white chocolate shavings on top. This dessert was by far the most ambitious prix fixe dessert I've had here, but I thought the dish needed more acid than the sorbet was contributing. A little too sweet and cloying. Burger was very enjoyable as usual, and the shrimp dish good if not remarkable. No complaints besides my awkward welcoming.

Saw your party. Looked like you were having a great time. The seafood stew I had last night was quite large for the $18 or so it is. That with bread and butter is easily a hearty meal in it self. Personally we spent $50/person which is pretty much par for the course for a solid meal there with one drink or so each.

A week removed from the holiday season, PDT was more sedate on this Saturday night. Crowded and humming to be sure, but not quite as boisterous as my last visit. Friends and I camped out at a booth for a couple rounds and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, sampling a few drinks off the new new winter menu. I went straight for the fat wash (I believe that's what Don calls them) drinks, trying both the Benton's bacon old fashioned and the Cinema-something, made with a buttered popcorn infusion. The former tastes heavily of smoke, as Benton's bacon does, with a subtle porkiness. A nice, assertive drink that benefited from a bit of dilution. The popcorn drink was right in your face with unmistakable popcorn flavors, buttery and, umm, popcorn-y. Think of what happens when you sit back at home with a rum and Coke and big bowl of popcorn. That feeling, memory, and experience is this drink. Also tried the Beach Bum, very close to a mai tai or tropical rum-based drink. Cranberry Cobbler was a nice balance of bitter fruit and herbal gin notes. Friend also had the Falling Leaves, but I did not get to try that. She finished this drink quickly, so I think it was a hit. First time visitors were also obsessed with the Chang Dog and John John Deragon, perhaps even more so than the cocktails. The Papaya dogs we procured after leaving to sober up absolutely paled in comparison. Service at the table was more knowledgeable than on previous visits. No complaints in the slightest and great times.