[Comparing Mario Batali's Restaurants]

F: Get the assortment of 6 crudo, the antipasto with the 3 oily fish (sardines, anchovies, mackerel), the spaghetti with lobster, the weakfish entree, and anything that's special freshly caught and local. All the whole fish are nice, especially the branzino, and the Long Island scallops are terrific. Skip the prefab vegetables bullshit.

Steven, your recommendations arrived just before I walked out the door to Esca and were very helpful.

I was on a date, and ended up paying a lot more attention to my dining companion than to the meal - so my observations on the food will be somewhat lacking.

We split an order of the daily crudo selection. This included mackeral, geoduck, some sort of tiny shrimp (prawns?), salmon with roe, and a few others I can't recall. It was a bit like sashimi, but each piece with a bit of sauce, olive oil or spices. My favorites were the mackeral and salmon. My least favorite was the shrimp, which had a sort of mushy texture that was not appealing to me. Overall, I found the crudo interesting but would probably rather have top grade sushi/sashimi.

Second course was the lobster spaghetti, as per Fat Guy's recommendation. This was excellent. The garlic and tomato based sauce was just mild enough to allow the lobster to hold its own. It's also the first truly al dente pasta I've ecountered anywhere in the USA in many years. The pasta couldn't have been any more perfectly prepared. I wouldn't say it was a complex or interesting dish, but its perfect execution and quality of ingredients made it stand out.

For my third I had the scallops (another Fat Guy recommendation). Another example of tremendous quality seafood perfectly prepared. The scallops had a nice seared crust, and were rare in the middle. So nice to have scallops that weren't overly cooked and rubbery. I also really liked the greens that accompanied the scallops. These were sauteed just enough to enhance their flavor, while still retaining a firm texture. I guess one could call them al dente. A rare example of perfectly cooked greens. The dressing on the greens was fantastic - a bit tart and spicy.

My date had a third of sauteed monkfish medallions. They were beautiful to look at, with a nice golden crust and firm texture, but were bland in taste. We both agreed that this was the only disappointing dish of the evening.

Dessert was a sort of chocolate pave with vanilla ice cream. Very good, but not all that exciting. It reminded me of the infamous "chocolate bruno" from Blue Ribbon. I prefer the Blue Ribbon version.

The wine service was actually my favorite part of the meal. Just as at Babbo, the list is reasonably priced, eclectic and interesting (though all Italian), with many choices available by quartile. I really love this format. My date and I were free to choose different wines, with enough left over in the quartile to share as wanted. I left all the selections to the sommelier, and he came through like a champ. I had an interesting dry white made from the Tokaj grape and another I can't remember. The wines were all excellent and unusual. Babbo and Esca deserve credit for running the most interesting and affordable wine programs in NYC. Fifteen bucks buys you a quartile of excellent wine, from off the beaten path, usually well-matched by the sommelier to the food at hand. This is so much better than $15 per glass of generic and often crappy vino offered by so many upscale NYC restaurants.

Overall, it was an excellent meal. At this price point, however, I personally prefer the food at Babbo. In my opinion, the food at Babbo is more complex and interesting. Esca seems more about perfect preparation of the freshest ingredients, whereas Babbo pushes the culinary creativity/complexity boundaries a good bit further. Both are noteworthy, I just happen to prefer the approach at Babbo more. When the kitchen is on its game, Babbo transports my tastebuds into a frenzy that Esca didn't approach tonight.

Esca was also more expensive than I thought it would be. Previously I had the impression that Babbo was the flagship three star, and that Esca was a bit more on the casual/value side. From what I could tell tonight, the prices are about the same. Babbo just feels more like a luxury restaurant to me in terms of atmosphere and food presentation. If one does the whole deal at Esca - crudo ($30 per person), pasta ($20-25), main ($25-30) plus wine - the $100 per person mark sneaks up pretty quickly. This puts it into competition with some pretty heavy hitters (Cafe Boulud, Mix, Town, etc.), and I don't think it is all that compelling in this league.

So I'd personally rank Esca behind Babbo at a dining experience, and Behind Lupa in terms of value. I woudn't put it on my favorites list, but I do admire what they're doing at Esca. It's more a matter of personal preference for one approach or another than of quality or execution.

[Comparing Mario Batali's Restaurants]

My personal favorite, however, by a wide margin is Esca.

Interesting. I would have guessed you'd vote for Babbo.

I've only been to Lupa and Babbo, and think Babbo is a much more exiciting experience. Just much more going in terms of complexity and execution of most dishes. Lupa is no doubt a fine restaurant in its own right though.

I've always wanted to try Esca, but for some reason or another have never been. Steven's snow-day post inspired me to call for a last minute reservation, and I'm off to Esca tonight! I hope the seafood quality doesn't suffer due to difficult delivery conditions in city today.

I'll post my impressions upon my return. I only wish I had had more lead time, so that I could have asked fellow Egulleteers what's best on the menu.

[Mix (with Doug Psaltis as chef de cuisine)]

A pejorative comment designed to play to the peanut gallery doesn't tell me what I want to know.

I wonder if the allure of "playing to the peanut gallery" is a factor behind some of the criticism of Ducasse. I'd guess that many people love to hear that places they can't afford or at which they can't readily reserve a table aren't all that great, or are not worth visiting. Sort of a fox and the grapes thing. A reviewer may be tempted to dismiss a place like ADNY in order to appeal to certain audiences. The critic thus becomes a a culinary Robin Hood, using his/her wisdom and expertise to save common guys like us from pompous, money-grabbing Frenchmen like Ducasse.

Am I venturing too far into conspiracy theory here?

I mention this because of some information regarding "Consumer Reports" magazine I discovered many years ago. It seems that there was actually pressure on the testing staff to give lower ratings to certain "premium" or expensive products than comparable "bargain" products, regardless of respective quality or performance of said products. Apparently, this was done in an effort to boost magazine sales. The editor tried to explain his way out of it by saying "We're in the entertainment business, first and foremost". What happened to objective ratings?

It was for this reason that a brand such as Haagen-Daz ice cream might receive lower ratings than a brand such as Kroger or Breyer's - when few blind tasters would ever agree with this conclusion.

[Mix (with Doug Psaltis as chef de cuisine)]

The first time around he imported, intact, an authentic French temple of gastronomy - an exact duplication in price, service and pretentiousness of his three-star flagships iin Paris and Monaco.

How the fuck are we pretentious in Paris? Because we're French? Gastronomic? It just pisses me off when I KNOW how hard we work - KNOW what we're like as people - hello we're human - and KNOW how hard we really try to give every single client a perfect experience - but hello again we're human - and we're just dismissed as pretentious. Like it's a given.

I have not seen this review - I have not dined at Mix yet - but when someone just tosses off a comment that Paris/ADPA is pretentious, I just think they've got something to prove - and that I'm not getting a straight story.

Amen.

[Mix (with Doug Psaltis as chef de cuisine)]

Maybe I'm missing the parts where you say "gee, maybe you have a point" when Ducasse is criticized. If I am, please tell me where that might be.

I'm not interested in a flame war here. I do think that others posting here have acknowledged thoughtful criticism of Ducasse, and offered those of their own.

For example, I still think that the $125 wine pairing at ADNY discussed here sounds like a blunder in terms of quality and price.

I think Mix has some odd quirks in terms of design that detract from the food and/or dining experience. Probably a bit too much of Chodorow's influence for my taste (those damn unisex bathrooms for example).

I agree with Bux that the Nutella thing is rather silly.

I think the dessert program at Mix is not on par with the competition at places like Jean-Georges, Daniel, Cafe Boulud, Town, etc.

What I do not agree with is the continued assertions by several food critics that Mix is at best a lackluster dining experience, and at worst an egotistical farce. This is just plain wrong in my humble opinion.

Mix is competitive in terms of quality and execution of food with the top tier of NYC restaurants.

[Mix (with Doug Psaltis as chef de cuisine)]

Let me get out the gasoline here.

Why does it have to follow that any criticism or skepticism of Ducasse and his products is agenda-driven or political? Maybe, just maybe he doesn't bat a thousand? Is that unthinkable? What, the guy shits diamonds? Anything less than adulation and awe of Ducasse, Doug Psaltis or anything associated with them sure seems to bring out the attack, or, worse still, lap dogs, at least here. When I read things like "Mix is cool" (read: if you don't like Mix, you're not cool), "dishes that are the best of their kind", "Ducasse's kitchen team...would be the envy of any kitchen, anywhere in the world", "the guy is one of the greatest chefs in history - the heir apparent to Escoffier" (better not tell that to Point), "AD/NY is as good a restaurant as America has ever seen"...well, I just have to wonder about getting an objective view.

Fire away.

Pour away!

A few thoughts:

I'm not out to glorify Alain Ducasse, nor do I think he is the be all end all of the culinary world.

I really could care less about food world politics and egos. I just love to eat exceptional food wherever I can find it.

I don't believe there is some "conspiracy theory" thing going on against Ducasse.

Everyone has a right to their opinion. I certainly expect and have respect for wide differences in opinions from knowledgeable people in realms as subjective as food, art or music.

I am not surprised that someone may not enjoy Alain Ducasse's cuisine, whether it be at ADNY or Mix.

I can only speak from my experiences at both ADNY and Mix, as compared to other restaurants in NYC (and I'm reasonably sure I eat at these places at least as often as most professional food critics).

However......

For a knowledgeable person to dismiss the food at Mix or ADNY (or Daniel or Jean-Georges for that matter) as anything less than a very serious and thoughtfully executed performance at the high-end of the culinary spectrum is nonsense. They may not like the food, they may not agree with how it is envisioned, prepared and presented - no problem. That is understandable given the wide range of personal tastes.

What I find reprehensible in several ADNY and Mix reviews is a recurring underlying theme of "this Alain Ducasse guy has hoodwinked the food world, and is basically a pompous guy trying to sell the Emperor another set of new clothes." I can't believe that anyone could logically come to this sort of conclusion if they spent some quality time eating at his restaurants and observing what goes on in his kitchens.

Why do these "professional" critics so often digress from thoughtful discussions about the food at ADNY or Mix, into silly and unfounded criticisms like the ones mentioned in my previous post (from the Gourmet review)? I have no idea why, but they seem to be doing it over and over again.

[Mix (with Doug Psaltis as chef de cuisine)]

I still don't understand how my impressions can be so out of synch with those of food critics concerning ADNY and now Mix. I dine out in NYC literally 7 days a week and have a very broad experience with high-end dining in this city. I've now had 10 meals at Mix and I can't for the life of me figure how anyone familiar with the NYC food scene could come away without a sincere appreciation for what Alain Ducasse and Doug Psaltis are providing here on a variety of levels: quality of ingredients, innovation, presentation, attention to detail, design, etc., etc.

I don't expect all the critics to like the concept. However, I do think it deserves respect as an effort of the highest order, by incredibly talented people. For example, I have great respect for what Marcus Samuelsson is doing at Aquavit, even though his approach doesn't particularly appeal to my personal culinary tastes. So although I don't choose to dine at Aquavit, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others as a special and noteworthy dining experience in NYC. I have found Mix to be an exceptional restaurant, and would include them without hesitation on my personal list of favorite dining spots in this city.

Many of the early reviews of ADNY were written in a flippant and dismissive tone that in my opinion was unprofessional and way off-target. While I have yet to read the full Gourmet review of Mix, the quotations offered in this thread lead me to believe it's the same bullshit all over again.

For example the following:

"Even the purportedly lowbrow Mix, however, features prices that in some cities could have you locked up for larceny."

Nothing done by Alain Ducasse is intended to be taken as "lowbrow". This is akin to saying that Michael Tyson just likes to play around in the ring or that Placido Domingo fools around on stage at the Met. The comment that follows, "prices that in some cities could have you locked up for larceny" is equally silly. Anyone who thinks that the prices at Mix are out of line with its competition in NYC doesn't understand the realities of dining here. These words alone make it hard for me to take anything else in the review as accurate or well-informed.

And if that wasn't enough, the critic adds that dining at Mix is "somewhat of an ordeal". If this guy genuinely suffered at Mix, he must be leading a lifestyle that would make Imelda Marcos blush.

I'd urge anyone reading this forum to go to Mix and form their own opinions. The Gourmet reviewer makes enough disingenuous comments as to render his credibility highly suspect.

Over the past several years, my experience has led me to believe that many "professional" food critics have little value to offer to the knowledgeable NYC diner. I find the reviews by many of of the "amateurs" on EGullet to be far more thoughtful and insightful. I've learned a lot more about new places to go and food worthy of seeking out on these boards than I have from Gourmet or the New York Times.

[ADNY (Alain Ducasse @ Essex House)]

I'd assume 5 glasses per bottle, not 7 or 8. I'm with you on fixed costs as well. I can't believe that ADNY makes money at all, and I suspect it is probably subsidized by some of his other operations, or perhaps the hotel. They just don't do enough volume to cover an immense amount of overhead. So in the end you are right that they probably have to charge this kind of markup.

I still think it's a bit absurd for ADNY to be charging $20-25 dollars for a glass of wine, that Daniel or Jean Georges would sell for $10-12 based on their usual (and very steep) 5x mark up over retail. The wine tastes the same in the glass at ADNY as it does anywhere else. They might as well go ahead and charge $250 for the basic menu. I would perceive that as making more sense, though I suspect it wouldn't to others.

Fat Guy you win, but I still get mad at paying so much for basic table wines.

[ADNY (Alain Ducasse @ Essex House)]

Steven, I agree with many of your points. Certainly I agree that ADNY has a first-rate wine program and an excellent list.

I still think it is highway robbery to charge $125 for $15 worth of wine. It's one thing to pay a premium for something rare or limited-production, i.e. a Chateau Grillet or bottle of Le Montrachet. It's another to be paying $25 for a glass of mediocre wine produced in large quantities that wholesales for the equivalent of $2 per glass. I find this insulting.

Also, ADNY doesn't charge double the price for their food than their competitors, despite the fact that it is their unique creation, so why should they be able to charge double the markup for wines that can be found in many other places? (I'm speaking of these wine pairing choices, not of the larger list which has some unique selections).

I understand your "popcorn theory" and is has its merits. I know that most diners at ADNY can afford to pay whatever they like for a bottle of wine. Still, this doesn't make it right in my mind for them to markup wines by the glass by something like 12x.

[ADNY (Alain Ducasse @ Essex House)]

Let me preface by saying that I really, really like the food at ADNY. I've had some superb meals there. It's the pricing that makes me wince.

Fwiw, the total RETAIL (not the wholesale price that the restaurant pays) for full bottles of all five wines that were served is $125.00, which means that ADNY paid about $80.00. That's for the bottles, which would, realistically, serve seven to eight diners. So call their wine cost per head about, what, $12.00? Whoah. What was the price for the pairing? And, maybe another subject entirely, I wouldn't expect to be served a French VdP, an Italian white, a Long Island red, a Spanish red and a Croatian wine at one of the flagship restaurants of this most vaunted of FRENCH chefs. Maybe at Mix, but at ADNY????

I'm a fan of ADNY's food, but I completely agree with your comments on this wine pairing. $125 for this plonk?!?!?!? Ridiculous.

Most high end NYC restaurants get away with highway robbery when it comes to wine pricing. I realize they need to make a profit, but the current practice of 300 percent mark up on standard wines, and even more on anything that's a limited production wine, is in my opinion too high. When considering wine by the glass, the usual standard in NYC is that the restaurant will charge a 5-7x markup, so that one glass sold pays for the bottle.

Now we come to ADNY. I can't give you the exact pricing, but I am fairly certain this wine pairing was at least 10x mark up. Why should they get paid this kind of profit for supplying ordinary wines from humble origins? A Long Island pinot noir at a world-class french restaurant? Give me a break!

This recent review indicates to me that ADNY is serving A+ food with C wine pairings, and charging a similar price for both. Shame on them.

[Cheap Eats in Atlanta]

The Varsity? Ewww. Tryska and I both live here and I get the distinct impression that she likes it about as much as I do.

You may live there, but please don't tell me you were born in Atlanta! For native Atlantans, not liking the Varsity is a sacrilege of the highest level - almost as bad as ordering a Pepsi.

I've been eating at the Varsity since before I can remember, so I suppose it was a right of passage for me. I also happen to really enjoy their food when I'm in mood for it. Nothing else in the world tastes quite like a glorified burger (with pimento cheese of course), an all-the-way dog, and vidalia onion rings. All washed down with an FO (frosted orange drink). Damn I love those FO's! If you're really ambitious, there's always a fried peach pie for dessert.

I've taken several friends from out of town to the "Greasy V". Some liked it, others hated it. No one loved it like I or my childhood friends do. I guess it must be a genetic defect for those of us born in Atlanta.

[Cheap Eats in Atlanta]

1. The Varisty

2. The Varsity

3. The Varsity

[Atlanta is a BBQ Wasteland]

As someone who grew up on Sprayberry's and visited on a trip home over the holidays, I have to say that they are not what they used to be

I had a chopped pork sandwich and brunswick stew at the original location (not the one by the interstate). The pork was dry, the sauce tasted of nothing but vinegar and the stew was bland. My husband had unbearably greasy onion rings. Service was pleasant, but I no longer dream of Sprayberry's.

Bummer. I haven't been for several years, so my recommendation may need to be retracted.

[Patsy's Pizzeria]

Thanks for the info.

Now where's the closest place to the UWS that I can get what you'd consider an excellent slice. Anything closer than the original Patsy's?

[Patsy's Pizzeria]

The Harlem location is the original and the only one worth going to. Thats the location that uses coal fired ovens.

I was under the impression that all Patsy's used coal fired overns. I'll have to check the UWS location next time to see if they are coal fired.

[Patsy's Pizzeria]

The NY Pizza thread brought this question to mind. I live near the UWS Patsy's (74th and Columbus) and have had good, but not amazing, pizzas there in the past. Are any of the other locations considered to be significantly better? Which one is the original?

Also, where's the best NY pizza to be had in Manhattan? A trip to DiFara's is a bit far in this weather.

[Atlanta is a BBQ Wasteland]

My vote goes to Sprayberry's in Newnan.

I've never found any exceptional BBQ in Atlanta proper. Fat Matt's seems about the standard level of Atlanta BBQ - average at best.

[Travelling to Atlanta...]

I live in NYC but visit Atlanta often (was born there) and have eaten at just about every restaurant listed on this thread so far.

My favorites in the high-end category are Seeger's and Joel. I think Seeger's is really in another league from any other Atlanta restaurant, and the only one that could hold its own against competition from cities like NYC and San Francisco. It's expensive by Atlanta standards (I think the five course tasting menu is about $85), but worth the price.

Joel is a fairly new place near the West Paces Ferry and I-75 junction. They spent millions on the soaring modern dining room that feels more LA or NYC than Atlanta. Great food, and one of the most interesting wine lists in the Southeast.

After these, I'd choose Food Studio or Bacchanalia. Both have sort of funky settings and interesting, well-executed food.

I've eaten at Floataway Cafe several times and haven't been impressed. I like the atmosphere, but don't think the food is anywhere near as good as it is as Bacchanalia, which is owned and operated by the same people. Also, it's not all that much cheaper and drink/wine prices are comparable to NYC. I think my mixed drinks were 9 or 10 bucks. Too expensive for a casual cafe that is hidden away in an old industrial park.

There are many steakhouses in Atlanta (unfortunately none of them serve dry aged steaks), but my vote in this category goes to New York Prime. It's co-owned and managed by Bobby Donlan, the former manager of Bone's - which used to be my first choice for steaks until he left to open NY Prime.

Good food with a Southern influence can be found at South City Kitchen and Horseradish Grill. My favorite in this category though requires a drive up to Roswell, GA to Greenwood's. Bill Greenwood is a rather eccentric character who has been cooking fantastic Southern comfort food at this place for decades. Worth the trip up 400 if you have the time.

I ate at Emeril's new restaurant a few weeks ago and was disappointed. Average food at above-average prices. Not nearly as good as his original in New Orleans, or even its cheaper spin-off NOLA. The wine list is fantastic though, especially strong in hard-to-find Burgundies from small producers.

And in the greasy local joint category, one place rules supreme - The Varsity!

[The Gus Burger]

I've had many a Gusburger, but never during daylight or when sober. Unfortunately, last time I dropped by the White Spot, Elvis had left the building.

If you're ever back in Charlottesville, go to Riverside Lunch for a bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions. Beats the Gusburger hands down.

[Burger Club]

Unfortunately I'm out of town for the next several Sundays. I think I'm going to start my own Weekday Drinkin' Club.

[Burger Club]

Holy moly, this thread has 1,634 (now make that 1,635) posts!

I've been out of NYC for a month and just checked back in. I'm not sure I have the stamina to read the 20 pages of posts that have arrived since I last read the BC thread.

Clearly there is BIG news going on. What is this about Elyse on FOX news? And what's up with that picture from some newspaper on the wall at PM?

Is there anyway to get a Cliff Notes version of this thread?

I think this calls for another Beer Club outing to All State Cafe to get an update on the 2004 happening in the burger world....

[Jean Georges and Nougatine]

Felonius, my personal impression was that even the concept Nougatine offers is quite different from Jean-Georges‘ and simply cannot be compared. I found little in common between the two. Therefore, my question is whether Jean-George is the one behind the dishes at Nougatine and what is his philosophy with respect to the restaurant. Is “clever” really the only link between the two cuisines? I heard very positive comments about Nougatine some time ago, and some praised it over Jean-Georges. I wonder whether the restaurant’s approach/concept has changed recently or that it is simply not to my taste.

If there is a common thread between the two, it's probably the use of exotic spices and novel flavor combinations - often with an Asian or Eastern influence. I just think that the concept is executed with much greater success on the Jean-Georges side of the house.

I've been eating at Nougatine fairly regularly for three years now, and I haven't detected any change in their approach or overall quality/consistency level. It's always been hit or miss as to whether the current dishes work well, in my opinion.

I too wonder how much time Jean-Georges spends on orchestrating the Nougatine menu. One would think he's the force behind it, given the fact he's on the premises quite a bit. As you probably know, there are two separate kitchens for the two menus (Nougatine is served by a completely separate kitchen in the basement), so in many ways JG and Nougatine are really more disparate than the adjacent dining rooms might suggest.

From what I can tell, Johnny Iuzinni overseas the dessert and pastry menu for both. I've found the desserts at Nougatine to be truly outstanding, if a bit simpler in execution than those at JG. I think he's a strong contender for #1 in NYC given the level of desserts I've had at JG lately.

[Jean Georges and Nougatine]

lxt, I have had similar experiences at Nougatine. I live nearby and have eaten there many times over the past several years. I often go due to convenience factors (the $20.01 prix fix lunch is a bargain, easy access to Lincoln Center for pre-theater dining, space available at the bar as a walk-in, etc).

While I have had some excellent dishes at Nougatine, I have found that often they present an unorthodox or overly ambitious flavor combination that just doesn't suit my palate. I can still remember a lobster dish from over a year ago in which the lobster's flavor was completely lost in a mix of heavy-handed cumin and some acidic fruit essence. The whole thing was just weird and rather unpleasant tasting. I also have found the soups to be over-salted to my taste on many occasions. My favorite dishes have tended to be simpler classics such as roast chicken or short ribs. The $20 lunch is still a complete bargain, and Nougatine is far better than anything else near Lincoln Center. Given the number of misses from the kitchen in the past year, I've stopped frequenting Nougatine.

I hadn't eaten in the main dining room at Jean-Georges for several years, and my experiences at Nougatine had led me to believe that I would likely be disappointed after laying the hefty sum required for admission to the inner sanctum. How wrong I was!

The two meals I've had from the regular JG menu in the past month have been out of this world - some of the most memorable of the year. They also feature somewhat exotic/unusual flavor combinations and presentations, but with a much greater level of integration and subtlety than at Nougatine. The concept and execution of the food in the main dining room is light years ahead of that being served in Nougatine in my opinion.

Nougatine is still a bargain if one is ordering from a prix-fixe menu. However, it can get fairly expensive if one begins to order several courses a la carte. In that case, I'd rather fork out the difference and get the real thing in the main dining room, or head to other options in the Nougatine price range (Cafe Boulud and Mix for example).

[Katz’s Delicatessen]

I've been to both Katz's and Carnegie Deli a few times and thoroughly enjoyed both pastrami sandwiches. Certainly better than any pastrami I've had outside NYC. My impression was that Katz served a hotter and somewhat jucier sandwich.

This thread has me intrigued. Tipping the meat slicer guy? Sampling slices for approval? I had no idea this was part of the routine.

So help me out NYC pastrami experts (and there seem to be quite a few on this thread). What does a clueless Southern gentile like me need to know in order to obtain a proper pastrami sandwich in NYC? Is there a certain ritual akin to what Fat Guy so expertly described in his opus on ordering at a sushi bar?

I seem to remember trying to order a "Reuben" sandwich one day at 2nd Ave Deli and being given a very strange look by the waiter. My dining companion explained to me that I had just ordered a non-Kosher item in a Kosher deli. So clearly I need all the help I can get on this topic.

[The NYC Saturday Lunch Problem]

However as a factual matter I know of no restaurant in New York City that requires a necktie for men at any meal service no less Saturday lunch, and very few require jackets. Union Square Cafe and Picholine, I am quite sure, require neither.

I'm fairly certain Picholine requires jackets but not ties for dinner only.

I once went to Picholine wearing a tie and no pants and was offered a free cheese course.