Felonius

I love this place and eat here often. I almost hate to say so, because I don't want the lines to get any longer! First of all, Celeste has to be the best food bargain in NYC other than Gray's Papaya on the low end or the lunch at Jean-Georges on the high end. The pasta courses are all about $9.00 and large enough to be a filling main course. My favorites are the ricotta and spinach ravioli in butter and sage sauce and the fresh pasta with sheeps milk cheese and shrimp. I also like the stracetti di manzo. Nothing special perhaps, but very flavorful with the sage potatoes and a value at $15.00. Everything is good and a bargain, but the cheese course with individual homemade condiments for each cheese is as good as any I've had in the city. Truly outstanding on some nights, depending on what cheeses Carmine has on offer. Also, the waitstaff is very friendly and enthusiastic, and the kitchen is efficient. Once you sit down, your food will generally arrive minutes after it is ordered. There are also some good wines at very reasonable prices. If you're into wine, talk to Carmine (the owner, who is working the floor with great gusto most nights) and ask him to bring you something special. He usually has plenty of higher end bottles not on the list, which he will recommend if you ask. One particularly nice wine on the list is a Valpolicello Ripasso ($39 I think) that is a lovely sort of "poor man's Amarone". Its richness matches well with many of the dishes and is great if you like this particular style of wine.

I suppose this thread is a bit of an annoying bitch fest in itself, but I can't resist chiming in. There are lots of bad restaurants in NYC that don't annoy me. The ones that annoy me are those where I love the food, but have a problem with reservations or service (and hence can't get to enjoying their great food). While I absolutley love the food at Babbo, I find the impossibility of securing a reservation and the occasionally snooty attitude there annoying. I also find the Tasting Room annoying. I dined there multiple times several years ago, and finally gave up on the place. I thought the food was interesting and the concept was great. However, I had several meals where I waited in line for reservations, waited for my table, only to be told that they were out of nearly everything on the menu. This was made worse by the fact that I was only told this after having ordered and opened an expensive bottle of wine that couldn't possibly pair with anything left in the kitchen. Had they made a sincere apology, or cut me a deal on a second bottle of appropriate wine, I would have remained a customer. But instead, there attitude was indifferent and clearly indicated that I should feel lucky just to be there. The Tasting Room has an affectation of being this laid back sort of place, but I found their attitude to be arrogant in the end. Very annoying. Oh yeah, and that cupcake Magnolia bakery place is annoying. Long lines for a dry tasteless cupcake. My five year old niece makes a better one, yet New Yorkers continue to stand in line and rave about Magnolia cupcakes. Highly annoying.

Some friends invited me to meet them at Varietal for dinner last week. None of us had been before, and I was eager to try it. Alas, after sitting at the bar for a glass of wine, they asked if I didn't mind trying somewhere else. I think they were turned off by a combination of the cold/stark atmosphere, some of the menu items, and the price point. I also noticed that the restaurant was only about half full, and it was prime time (about 8:30 - 9:00). I left with a gut feeling this place may not be around all that long. It seems an odd combination of atmosphere and price point, and a bit out of place in that neighborhood. Sort of reminiscent of the failed "Mix" Ducasse/Chodorow concept (which I thought had outstanding food BTW). Not trying to slam this place, and I will certainly go back by myself to try it.

Oh how I love eGullet. Where else could something like this garner 110 posts in less than a day, with such erudite discussion? Fantastic! Steven, you should be very, very proud of this great beast you've unleashed on the world. Down with Bruni! Up with Fat Guy!

For a thick, chewey, gooey, cookie, I too think Levain is great. For a thinner and crisp cookie, I think the ones at Pain Quotidien are pretty good. My favorite cookie in the city is at place in SoHo called "Olive's" at 120 Prince Street. They make a chocolate cookie with white chocolate chunks and dried cherries in it. Fantastic. They also have an oatmeal chocolate chip called the "cowboy cookie" that's excellent.

In My opinion the food at JG has better flavors ← Upon thinking more about it, my preference for Ducasse is really a matter of style. I'm generally not as into restaurants that tend to push the edge in terms of flavor combinations, as I am into harmony. I'd take Mozart over Stravinsky on most days, and Ducasse over Jean-Georges. However, I respect and enjoy both. I do believe Jean-Georges is operating at the top level, so my ADNY/Pe Se comments were contradictory. I've deleted them from my previous post.

I hadn't been to JG in over a year. It's one of those places that has been around so long that it sort of falls off the radar screen amidst all the new choices available. I had friends visiting NYC who wanted to try it, so we went yesterday for lunch and did a 4 course tasting plus dessert. My thoughts: 1. It is still the best bargain in the city for high end food at lunch. A four course tasting plus dessert is about $60 before tax and tip. 2. The food and service meet or exceed anything on offer in NYC. JG still sets its own standard in terms of creativity and quality. 3. The service was flawless. On top of everything yet not obtrusive in any way. I asked the sommelier to pair wines, and his picks couldn't have been better. 4. I hate to admit all of this, given the hype surrounding the rest of the JG empire, and the mediocrity of the food he puts out at his other establishments. But damn, the meal kicked serious ass in every aspect. Side note: The chef was in house and all over the place. He was at the front desk when I arrived, greeted a of number tables, and was watching all aspects of service like a hawk. Perhaps the flack in the press and on the web about absentee chefs is finally registering with the big boys.

Amen. When it comes to NYC "top picks", most of us are biased against Babbo due to the ridiculous lengths one must go to in securing a reservation. Trust me, you won't get one. But if you're willing to go early or late to try and snag a table in the bar area as a walk in, you'd be hard pressed to find a more satisfying meal in NYC (and the price point for that level of food and wine is a relative bargain). It's not ADNY, Masa, Jean-Georges, Bouley, Atelier or Daniel in terms of service or atmosphere, but IMHOP you haven't really experienced the best NYC has to offer if you haven't tried Babbo once.

Sneakeater, you're killing me with this! If I ever get a table at Waverly Inne, I'll make sure to mention that their restaurant was recommended to me as not "vomit-inducing".

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Had my first visit to Telepan today for lunch. I was a fan of Chef Telepan's food at Judson grill and had high expectations for this new venture. I had the quail, the hanger steak, and the chocolate almond cake. I won't bother describing the food in detail, as others have already done a superb job on this thread. Everything was excellent, with a good balance flavors and textures. I look forward to going back for dinner. One major gripe however concerns the wine service. I ordered a Malbec, which was nice, but nothing particularly special and the price was $15.00 a glass. I can't imagine this bottle wholesales for much more than $15 a bottle. What really bothered me was the pour. Telepan is serving wine by the glass in very small Schott white wine goblets. The pour was a customary "less than half full", but due to the tiny glasses I'd estimate it was about 4oz. Barely enough wine to get even a little old lady through a course. They must be getting at least 6 glasses to the bottle, which equates to $90 per bottle for this Malbec! The same wine is only $45.00 a bottle on the list. As a solo diner who can't order a full bottle, I felt like I was getting fleeced. I searched the very extensive wine list for some half-bottle options, but there were only two reds on offer at $60 and $190 per. I know that NYC restaurants have to charge high prices to pay the rent, but IMHOP, wine prices by the glass are now bordering on the ridiculous.

Rich, thanks for the colorful post. That is a classic NYC moment indeed. I had some great meals at the first ave. Rosa Mexicana years ago. Haven't been back in a long time, but have eaten at the Lincoln Center and Atlanta branches a number of times due purely to convenience of location. Never had a meal at either expansion location that I felt was worth the entry fee.

I've never been to India, but I ate lots and lots of Indian food while living in England. To my taste, I found the Indian food in the UK generally superior to what's on offer in the USA. My favorite in NYC is Chola, and I particularly like their chicken "chettinad" (sp?). Chola has an interesting selection of dishes, many of which I have not encountered elsewhere. Never tried Devi, but glad for the Egullet tip. I will put that on my short list. Any recommendations on what to try there on a first visit?

I live in the neighborhood and would also recommend Telepan. You can check out their website and menus at http://www.telepan-ny.com/ If that's too pricey or posh for your purposes, there's a good owner/chef operated French restaurant called La Boite en Bois just around the corner on 68th and Columbus. Their website is http://www.laboitenyc.com/ It's not in the same league as Telepan, but offers good value with good service at a lower price point. (I'm guessing Telepan will set you back $75 or more per person with a drink, and La Boite en Bois is more in the $40-50 range). If you need more recommendations, let us know.

Really? That surprises me. Are you speaking of the days when Soltner was there, later, or both? Also, do you mean food, service, in what ways specifically? I was still a regular diner at Lutece just prior to its demise, at which point I wouldn't have ranked it in the same league as Cafe Boulud. Then again, Cafe Boulud can be quirky. They can hit culinary home runs out of the ballpark, but to see that you may have to let them know that's what you're looking for.

Sneakeater, very well put. I miss Lutece for the same reasons. I would suggest as an alternative that Cafe Boulud has a focus on "food to eat". While they do have dishes intended to be "interesting" in a more modern way, the ultimate goal usually seems to emphasize flavor and preparation over flash. Also, there are usually some specials (often based on what came from the market that day) that are pure unadorned classics. I remember doing a fairly elaborate tasting meal there one day which culminated with a simple aged tenderloin with roast potatoes, or another day with a poached guinea hen. Flawlessly executed with the finest ingredients, these types of things can indeed be special. Although not nearly at the same culinary level, I've found that some of the classic dishes at L'Absinthe can also make my day.

I completely agree with your comments here Sneakeater. I have the same issue with Babbo. Love the food, but trying to get a table reservation for a date or seat at the bar solo is about as much fun as a root canal. Incidentally, friends of mine recently tried to get a table at Babbo for their anniversary and gave up after weeks of trying. Where are they going instead? They're "settling" for Atelier Joel Robuchon NYC!

It may be one of the "big boys" in NYC, but in my opinion Payard sets the local standard for French style pastries and chocolates. My favorite neighborhood place is Levain Bakery (164 West 74th, just off the NE corner of Amsterdam). It certainly fits your "off the beaten path" request. It's a tiny shop in the basement of a brownstone, and offers a limited selection. Everything they do they do extremely well. Their cookies are some of the best in NYC, and I get cravings for their thin crusted pizzettes (carmelized onion with parmesan cheese and artichoke with gruyere are both fantastic, ask them to heat them up for you). Also, great brioche. I think I'm going to walk over there now!

I took a closer look last night and found the small note on the door. I don't doubt they were worn out. Scott seemed to be in the kitchen every night I dined there, and I dined there a lot. The "wanting to start a family" thing comes as a bit of surprise, as I would have guessed that Scott and Linda were well into their 40's. Anyway, I wish them the best. It's definitely a loss to our neighborhood. There really wasn't anything else of this quality level/price point nearby other than maybe Cesca, which is too much of a scene to be able to just drop in on a weeknight for a quick bite.

Admin: threads merged. Just returned to NYC last night and noticed a big "FOR RENT" sign in the window of @SQC. Anyone know what happened? I'm sorry to see them go. It was one of the better restaurants in our neighborhood.

This thread inspired me to go to the Modern yesterday for lunch to try the chorizo encrusted cod. It was fantastic. To my taste the beef "parmentier" was even better. Probably only because I find cod rather mild and untinteresting in flavor (though the chorizo did wonders for the dish). I was amused to learn that the cod came from the fish pier in Chatham, MA which I can see from the living room window of my parents' house, and where several of my childhood friends now work as fishermen. I had only eaten in the bar at the Modern before, which was excellent, but a four course tasting lunch in the main dining room was as good or better in terms of preparation, presentation and creativity as anything I've had in NYC in the past year. In big step beyond what they're serving in the bar. Also a relative bargain at $52 prior to wine, tip and tax. Outstanding! Thanks for the tip fellow egulleteers.

There is a lounge, which is very elegant in its own right, but I don't believe it serves a full menu. ← Not sure if they'll serve you a full meal seated at the bar, but I have had one while dining alone at one of the small tables in the bar area. For those trying Danube for the first time, I recommend their Danube cocktail (sparkling wine with elderflower essence) as an aperitif.

My sister's husband is Japanese, and I have spent quite a bit of time in Japan. Despite a fair amount of experience in this area, I don't claim any expertise. However, anyone who thinks that Yasuda is mediocre by NYC standards must be smoking something I'm not.......

I'm with you on this. I've had mixed results at Gari on the West Side - sometimes great on the "creative" sushi, sometimes just OK. For the amount of money they charge, I'd rather just take a cab over to Yasuda. Has anyone noticed if there's a difference between the UES and UWS Garis?

Anyone here tried La Esquina yet? I've heard good thing about it from a few friends.