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B'way and 96th St

markk

By markk
in New York: Dining

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markk

markk

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I'm looking for somewhere good to eat within a few minutes of Broadway and 96th Street, and I'm not at all current with what's around there. Nothing too exotic for my group (please) and I don't imagine that "fine dining" is an option, but can anybody suggest some comfortable places with good food? I tried a French bistro right around there last year but was singularly unimpressed (east side of Bway just above 96th I think). Anybody? THANKS.

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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Fat Guy

Fat Guy

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Roth's Westside Steakhouse on 93rd and Columbus has proven useful to me in similar situations. Equally appealing to the meat-and-potatoes crowd is Carmine's on Broadway and 91st.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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Pan

Pan

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I guess North Indian at Indus Valley is too "exotic." How about an Argentinian steakhouse, Pampa? I have to admit I haven't been there for something like 2 1/2 years, though. When I eat out up there, it tends to be either Indus Valley or El Malecon; otherwise, it's chez les parents.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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Megan Blocker

Megan Blocker

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I tried a French bistro right around there last year but was singularly unimpressed (east side of Bway just above 96th I think).  Anybody?  THANKS.

Probably Alouette, I imagine.

There's Regional, which is Italian, at 98th and Broadway (on the west side of the street). I've eaten there twice, though not terribly recently - it was solid both times.

I'll second Pan's Pampa recommendation.

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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Mulcahy

Mulcahy

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Gennaro is excellent, but there can be a loooong wait.

Indus Valley is terrific -- is Indian exotic?

Roth's is very good for what it is, as is Carmine's.

Lisca, across the street from Gennaro is a decent alternative, if you don't feel like dealing with the line at Gennaro. It is also less cramped. But the food isn't as good.

For what it's worth, I've hated Pampa everytime I've been.

Dock's, for seafood, isn't bad.

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ewindels

ewindels

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Regional. All the way. Easily superior to Gennaro's, IMHO, and Gennaro's can routinely be an hour wait.

Pampa has sadly plummeted in quality over the last few years.

Just tried Pio Pio on 94th and Amsterdam. This latest outpost of the fast growing Peruvian rotisserie chicken chain is nifty, and if you stick to the chicken (which was juicy and flavorful) and a side of the patas fritas (french fries), I can't imagine this would be considered exotic.

Alouette: has anyone been recently? A visit when it first opened was so awful that we swore to never return, but that was a good six or seven years ago (I think).

Food, glorious food!

“Eat! Eat! May you be destroyed if you don’t eat! What sin have I committed that God should punish me with you! Eat! What will become of you if you don’t eat! Imp of darkness, may you sink 10 fathoms into the earth if you don’t eat! Eat!” (A. Kazin)

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markk

markk

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WOW! A lot of these sound perfect and I am writing them up to forward to the members of my party - - one of whom suggested that we consider a place called Celeste at Amsterdam and 84th (and cab up after dinner) - does anybody have any experience or thoughts on Celeste?

(Yes, it was Alouette that we went to last year, and don't want to return to.)

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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cchen

cchen

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WOW!  A lot of these sound perfect and I am writing them up to forward to the members of my party - -  one of whom suggested that we consider a place called Celeste at Amsterdam and 84th (and cab up after dinner) - does anybody have any experience or thoughts on Celeste?

(Yes, it was Alouette that we went to last year, and don't want to return to.)

Celeste is excellent and very well priced.

DessertTruck
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ewindels

ewindels

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Celeste is fine, but a) its on Amsterdam at 84th, so might be a bit of a trek, b) it's teeny and quite popular, meaning that like Gennaro there's frequently a long wait. Regional is in every way it's equal, IMO, and being almost twice the size there's rarely a wait (at least I've never had to wait, but then again I tend to go early, not at the crunch time of 7PM ->).

Food, glorious food!

“Eat! Eat! May you be destroyed if you don’t eat! What sin have I committed that God should punish me with you! Eat! What will become of you if you don’t eat! Imp of darkness, may you sink 10 fathoms into the earth if you don’t eat! Eat!” (A. Kazin)

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Megan Blocker

Megan Blocker

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Celeste is fine, but a) its on Amsterdam at 84th, so might be a bit of a trek, b) it's teeny and quite popular, meaning that like Gennaro there's frequently a long wait.  Regional is in every way it's equal, IMO, and being almost twice the size there's rarely a wait (at least I've never had to wait, but then again I tend to go early, not at the crunch time of 7PM ->).

And Regional takes reservations, but Celeste doesn't...

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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ewindels

ewindels

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Very true, I keep forgetting that, probably cause I do tend to go early when you don't need them and because the one time I tried early on no one answered the phone and when we showed up they said something about only taking reservations in person, but I'm sure by now that's been rectified.

Food, glorious food!

“Eat! Eat! May you be destroyed if you don’t eat! What sin have I committed that God should punish me with you! Eat! What will become of you if you don’t eat! Imp of darkness, may you sink 10 fathoms into the earth if you don’t eat! Eat!” (A. Kazin)

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Fat Guy

Fat Guy

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I'm not sure Regional will work for a really picky, unadventurous group. While there are plenty of items on the menu that seem unadventurous to the foodie set, the reality is that the average unadventurous eater is likely to look at the Regional menu and say "There's nothing for me to eat here!" With dishes like "whole wheat noodles in duck ragu" and "raw filet mignon with red apple and toasted walnuts" I think to a lot of people it's too adventurous.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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ewindels

ewindels

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I'm not sure Regional will work for a really picky, unadventurous group.

In which case, Metro Diner on B'way @ 100th: grease grease grease, and genug already.

Food, glorious food!

“Eat! Eat! May you be destroyed if you don’t eat! What sin have I committed that God should punish me with you! Eat! What will become of you if you don’t eat! Imp of darkness, may you sink 10 fathoms into the earth if you don’t eat! Eat!” (A. Kazin)

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Megan Blocker

Megan Blocker

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Very true, I keep forgetting that, probably cause I do tend to go early when you don't need them and because the one time I tried early on no one answered the phone and when we showed up they said something about only taking reservations in person, but I'm sure by now that's been rectified.

Yup, they're on OpenTable!

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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markk

markk

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Wow again - so many choices that would work for me (and which I will surely try when I don't have this group with me up there). I don't know if anybody here was in on my last group adventure closer to Lincoln Center last month when the out-of-town friend came last time, but his choice had been PF Changs in NJ (okay, technically not that close to Lincoln Center) - and this time, he really wants to go to a place called Jackson Hole on Columbus for a hamburger - so if anybody has any horror stories about it, please don't tell them? On the other hand, if it's any good, please do tell.

Thank you all - Regional, Roth's, and Gennaros all sound good to me for the next time I'm up there under different circumstances.

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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markk

markk

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That's where we went before a concert at the Thalia, (the UWS location) and the burgers were huge, and I thought my rare one was pretty good - though I was very disappointed in the fries, which were soggy. Everybody else opted for well done, and they didn't look very good to me, nor did anybody rave about them. But it was a great evening, and the restaurant more than served its purpose. (I had a bacon and swiss burger in fact on the "hard roll", and a b&w milkshake, and thought the combination hit the spot, actually.)

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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Pan

Pan

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What's your parents' address?

Recommended dishes?

Anything to avoid?

I've liked everything I've ordered at Indus Valley. My only problem with the place is the usual problem with Indian restaurants: Too much ghee and oil, so it's tough on my stomach later. But the restaurant is good.

I'll withhold comments about Pampa, given how long it's been since I was last there and the remarks that it's deteriorated in the interim.

If you want to know my parents' address, PM me. Do you have something you want to give them? :laugh:

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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