First time NYC Visit

[Conor]

I'm sure this thread has been started before (and if anyone is able to, please redirect me there), but hey ho: I am visiting New York for the first time on Saturday for a week, I can't wait.

What are the must see bars/restaruants/delis etc at all levels.

I work as a Food and Beverage manager in a 5* London hotel, so I will go and see the "big players" anyway, but i wanted to know the hidden gems.

All styles, all types of cuisine are of interest, I guess I just want to have a defining New York experience.

I am staying in Midtown, so I presume it will be easy for me to get around.

Either new openings or old favourites, where is the best buzz, the best cuisine, and most impotantly, the best fun.

Thanks in advance for all your advice, from a very eager visitor.

[Kim Shook]

Conor - I don't know a lot about NY, but took a great trip there this spring with a lot of help from eGulleteers. Here is my report. We truly loved Degustation.

Have a great trip and don't forget to report back, please. I could use a vicarious vacation !

Kim

[BryanZ]

When I first say this thread, I admit, I was a bit skeptical. A "beginner" looking for recommendations. Not to sound condescending (I start thread like this from time to time), but there are many, many threads of this nature. That you've got hospitality industry connections at what appears to be a relatively high level, however, makes this a perhaps an interesting challenge. If you've got the big players (who, might I ask?) under control, I'd suggest the following as definitively NYC that you can't get in London or would be interesting to compare:

Old School

-Katz's Deli

-Late-night Papaya dogs

-Russ and Daughters (For the cultural significance, not necessarily because its selection will blow you away. Something like Harrod's food court blows most anything we have in NYC out of tomorrow. Then again, if you've never been Tokyo...but that's a different thread and trip altogether.)

New School

-One (or a few) of NYC's newer cocktail lounges to compare what's going on here to what's going on in London.

-wd~50/Tailor

-Momofuku Ssam

-Yakitori Totto/Torys

-Lunch at Jean Georges (technically a big player, but I'm more and more of the opinion that, when value and approachability are taken into account, lunch is better than dinner. With the exchange rate, it'll be like the cost of getting a doner at the corner shop).

For My Personal Amusement

-Would love to hear what someone with your experience thinks of Gordon Ramsay at the London.

Others will undoubtedly chime in.

[Nathan]

Ssam Bar, Ssam Bar, Ssam Bar.

Babbo. maybe Blue Hill or Hearth or something like that.

Yasuda.

French you have. we have better Italian and sushi.

Ssam Bar is sui generis...

maybe Bouley Upstairs too.

[BryanZ]

I left Babbo off because I considered it a big player already.

Blue Hill and Hearth are good options but perhaps a little "boring" for a visitor who has limited meals. They're both very good restaurants, yes, but not particularly exciting ones.

If you've got some time to kill, you can kick it on this Google Map I've made that's, like, places I've been recently/go to regularly/am interested in. Everything on it is unequivocally good, and I don't think you can go wrong at any of them. It's eclectic, however.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=...f23e1b026eb355e

Edited December 13, 2007 by BryanZ (log)

[Nathan]

personally, I agree...but they are examples of local, ingredient driven cooking.

[raji]

I've always had to host a lot of friends from the UK - I'll post more later, but definitely play to NYCs strengths. If you've never been to Japan, then you should focus on that inasmuch as you enjoy Japanese food; NYC is the best Japanese outside of Japan and Japanese is the new French. A tour of Masa, Yasuda, Aburiya Kinnosuke, Yakitori Totto and perhaps Sugiyama might completely change your outlook on Japanese cuisiine, this has been my experience with friends from the UK, and they're all within a 15 block radius. Same goes for most of the rest of Asia, you can find outposts with oustanding examples of a specific region of a specific country. I would mostly skip European cuisine. Indian will also disappoint you; our best can't be better than London's best. Jewish soul food and Latin American/fusion are 2 categories that would probably be newer and more exciting to you. Where yo ubeen?

[jjb1980]

Not to send this thread into the wrong direction but I believe Blue Hill would be a great choice, especially if you have a half day to go out to the stone barns center location. No one on the east coast is doing such an intense local seasonal menu, and a good portion of the meats come directly from the stone barns center. Also I don't believe the food is boring at all, I worked in the kitchen at stone barns and we were using contemporary technique for many items. Not everything has to run the line of sweet/savory. Also I like to believe that Blue Hill is very similiar to eating in Europe, terroir runs through each dish, it would be a great way of experiening great American food in the style of many Euro rural starred restaurants. Yes many of the big players in NYC are using local seasonal produce and its great for the customer, but how many NYC chefs and cooks get to walk to their back door where stacks of root vegetables are ready to be prepped for service still warm from the ground!!!

[rooftop1000]

If you've got some time to kill, you can kick it on this Google Map I've made that's, like, places I've been recently/go to regularly/am interested in.  Everything on it is unequivocally good, and I don't think you can go wrong at any of them.  It's eclectic, however.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=...f23e1b026eb355e

←

Could this link be pinned somewhere?...there is something similar in the France forum

Tracey

[BryanZ]

It would actually make for an interesting thread. Regular posters (with a lot of time on their hands) putting together maps of places they like. I don't think that this one alone is of any particular merit, but it would be interesting to see where people go/are interested in going.

[Conor]

Thanks for all your help so far. I have identified the following restaurants i want to go to:

Brasserie Les Halles

Rosa Mexicano

Buddhakan

Lombardi's

The Carnegie Deli

I know they may be not everyone's choice but there is method behind my thoughts!!

I am still looking for a good place in Chinatown for Dim Sum, and still haven't decided on my "top end" restaurant.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Nathan]

Brasserie Les Halles

Rosa Mexicano

Buddhakan

Lombardi's

The Carnegie Deli

←

um, ?????????????????????????????????

BLH: you do realize that Bourdain hasn't set foot in that kitchen in many years? that it's just an ordinary bistro-type menu and that there are over a hundred similar restaurants in NY, many of them better?

Rosa Mexicana: well, NY doesn't have great Mexican, but its better than most here and probably better than anything in London.

Buddakan? ??????????????????????????????? this makes no sense. trust me. none. if you want Asian fusion we can suggest better places.

[Nathan]

for your top-end restaurant:

Per Se, Jean-Georges, or LB.

I'd strongly suggest one of our top sushi places here as well (you simply don't have this in London).

[Nathan]

another thing, you said that you want a "defining NY experience"....well, all of the restaurants you've listed are tourist traps, more or less.

(Lombardi's and Carnegie Deli do have their merits...but they still primarily cater to tourists these days)

[Alchemist]

One little word. Queens.

[BryanZ]

I feel used.

[raji]

Thanks for all your help so far. I have identified the following restaurants i want to go to:

Brasserie Les Halles - Nate explained this one

Rosa Mexicano Tehuitzingo and refund me the price differential!

Buddhakan Sugiyama, Morimoto?

Lombardi's Otto, Una Pizza, Grimaldi's

The Carnegie Deli Katz's

I know they may be not everyone's choice but there is method behind my thoughts!!

I am still looking for a good place in Chinatown for Dim Sum, and still haven't decided on my "top end" restaurant.

And Chinatown Brasserie for dim sum -

I guess we'd want to know your reasons and feel you've chosen poorly. Are you using citysearch for research?

[raji]

It would actually make for an interesting thread.  Regular posters (with a lot of time on their hands) putting together maps of places they like.  I don't think that this one alone is of any particular merit, but it would be interesting to see where people go/are interested in going.

←

That's a fantastically genius-level idear there, cuz I thought of it too!

I had already done a map of Jackson Heights, had one going for NYC and doing one up for Tokyo on behalf of tupac

[Conor]

Thanks for the advice. I had heard of Katz's also so may well try there instead.

Reasons for others are:

Rosa Mexicano - a good friend used to work there so I just want to see it as he talks about it a lot.

Les Halles - I have no expectation of a culinary delight, but when you read a book you build a visual imagination, I'm visiting just to give myself visual reality. Probably just for Brunch on Sunday.

Lombardi's - no particular reason, will definitley look up the other's suggested

Buddhakan - again no particular reason, i had heard that the decor was fascinating, so i thought i would check it out.

Still looking for Dim Sum!!

[Conor]

One other thing I forgot, I am staying on Madison Avenue, near St Patrick's Cathedral.

Where is good for breakfast around there, or even further afield if i fancy a little stroll in the mornings?

[weinoo]

Thanks for all your help so far. I have identified the following restaurants i want to go to:

Brasserie Les Halles - Nate explained this one

Rosa Mexicano Tehuitzingo and refund me the price differential!

Buddhakan Sugiyama, Morimoto?

Lombardi's Otto, Una Pizza, Grimaldi's

The Carnegie Deli Katz's

I know they may be not everyone's choice but there is method behind my thoughts!!

I am still looking for a good place in Chinatown for Dim Sum, and still haven't decided on my "top end" restaurant.

And Chinatown Brasserie for dim sum -

I guess we'd want to know your reasons and feel you've chosen poorly. Are you using citysearch for research?

←

I agree mostly with Raji, BryanZ and Nathan, and I'll add:

Katz's won't necessarily get you away from the tourists, but it's demonstrably better than Carnegie, for that NY deli experience.

Pizza has obviously been discussed in great depth, with many topics on the subject right here in the NY forum. That said, Otto and Una Pizza are not exactly NY style pizzas and Arturo's on Houston St. and Patsy's in East Harlem will both be better than Lombardi's. Just had a pie last night at Arturo's and it was great.

Have a drink at Les Halles and then get out. Feel Bourdain's ghost, if you must. Brunch and anything else you might want to eat, as well as for the great American brasserie - Balthazaar, please.

Chinatown Brasserie is simply the best dim sum you're gonna find in Manhattan.

And Buddakhan - why??? Go to Spice Market instead, and then you can say you were at the original before they're cloned worldwide by JG.

[Jesikka]

Thanks for all your help so far. I have identified the following restaurants i want to go to:

Brasserie Les Halles - Nate explained this one

Rosa Mexicano Tehuitzingo and refund me the price differential!

Buddhakan Sugiyama, Morimoto?

Lombardi's Otto, Una Pizza, Grimaldi's

The Carnegie Deli Katz's

I know they may be not everyone's choice but there is method behind my thoughts!!

I am still looking for a good place in Chinatown for Dim Sum, and still haven't decided on my "top end" restaurant.

And Chinatown Brasserie for dim sum -

I guess we'd want to know your reasons and feel you've chosen poorly. Are you using citysearch for research?

←

I agree mostly with Raji, BryanZ and Nathan, and I'll add:

Katz's won't necessarily get you away from the tourists, but it's demonstrably better than Carnegie, for that NY deli experience.

Pizza has obviously been discussed in great depth, with many topics on the subject right here in the NY forum. That said, Otto and Una Pizza are not exactly NY style pizzas and Arturo's on Houston St. and Patsy's in East Harlem will both be better than Lombardi's. Just had a pie last night at Arturo's and it was great.

Have a drink at Les Halles and then get out. Feel Bourdain's ghost, if you must. Brunch and anything else you might want to eat, as well as for the great American brasserie - Balthazaar, please.

Chinatown Brasserie is simply the best dim sum you're gonna find in Manhattan.

And Buddakhan - why??? Go to Spice Market instead, and then you can say you were at the original before they're cloned worldwide by JG.

←

I don't think you're going to find anyone on this board who will support those restaurant choices given a limited number of nights in NY, but I DEFINITELY wouldn't recommend Spice Market over Buddakan. The food at Spice Market started out bad and has become terrible. Buddakkan, while not my first choice by any means, does have a really striking atmosphere and the food is fine. It seems obvious that you aren't picking your restaurants based on food quality, so if you're primarily concerned with atmosphere then you'll find it at Buddakkan. Buddakkan is also a better restaurant than Morimoto, unless you're getting served by the man himself.

On the other hand, you might as well consider the Les Halles that you're imagining to be closed. If you're interested in something in that vein- and some people might disagree with me here- I'd do a night at Quality Meats. The decor is striking, they have a charcuterie bar and when they're on, the steak is excellent. Look through the QM thread for info on what to order.

Unless you're going to Flushing, I'd second the recommendation of Chinatown Brasserie for dimsum. Katz's is obviously a million times better than Carnegie (I wouldn't eat there if you paid me). For pizza I'd have to argue for DiFara- it's worth the shlep.

[Swicks]

Interesting...

As a non-native who visited last year in March for the first time I can say there are some really good suggestions on here that should be heeded. Personally I think if you visit NYC and skip Momo Ssam Bar you are missing out big time. I literally still crave it to this day, it is extraordinary.

I had dim sum at Chinatown Brasserie, it was excellent.

[weinoo]

I don't think you're going to find anyone on this board who will support those restaurant choices given a limited number of nights in NY, but I DEFINITELY wouldn't recommend Spice Market over Buddakan.  The food at Spice Market started out bad and has become terrible.  Buddakkan, while not my first choice by any means, does have a really striking atmosphere and the food is fine.  It seems obvious that you aren't picking your restaurants based on food quality, so if you're primarily concerned with atmosphere then you'll find it at Buddakkan.  Buddakkan is also a better restaurant than Morimoto, unless you're getting served by the man himself.

←

Notice I didn't say anything about the FOOD at Spice Market. I just said to go so one could say they were at the original before they're cloned worldwide.

For food in that "category," there are probably many better choices (hell, how about Fatty Crab before it starts spreading); raji and BryanZ have listed just a few examples.

As good as the 'za is at DiFara's, it's a pain in the ass - to get to, to get served, and to eat at. Arturo's/Patsy's et. al. are, imo, much better over-all experiences, and, they're in Manhattan.

[Nathan]

I'm going to concur that if you're interested in decor and not in food...that you should go to Spice Market. that's exactly where I take tourists uninterested in food but who want that NY "wow" factor to tell people about.