NYC in May 2013

[christm]

Hi

Hoping the board can again throw up some wonderful suggestions.

Going to New York on holiday again for my wife's 30th birthday in May. Have been a few times before.

I'm looking for a few different kind of restaurant experiences

1. Main birthday dinner - probably not able to stretch to a 'Per Se' price of place but looking for somewhere nice for a special meal. It doesn't have to be a tasting menu but we do enjoy these - really enjoyed the Aldea tasting menu the last time we were there to give some reference of tastes etc...

2. Neighbourhood NYC places - by this I mean non touristy maybe out of the way places you just have to 'know about' (if there are any) - nothing too fancy but quality cooking.

3. Cheap eats - any recommended cheap east - food carts or the like for quick lunches etc...

4. Cheesecake - going with my in laws and they are obsessed with finding the best cheesecake - where should we go?

Any other general suggestions gratefully received - only there for 4 nights so trying to cram in as much food as possible

Thanks

Martin

[Mjx]

Have you taken a look in the array of NYC dining topics (I have few suggestions to make, since most of my favourite places are gone, which has made me too grumpy to bother finding new ones, but I still do enjoy Wallsé)? You might also want to take a look at the blog of fellow-member weinoo, Tasty Travails.

[Katie Meadow]

Don't know where you live, but if you don't live on the east coast one of best treats in late spring/early summer is fresh soft shell crabs. They are often on the "specials" menus at a wide variety of restaurants--Italian, Chinese, Japanese, etc. I think it's my favorite seasonal food on earth. Well, not including vegetables and fruits.

[weinoo]

Don't know where you live, but if you don't live on the east coast one of best treats in late spring/early summer is fresh soft shell crabs. They are often on the "specials" menus at a wide variety of restaurants--Italian, Chinese, Japanese, etc. I think it's my favorite seasonal food on earth. Well, not including vegetables and fruits.

I'm been in DC this past weekend, and it looks like the local crab season opens this week.

A number of hot new openings include Montmartre, Carbone and Alder...Montmartre takes reservations, Carbone is pretty much reservations only and Alder is walk-in only (for now). I've only eaten at one of the three but reviews are fairly positive for all.

Mission Chinese Food and Pig & Khao both fall into the cheap eats category (but not from carts) with some excellent food.

[Katie Meadow]

Actually I had very good soft shell crabs last spring at Xi'an Famous foods in Chinatown, and that was rock bottom price.

[Katie Meadow]

Highlights of the week so far. We made a couple of meals at the apt after trips to Citarella, which I just can't resist. One night we had steamers--super nostalgic food for me, and one night we cooked Skate wings. Skate is cheap and delicious, and this was my first time cooking it. I probably could use a lesson in skate prep, like how to get that cartiledge out, but we just sauteed it very briefly in butter, than made a little brown butter caper lemon sauce to pour over. Sorry to miss Shad season by a few days, but thrilled to arrive just in time for early soft shell crabs. Had them at Great NY Noodletown, best ever. I think it's my favorite food on earth.

Drinks and bar food one night at Ma Peche. It's right down the block from my mom's apt and I've never been. After looking at the menu and reading some reviews I decided I could live without a having a formal dinner there. Drinks are good, snacks are great. Had the ubiquitous pork buns, some kind of wildly yummy crispy shrimp balls and the best of all was what they simply refer to as "cheese toast," which for my money is like the more glorified tuna melt ever: buttery crispy edged thick toast, melted cheese and then a flurry of shaved bonito. We ordered a second one immediately.

Did a comparison of papaya juice. Papaya King wins. Going back for juice and a hot dog tomorrow. It will be my first hot dog in years! Also at Papaya King my husband found a metro card with unlimited rides, so that must be a sign that the gods favor PK over Gray's, or that someone was so blissed out on their juice they forgot their card.

Brunch in chelsea w/my oldest friend from 4th grade at Tipsy Parson. They have a very good fruit bowl with ginger and mint, and a nice selection of breakfast food. Then across the street to La Bergamote for some takeaway pastry. Pistachio creme brulee is amazing! And so was the layered torte--senior moment can't remember what it was called.

Dollar oysters and fabulous hot gooey spinach artichoke dip at Mermaid Inn in the neighborhood where I grew up. It wasn't there then, too bad.

Lunch at Otto. Nice pizzas but what knocked me out was the fresh English peas served with prosciutto. So so good. Also delicious wine, but didn't write down what it was.

Dinner last night at Rouge et Blanc with an old friend. Never been before. The atmosphere is totally sweet, it's relatively quiet and they don't rush you. You can talk! It's adorable! Best dish was a total knockout--we were in heaven: cured arctic char sort of like gravlax, only not salmon) with house-made pickles and a creamy spicy bed of....who knows what, but it was basically a very refined French-Viet version of tartar sauce. Best of all the plates. Also good was crispy broccoli and kale, and I'm a confirmed broccoli hater, but it was great. Three of us shared two desserts, both trance inducing: the gateau chocolate w/marshmallow fluff and chocolate sauce, and the biscuit with macerated fruit with berry sorbet w/ crushed nuts under it.

Two days left, but not sure how much eating out we will do.

[terryanny]

I have heard really good things about Otto. Peas with prosciutto? really? It's not a combination I would have thought of, but when I get the chance, I will absolutely have to give it a try. Was it by any chance served in a cream sauce? For some reason, that makes the most sense to me.

Lunch at Otto. Nice pizzas but what knocked me out was the fresh English peas served with prosciutto. So so good. Also delicious wine, but didn't write down what it was.

[weinoo]

I have heard really good things about Otto. Peas with prosciutto? really?

Yes, really...it's a classic contorno.

[Katie Meadow]

They were served room temp with a minty dressing with folds of prosciutto on top. And there were lots of peas! Otto must have a porch with old rockers on the back side of 5th ave where the staff sits around shelling peas and gossiping.

[FrogPrincesse]

The peas sound delicious.

It's interesting to read your report about Ma Peche. I went there last year and had a disatrous experience. I did not like the cavernous space; the service was bad and the food was insanely expensive for what it was. I am still upset about it and am doing my best to forget, but your post brought back painful memories!

[Katie Meadow]

So sorry you had a bad experience there. And after what you say I'm just glad we stopped at drinks and bar food. Although it's hard to imagine even wanting dinner after eating a slab of that cheese toast. I'm in North Carolina now--in the Great Smokies. Where a tuna melt isn't made with bonito flakes. Actually I don't think they even have tuna melts in NC. What they do have is unlimited quantities of bacon and fresh farm eggs. And lots of grits. Everyone had a garden and almost everyone has some chickens.