15th Anniversary trip to NYC – Looking for a special meal

[pastameshugana]

Mrs Meshugana and I will be spending a week in mid-July to celebrate 15 years. We've got lots of little cafe's and sight-seeing booked (my father was from Queens, but this will be my first time to the city, excepting JFK layovers).

 

We'd love to experience a fine chef's tasting menu, we enjoy them occasionally in our region (the west). Our budget will probably be around $100-$150 per person.

 

I'd love to hit Per Se, but of course that's far outside our budget at the moment.

 

Can anyone make a recommendation?

 

Thanks in advance,

[weinoo]

I'll ask a few questions that are asked on another board when someone asks the same thing as you...

 

Is that your budget before or after tax and tip? And $100 - $150 is a broad range; can you be more specific?

 

What types of food do you like?

 

Jean-Georges is probably one of the most reasonable tasting menus on the planet.  At lunch, especially, it's $39 for 2 courses, and $19 for each additional course. Dinner is slightly different; they do a 3-course prix fixe for $118.

 

Le Bernardin - 3 course lunch is $76; 4-course dinner is $135. We loved our anniversary dinner there this year.  Here's my blog post about that meal.

 

Gramercy Tavern's lunch tasting is $58. Dinner is a 3-course menu for $92, or a tasting for $120.  Still great food after all these years.

 

Then there are set menu places like Contra, which has been very well received.  It's around $60 for their 5-course menu.

 

Or another favorite, because Dave Santos is just a fine chef/cook, is Louro.  On Monday nights (if you're here on a Monday), they often do a Nossa Mesa supper club. For example, May 19th is pig & uni, and it's $75 a person. It's also bring your own wine and beer, which makes it an outstanding value.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the first 3; As a matter of fact, you'll have to wear a jacket at Le Bernardin.  GT is not quite as fancy; Danny Meyer casual fancy.

Edited May 8, 2014 by weinoo (log)

[weinoo]

And don't forget, once you start drinking, your tab can easily double.

[pastameshugana]

Thank you so much for the tips - that gives me something to look into.

 

My budget # of 100-150 was before tip & tax - not a hard limit just something to set the range.

 

Also, neither of us drink alcohol, so that saves (quite) a few pennies at dinner time.

 

Thanks again. Gramercy and Contra both intrigue me, for different reasons.... decisions, decisions...

[weinoo]

Contra is quite "modern," whatever that means.   

 

Wells reviewed it a month or two ago in the Times.

 

Tough choice.  Do Contra for dinner and GT or JG for lunch - that'll fall within your budget   .

[Alex]

Mitch undoubtedly knows way more about NYC dining than Tom Sietsema, the food critic for The Washington Post who'll occasionally mention restaurants in other cities, but fwiw, in today's chat, he mentioned Hearth, which offers a seven-course tasting menu for $86/pp. Any opinion about the place, Mitch?

 

He also highly recommended Racines, but I don't see a tasting menu.

[weinoo]

I like Hearth a lot. Fun place, great wine list. But for a 15th anniversary dinner, there are places I would choose over it.

[patrickamory]

Agree with Mitch. Hearth is not a special occasion restaurant. His recommendations will definitely give you what you're looking for.

 

I think 11 Madison Park is even better than any of them, but is definitely above your budget… still, with no alcohol, maybe you could make it work? Incredibly beautiful room as well. And for the money - a lot more food.

[weinoo]

I don't think you'll leave any of those places hungry.

 

11 Mad is one of my faves - but for sitting and dining at the bar. And really - bettter than Le B - no way (it's also $225 and you're there for many hours).

[patrickamory]

Mitch - reasonable people may choose to disagree. But my dining companions and I at Le Bernardin last week decided to order double appetizers and double mid-courses in order to get enough food. That raised the price substantially above 11 Madison.

 

For a special occasion, the room at Le B is in a rather blah '90s building, lavishly decorated but without much taste. At least the seating is comfortable. Nonetheless at 11 Mad you're sitting in spectacular Art Deco surroundings.

 

The food at Le Bernardin was excellent of course. And if the OP is specifically searching for seafood then that should probably be the choice.