Foodie's NYC Visit

[badger0412]

I am visiting NYC [from the UK] in March with my wife to celebrate our anniversary [we married in NYC last year]. The north of england is scarce [to say the least] in terms of fine dining and I plan to over indulge during my visit. I wonder if the members might venture their opinions for the perfect five night dining sequence. I have [with the help of my hotel concierge] come up with a draft list and would welcome some opinions before making the reservations.

1. Balthazar

2. Veritas

3. Daniel [non negotiable!]

4. Da Silvano

5. Nobu

We are returing for the US Open Tennis in Aug/Sep where we plan to try some of the 'less obvious' destinations so please forgive the [possibly] predictable thinking.

Many thanks in advance

Dean

[bigbear]

Welcome.

[jordyn]

As usual, this type of inquiry is going to be met best by a series of questions. It looks like you have a reasonably diverse list here, so I'm assuming that you don't have any preferences for particular types of cuisine. Just to get a feel for your tastes, though, can you let us know some other places that you've eaten in the past that you've particularly liked or disliked?

My initial reaction is to think that there are probably better choices than Balthazar and Da Silvano, but the other three look fine.

How important is wine to you? Veritas is a very good restaurant, but obviously the wine, not the food, is at the heart of the experience there.

[badger0412]

Jordyn

Thanks for your questions and apologies for the ambiguity. We don't have any particular preferences [although I do love French] and will eat just about anything [once]. As far as budget is concerned no problem either. For a wedding last year we ate at Picholine the night before, 11 Madison Park on our wedding day and had brunch at the River Cafe the following day. We thoroughly enjoyed all of them [for varying reasons] but if I had to pick the 'stand out' it would be Picholine.

As far as Veritas is concerned the wine is precisely the reason I am going - I have even picked the wine I hope to have from the on-line wine list!

Balthazar and Da Silvano were recommended by the hotel concierge based on our request for somewhere a little lively and less formal than the others.

Big Bear

Allow me to commend you on your remarkable wit - any relation to Oscar Wilde - and withdraw my gratitude!

Regards to one and all

Dean

[Steve Plotnicki]

Fine Italian dining in NYC is possibly at an all time low these days but if you insist, Babbo or Il Mulino are the two choices depending on the style you like. Neither one is Tuscan though. I would consider replacing the Italian with a famous NY steakhouse like Luger's or Spark's etc. Balthazar is fun but better for lunch then dinner. There are much better choices out there.

Edited February 10, 2003 by Steve Plotnicki (log)

[jordyn]

Plotnicki's suggestion of Luger's is an excellent one, I think, and I'll mention Blue Hill as an eGullet favorite that is a bit more casual. Nothing like Balthazar, I'm afraid, but if you're intent on eating somewhere loud, you might think about Patria, which I think has considerably better food, although maybe not as many celebrities. (Do celebrities still go to Balthazar?) Service levels at Patria still veer somewhat towards the formal side, despite the noise.

[MichaelZ]

I'd like to cast a vote for Gramercy Tavern. The style of service and feel of the room is nothing like I've experienced in the best places in London. I think the food is consistently wonderful. It is my favorite place to take visiting Europeans. Even if you can't make it this trip, it deserves to be on your list.

[cabrales]

I'd agree with jordyn's assessment regarding seriously considering whether Balthazar and Da Silvano are good choices, particularly when budget is not a consideration. I would also call into question Nobu, which you could sample in London (both at Nobu and at Ubon). However, I can see how Nobu has a value in your line-up with respect to variety in restaruant type.

I second jordyn's recommendation regarding Blue Hill. :laugh: If you are interested in cuisine variety, try Babbo (reservations may be difficult to secure) for Italian.

May I ask what lunches are being devoted to? Why not go to Bouley or Chanterelle for lunch (prix fixes are reasonable) in addition to the planned dinners?

[badger0412]

Cabrales

Accept the point on Nobu. I've been to the one in London [and Canary Wharf] but had heard they didn't compare particularly well.

In terms of lunches I had made an additional list but as a 'new poster' didn't want to deluge the forum with my ignorance in one go!! We have a fairly flexible approach to lunch although I suppose should be conscious of not over-eating bearing in mind our evening destinations. The only definite is the River Cafe [for sentimental reasons more than anything else] on the Sunday.

I personally have wanted to try the [in]famous burgers of db Bistro for some time - even more so since reviewing the threads here! Other than that your guidance would be greatly appreciated

Regards

Dean

[Liza]

Please be kind to Big Bear. He's an official Egullet Welcomer .

Thanks!

[Suzanne F]

I would pick Craft over Balthazar any day. For the food, not the scene (I don't care about scenes, but I hate noise, of which B has far too much).

And to toss another possibility into the mix: Ilo (although I haven't been in a year or so).

[tommy]

And to toss another possibility into the mix:  Ilo  (although I haven't been in a year or so).

NNOOOOOO!!!!! please don't travel from the UK to go to Ilo. Please!!!

[jaybee]

If you like steak, and want a quintessential "haute West Side" New York experience, try the Mitchell London Steak House on the second floor of the Fairway Market, 74th and Broadway. There you will see "real" New Yorkers" chowing down on the best strip steak in the city for a great price of $35, which includes side dishes. One steak, by the way, is usually sufficient for two normal people (Especially if they are English ). The appetizers include shrimp and crab and good salads. The desserts are unparallelled, since London is a premoer pastry chef and baker.

The place may still be BYO, so come with a bottle of your favorite plonk.

It is a meal you should enjoy and memorable.

I believe you can also order lobster (but check in advance if this is important to you).

Edited February 10, 2003 by jaybee (log)

[badger0412]

Apologies to Big Bear - clearly I have sensitivity issues - I took his welcome as an abridged 'You're welcome' in response to my advance thanks!!

That aside - many thanks to everyone who has contributed - I've more 'food for thought' which will almost certainly have the concierge at the hotel cusing my name!

[cabrales]

Accept the point on Nobu.  I've been to the one in London [and Canary Wharf] but had heard they didn't compare particularly well.

In terms of lunches I had made an additional list but as a 'new poster' didn't want to deluge the forum with my ignorance in one go!!  ... I personally have wanted to try the [in]famous burgers of db Bistro for some time - even more so since reviewing the threads here!

badger0412 -- Welcome

On Nobu, the NY location might be slightly stronger, with respect to execution of dishes, than the London ones (??), but they are not that different. The menus are broadly comparable.

Please don't feel shy about sharing your lunch list. There are many wonderful opportunities for gastronomic lunches at reasonable prices. The db burger is a good choice for lunch, although ordering it too "cooked" (i.e., above medium) would, in my mind, affect the experience (I order mine rare). I don't know if you're interested in the truffled version. If you're arriving towards the end of March, that would be pushing the parameters of the fresh black truffle season.

I forgot to mention Union Pacific as a possibility for dinner.

[bigbear]

Apologies to Big Bear - clearly I have sensitivity issues - I took his welcome as an abridged 'You're welcome' in response to my advance thanks!!

Welcome to eGullet.

[badger0412]

Cabrales [you did ask] - here 'were' my initial thoughts on lunch:

db Bistro [as mentioned already]

Cafe Botannica [we actually got married at the Essex House last year]

Montrachet

River Cafe [as already mentioned]

Scalini Fedeli/Waters Edge

Waiting in aniticpation to be 'shot down'!

Regards

Dean

[jordyn]

If you have already been to Nobu in London, I would definitely give it a pass in New York. As Cabrales mentions, the dishes are basically the same across all of Nobu's establishment. Although we don't know if it is good or not yet, it might be interesting to substitute your meal at Nobu with one at 66, Jean Georges Vongerichten's new Chinese restaurant in TriBeCa. This keeps an Asian restaurant on the list for variety's sake, and also seems to be a bit less formal.

This approach has the added advantage of allowing you to go somewhere like Gramercy Tavern without overburdening your eating schedule with more formal places. (I personally am not a big fan of Gramercy, but many people here are. There are other good options if you go this route.)

[cabrales]

db Bistro [as mentioned already]

Cafe Botannica [we actually got married at the Essex House last year]

Montrachet

River Cafe [as already mentioned]

Scalini Fedeli/Waters Edge

Dean -- Hmm. I guess I would consider substituting Bouley or Chanterelle for Montrachet. I've never been to Scalini Fedeli.

http://www.chanterellenyc.com/menu_lunch_pf.htm

On Bouley lunch, see the threads on Bouley in this forum.

If you got married at the Essex House, might you not be giving consideration to Alain Ducasse NY at the Essex House (granted, it would be a considerably more expensive dinner; I also happen to believe the price discrepancy is not justified)?

[jordyn]

I've heard Scalini Fideli is not as good recently as in the past. I'll second Cabrales' call for a lunch at Bouley instead of Montrachet.

Steve P's suggestion of moving Balthazar to lunch may work by bumping Scalini Fideli out.

[Suzanne F]

Oh. please don't drop Montrachet from your lunch list. Chris Gesualdi, the last chef there to earn 3 stars, has returned. but do be aware that the only day they serve lunch is Friday.

[ajay]

I'd like to put in a strong plug for my two recent favorites: Atelier for classic french (perhaps instead of veritas?) and Cafe Boloud, which I and some others including the fat bloke believe is better than the mother ship. I love chef Carmellini's (sp?) rendition of regional dishes--they are often unbelievable. Also, when at CB, just ask for a mulit course tasting, and prepare to be amazed.

As far as Nobu, it is a good choice (i tend to prefer nobu next door) but if you have something comperable in Lodon, i might suggest either a more straight up sushi place like sushi yasuda (sp?) or Jewel Bako which has a slightly different approach (and apparently the best otoro around). We have had extensive threads on each.

I really do hope you'll give bouley a try for lunch as when the kitchen is on, it is my subjectively preferred restaurant in the US. the problem is the kitchen is sometimes very firmly in the off position. still 35 is a small bet to place in the game of restaurant roulette...

In any case, let me join the others in welcoming you to egullet (don't know how to make the trade mark symbol) and hope that you have a wonderful visit to our great city! heavan knows that we need the tourism dollars.

[cabrales]

I second the Atelier choice for dinner, although it would be an experience that is closer than Daniel than to, say, Blue Hill.

[munchcake]

Definitely go to Bouley for lunch. It's a bargain, so even if the kitchen is off, I'd say you won't eat much better anywhere else for 35 bucks.

I went to CB for lunch in the fall, and it was excellent. You could try it midday instead of at night. I love their menu, and think that the atmosphere is definitely relaxed enough for lunch.

But what about Aquavit if you're looking for variety or March if you're looking for great wine?

There are also smaller, less formal restaurants to check out. Po, for instance, is cheap and totally satisfying.

I totally second the vote for Patria. It has been, for me anyway, consistently excellent. I doubt that the Nuevo Latino flavours are as ubiquitous in the UK. It also is a little lighter than some of the other restaurants mentioned in this thread, particularly because their ceviche specials are a definite must.

Have a wonderful trip and a happy anniversary.

Lauren

[weinoo]

What's with the dissing of Balthazaar on this list? I've probably had 15 meals there over the years (including last night for a 5th anniversary dinner) and have had nothing less than a lot of fun, excellent service, good (if not at times great) food, all at a fairly reasonable price. The oysters are always fresh, the steak (while maybe not a Sparks steak) tender and tasty (and not a Sparks price at $23 w/ frites- by the way, name 3 places with better fries), and the special cassoulet last night was fantastic. Also, their bread rocks, and the French wine list ain't bad either. Yeah, it's noisy- like about 99% of NYC restaurants, but you can certainly carry on a conversation - all in all, I think it's a quintessential NYC experience, lunch or dinner.