Rockefeller Center Recommendations

[cabrales]

Cabrales--might the icewine have been the Gold label oak-aged Vidal?  That's priced higher than their regular Vidal icewine.  It's been awhile, but I think I've seen the half-bottle 1998 Gold going for $80 in some stores up there.

Steve Klc -- The wine list did not indicate the Inniskillin was the Gold label version you described. However, as noted, I did not sample the wine and cannot say for sure. I have seen Inniskillin offered at more than one restaurant in NY. I believe it was offered at Django, although my recollection of different restaurants' wine lists becomes blurred at times.

[steflink01]

Hello all:

I'm going to N.Y. this weekend and my husband and I are staying at the Hilton & Towers at Rockefeller Center. Any dinner recommendations?

Stephanie

Moderator's note: The two threads were merged at this point

Edited June 24, 2005 by Pan (log)

[La Niña]

Stephanie, it's much easier to make a suggestion if we have more information. What's your budget? How close to the hotel neighborhood do you want to stay? What kinds of cuisines do you like? What kind of wine list do you look for? Do you prefer a high end experience or not? How much time do you have to devote to dinner, and which night do you want to go? Reservations may be an issue. Etc., etc.

[steflink01]

We like steakhouses or Italian and we're planning on going to dinner this Saturday night. I'm looking at a budget of around $120 for two people.

I've been dying to get into Peter Lugars for a year now, but each time, a months' notice for a Saturday night dining experience isn't enough lead time for reservations.

Steff

[La Niña]

There's an Italian restaurant I really like called La Locanda dei Vini on 9th Ave. & 50th St. Decent wine list, good food, lovely service, and you shouldn't have a problem getting in as long as you're not doing pre-theatre. Your budget is about right for this place. It's not fancy, and not very casual either. Comfortable, nice to sit for a while.

[steflink01]

Thank you--I will check into that. I'm also interested in a steakhouse and a French recommendation.

Stephanie

[Rail Paul]

In the Rock Center / Theater area, avoid dining between 6 and 730, as the theater crowd creates a surge. Restaurants become assembly lines. By 8, most places have returned to tranquility.

Expanding La Nina's great suggestion, I'd add Federico's on 51st, just east of 8th (opposite Palm). Pleasant, comfortable, earthy Italian, wood fired pizza. Figure $30 a head.

In the same neighborhood, Thalia (51st and 8th) is at the upper end of your budget. Most entrees are in the mid-20 range. We had dinner there on Saturday (appetizers, halibut and veal) with a bottle of wine for about $130 w/ tip.

You can preview hundreds of NYC restaurants with opentable. Log onto www.opentable.com, select NYC, plug in theater district, midtown west, rock center, etc, and it will give you highlights and websites for available places. If you want to rgister, you can actually make reservations...

[thereuare]

I had one of the best NYC meals i've had in a LOONG time at Brasserie 8 1/2 (you can search for my review, it was about 6 weeks ago).

There menu is posted online, and you can save $25 by going to this link:

http://www.ra-dineout.com/ra/

(posted here in case one below doesn't work)

If you go, you MUST have the bannana thing for dessert, and although not a traditional steak house, my filet mignon was excellent.

$25 Discount to Brasserie 8 1/2

[Brad Trent]

How is it that nobody has mentioned ViceVersa yet?!! Very good Italian, with a good wine list to boot! 325 West 51 212-399-9291 ViceVersa

[MJP]

Hey Gulleteers, my girlfriend and I are going to the Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Center on Sunday and we wanted to grab lunch. Are there any decent places that aren't too expensive that offer a decent lunch menu? We're not interested in Sunday brunch. Bistro would be nice, but we're open to anything, really. We're not looking to spend more than $60 on the bill (not including tip) and we don't plan on wine or drinks.

[johnder]

I used to work in Rock Center and one of my favorite places to go for lunch was Sapporo. It is a hole in the wall raman/katsu type place, not big on decor, but the food is awesome.

Their Katsu Curry is amazing. I heard from some friends that still work in that area and go there frequently they recently remodeled as well.

It is really cheap too.

Sapporo Restaurant

152 W 49th St

New York, NY 10019

(212) 869-8972

[daisy17]

Yes, Sapporo is good and cheap.

I still really like Wu Liang Ye for Chinese, mentioned upthread, on 48th between 5th & 6th. Yummy.

[tommy]

wu liang ye seems to me to be the best choice. you'll have world-class eats here. ordering correctly can help. there's no doubt a thread on the place on egullet and some info here. the Shredded Camphur Tead Smoked Duck with spring ginger might very well be the best duck dish you'll ever have.

[raji]

I used to work in Rock Center and one of my favorite places to go for lunch was Sapporo.  It is a hole in the wall raman/katsu type place, not big on decor, but the food is awesome.

Their Katsu Curry is amazing.    I heard from some friends that still work in that area and go there frequently they recently remodeled as well.

It is really cheap too.

Sapporo Restaurant

152 W 49th St

New York, NY 10019

(212) 869-8972

←

Sapporo's cheap - but a bit of a relic nowadays - try out Donburi-ya or Aburiya's teishoku lunch, or even Riki. On Friday''s Chikubu serves ramen which is supposedly better than anywhere else. And if you're going for anything katsu, just go to Katsuhama - everywee I'm mentioning is in the east 40s

I haven't been to Sapporo in years, is it really that good?

[borris]

I work in the area and have actually had some very good meals at Morrell Wine Bar. (Lunch and Dinner)