"Tried and true" restaurants

[Pan]

Fat Guy made a great point in the "Hopes and Wishes for the New York Scene in 2005" thread:

[...]I'd like to see the media do their part by devoting more space to the tried-and-true, and to celebrating those who have dished out excellence for so long. New openings are important, but not so much so that they should eclipse the hundreds of places that already exist.[...]

←

So why don't we do our part right here? Let's talk about some very longstanding, reliably good restaurants here.

I'll start. On one level, there are diners like Teresa's that never really change and are dependable and solid. On another level, there are places like Col Legno, which has been around for something like 14 years and continues to provide satisfying, dependable Tuscan cuisine in relaxing, quiet surroundings. I'll leave it to the rest of you to talk about dependable restaurants at higher levels than that.

[KatieLoeb]

Since it had been mentioned on the other thread that there was no good Spanish food in New York, does that mean my favorite Spanish restaurant Sevilla's at 4th & Charles is not good anymore? Admittedly I haven't eaten there in several years, but I had always found it to be reliable and reasonable authentic, as well as a good value. The Paella was delicious and the Gambas con Salsa Verde (Shrimp in a deadly garlicky parsley sauce) was also one of my favorites. The White Sangria they serve at the bar is addictively tasty, and I was fortunate enough to have the bartender give me the secret recipe that I've made at home to much success on several occasions.

If indeed my old staple has gone downhill, then I would certainly wish for an excellent Spanish restaurant, as it's one of my favorite cuisines. I'd also wish for more adventurous ethnic restaurants along the lines of Devi, that can introduce me to a familiar cuisine in a new and interesting way. Doesn't have to be dead-on "authentic", nor does it have to be formal or expensive. Just have me leave feeling as if I've learned something new.

I never leave Katz's Deli disappointed.

[Pan]

Yeah, Katz's surely belongs in this thread. I've never been to the Spanish restaurant you mentioned, though.

[SobaAddict70]

I can think of four Spanish restaurants off the top of my head that have opened in New York in recent years. Four. As opposed to how many Italian-influenced/Asian-influenced/________________ other type of restaurants?

Azafran

Solera

Bolo

Casa Mono

Five if you count Bar Jamon.

There probably are more, but I had NYT-starred/rated restaurants in mind. Spanish food is more than just gazpacho, paella and tapas. I really wish we saw more food representative of the country than just a few select regions.

Soba

[zeitoun]

Two places which have never let me down, and that I have been going to for years:

Nha Trang in chinatown. The vietnamese place where I have been savoring nems, bbq pork chops and crispy squid ever since I moved to NY. Always on the money.

Cambodian Cuisine in Brooklyn by the BAM theater which I discovered 5 years ago. Their hot pots are to die for. You can go wrong though if you venture deeper into the menu.

[brooklyncook]

I've been satisfied -- EVERY time -- by Schnack in Red Hook. The burgers are always good, the foods I try (when I diverge from the usual orders) are excellent, and the folks there are genuinely concerned that you're enjoying your meal.

My only complaint, which has nothing to do with Schnack itself, is that the local transportation around the area leaves a bit to be desired. I'll take a bus in from Park Slope, but finding one going back is near to impossible. I'm usually left to call a car service or (hopefully) find a cab.

[oakapple]

Most of the contributions to this thread so far have been at the unstarred level. There's nothing wrong with that, but I thought I'd give a couple of examples at the high end.

The website for Gotham Bar and Grill says (on this page) that Chef Alfred Portale has earned three stars in four consecutive NYT reviews (1985, 1989, 1993, 1996). According to the website, no other chef has done that. If so, Gotham would certainly meet the criterion for sustained long-term excellence.

Another example would be Peter Luger, which has been widely regarded as the city's best steakhouse for decades.

[amyknyc]

I can think of four Spanish restaurants off the top of my head that have opened in New York in recent years.  Four.  As opposed to how many Italian-influenced/Asian-influenced/________________ other type of restaurants?

Azafran

Solera

Bolo

Casa Mono

Five if you count Bar Jamon.

There probably are more, but I had NYT-starred/rated restaurants in mind.  Spanish food is more than just gazpacho, paella and tapas.  I really wish we saw more food representative of the country than just a few select regions.

Soba

←

Six if you count Tia Pol (my favorite of the lot)

[JennyUptown]

Since it had been mentioned on the other thread that there was no good Spanish food in New York, does that mean my favorite Spanish restaurant Sevilla's at 4th

←

It's listed on MenuPages.com and the user comments are from November 2004 so it could still be open. I used to live nearby, but it's been a bit.

NYers?

[DanaT]

Hmm, my favorite Spanish haunt I haven't been to in ages. My girlfriends and I used to go to El Faro when we lived in the Village. The paella was good but the sopa was fantastic.

[Fat Guy]

The website for Gotham Bar and Grill says (on this page) that Chef Alfred Portale has earned three stars in four consecutive NYT reviews (1985, 1989, 1993, 1996). According to the website, no other chef has done that. If so, Gotham would certainly meet the criterion for sustained long-term excellence.

Another example would be Peter Luger, which has been widely regarded as the city's best steakhouse for decades.

←

Those both strike me as excellent examples of tried-and-true restaurants, and Gotham has the additional distinction of being neglected by the press. Some of the tried-and-true places manage to get on various informal media short lists and get plenty of coverage: Peter Luger, Katz's, Papaya King. Meanwhile, you have places like Gotham that have to fight hard against far inferior places for coverage. Picholine is another example of a restaurant in this category: excellent food year-in-year-out, but mostly relegated to lists of "top 10 cheese carts" and "top 10 places to eat before Lincoln Center."

[docsconz]

Has anyone been to the Four Seasons recently? It has been awhile for me, although I have enjoyed it when I have eaten there. Aside from the food, it is an amazing room(s).

[jgould]

Since it had been mentioned on the other thread that there was no good Spanish food in New York, does that mean my favorite Spanish restaurant Sevilla's at 4th & Charles is not good anymore?  Admittedly I haven't eaten there in several years, but I had always found it to be reliable and reasonable authentic, as well as a good value.  The Paella was delicious and the Gambas con Salsa Verde (Shrimp in a deadly garlicky parsley sauce) was also one of my favorites.  The White Sangria they serve at the bar is addictively tasty, and I was fortunate enough to have the bartender give me the secret recipe that I've made at home to much success on several occasions.

If indeed my old staple has gone downhill, then I would certainly wish for an excellent Spanish restaurant, as it's one of my favorite cuisines.  I'd also wish for more adventurous ethnic restaurants along the lines of Devi, that can introduce me to a familiar cuisine in a new and interesting way.  Doesn't have to be dead-on "authentic", nor does it have to be formal or expensive.  Just have me leave feeling as if I've learned something new.

I never leave Katz's Deli disappointed. 

←

katie, rest assured, sevilla is as good as it ever was. as long as the same cast of characters continue to be there, it will always remain the same.

[daisy17]

Since it had been mentioned on the other thread that there was no good Spanish food in New York, does that mean my favorite Spanish restaurant Sevilla's at 4th & Charles is not good anymore?

←

I ate at Sevilla a few weeks ago for the first time in years. It was a favorite of mine when I was a kid so I could be convinced that this was an off night. My veal was way too salty and I wouldn't say the service was attentive, although everyone was friendly. Sangria was good.

Ate at Peter Luger two days ago. The last time I was there, last year, left me wondering why I love the place. This trip reminded me. The steak was incredibly tender and flavorful, and I could eat an entire plate of the home fried potatoes myself. It should definitely be on any list of tried and true NY restaurants.

As for Gotham, what amazes me is the impact it has had on the NY restaurant scene over time. So many of our city's great chefs (now heading their own kitchens) started out there.

I would also put Union Square Cafe on the list, NOT because Zagat says it's popular, but because it's been putting out excellent food for nearly 20 years, and because Danny Meyer set the bar for hospitality/service in the industry.

[docsconz]

Although it has been some time since I've dined there, Il Mulino still seems to be going strong.

[hathor]

Although it has been some time since I've dined there, Il Mulino still seems to be going strong.

←

I'm sorry...but I have to disagree with you on this one. Our last trip there was one of those full blown nightmares that you can only laugh about. And one thing is certain: the waiters should not assume that they are the only ones who speak Italian. Good lord! Details can be provided if you're interested.

But Balthazar and Chez Jacqueline are good examples of tried and true, in my very humble opinion.

[Bond Girl]

Blue Hill, Daniels, and Lupa.

[docsconz]

Although it has been some time since I've dined there, Il Mulino still seems to be going strong.

←

I'm sorry...but I have to disagree with you on this one. Our last trip there was one of those full blown nightmares that you can only laugh about. And one thing is certain: the waiters should not assume that they are the only ones who speak Italian. Good lord! Details can be provided if you're interested.

But Balthazar and Chez Jacqueline are good examples of tried and true, in my very humble opinion.

←

I'm sorry to hear that. I can only hope that your experience was an aberration. I based my mention on my impression that it continues to be well talked about by most people I know who are familiar with it and it apparently continues to be a difficult reservation. Of course, if it is that difficult a reservation, many of those who continue to hold it in high regard such as myself may not have been there in awhile either.

[docsconz]

Blue Hill, Daniels, and Lupa.

←

Daniel has been around for about ten years or so. How long have Blue Hill and Lupa been around?

[zeitoun]

I've been satisfied -- EVERY time -- by Schnack in Red Hook.  The burgers are always good, the foods I try (when I diverge from the usual orders) are excellent, and the folks there are genuinely concerned that you're enjoying your meal.

←

Is this the place owned by this guy who has a cooking show on the Discovery Home Channel? I think it is called Cooking in Brooklyn??

[oakapple]

Blue Hill, Daniels, and Lupa.

←

Daniel has been around for about ten years or so. How long have Blue Hill and Lupa been around?

←

Daniel opened in 1993. Lupa opened in 1999. I believe Blue Hill opened in 2000. They are all fine restaurants, but probably not in the spirit of what Fat Guy had in mind when he referred to "tried-and-true...who have dished out excellence for so long." Edited January 5, 2005 by oakapple (log)

[Pan]

I don't think five years is enough. Over ten, and we're starting to see a longlasting establishment.

[Bond Girl]

I think the length of time is relative. The way I see it is if I never had a bad meal there for over two years running, it's good enough. My taste is constantly changing so for me over two years would be a very long time.

[weinoo]

Patsy's - E. Harlem

Agree with Bond Girl that while longevity may not be the most important factor - certainly consistency is...I'm with her on Lupa for that reason and also because I still think it will be here 5 years down the road.

Felidia, perhaps?

[Fat Guy]

I guess the most remarkable group of restaurants to me is tried, true, around a decade or more old, yet largely unheralded. Of course, it's not my thread and folks are free to list what they want to list, but my personal list wouldn't include Peter Luger or Union Square Cafe, because they get their fair share of press (or more), wouldn't include Blue Hill or Balthazar (too new, plus plenty of press), and wouldn't include well-documented standards like Katz's, Lombardi's, Papaya King, et al., because residents and tourists alike have tons of opportunities to learn about these places and frequent them in droves. So far I think Gotham and Picholine are the two examples that are going at the top of my personal list (I think the list should go in order of excellence, since that's what makes the lack of recognition so confounding). And it's not just a question of number of hits if you run the places through the New York Times search engine. It's about the context in which these places are mentioned, the frequency with which they are written about as restaurants not just in passing mentions of chefs or dishes or recipes, and the buzz on the street and online.