coming to new york

[pastramionrye]

my wife and i are coming up for a quick weekend from the DC area.

a little background. i am a professional cook at a nice restaurant in washington, dc. and i love food. my wife also loves dining out. we havent done much fine dining out in nyc, since we havent been there in awhile.

looking for some suggestions from you guys/gals.

looking for one nice meal out ($200/person max) one cheaper meal out (like lupa or prune) and one place we just cant miss (bagels or pizza or the momofuku dumpling place, my wife is a sucker for dumplings).

some places i had in mind were ouest, grammercy tavern, wd-50, lupa, etc.)

thanks in advance.

jonathan

[Eatmywords]

my wife and i are coming up for a quick weekend from the DC area.

a little background. i am a professional cook at a nice restaurant in washington, dc. and i love food. my wife also loves dining out. we havent done much fine dining out in nyc, since we havent been there in awhile.

looking for some suggestions from you guys/gals.

looking for one nice meal out ($200/person max) one cheaper meal out (like lupa or prune) and one place we just cant miss (bagels or pizza or the momofuku dumpling place, my wife is a sucker for dumplings).

some places i had in mind were ouest, grammercy tavern, wd-50, lupa, etc.)

thanks in advance.

jonathan

←

HeyJ, a similar request was discussed just last week; "First timer NY..." http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=82131 .......the starter, Magic168 had some nice reviews and pics. Also try the "Best of NY" threads http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=69849

Enjoy

[oakapple]

looking for one nice meal out ($200/person max) one cheaper meal out (like lupa or prune) and one place we just cant miss (bagels or pizza or the momofuku dumpling place, my wife is a sucker for dumplings).

some places i had in mind were ouest, grammercy tavern, wd-50, lupa, etc.)

←

Your $200/person ceiling would get you into nearly anyplace in town except Per Se, Masa, or Alain Ducasse. (Actually, the list price at Alain Ducasse is under $200, but I'm assuming you don't want to drink tap water.)

For iconic NY restaurants that would fit comfortably in your range, consider Babbo, Gramercy Tavern, WD-50, Blue Hill, or Gotham Bar & Grill.

I'm not sure whether you were considering Ouest for your "nice meal" or your "cheaper meal." It's a reasonable candidate for the latter, but for your $200/pp blow-out it's not in the same class as the other options mentioned. But frankly, even for the cheaper meal, I think there are far more interesting candidates than Ouest.

Edited February 8, 2006 by oakapple (log)

[pastramionrye]

i am thinking either jean-georges or grammercy for the nice meal, lupa and katz's for lunches and momofuku noodle bar for a cheap dinner.

what are your other suggerstions for cheaper meals? what are your thoughts on blue hill and wd-50?

[Bux]

i am thinking either jean-georges or grammercy for the nice meal, lupa and katz's for lunches and momofuku noodle bar for a cheap dinner.

what are your other suggerstions for cheaper meals? what are your thoughts on blue hill and wd-50?

←

I think Blue Hill and WD-50 are the two best choices in your post. This is obviously a very subjective statement, but considering all I know about you is that you are a professional cook, I think these are the two restaurants in their price range that have the most to teach other professionals right now. Search threads with posts on both restaurants, both for my comments and for those of others.

[pastramionrye]

were you suggesting blue hill or wd-50 over jean-georges, or as my cheapper meal?

thanks.

[Lreda]

Take Ouest off your list, dined there two weeks ago and a uninspired meal was had by all. I would suggest Gotham Bar & Grill as well for your upper meal to replace Ouest. GB & G can be had for $150 per person leaving a little extra for your other meal. You might try Cesca for your middle meal. Katz's is a must by the way.

[pastramionrye]

my plans are set with the exception of saturday night dinner

so as it is now:

saturday arrive by bus around 2 and enjoy street food

dinner: either gramercy tavern, blue hill, wd-50, jojo or cafe gray

sunday breakfast: bagels

sunday lunch: late at lupa

sunday dinner: late at momofuku noodle bar or another dumpling place like new green bo(?)

monday lunch: katz's

help me with saturday dinner, please!

[Pan]

As many regulars to this forum know, I'm a fan of Yeah Shanghai Deluxe, across the street and slightly down the block from New Green Bo, but you're unlikely to go wrong at either place as long as you stick to Shanghainese specialties (do not get the Jalapeno Chicken if you go to New Green Bo).

I think we still don't know enough about you to help you pick your Saturday dinner. Are you looking for avant garde food? Give us some criteria.

[cru]

based on your Clash avatar I'm going to guess your pretty cool and we might, perhaps, share some of the same sensibilites. New York is less interesting now than it used to be and you could go home very disappointed. So let's keep this whole thing downtown and steer clear of celebrity chefs. My strong opinion:

Expensive Meal: WD 50. But really splurge, do it right... let Dewey choose your wines and food.

Cheaper meal: 360. Best inexpensive restaurant in New York. Go on a thurs, fri, or saturday. call Jorge for a reservation and tell him "cru" from egullet sent you. you will get looked after. the place is phenomenal. if you like wine, this place is a cant miss, and the fresh, local ingrediants produce a French experience you'd be pressed to find in Paris. Call a car service, they will call one for your return. don't be put off by the trek, it's half the fun... 360 Van Brunt, Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Real New York: Katz's. Take your ticket. Go straight to the pastrami counter. ask for 2 pastramis on rye. have your wife go down the line for soda's and beer. put a couple of dollars in the tip jar and MAKE SURE THE GUY BEHIND THE COUNTER SEES THIS, he'll hook you up. Whatever you do, don't get waiter service. that's for novices.

bon appetit.

[Sneakeater]

I live in Brooklyn, so believe me I'm not one of those people who get all nervous whenever someone mentions travelling to an outerborough -- least of all the one I live in.

That said, I really question whether it's worth schlepping out to Red Hook (no direct public transportation) if you're only here for "a quick weekend".

[Pan]

The cole slaw is worth getting at Katz's if you want some vegetables with your meat.

[pastramionrye]

upon looking at various threads and websites i think i have ruled out cafe gray (due to expense) and jojo (due to lack of enthusiastic suppport). now its between wd-50, blue hill and gramercy tavern (or should i check out craft)?

as for me. i am a professional cook, love really good food like katz's pastrami on rye, short ribs, lamb shanks, pastas, etc. i like and am interested in the avant garde movement of food, i really am a cook that will be cooking comfort type foods for people.

i am looking for a nice new york experience, not a stuffy over-the-top service (i would have gotten a rez at jean-georges if i wanted a full scale blow out); just something really f-ing good.

[NYC Mike]

WD or Blue Hill would fit the bill perfectly, they are very different places/experiences so check out the threads here on each first. They are both comfortable and casual, not stuffy NYC at all. Both are very memorable places.

Which ever you do choose, let the kitchen select the meal and wines for you and please let us know how it all goes!

mike

[pastramionrye]

any bagel rec's?

also, does anyone know if the blue hill menu on their site is an updated one. or is it just representative of what they do?

[I_call_the_duck]

My favorite bagel places are:

H&H. (80th St. & Broadway) Stop for some lox next door at Zabar's.

Ess-a Bagels. (two locations, 21st St. & 1st Ave., and 51st St. and 3rd Ave.

[Sneakeater]

This probably isn't remotely convenient for you, but I recently stumbled upon an EXCELLENT "bagel and" place called Daniel's on 3rd Ave. near 38th or 39th in Murray Hill. Certainly not worth going out of your way for. But if for any reason you're near there . . . .

Edited February 13, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[pastramionrye]

staying near there....

and i settled on a late reservation at blue hill for saturday night.

[Pan]

I haven't been up there for a while, but my folks and I always liked Absolute Bagels between 107 and 108 Sts. on Broadway. Several New York-area members have said that those are the best bagels in New York. However, it's way out of your way.

[pastramionrye]

just want to report back in on my trip to nyc. thank you all for your reccommendations.....

saturday (cold as a mofo)-walked around the city for awhile, then while heading back to our hotel, realized we were close to Daniel's Bagels. stopped in for a snack, and the bagels did not disappoint. delicious, chewy but tender.

after resting back at the hotel we went to blue hill for a late dinner. the place was very charming. the food had some highs (the mushroom salad, the parsnip soup amuse bouche, the slow poached egg) and some lows (the lamb and pork entrees, the roasted pineapple dessert). but all in all a delightful meal. for drinks we went to the pegu club, where the drinks did not disappoint. and after champagne, a bottle of wine, chartreuse, a negroni and a gin, gin, mule, it was time for sleep.

sunday-wife and i woke up and got bagels at murrays in the billage and brought them to my sister-in-laws. ate bagels and then walked around the village. headed to lupa for a late lunch. excellent charcuterie plate and pastas. felt the wine values were top notch. the restaurant has a feel that is even better than the glowing reviews people gave me. the only downers were the sweetbread main course and the meyer lemon gelato. next time i go back it will be all charcuterie and pastas (the bavette with caci and pepe and the special pork raviolis, MMMMMMMMMMMMMM).

after some more walking, headed to the upstairs of the spotted pig for people watching and some beers. Great spot. just a great spot. and even at 4 o'clock, it was starting to fill up. by 5, it was packed.

afterwards, we took PANS advice and instead of momofuku, we headed to chinatown for the best named restaurant in NYC, New Yeah Shanghai Deluxe. After dropping decent chunks of money at blue hill and lupa, my wife and i were floored at our $23 dollar check and the gluttonous feast that we had. My wife loves little dumplings and packaged things, so that is why i took her out for dumplings. and we filled up on juicy pork buns, spicy wontons, wonton soup and the honey glazed pork shoulder. great meal, great value. great recommendation

monday-more bagels at Daniels, then off to the LES for my annual pilgrimage to Katz's. still doesnt disappoint, even as my mind and stomach builds it up every year. Pastrami on rye. the only way to go. that and a dr. browns black cherry soda.

my wife ate part of my sandwich, so neither one of us were too stuffed. so we walked around the east village, enjoying the last moments of our first weekend away since our honeymoon. and anticipating our final meal in nyc for awhile. and that was 6th streets Little India. Amazing, delicous food for just an amazing bargain. An appetizer of meat filled samosas, naan bread, a stewed beef entree (that comes with mounds of rice and lentil soup) for like $12. TRhe restaurant i, believe, was called Sonali.

Anyways, in a ity that often gets a bad rap for being expensive. you can definately eat well at the ethnic joints for cheaper than you could in Washington, DC. Also, Lupa, constitutes a real bargain, and is a total gem. Blue Hill, while charming, had a few too many misses for me to return there when given the so many choices of restaurants in NYC.

thanks again.

jonathan

[Daniel]

Great post.. Sounds like a great weekend..