which Nobu? and other recommendations.

[luchi]

Hi all,

We are arriving to NYC this month and are in the midst of making our reaservations. Since we`ve never been to Nobu before we were wandering which Nobu restaurant should we reserve places at- should it be Nobu or Nobu 57?

Talking about recommendations - our other reservations are: gramercy tavern, grey cafe, aquavit, honmura an, spice market and tabla. Unfortuantly we were unable to reserve places at Per se.

Would like to hear what you thought of our selections and if you had any better suggestions.

thanx, luci.

[Sneakeater]

As someone who's never eaten in Nobu 57, I can only say that I can't imagine why you'd want to spend an evening on a boring street in Midtown when you can be in Tribeca instead.

I'll also note that the last time I ate in Spice Market, it was vomitous. I think that place is pretty much over as a food venue (as opposed to a sceney drinks place).

As for Cafe Gray, don't let the decor and general ambiance turn you off to the wonderful food. Just close your eyes and think of England.

[smgarsh]

I've been to Nobu57 and its a huge restaurant. Even though tribeca branch is in a hipper area,it is a lot smaller it might be next to impossible to get reservations there.

Of all your other reservations, I would also forget about Spice Market for the exact reasons as sneakeater stated.

If you're in the mood for Italian, how about Babbo?

[larrylee]

Talking about recommendations - our other reservations are: gramercy tavern, grey cafe, aquavit, honmura an, spice market and tabla. Unfortuantly we were unable to reserve places at Per se.

Would like to hear what you thought of our selections and if you had any better suggestions.

thanx, luci.

←

I had lunch at Gramercy Tavern recently and had a really nice meal of sweetbreads and hangar steak. The service is impeccable. You can eat in the "Tavern" portion without a reservation, and the smell of smoked wood gently permeates the space.

It sounds like you're coming to hit all the big budget restaurants. In contrast, might I suggest Prune? Reservations are not difficult, though it helps if your party is 4 or fewer. We went for dinner recently and although they were mysteriously not serving several dishes I was keen to try, we had a really enjoyable meal of the roast suckling pig, tiger prawns, succotash, baked beans, and stewed yellow lentils.

The suckling pig was served with a portion of deep fried pork rind. Pickled cherry tomatoes and a black-eyed pea salad provided a refreshing tart contrast, and the chipotle mayo helped smooth the whole dish out. The baked beans were made with, I think, fava beans, a nice surprise. Needless to say, absolutely nothing like what you get from a can. The corn, lima beans, and green beans in the succotash were so fresh we ordered a second bowl. The flavor from the yellow lentils was also outstanding. It was a little hard to cut the grilled spring onion, but it had a very nice grilled flavor. Homey American cuisine, I guess, but better than most people could or would ever make at home. I'd definitely go back.

I'll be a third vote against Spice Market. You could stop by to try the durian ice cream, which had a nice texture. It might have been served in a Chinese take-out container, too.

Another thought - if you'd like to try some extraordinarily fresh sushi without trying to secure a reservation, try the lounge at Morimoto. Fish is flown in, I believe, four times a week from Tsukiji. Go early to secure one of the few tables downstairs.

If you really want to try Nobu, try going to Nobu Next Door instead. No reservations, and I believe they serve only dinner.

[Luckylies]

skip spice market.

your list is great, but if you really, really like susuhi...Sushi Yasuda is a real must (it might even be cheaper than Nobu)

[bgut1]

I agree with the above post that there may be better "sushi" restaurants in Manhattan. That being said I believe Nobu is phenomenal when it comes to the hot and cold non-sushi items (i.e. rock shrimp tempura, lobster salad, toro toban yaki, etc.). IMHO, it is an experience not to be missed. Reservations at either Nobu or Nobu 57 are hard to obtain, however, I suggest putting your name in at Next Door Nobu and cooling your jets at the Pegu Club (a quick cab ride or long walk). You can give NDN your cell number and they will call you when your table is up. Enjoy your trip. You have chosen some nice places.

Edited September 12, 2006 by bgut1 (log)

[ned]

skip spice market.

your list is great, but if you really, really like susuhi...Sushi Yasuda is a real must (it might even be cheaper than Nobu)

←

What she said. Nobu has turned into a caricature of itself. Go to Yasuda or Sushi Seki, or one of NYC's other fine sushi joints instead.