11th Ave btw 51st/52nd

[MJP]

The girlfriend and I will be in the city Thursday night for a Daily Show taping. The studio's on 11th between 51st and 52nd. What's decent in the area? Bistro is preferable, but we're open to anything so long as it doesn't require anything dressier than khakis.

I've tried searching and it's given me stuff from all over... :-/

[Megan Blocker]

My brother's theatre company rents space on 52nd between 10th and 11th, and I pretty much always have dinner at Taboon (corner of 10th and 52nd) when I'm over there. The bread is unreal, and the rest of the food is pretty good, too! It's a gorgeous room, on a corner, light and airy, decorated in white with glass lanterns. Great fish, and, if you go, you have to get the tzatziki.

- NY Times Review

- MenuPages.com page

[Sneakeater]

Someone has to mention Grand Sichuan International (9th Ave. btwn 50th & 51st Sts.). It's, like, obligatory.

[Sneakeater]

I guess Roberto Passon (50th St. & 9th Ave.), an Italian place that's probably more like what MJP is looking for, also requires a mention.

[plattetude]

44 & X (44th at 10th Ave) is decent for comfort food. Half a block north is Hallo Berlin, if you want to satisfy your Oktoberfest jones. Daisy May's BBQ (46th at 11th) is decidedly not dressy and does some creditable BBQ.

Christopher

[Dryden]

Not sure if they're open that late, but Sullivan Street bakery is pretty close, too.

[raji]

Taboon's bread and dips for it are unreal but found anything else unremarkable - but that might have been my singular experience...

If I had one meal, if not at Sugiyama, it would be at Yakitori Totto on 55th for super-authentic Japanese Yakitori. Find the thread on that one to find out how to get/wait for a table...

On 10th -

If you're in the mood for BBQ, the ribs, pulled BBQ, chili and sides at Daisy Mae are REALLY good. That place is the real deal. The dry rub ribs are some of the best I've had in the city. Better than Virgil's and certainly anywhere else in Midtown...

Hallo Berlin if you're drinking

Queen of Sheba @ 46th is the best Ethiopean in the city IMHO

44X is quite good if not pricey for what it is...

On 9th -

Grand Sichuan @ 50th for Chinese, definitely.

Pam Real @ 47th for Thai

Hell's Kitchen @ 47th is really great nouveau Mexican, I'm still a big fan of this place, it's consistently great.

I still like Marseille @ 45th, if you're drinking wine

[R Washburn]

I went to 44-1/2 (less expensive sister restaurant of 44 and X) last week after the daily show and it was pretty decent. Check out their menu on www.menupages.com.

[skiter53]

I second Hell's Kitchen, but I'd heavily recommend a reservation. They get very busy esp after 7pm.

[JohnL]

Bistro?

Marseille on Ninth around forty fourth.

[John Talbott]

I guess Roberto Passon (50th St. & 9th Ave.), an Italian place that's probably more like what MJP is looking for, also requires a mention.

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Roberto Passon is a place Colette and I first ate at shortly after it opened and we’d wanted to go back. Our meal was altogether good with two hitches; first, I am simply not used to regular American-sized portions and both our starters – sautéed spinach and a beet salad, as well as our two mains – bass and osso bucco were huge an unfinishable. We could have easily gotten by with one shared starter and one shared ½ pasta portion. Second, the osso bucco special was almost double ($32) the price of the osso bucco pasta which came as an unwelcome shock since we had not been forewarned about its and other specials' prices. Our bill, with wine, no bottled water, coffee or dessert was $110 before tip. (In retrospect, our luncheon meal at Jean-Georges was better in quality, portion size and price-quality, excepting the wine exploitation, and for almost the same final bill per couple, we left happier.)