Trip Planning

[Sneakeater]

How much can we expect to spend at Masa per head? (Excluding alcohol) I heard $600, but that can't be right! Can it? Are there cheaper options on the menu?

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It's more like $350-$400. There are no options whatsoever. You pay the set fee (which fluctuates slightly with the seasons) and you eat.

[hhlodesign]

Nice... Looking forward to seeing and read about your trip over here... Have you guys been here before?  I think I remembered someone saying they didnt like pizza, is this right?  Even still, I am sure you are able to fit one slice into the schedule..

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Lorna's first time. I've been numerous times. I think one of the best meals I've had was at Danube! I still remember the foie gras creme brule with sweet corn! And the snitzel!

Lorna's not a fan of pizza, so I figure we have one extra meal for something else. Opportunity cost, you know. I've only been to Lombardi's and Two Boots. Suggestions?

Oh yeah, any thoughts on Lever House? Been wanting to try it and because of the architectural significance, we get two birds with one stone.

[Sneakeater]

If I had my way

You mean, like, if you left Lorna home?

Dinner:

Danube or Upstairs or Bouley (personal connection, we have to hit one of these)

I'm actually a pretty big fan of Danube, but I'd recommend Upstairs over it.

Any must hit places I left out?

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Yeah. You really HAVE to hit Room 4 Dessert.

Edited October 24, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Nathan]

Lever House is a power lunch place with pretty good food.

You will eat well enough there but there's nothing significant about the food either. Why not just walk in the entrance up to the host/hostess, eye it, and then walk out? then walk five blocks or so up and eat lunch at JG

[Sneakeater]

I've only been to Lombardi's and Two Boots. Suggestions?

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DiFara, for the by-the-slice pizza of the gods.

Franny's.

But you don't have time to get to them. (Both in Brooklyn.)

[Sneakeater]

then walk five blocks or so up and eat lunch at JG

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You're putting Lever House on the wrong side of the island.

[Nathan]

oh, and walk a couple blocks west (it's not very far)

[markabauman]

How about breakfast/brunch at Balthazar?

[Sneakeater]

Drinks at Morimoto (I love Tadao Ando and want to see the TyNant wall)

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You know, I love Tadao Ando, too, and so I understand you've got to go despite what I'm about to say, but the Morimoto interior just doesn't come close to, say, the Pulitzer Museum in St. Louis in terms of sheer gooseflesh-inducingness.

[rjwong]

Ling & Lo ... on the road?

Are you two ready for a TV series?

You might want to try a Chinese place in NYC, more for an afternoon snack. To me, it's good to be able to compare and contrast ethnic cuisines from different parts of the country/world. I hope Pan chimes in on some recommendations.

[raji]

I've had some great Shou Long Bau in Vancouver (Top Shanghai, Shanghai Wind, and Shanghai River) and Taipei (Ding Tai Fung). Would a meal at Joe's Shanghai be a waste?

Any must hit places I left out?

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If you've had Ding Tai Fung, you don't need to go to Joe's - didn't they open one in NYC? or am I thinking of Tokyo??

I'd toss Momofuku, I think you will be underwhelmed, and go for lunch at one of the luxe places...

[Ling]

And Kee's Chocolates if you're in the neighborhood. (Also, as I recall, you like Pierre Marcolini chocolates--they have a retail outlet on either Park or Madison.)

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YES! How could I forget Kee's and Pierre Marcolini?!!! And Fauchon? And Amy's for bread?

The list we compiled was done in, like, a minute. So obviously we left out a lot of places that didn't come to mind right away.

We don't have good BBQ in Vancouver, but I'm willing to drop Blue Smoke since the consensus seems to be that it's OK/good, but probably not worth it given the time we have.

Of course we're going to Room 4 Dessert. That is high on my list.

Megan--I hope we can eat that mille crepes cake thing at Lady M together!

Danube--I think Henry's opinion is a bit biased considering he was totally hooked up the last time he ate there. But I am still very excited if we get to have dinner there...we don't have anything like it in Vancouver/Seattle.

I've heard lots of excellent things about Masa. I'm not sure how Japanese in Vancouver compares to what you have in NY, but I can get o-toro, kanpachi, hamachi, chutoro, etc. quite easily here. And $350 for one person is certainly quite pricey. Is Yasuda or Sugiyama a big step down from Masa? What can we expect to pay, per person, at these two restaurants?

Thanks for the tips on Annisa and Fleur de Sel. I'll take a look at their menus.

Edited October 24, 2006 by Ling (log)

[BryanZ]

There's a pretty good account of both Yasuda and Sugiyama here on eG with rough prices. Figure about a $100 at Yasuda maybe a bit more around the same at Sugiyama, both w/o much alcohol. If you go super luxe it'll be more but what makes both places great is that they have more affordable options too that can put you into the $75 per person category, too.

[raji]

And Kee's Chocolates if you're in the neighborhood. (Also, as I recall, you like Pierre Marcolini chocolates--they have a retail outlet on either Park or Madison.)

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We don't have good BBQ in Vancouver, but I'm willing to drop Blue Smoke since the consensus seems to be that it's OK/good, but probably not worth it given the time we have.

I've heard lots of excellent things about Masa. I'm not sure how Japanese in Vancouver compares to what you have in NY, but I can get o-toro, kanpachi, hamachi, chutoro, etc. quite easily here. And $350 for one person is certainly quite pricey. Is Yasuda or Sugiyama a big step down from Masa? What can we expect to pay, per person, at these two restaurants?

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Well, if you don't have any BBQ in Vancouver, then I'd grab some dry-rub ribs @ Daisy Mae, they're damn good and keeps you in Midtown...

I think in terms of authenticity and sourcing of ingredients, shipping in ingredients from Japan and all over the world, you get another level in NYC.. I know there's a decent amount going in Seattle and VC, and you have the yield of the ocean right there, but that's what I'm told...

Masa is an "ethereal experience", Sugiyama is somewhere in between with the premiere Kaiseki in NYC, and Yasuda is probably one of the top 3 sushi experiences you can have without going to Japan...

[Ling]

Yasuda is probably one of the top 3 sushi experiences you can have without going to Japan...

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Wow. Impressive. Perhaps Yasuda for this trip, and Masa in several years when (hopefully) my palate is more sensitive and I can more fully appreciate the experience.

Two others to consider--Blue Hill and WD-50. I think Henry is more a fan of the WD-50 style, but I've skimmed the EG thread and their website and I'm willing to give it a go. Is it possible to order a tasting menu and perhaps two courses from the a la carte menu, and share?

[docsconz]

Yasuda is probably one of the top 3 sushi experiences you can have without going to Japan...

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Wow. Impressive. Perhaps Yasuda for this trip, and Masa in several years when (hopefully) my palate is more sensitive and I can more fully appreciate the experience.

Two others to consider--Blue Hill and WD-50. I think Henry is more a fan of the WD-50 style, but I've skimmed the EG thread and their website and I'm willing to give it a go. Is it possible to order a tasting menu and perhaps two courses from the a la carte menu, and share?

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I would call WD-50 and ask. They are generally very accomodating.

[allister]

regarding bone marrow - lonesome dove has an interesting take on it with their prairie butter. Also - their foie shooter is good as well. May be a place just to stop and sit by the bar for a mid afternoon stop.

[Sneakeater]

I think for them the 3 AM is a more important component than the bone marrow in the "bone marrow at Blue Ribbon at 3 AM" experience.

[Ling]

I read the Eleven Madison Park thread this morning, and am very impressed with the reviews. Everyone seems to love it (well, except for Pan. ) Has anyone had a meal there in the last month? Still wonderful?

[Sneakeater]

It seems impossible that it's not still in the upturn phase. The guy only started there in February. How could it be getting worse? I have a feeling he's only now getting his kitchen staff in shape.

Edited October 25, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Varmint]

One restaurant that I haven't seen mentioned at all is Tabla. It's not hyper-modern by any stretch of the imagination, but I really can't think of another place in the US that offers this type of food. I really love the place.

Oh, and I'd certainly take WD-50 over Blue Hill, as the latter is much more sedate and traditional. Very good food, but not substantially different from anything you can get across the country.

[docsconz]

I read the Eleven Madison Park thread this morning, and am very impressed with the reviews. Everyone seems to love it (well, except for Pan.  ) Has anyone had a meal there in the last month? Still wonderful?

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Are you saying that Eleven Madison Park was "Panned?"

Sorry. I couldn't resist. Please continue.

[Daniel]

Seriously though, this classy food is cool.. But dont forget about Katz's.. That could be a breakfast! Maybe walk to the Donut Plant from there..

Edited October 25, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Ling]

^Donut Plant is close to Katz? Sounds like a plan...pastrami, followed by donuts.

We had dinner at Mistral last night and Henry asked the chef de cuisine where he'd go if he had a few meals in NY and one of the places he picked was Mas. I tried to run a search for it on EG...I seem to remember someone mentioning it, but the search didn't turn up anything. Any thoughts on Mas?

[Sneakeater]

Mas thread:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...&hl=(farmhouse)