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Underappreciated NYC Restaurants

Sneakeater

By Sneakeater
in New York: Dining

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Sneakeater

Sneakeater

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Although, from my own perspective, a restaurant where the chef wins a Beard award (whatever you might think of them) but it rarely gets mentioned here is a prime candidate for what I meant by "underappreciated".

Nathan

Nathan

Posted
Posted

If you like seafood you won't be disappointed by Esca. And at it's (relatively) soft price point there is no reason whatsoever not to go.

weinoo

weinoo

Posted
Posted (edited)

Esca is great - with a chef that is pretty much market driven (unless he's out fishing for dinner himself!), an excellent wine list and some of the best fish preparation in the city.

edited to add: As Nathan said above!

Edited by weinoo (log)

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

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Eatmywords

Eatmywords

Posted
Posted

How about Wallse? (only one pg of eg posts, last one a yr ago) I only did brunch (once) but remember some very well prepared and unique cuisine .

I think it's easy to get on this thread. With all the openings bombarding us every week its just too hard to keep up with those deserving...

That wasn't chicken

Sneakeater

Sneakeater

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)
Here?

. . .

Hearth

. . .

I really wanted to avoid this kind of dispute, but to me Hearth is one of the more OVERappreciated restaurants around here. I like it, but it gets mentioned so much on this board that you'd think it was one of the uniquely excellent places in the City.

Edited by Sneakeater (log)
GordonCooks

GordonCooks

Posted
Posted
Here?

. . .

Hearth

. . .

I really wanted to avoid this kind of dispute, but to me Hearth is one of the more OVERappreciated restaurants around here. I like it, but it gets mentioned so much on this board that you'd think it was one of the uniquely excellent places in the City.

No complaints here - I personally haven't seen much ink regarding it in a while. Glad to see it.

rich

rich

Posted
Posted

Under the criteria on little or no ink here and here only, these two restaurants certainly fit the bill.

Chanterelle - it appears to get mentioned when someone is saying how time has passed it by. Interesting for a place that still "packs them in" night after night.

River Cafe - rarely mentioned at all, but try and get a table - not easy.

Rich Schulhoff

Opinions are like friends, everyone has some but what matters is how you respect them!

Sneakeater

Sneakeater

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)

Of course, for purposes of this thread they're also supposed to be good, in addition to popular. (I mean, it's hard to get a table at One If By Land or Tavern on the Green, too.) I meant for popularity to be kind of a neutral factor (meaning a place could be "underappreciated" in the sense I meant and still be popular -- or it could not be popular. Wouldn't matter.)

So, to clarify, are you saying that you've eaten in each of those places recently and think they deserve more attention?

I haven't eaten in Chanterelle in years (although I loved loved loved it back when it was on Greene St.), so I personally can't comment on the frequent accusation that it's either slipped or been far surpassed.

But I'd certainly call River Cafe underappreciated. It may not be as surpassingly good as it was back in the days of its Parade Of Soon-To-Be-Famous Chefs, but as of two years ago it was still excellent. Although it's not as good as Picholine, it's sort of in the same position as Picholine was pre-renovation.

Edited by Sneakeater (log)
oakapple

oakapple

Posted
Posted (edited)
I haven't eaten in Chanterelle in years (although I loved loved loved it back when it was on Greene St.), so I personally can't comment on the frequent accusation that it's either slipped or been far surpassed.

I've dined at Chanterelle twice in the last couple of years. I think it perfectly fits this thread, with either SE's definition or mine. Edited by oakapple (log)

Marc Shepherd

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rich

rich

Posted
Posted

I've eaten at both during the last year. I think Chanterelle still serves top food with outstanding ingredients. And even though I'm not an ambiance guy, that room is hard not to like.

River Cafe is very good, especially for a restaurant with view. I was sponsored there a few months back and was impressed how well they have maintained quality and service over the years.

Rich Schulhoff

Opinions are like friends, everyone has some but what matters is how you respect them!

Sneakeater

Sneakeater

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
River Cafe is very good, especially for a restaurant with view. I was sponsored there a few months back and was impressed how well they have maintained quality and service over the years.

I was impressed almost to the point of being astonished. They don't need to be that good.

Luckylies

Luckylies

Posted
Posted
How about Wallse?  (only one pg of eg posts, last one a yr ago)  I only did brunch (once) but remember some very well prepared and unique cuisine .

I think it's easy to get on this thread.  With all the openings bombarding us every week its just too hard to keep up with those deserving...

yes!

Chanterelle -  it appears to get mentioned when someone is saying how time has passed it by. Interesting for a place that still "packs them in" night after night.

River Cafe

no! bad food.

shame about chanterelle, they used to be soooo goood.

does this come in pork?

My name's Emma Feigenbaum.

rich

rich

Posted
Posted (edited)

Chanterelle -  it appears to get mentioned when someone is saying how time has passed it by. Interesting for a place that still "packs them in" night after night.

no! bad food.

shame about chanterelle, they used to be soooo goood.

Edited by rich (log)

Rich Schulhoff

Opinions are like friends, everyone has some but what matters is how you respect them!

tupac17616

tupac17616

Posted
Posted
I found Danube somewhat disappointing, and I know I'm not alone in that sentiment.

Agreed. I found it highly disappointing.

Re: raxelita's additions, I've got to disagree with Cafe Boulud. This is a place that seems to be thougt of in a very positive light, if not here on eG then at least on the other food forums/blogs/etc. A few months back I endured what may have been the worst meal I've ever had in the city there. It was bad. I mean, shockingly bad. Uniformly bad. Coasting on its reputation? I would argue that it most definitely is.

Definitely agree about Upstairs, Esca, Wallse, Craft.

And THANK YOU sneakeater, for being the first one brave enough to admit the friggin' truth about Hearth! Maybe that will stop the excessive praise that place gets here. One can only hope.

pocketfork
Sneakeater

Sneakeater

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

In re Danube, I think there's no way around the fact that the place just deteriorated after Mario Lohniger left a couple of years ago. It's too bad. It was one of my real favorites.

DutchMuse

DutchMuse

Posted
Posted

Keen's steakhouse. Amongst NYC steakhouses, it is one of the best but isn't nearly as high on the radar. I had a wonderful, aged prime t-bone this weak, which was preceeded by a caesar salad beautifully prepared and dressed. In terms of food (not atmosphere or service necessarily), its well above Craftsteak IMHO.

Mayur

Mayur

Posted
Posted (edited)
5 Ninth

So what exactly is the criterion for "underappreciated," then? 5 Ninth is packed to the gills every time I've been by; they've even kept me waiting for at least 20 minutes twice in a row for a reserved table.

I guess my point is that being lionized on this site is hardly a big deal, in the scheme of things. 5 Ninth gets tons of "play" elsewhere, or it wouldn't be so popular.

Edited by Mayur (log)
Mayur Subbarao, aka "Mayur"
Sneakeater

Sneakeater

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)

See Post #13 above.

It isn't a big deal, obviously. But to the extent that this site hopes to present a balanced account of the real-life NYC dining scene (and not just the fairly random preferences of a bunch of posters), it's useful to try to think of the "other" places.

I mean, if oakapple tries Esca and likes it, that's useful in and of itself, right?

In other words, it isn't to benefit the restaurants (who cares about that?). It's to benefit US.

Edited by Sneakeater (log)
Nathan

Nathan

Posted
Posted (edited)

Esca to me qualifies under any sense of the word "underappreciated" because although it is packed with pre-theater diners...it gets very little attention in the NY foodie community as a whole (not just egullet). I really think this is simply a function of its benighted location.

But yes, if this thread causes someone to eat somewhere that they immensely enjoy that they otherwise would not have, it has served its purpose.

Edited by Nathan (log)
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