We have some guests coming in this weekend from Dallas, and we need to get a reservation for a party of four for both Friday and Saturday night.

They've been to NYC several times, and are pretty familiar with the culinary scene. I've really been wanting to try ABC Kitchen, and now also ABC Cocina, but getting a reservation is hopeless!

Below is the criteria for restaurants that would fit the bill:

1) Upscale but not stuffy or too formal (upscale casual?)
2) Energetic but relaxed (as in we could talk to one another)
3) Upbeat but not trendy
4) Local crowds
5) Ala carte - no prix fixe menus
6) Lighter fare - nothing too heavy
7) Anywhere between Midtown and the Village, or the Upper East Side

Places they've liked in the past: Public, Perry Street, Waverly Inn, Annisa, Minetta Tavern, La Bilboquette, etc.

Help!

Thank you, chowhound friends!

Thanks for the suggestion! I imagine Momofuku Ssam would be sort of a nightmare for a party of 6 on a Saturday night if they don't take reservations...

Other than Empellon, any other good ideas for a group dinner?

Thanks again.

Thank you all for the suggestions! To answer some of the questions, the visiting couple are coming from Dallas, and they are very open-minded when it comes to different kinds of cuisine.

I think the first night, we might try Louro. The menu looks great, the ambience seems really nice, and I've heard good things. I was able to get a reservation for 4 at 8:30.

Now, for the second night, there will be 6 of us (two friends are joining.) I'm debating between Empellon Cocina and Momofuku Ssam Bar. Which would be better for a group?

Thanks again for all of the great suggestions!

Hello everyone! This is my second time posting on these boards, and I always find your recommendations and restaurant savvy extremely helpful!

My twin sister and her husband, both in their early thirties, are coming to town in early March for two nights. We’re looking for a really great food itinerary for their trip!

I consider myself a foodie, and have eaten at many of the great NYC restaurants, but I’m having a difficult time narrowing it down to two restaurants for dinner.

Here’s the criteria: somewhere delicious, mid-priced (around $25 for entrée) but with a nice, upbeat atmosphere, younger but still sophisticated crowd (thirties, not twenties), and impressive / unique for an out of town guest. Anywhere in Manhattan or Brooklyn.

Maybe there’s someplace new that fits the bill?

Personally, I like vibrant bistro environments, and prefer smaller, neighborhood restaurants to larger, more clubby restaurants (like Beauty and Essex, Buddakan, etc.)

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

My boyfriend and I are visiting Newport in a couple of weeks and we’re looking for some good restaurant recommendations. We’re both in our late twenties / early thirties and are looking forward to our romantic getaway weekend from the city. The types of restaurants in the city we like are upscale casual, neighborhood bistros with great food and lots of character. For Newport, we’re looking for a couple of dinner spots that are romantic with a nice atmosphere, but still casual and moderately priced (around $20-25 for entrees.) It would be nice to have dinner one night at a restaurant that is very representative of Newport – perhaps a great seafood restaurant? The next night, we’d like to depart from seafood / New England fare and try something different.

We’re staying at a bed and breakfast, so we will have a large breakfast provided to start our day. We’ll probably go somewhere in the afternoon for a snack and drinks, somewhere fun and casual for relaxing in the afternoon after a day of sightseeing, so please feel free to recommend locations for that as well.

To break it down, we’re looking for:

Dinner Friday night
Dinner Saturday night
Bar / Afternoon snack locations

After reading through various forums, the following restaurants sound appealing for dinner reservations. Any comments, suggestions, additions, or subtractions to the list would be super helpful! I also put reasons for why each sound like they’d be good options.

Mooring Restaurant (New England fare, a good place to taste the regional cuisine and seafood of Newport)
Mama Lucia’s (seems like a cozy place with great Italian food, and a good departure from seafood)
Perro Salado (we love Mexican, and this place seems like it had inventive cuisine and a good atmosphere)
Clarke Cooke House (seems to be highly recommended, although I’m a little concerned it will be too fancy / stuffy for us)
Café Zelda (seems like a good neighborhood place, similar to a NYC bistro)

Any great casual seafood recommendations for a late lunch would welcome, too.

Thanks for your help!