Aldea
Junoon
Alison Eighteen

Bouley, Del Posto, Jean Georges, and Lincoln have openings on OpenTable for the evening of July 4.

"Why the 7+ rating? Objectively, no dish was all that delicious to me."

I have to agree with this, especially since another newcomer nearby, Le Philosophe, has made a much stronger impression. Lafayette is very pleasant, nice room and service, but the butter lettuce salad, duck au poivre, and honey vacherin dessert that we tried were good but not all that memorable.

The cronut doesn't sound appealing at all, just like that Paris-NY hybrid thing. Thanks for validating my suspicions.

RedFarm

It's a good itinerary but rather heavy on Italian and American food.

If you're interested in small plates with an asian twist (like Underbelly), consider Momofuku Ssam Bar or Ma Peche.

For something more adventurous: Yunnan Kitchen, Pig & Khao, Danji, or Wong.

For mid-priced French, Le Philosophe is a must.

Perla as suggested by sam1 beats LV and OM.

Chinese sausage fried rice at Yunnan Kitchen.

Brunch report: I ordered the Truffle Quiche with bacon, leeks, black truffle, potato and gruyère cheese, which was light, flaky and very flavorful. The cheese and cherry blintzes with vanilla ice cream were also delicious.

Despite its reputation as a tourist trap I really enjoyed RTR and plan to return soon for the chicken kiev.

Try Lincoln for great food and design. The prix fixe is $65.

Picholine

I thought that Ristorante Morini was going to open in the Centrolire space on Madison Avenue?

Yes, someone else is paying. I may get the chicken kiev. Thanks man.

I was invited to brunch at RTR. What's good there?

Cafe Luxembourg

[For Italian I have come up with Lincoln, Ai Fiori, Il Buco Alimentari. We have been to Babbo and not interested in Del Posto. if you had to pick one which one?]

- I'd choose Lincoln. The food at Ai Fiori will remind you of Del Posto. Il Buco Alimentari is simple and rustic and a bit hit-or-miss, in my opinion.

[For creative French I haven’t come up with anything. Most new restaurants are more classic French.]

- Have you been to Corton or Jean-Georges?

Two Little Red Hens
Silver Moon Bakery
Kyotofu
Dessert Truck
Yura on Madison
Billy's Bakery
Sugar Sweet Sunshine

Artisanal
http://www.artisanalbistro.com/pdfs/c...

Louro
Perla
Le Philosophe
Union Square Cafe
Il Buco AV
Eataly - Manzo and Le Verdure
Acme

Danji
Louro
Acme
The Marrow
The Cannibal
Le Philosophe

Landmarc - both locations have kids menus and are easily accessible by subway from Penn Station.

Agreed. Lincoln would be the most sedate and conducive to conversation. The Marrow and Le Philosophe have a more upbeat, younger vibe. I haven't tried Pearl and Ash yet.

Second Balthazar and Minetta Tavern but if you can't get into either restaurant, try Le Philosophe or Benoit.

The Leopard kept the the murals of Cafe des Artistes and features very good food and service, as noted in the two star New York Times review. So if you would like to revisit the space by all means do so. Lincoln is a great restaurant with a sleek, modern sensibility in terms of food and decor, which may or may not be what you're looking for.

Yes I would pick Lincoln over Ciano and Ai Fiori. While all three restaurants are very good, Lincoln's menu is more creative than Ciano's and not as precious as Ai Fiori's. For atmosphere, Lincoln wins by a wide margin as far as I'm concerned, especially if you sit in the dining room facing Avery Fisher Hall.

Blue Ribbon Bakery

Which restaurants were your top picks?

I'd recommend Lincoln for its exceptional food, wine, service and atmosphere though the restaurant isn't smaller than Ciano or Ai Fiori.

The Modern Bar Room is two blocks away from City Center. You should be able to walk in and get seated at 5:30 without any wait. The bar at Ma Peche (56th between 5th and 6th) might also work.

Have you tried any of the desserts?

Rubirosa
Yunnan Kitchen

Battery Park City about a 10 minute walk from the 4/5 Wall Street Station. You could probably do takeout from Blue Smoke for lunch. I'm not sure if North End Grill has a takeout option but I think the restaurant has a bar for quick bites.

Benoit is a great choice. Here's a recent review that I found helpful in navigating the menu:
http://www.insatiable-critic.com/Arti...