Best Restaurant / Bar for Large Nebulous Group on a Friday Night

thanks everyone for your replies. we actually ended up off list at the new russell street tavern in harvard square. it's from the owners of temple bar and grafton street. they were very accommodating for our nebulous group in the downstairs lounge. some people ate. some only drank. and people showed up at diff times. flatbread pizza's were tasty and the burger was a good value given the size. rez for 16 ppl at 7pm on friday was easy to make on opentable and they didn't rush us... we held court till 11:30 or so. i suspect reservations will be harder to get (like temple bar) as word gets out.

thievery in Greater Boston Area

Best Restaurant / Bar for Large Nebulous Group on a Friday Night

thanks for all the additional recommendations. calling some of them and will post back where we end up. we're staying at the liberty hotel, so may give reserving an area at their bar a try too... though i worry it may become to velvet rope douchey crowded on fridays for our mixed group of mostly 30-something, non-scenesters.

thievery in Greater Boston Area

Best Restaurant / Bar for Large Nebulous Group on a Friday Night

thanks... i'll give green st a call tonite and see if they can accomodate... and tho i'm not sure pool playing is in the cards, will keep keep flat top's in mind as a backup.

thievery in Greater Boston Area

Best Restaurant / Bar for Large Nebulous Group on a Friday Night

Hi, I'm a NYC hound returning to my former home of Boston in a few weeks... looking for a restaurant / bar that would suit for a re-union of friends. Could be btwn 12 - 20 people who may arrive at different times. Looking for a place where we could get a long table, and late arrivals can hover around the table / bar, swap chairs etc without much hassle from the management. Drinks, festive vibe and being able to mingle amongst ourselves are the priority, so a formal resto is likely out, but a casual spot or a bar with decent food... pref along the red line in or near a square... any thoughts?

Friday night, so it's tough. I've read good things about temple bar in cambridge but that's booked. Used to love Franklin Cafe in south end and Dali in somerville but they're also tough on a Friday. Miracle of Science maybe too small to chance it.

Thanks for any help!

thievery in Greater Boston Area

A bar for a going away party for 20 ppl.

Depending on the night, you may be able to reserve 'the cabin' room at GStaad (26th @ 6th) for free. Cupcakes and other food stuffs should be fine.

thievery in Manhattan

Cozy, Cute Place for Cup of Tea Tonight Near Union Square??

the only 'rule' i know of is that they don't let you mix and match and make your own menu items... you order things as specified on the menu. having lived in france for a bit, i'm used to that so doesn't feel that weird to me anymore... but def not the have it your way custom of america. if that works for you, seemed friendly, quiet and cozy enough to fit the bill. at any rate, easy enough to pop in and check the menu to see if it works.

thievery in Manhattan

Cozy, Cute Place for Cup of Tea Tonight Near Union Square??

try 'the adore, 13th st btwn university and 5th should fit the bill. french cafe run by japanese owners so has some fusion. bakery, baguettes and tea (its the adore with an accent on the e in the, i.e. the french word for tea). cozier feel on the second floor.

thievery in Manhattan

What to order at Bond St?

Big Eye Tuna Tarts for sure.

thievery in Manhattan

Sushi with a non New Yorker

hard to go wrong with either. blue ribbon prob has the better sushi by a smidge, and bond the better apps and non-sushi dishes by a smidge. bond st does take reservations (opentable.com convenience) while at blue ribbon you roll the dice... so that can often be a deciding factor for me. it's also more of a designy space, compared to the minimalism of blue ribbon... likely to satisfy an out of towner wanting to feel like they're in cosmopolitan new york.

if you do go to bond st be sure to start with the big eye tuna tarts... find myself craving them at odd hours!

thievery in Manhattan

Lobster Roll - This Weekend for Lunch - Help!

Luke's is the best value around at $14. ask them to go lite or not at all on the seasoning they splash on at the end... the salt can overpower the lobster. (btw... tiny so not much of a sitdown ambience kind of place)

thievery in Manhattan

Cacio e Pepe

Lupa. Hands down.

thievery in Manhattan

Breakfast/brunch in Williamsburg

best omelets around at dressler. usually avoid omelets at most places as they tend to be overcooked and overpowered by the fillings. not here...

aurora's scrambled eggs with ricotta in the batter are a novel tasty change as well... if the weather's nice on sunday, may be a good pick given the outdoor space... and it's near the shop moonriver chattel (restored furniture, rustic housewares... and other pricey nice stuff)

sweetwater tavern has a more limited menu, and i haven't had brunch there in a while so can't entirely vouch for it, but has been good in the past.. nice outdoor space. convenient to shops. and as it's not generally thought of as the big brunch place, likely to have shorter waits if any.

lodge is hit or miss and i imagine most ch'ers would say miss... but throwing it in as it has a more traditional airy / festive brunchy atmosphere than the others, a menu that covers all the traditional brunch options (plus vegetarian friendly versions of all), is cheap and is located on grand st and it's strip of shops. granted, very spotty hipster service.

if you choose a place near hotel delmano (n. 9th and berry) stop by there before or after for a civilized uncrowded drink. they also do an excellent continental breakfast (pastry & coffee) for days when you're feeling... well... continental.

finally, brunch crowds get started late in burg. the walking wounded hangover refugees peak at about 2... less waits if you arrive at noon.

thievery in Outer Boroughs

best pizza/slice in the burg near bedford?

really hard to say since it depends so much on your personal preferences. i think the margarita classica is excellent at fornino, but you have to be down with that style, and it can occasionally vary in quality so i'd give it another shot if you've only tried once. at any rate, it's not a slice place:

for slices:

i like la nonna the best (bedford btwn n. 4th & 3rd). thinner crust than the other slices around and the white arugala, fresh mozza, parmesan slice (w/ prosciutto also avail) is delish. it's also open relatively late... though not as late as anna marie (death by grease) and vinnie's (sometimes annoyingly hipster / vegan friendly).

driggs pizza (driggs @ n. 7th is prob the most consistent manhattan style slice) though not anything to write home about.

san marco (near lorimer) and val diano (greenpoint) will deliver traditional pies to bedford stop area as well... but try la nonna first.

thievery in Outer Boroughs

Other Bars Like White Horse Tavern?

also,

the ear inn.
mcsorley's ale house.
the frying pan (pier / boat with drinks)
the half king (only minorly culturally signif).

thievery in Manhattan

vegetarian/raw/vegan - midtown to Canal st.

in terms of nicer places with an attention to decor... pure food & wine can't be beat, especially in the summer. and the food's very good.

another couple to add to the list... hangawi (korean) and gobo (overrated i.m.o. but many people love it).

thievery in Manhattan

"Dark French bistro" in Woody Allen's Melinda & Melinda?

yeah. i posted here when the film originally came out, and the consensus was Il Buco.

Pastis get's a scene, but not the one you're referring to I believe.

thievery in Manhattan

Finding a nice lunch in Williamsburg...

try aurora. tho cash only as well!

http://auroraristorante.com/images/Lunch.png

thievery in Outer Boroughs

Spicy Fried Chicken

prob nothing like your nashville craving, but 'bbq chicken' a korean chain (bbq doesn't stand for barbecue) does some scorching fried chicken... on st marks between 3rd and 2nd.

http://www.bbqchickenusa.com/

thievery in Manhattan

Irish Pubs for Private Party

try bua on st marks @ a. doesn't beat you over the head with typical disney-esque irisg schwag hanging on the walls. just a solid, small irish owned pub with long wood block tables, exposed brick and good indie rook music. porch outside has a few tables that can also be commandeered. no private room, but very friendly about letting you reserve a few of the long tables. a small selection of well sourced finger foods, and i think they still allow you to bring in your own food for parties... i think.

if you want something a little more disney-esque irish, try reserving the balcony at puck fair. larger menu in a spacious atmosphere and warm decor. they have live irish fiddle music on some nights, so ask about it when making the rez.

thievery in Manhattan

Le Bernardin or Per Se

another nice thing at per se is that they're happy to substitute items between menu's... no fuss no muss.

thievery in Manhattan

Le Bernardin or Per Se

tip's included in the price at per se which at that price bracket is sizable. we opened with a bottle of champagne, then had a bottle of a german white and finally a sancerre. group of 5 and we stuck to the lower end of the price range, $140 - $180 (there are bottles at $80 as well). the total was $390 pp.

at le bernardin, thinking back, i think i added a digestif at the end which is likely why i topped $400 w. tip. regardless, you could still do per se by the glass sticking to the $20 - $30 range (all the wines i'm sure are great) and come in at the le bernardin price. wine pairing pours are smaller than a glass, and there were some misses since, well, some wines just aren't my thing regardless of how well they pair with a dish.

not sure how the wine pairing work / are priced at per se.

hope that helps! for what it's worth, i also went to jean-georges recently -- and again per se was by far better -- best high end place i've been to in town.

thievery in Manhattan

Le Bernardin or Per Se

i've been to both recently and i think per se wins hands down. the decor, view and the quality of service is far superior. in both cases, i had gone for one of the later seatings (9:15 / 9:30). le bernardin made us feel rushed at the end with staff loitering around looking impatient while there were a few tables still seated. the secondary wait staff and busing service paid no attention to whether they were interrupting us mid-conversation. the wine steward was a bit snooty rude. and we didn't have a consistent head server. (i realize the description makes it sound worse than it is... but for a michelin 3-star, you expect perfection thru-out).

Per se on the otherhand was professional, but not snobby. They were actually quite funny to go along with the mood of the group I was with. And the entire room had a more comfortable vibe.

Both places have outstanding tasting menu's. However, there wasn't a course at Per Se that was less than spectacular, while Le Bernardin had a few courses that failed to wow. Chocoalate tray and goodie bag at the end of Per Se sealed the deal.

As far as wine pairing's are concerned, I'd opt against in the future (did it at Le Bernardin / did not at Per Se). For one, it gives you more flexibility in terms of price and drinking at however fast or slow a pace you choose.... and I'm just not in to having another interruption in conversation per course. Both restaurants stock carefully selected wines... and knowledgeable staff that'll give you suggestions once you narrow down your tastes. In the end, I paid a little less at Per Se with about the same quantity of wine despite the more expensive tasting menu. And the wine was excellent.

thievery in Manhattan

east-side outdoor seating, solo diner, good cheap dinner

cafecito should fit the bill if the far east side does. not tons of outdoor seating, but an outdoor bench with a counter in generally available. if there aren't any open spots walk another block to cafe esperanto, or get a cheap outdoor burger at royale.

thievery in Manhattan

Fun, hip restaurant / 19th and 5th

2nd boqueria.

thievery in Manhattan

unique wings? "hidden" wings?

ippudo: wait for seating can be forever, but you can get the wings at the bar.
and, craftbar...

thievery in Manhattan

Dinner for under $35 pp in soho or adjacent TONIGHT?

if the weather's nice, sit outside at bar pitti for italian. be sure to get the burrata as a starter.

for more festive indoors, you could do Lulu, Bread, Barmarche or Lucky Strike. all solid brasserie's. the one's in nolita have the added charm of the distinctly non-californian surroundings.

thievery in Manhattan

Al Fresco dining in Williamsburg

yeah, a good percentage of the places in the burg have outdoor space. more a question of kind of food / quality of the food, and vibe.

list above covers most of the best. a few other options to add in...

rain or shine patio's:
fada
acqua santa (not as tasty as aurora)
radegast beer hall (retractable roof)
miss favela (sidewalk, but open walls of doors make indoor seem out as well)

bars with food and outdoor space:

huckleberry (beautiful garden and gourmet lite bites)
hope lounge (generally no food, but rotating guest 'chefs' on wednesdays this summer)
union pool (taco truck in courtyard)
east river grill (no food, but you can byo'cue and commandeer the grill)

asian fare:

bozu (sushi outdoors!)
the new banh mi place on bedford (when the full resto opens shortly, has outdoor space)
red bowl
cheers thai

other restos:

relish (sometimes painful hipster service)
el almacen
my moon (not too tasty, but beautiful large outdoor space)
surf bar (faux beach, so-so food. cheap lobster roll)
nita nita
roebling tea room

... and many more...

thievery in Outer Boroughs

peter lugers then what?

definitely get a cocktail at the bar at 'dressler' across the street from lugars. beautiful iron work in a hip but mature setting. its a michelin rated restaurant, so if on the off chance you do have any room left for food, get an app (better than the entrees there i think).

if you don't mind hipsters (tattooed 20-somethings) and potentially a bit cramped... go to marlow and sons or diner (of the 2 i'd lean towards marlow) -- a few doors down for a shared desert and digestif or champagne afterwards.

there's also the velvet cigar lounge a couple doors down from lugars if you're in the mood for that. draws many a lugar's patron into the small comfortable and quiet space.

thievery in Outer Boroughs

yakitori

enjoy the taisho's on st marks (yakitori taisho and oh taisho). perhaps not the best food of the lot, but festive vibe (oh taisho moreso) with all the japanese college students and good music. i like the egg & eel over rice and the soft shell crab w/ chili sauce.

thievery in Manhattan