Iconic NYC Restaurants?

Agree with most of the others listed so far. Add Lombardi's, Le Cirque and maybe even Babbo as the newest "iconic" restaurant. It's been around and featured or mentioned in enough movies/tv shows to earn that status by now I think. Others may disagree and that's fine.

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Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011

Le Cirque
151 East 58th Street, New York, NY 10022

Lombardi's
32 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

dkstar1 in Manhattan

Need the ambience says "Wow! We're not in Kansas anymore!"

You'll have fun at Buddakan for sure. Another option - Spice Market. You can even get a private room if you want for a group. That's a lot of fun and there's something for everyone on the menu + it's a Jean-Georges restaurant so you got the NYC angle (moreso than the Stephen Starr-Philadelphia angle that is Buddakan). Re: Asiate - I've only been there for lunch and the prix fixe is affordable but limiting. Just as an aside.

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Buddakan
75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Asiate
80 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023

Spice Market
403 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10014

dkstar1 in Manhattan

Looking for Dining Tour suggestions for one guy (me) for this Friday

Thanks coasts. Great ideas as well. That is a terrific burger. Trying (successfully) to not smoke, so I might skip Circa Tabac. And yes, Kee's is awesome. I love that lemon basil chocolate though I'm partial to their Earl Grey, Green Tea, Kaffir Lime and Almond truffles. And the olive oil gelato is fantastic. All great ideas but on this dine around I'm going to go for some new experiences instead. Will report back.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

Looking for Dining Tour suggestions for one guy (me) for this Friday

These are good options too. Have had lots of the great things at Spotted Pig including the deviled eggs but I like the idea of starting off there. Oysters = great idea; Tertulia = great idea, Fatty Cue and Employees Only are all great as well. Might skip Blue Ribbon as I've had that dish before, twice. Love Babbo, so maybe a good way to end the night. Great ideas, thanks kathryn!

dkstar1 in Manhattan

Looking for Dining Tour suggestions for one guy (me) for this Friday

Hmm. Good ideas. Have been interested in that Scotch Egg. Have had the olive oil gelato - it is terrific. Thanks michelleats!

dkstar1 in Manhattan

Need the ambience says "Wow! We're not in Kansas anymore!"

Did anyone mention Asiate yet? There is no better view of NYC from above (in a restaurant) that I know of and is decidedly not Kansas. Oh wait, that's probably too pricey. Joe's Shanghai is definitely not Kansas, but it's also not necessarily a great example of NYC but fits the budget. Hmm. I think Buddakan might work for you. That's flashy and fun.

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Buddakan
75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Joe's Shanghai
9 Pell St, New York, NY 10013

Asiate
80 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023

dkstar1 in Manhattan

Looking for Dining Tour suggestions for one guy (me) for this Friday

That does sound good. I've been wanting to get there as well. Thanks for the suggestion!

dkstar1 in Manhattan

Looking for Dining Tour suggestions for one guy (me) for this Friday

Hey everyone, been forever since I've been on here. My wife is in LA, my daughter will be staying with the in-laws and therefore I have Friday night to explore the city for a dine around.

I have a million ideas of what I want to do and what I want to accomplish but it's simply too daunting to decide.

Here's my request:

* Please provide up to 5 places (with specific dishes) I should try.
* Ideally I'd like to keep this all within walkable distances of each other or a short cab/subway rides away. I'd rather spend my money at the restaurants/bars this night than on fares.
* Any neighborhood(s) is/are fine but I'd like to keep it in either Manhattan or Brooklyn
* It can be thematic or not.
* Ideally it'd be a bar snack/cocktail at one place, an appetizer + drink someplace, an entree + drink at another and a dessert at another place. Maybe another drink someplace else?
* In other words, I want to get as many partial dining and drinking experiences as possible without overeating.

Thanks in advance for your help!

M.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

Going to Daniel tonight...what should I not miss

Hi RGR! Great to see you - it has been forever. Life is grand. Danna is great, Nina even moreso but the cheese shop is over and done with. But that's ok.

A little bit about the dinner:

It was of course great - I'd say a 9 out of 10.

Service - phenomenal in every way. All 7 people or so that helped us out (excluding the host/hostess/coat check girl) were incredible. Truly an amazing operation from a service pov.

Decor - Lovely. Last time I was here was about 4 years ago, before the change. I've seen pictures of course, but it was really lovely in person. Our table was perfect for us. As you enter the main dining room - along the outside wall, we were the corner 2 top that allowed us to sprawl out a little side-by-side. It was great. Flowers were fabulous.

Amuse: 3 takes on parsnip. The first (right to left) was a lobster coulis something or other - it was ok. The middle one was incredible. The last one was also good - it included a smoky sable "chip".

First Course: D had the rich, cheese raviolis. It looked awesome and as much as I wanted to try one, I let her enjoy it. I had the foie gras and it was remarkable. It had a crust of Marcona almonds and was fantastic. Best? No, probably not. I think the best I've ever had was at Eleven Madison Park, but this was right there.

Main Course
D. got the Dover Sole. She was slightly turned off by the presentation and I can't blame her. Some silly-string-looking accompaniments resembled the part of a pumpkin you throw out, and it was all over the fish, along with some saffron. The fish was cooked brilliantly, but the curry flavors of the sauce seemed forced. It was good, and we both got the cheekiness of the dish (Dover Sole being of British origin and curry being perfected in England...) but the traditional approach might have made it shine better. I had the lamb loin and it was fantastic all around.

Dessert: D had the apple dessert and the best part was the sparkling cider sorbet - wow. It really sparkled on the tongue. Fantastic. I love just about anything with whisky so got the chocolate/praline thing with whiskey ice cream. Delicious.

They over indulge you with the desserts/petit fours and while they were good, I prefer getting lots of extra goodies in the beginning of the meal like at Blue Hill at Stone Barns - which still remains my favorite place to eat. As good as Daniel was, BHSB is still that much more enjoyable of a dining experience overall.

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Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010

Blue Hill
75 Washington Place, New York, NY 10011

dkstar1 in Manhattan

Going to Daniel tonight...what should I not miss

We'll be doing the regular dinner menu and not the tasting menu, so any helpful suggestions for not-to-miss items would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

M.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

Looking for a great (but not expensive) lunch spot in Hartford

I'll be in town on the 18th and looking for a great (food-wise - but not cuisine-specific) place for four of us - lunch.

Thanks for your suggestions in advance. Also...anything to do in Hartford I should be aware of?

Any disk golf courses?

Thanks,

M.

dkstar1 in Southern New England

Bedford Post Inn

I can't believe I've seen such poor reviews of Bedford Post Inn on here. Here's my take...

The food is outstanding. The chef is really great and should be recognized for his efforts.

The service is good by most standards, though when talking about Bedford Post, many bring up comparisons to Blue Hill at Stone Barns - and the service at Bedford Post did not meet that of any experience at BHSB. Not even close really. We never received our amuse bouche. We had to ask for utensils for dessert. No one poured (or decanted) our wine, etc.

But the food is fantastic...

For starters, the English Pea Sachetti was superb, as was the lobster salad. Perfect really. For entrees, the poussin and veal were outstanding.

As good as any food offered at BHSB back when they served a la carte meals. The scene, of course is far different. It was loud in the dining room. Not what I expected.

Brunch was great too (Egg Sandwich, Poached eggs in polenta, bacon and asparagus) and staying in the Inn overnight was simply amazing. Truthfully - stay overnight if you are traveling more than 45 minutes to eat here. It's worth it.

Note: The only problem with service was in the Farmhouse restaurant for dinner. The Inn staff was phenomenal (including the Elizabeth Shue doppelganger Tori and her morning replacement who's name I didn't get), the Barn's brunch staff was mostly very good and the valet/porter guys were also great.

Note to Bedford Inn Post people (R.Gere, etc.)...you should have hats or shirts. I'd have bought one (a hat).

dkstar1 in New York State (exc. New York City)

Very quick visit this weekend. What shouldn't I miss...

My trip to St. Paul was excellent and I want to thank you all for your recommendations.

I wanted to get to more of the options you suggested, but didn't have the time or ability to get to it all. But here's a recap of what I did...

Saturday - 11:30am - Great Waters Brewing Co.
I ponied up to the bar having some time to kill before my reservation at Meritage next door. The main room is lofty and fairly clean but lacking in any real, cool, Brew-pub feeling. The boring bar top didn't help. Service was sort of uninterested and not terribly passionate about the place - something I was surprised to see at a Brew pub. In any event, I had the House Ale - which was pretty good. You have to be patient to appreciate its nuances. It doesn't scream at you with excitement. The Myna Bock was interesting. Again, not very exciting but the drinkability of both beers is high. Had the bar been cooler looking, the staff more into it I'd have made sure to come back later that night.

Saturday- 12:00 - Meritage
This is a class act all around. It truly is the Balthazar of St. Paul (perhaps the entire Midwest) for those who know the restaurant in NYC. The bartender looked like he knew what he was doing, so I ordered a bloody mary (a little extra spicy). It, and the skewered, pickled veggies it came with, was excellent. I promptly ordered another.
The beignets were excellent as well. Terrific way to start. The moules frites were also excellent. The grilled bread it came with was perfect for dunking - and the best surprise was that they put one piece of grilled bread at the bottom of the bowl - soaking up the juices. BRILLIANT! Only one mussel looked a little funny, so I shushed that to the side. But very, very good. The fries were also great. Not the best I've had, but salty enough (almost a little too salty) and a little thinner than I happen to like, but still great. The bernaise sauce it came with was delicious as well. Excellent service, nice scene/vibe. An immediate return visit if I'm ever back in St. Paul.
Saturday - 7pm - Minnesota Boat Club
The wedding was on Raspberry Island, cocktail hour was there too and the reception was at the Boat Club.
Sunday - 1:00am - some random bar across from the Brew pub. Meh. Bizarre girls dressed in lingerie and one in a lingerie meets motorcycle cop outfit at least kept things interesting. Didn't expect to see that.
Sunday - 2:00am - Mickey's Diner
The greasiest of greasy spoons. I loved it. Ordered the Lil Jill (grilled cheese with bacon) but held off the bowl of chili. It was excellent. Great little place.
Sunday - 930am - M Street Cafe @ St. Paul Hotel
Had the brunch buffet. The salmon (capers, onions, etc.) was good and I requested eggs over easy at the omelet station which was super greasy but still pretty good. Bacon scored high. Sausage was JimmyDeanesque.
Sunday - 10:30am - Farmer's Market
Perfect day for a visit to a local Farmer's Market. Lots of tomatoes, herbs and other to-be-planted items. I actually bought a tomato plant, got it on the plane and planted it when I got home. I hope it does well. Lots of onions, rhubarb, lettuce and other items. A surprising lack of other "stuff" when comparing it to our Union Square Greenmarket in the city. I know its early in the season, but there was little else (vegetable-wise) but flowers and plants and the aforementioned vegetables. I was hoping to see a cheese stand. A little disappointed. Or maybe something having to do with rice. The kettle corn was not a suitable replacement. But alas, a great farmers market nonetheless.

Thanks everyone for your recommendations!

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Meritage
410 Saint Peter St, Saint Paul, MN 55102

Great Waters Brewing Co
426 Saint Peter St, Saint Paul, MN 55102

Mickey's Diner
686 Lexington Pkwy S, Saint Paul, MN 55116

dkstar1 in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Very quick visit this weekend. What shouldn't I miss...

Thank you everyone. I've got some great things to try! I'll report back when I'm done. Many thanks. M.

dkstar1 in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Very quick visit this weekend. What shouldn't I miss...

I'm in town Saturday morning - Sunday late morning with a wedding in between.

I'm staying at the St. Paul Hotel.

Recs for:

Saturday Lunch
Saturday After Wedding Drinks (possibly food)
Sunday Breakfast/Brunch
Sunday quick must-see tourist destination (QUICK)

I'd like to get as much out of MSP as possible.

Thanks,

M. from NYC

dkstar1 in Minneapolis-St. Paul

very curious about where the cheese ends in asia

ever have Camel cheese from the Middle East? It's pretty nasty to be honest with you. I happened to be at a cheese shop in NYC (though it was not Bondgard.com) where the monger just received a gift of the vile stuff. It had an aftertaste similar to lobster. No joke.

dkstar1 in General Chowhounding Topics

Eleven Madison Park, anyone?...

hard to find a better place in Manhattan - especially for what your scenario involves. Stick with your reservation.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

whym vs. eatery?

Eatery is pretty bad overall. Mediocre food, worse service.

Whym is a more comfortable place with better service and slightly better food. Stick to the entree salads. Otherwise, there are better options in the area. But of these two, Whym is clearly the better of them.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

175th and Broadway

thanks David, I'll certainly check it out. Been a long time. Nice to see you around...

M.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

175th and Broadway

What to eat and where?

Welcome your suggestions.

Thanks,

M.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

joe's shanghai

they taste the same but are more expensive and come fewer to an order than at the Pell St. location. I also find the atmosphere even less interesting/enjoyable at the midtown branch. I expect a slightly mediocre atmosphere in Chinatown but not smack dab in the middle of midtown.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

Black Duck? or other rest. near 28th & Park Ave.

I Trulli, Resto, Blue Smoke, Artisanal, Cosette, etc.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

Loved Babbo......now what?

A Voce is a very good option.
If neighborhood isn't an issue you might consider Sfoglia (UES) or Insieme (Times Square-ish area).
Other good options are Lupa or Maremma.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

drinks before babbo

good point Bob. Thanks for pointing that out. Disregard my suggestion for Otto.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

drinks before babbo

might be difficult but not impossible. I'd give it a try...and if not, run across the street and have some drinks at Otto, Batali's other restaurant. Chances are decent that you'll run into the orange croc'ed redhead himself going forth and back between restaurants.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

drinks before babbo

Cru. Sit at the tiny front room bar area and pick from the largest wine catalog in the city.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon must haves?

the eel and foie gras "terrine" of sorts is something of a marvel. One of the greatest dishes I've ever had. I just wish it was bigger (I shared it with someone and wished I hadn't). I think its called Anguille.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

Blue Ribbon Bar and Grill questions.

Waits aren't bad during the week. Tables are spaced fairly well apart - unless of course you sit in the booth room/galley.

dkstar1 in Manhattan

sushi yasuda recs

echoing the sentiments of others: Peace Passage Oyster, both varieties of uni (Maine and California), all of the eel options and pretty much whatever is asterisked on the menu as being the chefs suggestions.

But the rice is really, really incredible, and integral to much of what you eat at Yasuda. I went with my father once and he had to order just an extra bowl of rice it was so good.

dkstar1 in Manhattan