JMJD's Profile
Please help -- Location for Sunday afternoon family party, 30 -40 people, Brooklyn Heights & vicinity
Target price is around $30 per person if that sounds reasonable, including food and room together. Alcohol is probably not a factor since it's an afternoon and not a drinking group.
In terms food preference -- there will be kids so needs to be kid-friendly. No specific types of food desired/ruled out, though I think for this kind of an event we'd prefer more standard fare (probably not a dim sum hall or anything as an example.)
Please help -- Location for Sunday afternoon family party, 30 -40 people, Brooklyn Heights & vicinity
We're looking for a location to host a small family gathering, 30-40 people, somewhere in Brooklyn on a Sunday afternoon in June. We're in Brooklyn Heights but would be fine with a place anywhere in Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill or even Park Slope if the location is good.
Also OK with recommendations for places where we can rent a room and bring in food though would prefer a place that comes with tables & chairs so we don't have to rent.
reasonable upper west side location for a wedding rehearsal dinner
I think kefi has a private room and a good atmosphere for a large celebratory event. Greek food. Good luck!
-----
Kefi
505 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024
Cafe Boulud Tasting Menu w/ Preg wife...What will they cut? What should I pay?
They are not altering courses, they are serving fewer courses....I feel like other places of that caliber would accommodate this by substituting courses that are more appropriate for the poster's wife....I would go elsewhere. No sense haggling over what should be a pleasant experience. Though if your reservation is soon it may be difficult.
Lamb in manhattan
Really liked the lamb chops at Devi although it has been a while since I have been there. Not sure if it is under $30 or not.
-----
Devi
8 East 18th Street, New York, NY 10003
Grand Cayman -- special occasion?
Heading to Grand Cayman and interested in suggestions for a special occasion dinner besides Eric Ripert's Blue. More interested in the food than the setting -- the view is more of a nice to have. Price-wise would like to keep it around $200 if that is reasonable. (Probably won't be ordering bottles of wine as we're not really drinkers.)
Am also curious whether things are walkable in the Seven Mile Beach area in terms of being able to walk to restaurants for dinner. (Safety? Sidewalks?) Do you need to take cabs to get to non-hotel restaurants? Are there places that are a quick walk for inexpensive breakfast/lunch?
Thanks!
Day Walking/Eating in Soho and the Villages
Would add in Despana in Soho -- they have an area in the back where you can sit and have some tapas.
-----
Despana
408 Broome St, New York, NY 10013
Jewish food
Zabars is probably worth a stop if you are going to Barney Greengrass -- they have good knishes in a variety of flavors (in the back by the chickens), and a lot of people like the rugelach. And smoked fish/appetizing to go.
Would skip Ben's unless Kosher is on your agenda. Katz's is worth the attention it gets for the pastrami. Have heard good things about the matzoh ball soup at Second Ave. Deli. Would also say that you may want to check the Boroughs board for Mile End -- it is actually Montreal style Jewish food, not NY style, but they have some interesting stuff.
-----
Zabar's
2245 Broadway, New York, NY 10024
Italian Waiters
Go early or late (or on a weeknight, early in the week) if you want to catch Carmine in a chatty mood. Sometimes he's out of town too....
Fried Green Tomatoes?
Dinosaur has good ones though I am no expert...and the rest of the food is pretty good too. Might be a fun experience for europeans
-----
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
777 W. 125th Street, New York, NY 10027
green couscous from maoz
Is it tabbouleh? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabbouleh)
If so it was not couscous -- it is bulgar with lemon juice and parsley. But maybe I am wrong and they do have green couscous...
Jacques Torres Brooklyn
Ice cream doesn't start until later in the season I don't think. (But it is great when it is open!)
Otherwise it's worthwhile....hot chocolate (esp. the wicked), chocolate-covered cornflakes & cookies are all good!
Dining Suggestions
I don't know if Craftbar is that special...and not sure about Rouge Tomate. I think you could possibly swap those out. But in terms of must eat -- it depends on where you're from, what you can't get there that you can get here, those types of variables.
If you've never had deli, go to Katz's. If you don't get good Chinese, check out Flushing. If you've never had great smoked fish, try Barney Greengrass. There's a lot to NYC outside of places that take reservations....
-----
Barney Greengrass
541 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024
Katz's Delicatessen
205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
Rouge Tomate
10 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
Feeding a 13-year Old Boy
Keste is more like the pizza you would get in Italy....John's is more of a NY style pizza experience. You may want to try both. Search the boards for recommendations for NY style pizza, but places like Keste, Motorino and Co are a different kind of pizza.
-----
Motorino
349 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003
Feeding a 13-year Old Boy
Katz's for deli....order pastrami (don't go and order turkey or silly things like that)
Pizza -- search the boards, NYC pizza is better than Toronto pizza
Balthazar or Pastis might be fun for a trendy/bistro kind of night.
Shake Shack also seems appropriate given the age.
To stretch -- maybe a steakhouse? Keen's could be fun and there are many other options.
-----
Keens
72 West 36th St., New York, NY 10018
Shake Shack
Madison Ave and E 23rd St, New York, NY 10010
Pastis
9 9th Ave, New York, NY 10014
Balthazar
80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
what is the best caesar dressing?
Fairway has its own in a bottle that I like -- it's a bit mayonnaise-y but I think the flavor is good. And it's not a bottle of chemicals. (Also like their "spring joy" and one that tastes almost like sour cream -- can't remember if it is ranch or blue cheese.) If you want to sample before you commit to a bottle, buy a boxed salad.
-----
Fairway Market
2350 12th Ave, New York, NY 10027
Fairway Market
2127 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
My love/hate relationship with Fairway
The chaos is part of the experience....have never had horrible luck with the produce and appreciate the selection. Since we moved, it is the one thing I truly miss -- I used to be able to stop by the 72nd street store to pick up some meat or fish on my way home. There's nothing that compares where I live now, and no place really to buy fish at all. When I can get to Fairway it's a treat.
I've often wished they'd open a smaller satellite store that just carries meat/fish/produce/prepared foods/bakery and maybe cheese (forget the groceries I can buy elsewhere). Yes, I'd rather buy the groceries from them too because their prices are better, but what most neighborhoods in NYC truly need are good stores with decent versions of those items.
Steak Frites For 8-Year Old
Would say Landmarc....not as interesting as Balthazar or DBGB overall but very kid friendly. I think they bring the kids cotton candy for dessert. Not sure about reservations but just call...
ISO World's Best Mac 'n' Cheese
I like the Cook's Illustrated recipe, made with mostly cheddar and some deli american cheese (not kraft singles). It's got evaporated milk and maybe 1 egg and is done on the stovetop.
I added the american cheese to the mix after reading an NYT article on mac & cheese many years ago -- they said that the oils and whatever that they put into the velveeta style cheeses (like American) help make a better smoother texture than just straight cheddar.
Hill Country Fried Chicken
So it was pricey, but I have to admit I really liked the home made chick-fil-a sandwich. Sides were OK and didn't try pies, but also -- refillable Boylan's soda? Awesome!
Picky mom in town advice!
I saw Five Points mentioned but not Cookshop...I think that could be a decent option for mom. I also think Jane might work.
-----
Five Points
31 Great Jones St, New York, NY 10012
Wine and Cheese restaurant recommendation
There's a wine and cheese bar called Caselulla (might be spelling that wrong) in Hell's Kitchen that's great. Artisanal is a french bistro that specializes in cheese -- the atmosphere is noisy and loud and it's a big room but great cheese/wine. More off the radar....Celeste is an Italian restaurant on the UWS where the owner (if he's not in Italy) will pay special attention to you if you are into wine (particularly expensive wine) and his cheese plate, which includes some interesting selections he claims to have smuggled back from Italy. Would recommend going late just for wine/cheese because it's super crowded during regular dinner hours.
Favorite thing to cook in a cast iron skillet
Wow thanks everyone....you've got me craving cornbread and bacon now!
Favorite thing to cook in a cast iron skillet
Thinking of getting one and wondering what's your favorite dish to cook in it? I know people who swear by it to fry stuff (latkes, chicken) but what else can it do?
Best UWS Italian take-out / delivery option?
For next time...Fairway has had some pretty good Italian food in their prep section and I am sure you could order trays/half trays from them.
I would say Dean's is OK, not great for that type of stuff (pizza is better) but haven't tried the others.
Killer lamb dishes?
The lamb chops at Devi were always very good...yogurt marinated, I think, served with a great pear chutney. Have seen here that they've changed ownership though so not sure if it's still on the menu or as good as it has been.
Where to eat and see in New Year's Eve for my bf's 30th??
You'll find most NY-ers don't want to go to Times Square, but if you feel like you must experience it, go for it in spite of the warnings.
A lot of restaurants in NYC do special New Year's events with champagne toasts and prix fixe menus, often with an earlier seating and a more expensive seating closer to midnight. Take a look at OpenTable.com -- they often have a list of places and what their special celebration is for the evening, along with the costs and the ability to make online reservations.
As for comedy clubs I have never been, but research some of the smaller places online (try NYmag.com or TimeOut) for a more NY type of experience.
Greenwich Village ice cream sundae
Too late for this but I think Blue Ribbon has sundaes....and if it's anything like the outrageous bread pudding it is well worthwhile.
Help! Friday night family dinner, UWS
I like Kefi for this....it's a big place so you should be able to get a reservation for a big group, and the menu has some plain things for the unadventurous. (I always have liked the pork dish with fennel and capers...and the meatball appetizer is also very good.)
I like Bettola but I think it's too small...Ouest is good but a bit pricer, and Landmarc (uptown) is just so-so. I feel like Dovetail is closest to recipe, food-wise, but more sophisticated. But I think it would be beyond the price range.
-----
Bettola
412 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024
Kefi
505 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024
Landmarc
179 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013
Rant: Upper West Side Restaurants
I think there's some pretty good Thai -- Land is good -- and Indian -- Earthen Oven (but never had their takeout.) It's all relative -- now that I've moved to a neighborhood with no decent thai or indian or greek, I've come to appreciate the UWS more!
-----
Earthen Oven
53 W 72nd St, New York, NY 10023
