firni's Profile
30th Birthday - EMP, Annisa, Acme, Dutch (or something else?)
Hi,
Celebrating a 30th birthday on March 4th with two close friends, would like to go out for a nice dinner. I'm wondering which of the listed options would make for a memorable meal. Overall, I like interesting, creative food (but not at the price of sheer tastiness - e.g. I liked WD-50 as an experience, but wouldn't necessarily want to have a birthday meal there), and smaller portions are not a bad thing - I tend to get full very quickly. Price is not an issue (and I can say that, I'm paying!). I would like it to be special, with good cocktails....but not TOO serious an environment (therefore not Per Se or Masa or something of the sort that feels solemn).
Here are my thoughts, but would love input from people who have eaten at these places recently (and am open to other suggestions).
EMP - I haven't been since after the menu change. I remember liking the food, and the room is very beautiful, but I'm a little thrown off by the menu format.
Annisa - have heard this is delicious, and I enjoy Asian-inflected food - c/o about the room size/noise.
Dutch - Love Locanda Verde and the food looks very delicious, particularly the desserts. My concerns would be about noise/casualness and the difficulty of getting a reservation.
Acme - A little new - the food sounds really interesting, but again, am concerned with availibility as it appears very popular.
Isa - Worth the trip?
(Corton and Le Bernadin, Del Posto, Babbo, Dovetail, Daniel, Boulud Sud I've been too, thus not on this list).
Thanks so much, and sorry for the vagueness of this...just trying to pinpoint the place.
galette des rois
Dominique Ansel Bakery has it (whole cakes as well as by the slice). It is in Soho, though.
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Dominique Ansel Bakery
189 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
Looking for budget conscious, but great-tasting non-intimidating options for eating alone in lower Manhattan/midtown.
Hi there!
Hot chocolate or cupcakes is easier than hot chocolate and cupcakes - many of the places that are known for hot chocolate (Jacques Torres, City Bakery) don't do cupcakes. Cupcakes are undergoing a bit of a backlash now...avoid Crumbs and Magnolia (both are popular and produce pretty cupcakes, but can be dry and inconsistent - I work across from Crumbs and although they are creative in flavors, the cake itself is not great). I think that Sugar Sweet Sunshine is good and near where you are staying, and would also have hot chocolate; also, Cakeshop (a music place on the Lower East Side, not too far from where you'll be staying) carries Robicelli's Cupcakes (the maker is located in Brooklyn but supplies some stores in Manhattan - very interesting, unique flavors). Also, Buttercup Bakery has very good cupcakes, but is located in Midtown East. AMy's Bread has several branches in Manhattan, and also has good cupcakes.
Breakfast: Sit-down: Peels (on the Bowery), Bubby's (in Tribeca) - Southern style breakfasts (Peels in particular has excellent pastries); Prune; Locanda Verde
Breakfast - quick: Abraco (coffee and baked goods); Tarallucci e Vino
Mexican: Itzocan Cafe; Mayahuel (tequila bar, with food, no seating); Casa Mezcal.
As a note: I dine out alone very frequently, and waitstaff are typically very cordial; I think they see many solo dinners and I've never been made to feel strange about it. At worst, you may be seated at the bar if it's very very busy, but that's typically my preference anyway, especially if it overlooks the kitchen.
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Jacques Torres
350 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014
Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014
City Bakery
3 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011
Tarallucci e Vino
163 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003
Bubby's Pie Co.
120 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013
Amy's Bread
672 9th Ave, New York, NY 10036
Abraco
86 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003
Itzocan Cafe
438 E 9th St, New York, NY 10009
Buttercup Bake Shop
973 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10022
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
126 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002
Prune
54 E 1st St, New York, NY 10003
Cake Shop
152 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002
Mayahuel
304 E 6th St, New York, NY 10003
Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013
Peels
325 Bowery, New York, NY 10003
Casa Mezcal
86 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
B, L and D suggestions for a delicious day in Brooklyn
Colonie. Really excellent, seasonal food and killer cocktails and desserts. For a quick snack: Catania. Also Van Horn (PLT sandwich!), Brucie, Buttermilk Channel (they have a vegetarian menu); Smith Canteen (quick lunch/snack); Culture (frozen yogurt in interesting flavors); second Saul (for dinner), and Clover Club (drinks).
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Saul
140 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Clover Club
210 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Buttermilk Channel
524 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Brucie
234 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Colonie
127 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Van Horn Sandwich Shop
231 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Culture
331 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Catania
193 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Smith Canteen
343 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Drinks near/at Columbus Circle?
Need a place for good cocktails/drinks near Columbus Circle tonight. I like Stone Rose, but it's a little aggressively sexy, and I'm looking for something with similar quality cocktails but a more low-key atmosphere. I'm also considering The Library at Hudson Hotel, or drinks at Bar Boulud (if they have them, as DBGB does - all I see on the webiste is the menu). Any suggestions or opinions on the above welcome.
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Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
Stone Rose
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019
The Library
356 W 58th St, New York, NY 10019
Nuela or Rayuela
I have been to both, and would recommend Rayuela over Nuela. I found the food at Rayuela to be much more interesting and thoughtfully conceived than at Nuela; the dishes I had were very well prepared, with meat cooked as ordered and really vibrant flavors. This is with a caveat - I went to Nuela during restuarant week, and quality may have suffered due to the number of guests. But I found the duck rice to be very dry; the empanadas tasted good, but nothing extraordinary. Also, the service was friendly, but we got the wrong dishes (they were gracious about it), and it was not as polished as one might expect. I will say that Nuela has a more expansive wine list, while I think Rayela focuses more on cocktails (the cocktails are a little overwrought at Nuela).
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Rayuela
165 Allen Street, New York, NY 10002
Nuela
43 W 24th St, New York, NY 10010
Yuzu?
If anyone knows where to find fresh yuzu right now, it'd make for a very happy baker....I'm not certain it's available or whether it's out of season. I'm guessing a Japanese market might have it, but was hoping someone could clue me into a specific one that is carrying it now.
TOP 5 FOOD EXPERIENCES
I agree with Katherine here on Daisy May's - I've been, and the group was very disappointed with the quality. I'm also not a fan of Dinosaur, but I've only been to the one in NYC once and it was early on - so maybe they have gotten better? I really enjoyed BBQ at Rack n' Soul (near Columbia U) but haven't eaten there often enough to vouch for consistency. I also would suggest Hill Country and Blue Smoke. Not really sure if these are BBQ, but Rub, Pies n' Thighs, and Fette Sau are also popular.
Also forgot to mention earlier: Casa Mono and Degustation.
Latin American - Yerba Buena; Tehuitzengo Deli/Grocery (hole in the wall in Hell's Kitchen that serves amazing tacos); El Castillo de jagua (LES), Cafe Itozcan (east village - try the huitlacoche dish); Caracas Arepa Bar (East Village).
If your'e looking for really excellent Latin American food, it may be worthwhile to do a search of Queens on the Outer Boroughs boards - I think the more authentic Latin American food is out there.
Also - I'm not sure that
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Hill Country
30 W 26th St, New York, NY 10010
Casa Mono
52 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003
Caracas Arepa Bar
93 1/2 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009
Blue Smoke
116 East 27th Street, New York, NY 10016
Yerba Buena
23 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
TOP 5 FOOD EXPERIENCES
I think that if you're coming from Australia, the Asian food may not be so special/impressive (at least, that was the impression I got from my resident from Australia).
It's a broad request, but what the heck. Apologies for the stream-of-consciousness nature of what follows - there are planty of threads on the following, but maybe you'll get some ideas of what to focus on? I hope you both have an amazing trip!
Top Five:
(1) WD-50 tasting menu (caveat: the pastry chef just left, but reports are that the quality has not changed)
(2) Locanda Verde - brunch or dinner (don't skip dessert!)
(3) Del Posto (tasting menu, or if your wallet is getting skinny, then book the prix-fixe lunch which is only $30 and quite good - look up kathryn's review on this board)
(4) Kaffe 1668 (hot coffee) and RBC (cold brewed) - my greatest regret about changing my workplace has been that I can no longer go to these coffee places daily.
(5) Momofuku - lots of love/hate for the three restaurants on this board, but I think they are unique and worth a try, and the different restaurants offer flexibility with respect to price points and formality - take a look at their menus and figure out how formal/informal you'd want to go.
One-off Items:
- Doughnut Plant (LES, Grand Street) for interesting doughnut flavors
- Il Laborotorio del Gelato/L'Arte de Gelato/Shake Shack custard (LES/Chelsea Market) for ice cream in a wide range of flavors
-Jacques Torres/La Maison du Chocolate/ Kee's Chocolates - chocolate
- Bisous Macarons (LES), La Madeleine, Bouchon Bakery - for macarons,
-City Bakery's Hot Chocolate festival runs through February
- Gulluoglu - Turkish dessert place
- Soccarat Paella Bar
- Coffee: Blue Bottle (Williamsburg), Caffe 1668, RBC, Abraco (also very yummy pastries)
Quintessential New York
- I generally hear Katz's Delicatessen, Russ & Daughters mentioned with respect to the New York deli experience - I 'd nose around on the boards to figure out which place(s) you'd want to hit up.
-Steak: Luger's, Keen's, Wolfgang's each have their own followings. Other steakhouse-y, old-school clubby places: Wollensky's, P.J. Clarke's
-Burgers: Shake Shack, Prime Meats (Brooklyn), Minetta Tavern, Corner Bistro (if it still exists),
- Pizza - look up the most recent favorite places on this board - it
- Italian: Maiolino, Babbo, Scarpetta, Torrisi, Lupa - see board threads for a range of options
Cocktails/Wine/Tapas
-Clover Club (Brooklyn), Pegu Club, Employees Only, PDT (crowded),
- Casa Mezcal/Mayahuel (tequila/mezcal is specialty)
- Cienfuegos (rum/punches are specialty)
- Terroir; El Quinto Pino, Txichito (sp?), Boqueria, Taralluci e Vino
Food Markets
- Eataly
- Greenmarket in Union Square
- Chelsea Market
- Columbus Circle (not really a market, but between the whole foods, the bouchon bakery, and all the restaurants, maybe worth a stop?)
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WD-50
50 Clinton Street, New York, NY 10002
Lupa
170 Thompson Street, New York, NY 10012
Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
Katz's Delicatessen
205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
Kee's Chocolates
80 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012
Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10019
Corner Bistro
331 W 4th St, New York, NY 10014
Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011
Del Posto
85 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Minetta Tavern
113 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012
Doughnut Plant
379 Grand St, New York, NY 10002
El Quinto Pino
401 W 24th St, New York, NY 10011
Abraco
86 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003
Boqueria
53 W 19th St, New York, NY 10011
P.J. Clarke's
44 W 63rd St, New York, NY 10023
Employees Only
510 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014
Pegu Club
77 W Houston St, New York, NY 10012
Terroir
413 E 12th St, New York, NY 10009
Scarpetta
355 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014
Kaffe 1668
275 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007
Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013
Gulluoglu
982 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10022
Cienfuegos
95 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
Eataly
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010
Quenelles?
I'd like to have the quenelles (French dish of pike) but without the lobster sauce that appears to be the classic sauce for this - does anyone know where they can be had prepared some other way?
Cobble Hill/Boerum Hill groceries/markets?
@zenyc - This is so late - I stopped checking the thread - but your guess is right, I'm in the same building as you! Hello back, and sorry this is so late - I have definitely enjoyed the farmers markets over the past few months, especially (now that it's freezing outside) the one at the Foodshed - and thanks again to everyone else who contributed, I've gone everywhere except the Fairway. Any other discoveries?
Haven't eaten out a whole lot yet, but am looking forward to trying Brucie, and had a killer burger at Prime Meats.
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Prime Meats
465 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Post-Breakup Meal?
I'm anticipating a breakup. While I don't plan on being a ravaged mess afterwards, I do think a bit of culinary consolation is in order - I'll take the balm of a good meal over a dive bar stup or Ben and Jerry's coma. Anyone have any experiences or recs for food and/or bars?
What's the best veg restaurant (upscale) in the City?
Dirt Candy - the food was inventive and delicious. It reminds me more of southern cooking in terms of how heavy it was, so if your friend is a light eater, it may not be to her taste, but I really enjoyed my birthday dinner there. One point - it's a tiny place, around 12-15 seats, so it's not ideal for large parties. Also, for a special occasion dinner, you may want to ask them to not seat you in the back when making the reservation - there's a table that's wedged between the restroom and the kitchen exit, which may not provide the ambience you are seeking. Not sure about the wine list. Gobo is good, but may only have organic wine and may be more casual than what you are seeking.
Also - I think EMP does a good job of accomodating vegetarians. Tamarind and Devi also accomodate vegetarians. I had good experiences at La Grenouille and Felidia. I've found many Italian restaurants offer good vegetarian options as well (it was really easy to put together a vegetarian meal at Babbo and Scarpetta) and the wine list shouldn't be a problem.
I hope your dinner turns out well!
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Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011
Felidia
243 E 58th St, New York, NY 10022
La Grenouille
3 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022
Scarpetta
355 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014
Dirt Candy
430 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10009
Best places for cheap, unique and good desserts
I would check the Big Gay Ice Cream truck's twitter feed for their location - I think it usually is near Union Square, but does change and I've gone there and been disappointed. Salty Pimp and the curry coconut are good, though be aware the ice cream is the usual soft serve. Also - the van Leeuwen truck is usually in the vicinity.
In terms of time constraints - stay downtown, more efficient.
If you go to Stand, near Union Square, there is a toasted marshmallow shake that people rave about. Also, there is City Bakery, which has numerous baked goods. Otto is near Union Square, south of it on 8th street, i think.
Taralluci e Vino has a location on 1st and 10th and someone north of Union Sq - 18th street, I think. They have Italian baked goods and gelato. Abraco, on 7th and 1st also has delicious Italian baked goods and coffee.
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City Bakery
3 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011
Abraco
86 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003
Best places for cheap, unique and good desserts
For Italian and French -oriented desserts:
- Il Laborotorio del Gelato and L'Arte de Gelato (multiple locations) do interesting ice cream flavors
- Otto, the new bomboloni place on the UWS, and Locanda Verde offer great Italian desserts. The sundaes at Otto are well-constructed and have interesting combinations.
- If you are willing to go to Brooklyn, Saltie (baked goods) Four and Twenty Blackbirds (a pie shop), and Sweet Melissa (ice cream/baked goods) offer interesting desserts albeit American ones.
- Dean and Deluca has selection of imported Italian and French chocolates and candies, as well as a great dessert case. While it is expensive and the products could be found elsewhere cheaper, it does make for convenient one-stop shopping.
- It might be worth it to check out the dessert menus to Del Posto, one of the Daniel Boulud restaurants, or another high profile restaurant, and see if you can sit at the bar for dessert only - I'm pretty sure that it's possible at some of these places to do that, and it cuts the expense (and saves room in your stomach!).
-Quick stops: Dessert Truck Works, on the lower east side; Falai Bakery or Falai Cafe; the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck; L.A. Burdick (caneles are wonderful), Balthazar, the new Bomboloni place on the UWS, La Madeleine on 23rd Street (lots of macaron flavors). The Brooklyn Flea and Red Hook offer interesting desserts, though again, not specifically french/italian. Finally, if you're still around for the New Amsterdam market, you may want to peruse that.
Finally, for slightly offbeat desserts: try Kalustyan's for middle-eastern, or falooda, kulfi, or the various types of brightly colored nut fudges at a South Asian place.
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Kalustyan's
123 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10016
Del Posto
85 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Falai
68 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002
Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013
L.A. Burdick
5 E 20th St, New York, NY 10010
Dessert Truck Works
6 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002
Bomboloni
187 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10023
Good crepes in NYC?
Madeline the crepe lady at Cybercafe in midtown, if it's still there. Had a stellar butter and sugar crepe there about two years ago .
has anyone been to the new crepe place in the financial district, Crepes du Nord? Any good?
Looking for Best Almond Croissant
La Bergamote - there's the occasional dry one, but they are generally generous with the filling.
Also - maybe Almondine? I know they have excellent croissants, so perhaps the almond ones will work for you.
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La Bergamote
169 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011
What is the most definitve Indian Cookbook
My mom uses two sources: 500 Easy Recipes by Nayak, and the booklet that came with her Hawking pressure cooker. There's a third, a purple book with orange motifs - will get the name from her tomorrow and post.
Special dinner - taking out sister and her bf
Thank you so much - I ended up narrowing down the list to about 12 places, and let him pick - it'll be Babbo, but I will be going to Del Posto with a friend to try the prix fixe lunch (I think I was secretly hoping he'd pick it, owning to the dessert menu).
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Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011
Del Posto
85 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Special dinner - taking out sister and her bf
Thanks for the warning - I'm curious what about it did you find problematic - portion sizes, quality, somethign else?
mixologist class--recommendations?
I have been at many classes at Astor - they are excellent, and the quality of instruction is high. Plus you get to make several drinks per class, and keep the recipes.
Best reasonably-priced Indian in the W Village or Soho?
There's Hampton Chutney Company on Prince, if they like dosas.
Special dinner - taking out sister and her bf
Hi,
Sorry, this is a generic question,but I feel like I'm lacking fresh ideas.
I'm looking for a really special place to take out my sister's boyfriend and my sister for his birthday - he's been really kind to me while I've been in school, and now that I have a salary to take him out with, I wanted to treat him to a really great birthday dinner. He's a meat person and enjoys strong, bold flavors; he eats out quite a bit, so a newer place would be good. Del Posto and Babbo are contenders, but I wanted some unbiased input (I've been eyeing those places for months!). I'm ruling out a steakhouse, just because my sister isn't that fond of steak. No sushi or Chinese, either. Anything under $100 per person is good (not including wine), but I'm can go over for the right place. We're looking to go for a dinner on the weekend in 2- 3 weeks, so anyplace one must reserve months is advance probably won't work. Manhattan would be nice (he's a bit lazy about going elsewhere).
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Per Se
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019
Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011
Del Posto
85 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Bread in the west village
There's a place called Il Cantucci - somewhere near Christopher street. They have biscotti and various traditional Italian-style bread products. I've found them to be good, albeit expensive.
Best inexpensive restaurants in Manhattan
-I second Le Da Nang - delicious food and very friendly, caring service.
- I think the Momofukus are within what you consider inexpensive, and are generally considered worth a visit.
- Sigiri (Sri Lankan) is one of my favorites - really delicious and different, though the interior is not fancy.
- Locanda Verde Brunch - not too pricey, the food is very filling so you needn't order too much (and even if it is, it is completely worth it)
- Ramen houses - I don't know what the best places are, but look through past postings for good places to get ramen. Also, an izakaya-style place might be fun.
- Prix-fixe lunches e.g. at SHO, at Del Posto, at EMP - they run 25-35 dollars. Searching past posts should turn up good choices.
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Sigiri
91 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003
Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013
Le Da Nang
75 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Help! Starting a new kitchen -recs?
Hi,
I am moving into my first apartment and am basically starting my kitchen from scratch (all I have are a some badly-abused steel pots, a steamer insert, a 9" springform and a pyrex pie plate). So, I'm looking for recs on what to buy. I would really like to avoid non-stick gear, and will probably be cooking for 1-4 people. I cook mostly vegetarian, and will probably rely on stir-frying and baking/roasting, not much grilling. I'd like to bake, but that's more a luxury; I can spend some money but probably less than $500. I'd rather have fewer, high-quality pieces that can serve multiple functions. I am wondering what CHOW readers think are the really essential items, and what brands you'd recommed?
So far I think I probably need:
- Frying pan (cast iron/some other material)
- Baking dish (Le Creuset? Something else?)
- Baking sheet
- Stockpot
Looking for best places for breakfast pastries and strong coffee
I know this is going to catch some flack, mostly because you could get better coffee elsewhere, but I really enjoy morning pastry and coffee at Financier downtown. It's nice if you're looking for something a little less formal. but would like to site and read the paper.
Cobble Hill/Boerum Hill groceries/markets?
Thank you all so much! I'm hoping to get out there this weekend to explore, and will be stopping at these places. I'm quite excited, it was a rather spontaneous decision to take the place, and I didn't realize it was such a great food spot. The money I save in rent is clearly going to be spent on food....
Cobble Hill/Boerum Hill groceries/markets?
Hi,
I'm moving to the edge of Cobble Hill soon (the apartment is on Atlantic Avenue near Smith Street) and was wondering if anyone had recommendations for groceries, aside from Trader Joe's, Brooklyn Fare, and the Fairway in Red Hook? Thanks!
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Brooklyn Fare
200 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Stuffed Squash Blossoms - LES/East Village?
Thanks for the suggestions! I will try to hit all of these places up before the summer ends. (We ended up at Cafe Falai for dinner- no squash blossoms, but a delicious meal, the paparadelle with wild boar ragu was rich and had plenty of meat, with delicate, tender pasta).
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Falai
68 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002
