piegirl74's Profile
ISO excellent grilled calamari
In fact, I have had that very dish before and had forgotten about it. Delicious!
My husband is in search of calamari simply grilled in the seaside Mediterranean style. Smokey flavor, cooked correctly, squeeze of lemon. You know...flavors opposite of January in NYC :-)
Williamsburg birthday dinner
Miranda!! Cozy, romantic and the food is consistent and wonderful. Staff is warm and makes you feel at home. Reservations on opentable. We eat here every Sunday!
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Miranda
80 Berry St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
ISO excellent grilled calamari
Where can we go to find excellent GRILLED calamari? Specifically, as an entree, not as a salad or part of another dish? I, admittedly, have not pulled up individual restaurant menus to search.
We are open to all price ranges, boroughs, and variations. Thanks in advance!!
christmas eve sos???
Agreed, kathryn. We did Fresh Direct for Thanksgiving this year due to a "getting ready to move" situation. Everything came with specific instructions and even a countdown of what to stick in the microwave/oven at what time. So, basically there was zero planning involved.
And everything was delicious! Real homemade stuff with real ingredients. Not a bad substitute for my homemade dinner. (Though, I did bake my own pie because I refuse to eat store bought dessert.)
ISO Toblerone--Giant Chocolate Bar
I know Economy Candy on the LES sells Toblerone. But I can't remember if they have the huge ones. My husband prefers the standard size so I always grab a handful when in the area. But, call and check! They have everything there.
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Economy Candy
108 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002
Terrace 5 at MoMA
We are members and always go to Terrace 5 when at the museum. Usually we get coffee and split one of their delicious sundaes. Their nibbles are always good, too (I had fresh ricotto on flatbread once that was delicious!!). I greatly prefer the relaxed atmosphere upstairs to the bustle of the bigger space on the main level.
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Terrace 5
9 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019
Restaurants Near The Altman Building
The Altman is on W 18th betw 6th and 7th.
Im assuming you are eating AFTER the event?
Better places very nearby that I can think of off-hand are Markt (fantastic mussels), Sala One Nine, and Boqueria.
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Markt
676 6th Ave, New York, NY 10010
Boqueria
53 W 19th St, New York, NY 10011
Sala One Nine
35 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011
Artichoke Basilles Pizzeria West Chelsea
A couple of weeks ago, I tried the margarita and was really happy. It's a big enough slice to be filling, but isn't the least bit heavy or greasy and all of the flavors really stood out.
Today I went back for a slice of artichoke and was disappointed. It is incredibly rich - far too heavy to be enjoyable. The topping is so mushy (more like spinach artichoke dip) which makes it a bit messy to eat, too. A sprinkling of pepper flakes balanced out the richness, but I wouldn't get this again despite all of the other customers there gobbling it up.
soup (takeout) Flatiron/Village
Concur with noob. I work in the area and Medina's soup is wonderful. When I have a cold, I get a soup from Medina and a juice from Juice @ Coffee Shop.
Any of their asian-style soups are always winners (e.g., thai chicken).
Last week, they had Turkish Wedding soup (lentil, tomato and mint) which I fell in love with in Turkey this summer. It was just as good as being back.
They also clearly mark things as vegetarian, dairy-free, etc and always have a nice mix so there is always something for all dietary needs.
If you had four days in New York before you dieted what would you eat?
A milkshake or custard from Shake Shack!
Best date spots under $50 not including drinks
Jazz and dessert at La Lanterna.
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La Lanterna
129 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012
Bridal shower-BRUNCH spot?
Alice's Tea Cup. I know the UWS location has a private room (there are always bridal and baby showers and bday parties going on), but there are also 2 locations on the east side which may also be able to accommodate. It's just very girly and fun.
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Alice's Tea Cup
102 W 73rd St, New York, NY 10023
Where should I go around 57th near 10th?
Taboon!! On 10th ave betw 52/53. It's middle eastern/Mediterranean fusion. Fantastic homemade bread and app spreads. The baked fish dishes are delicious. It's super cozy. One of my faves!
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Taboon
773 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10019
WEDDING
Does it need to be near Central Park? Do you need music/dancing? Do you need space for all of the traditional wedding stuff (toasts, cake, etc)? What type of event do you want to have - Elegant, casual, fun? Does it have to be dinner?
There are many places within that budget, but need more details. Just had mine at Blue Hill which I can't say enough good things about. Keste, Convivio, City Bakery, and Park Avenue were also short listed. It depends on the vibe and type of food you want. Will also depend on day of the week - weekend nights book up well in advance.
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Blue Hill
75 Washington Place, New York, NY 10011
City Bakery
3 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011
Park Avenue Cafe
100 E 63rd St, New York, NY 10021
Convivio
45 Tudor City Place, New York, NY 10017
San Genaro Feast: Sausage and Pepper Sandwich
The question was not "should I eat at San Gennaro". The question was "where do you get a decent sausage sandwich at San Gennaro".
My experience has always led us to John's. though Im not actually sure it says that on the sign. Corner of Mulberry and Grand. My friend tipped me off to it years ago. She learned it from the cops stationed in her building downtown.
We go for lunch on a weekday when it's most definitely chilled out. I don't eat meat anymore (this year I will eat zeppole for lunch!), but I used to always get 2 - one to eat on the spot and 1 for dinner later!
Dinner with family - midtown East
Couldn't get in at Mia Dona, so we ended up at Ethos - UN which was fine. Our server had loads of personality and we had a nice time. The grilled octopus was wonderful. Noise level was perfect (practically none) for a baby and my parents. And they loved it which is all that matters.
Though, I wish I had thought about Rouge Tomate.
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Mia Dona
206 East 58th Street, New York, NY 10022
Rouge Tomate
10 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
Looking for great paella....
Yeah, I have heard that a few times from different people, but never had a problem any time I have been there (3 or 4 times so far).
Kind of specific tasting menu request. Need the crowd's genius.
Blue Hill does a Farmer's Tasting menu and is super cool about swapping out items.
Degustation is also an incredible value with a 5-course for $50 and 10-course for $75 (it's possible the prices have changed). They also have an a-la-carte menu. Im not sure if both of you have to do the tasting or not. They seemed very accommodating of special requests as well. But, the food might be a bit too in the eggs/fish for your BF. But, the place is a great value for sure. Worth digging up a menu.
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Blue Hill
75 Washington Place, New York, NY 10011
What's the best veg restaurant (upscale) in the City?
Devi on 19th between Union Square and 5th ave. Vegetarian indian, great vibe and the food is wonderful!
THIS COULD BE DISASTEROUS
More than the destination, I always hate going out with large groups. Recently had a family dinner for Virgil's for 15 people. Food was pretty good, but to coordinate 15 people is torture and simply takes forever. But, they handle large groups pretty well there.
However, what does "fun for a bunch of ladies" mean, exactly? Are you looking for loud, music, or classy? If they are music fans, then yeah - suck it up because they will like the decor. If not, there are other places to go.
I sometimes meet people at Ruby Foo's when a friend is in town on business and that nabe is really the only option due to time constraints. It's great because you can eat pretty affordably (a couple of sushi rolls) or go pricier. But, asian has to be an option.
There are also more excellent options further west for much better food and a more upscale environment. Marseille is a vibrant bistro with terrific food, and Taboon (on 10th ave) is one of my favorites (but it's much quieter)
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Ruby Foo's
1626 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Taboon
773 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10019
Looking for great paella....
Socarrat is fantastic. You can do a search on this board and reviews will pop up. But, you must get there early as it only seats about 12 and they don't take reservations. They recently opened a "wine bar" next door which (i THINK) serves paella, but Im not positive. I have not been since they expanded.
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Socarrat
259 W 19th St, New York, NY 10011
Dinner for ~60 - Suggestions?
Absolutely not. There are plenty of places that do it - you'll simply be put in the private room with some type of fixed menu. Assuming you don't want dancing, you'll just be in a private room. The lists of places go on and on.
We are hosting 20 and our budget is half of yours.
We are having our wedding lunch at Blue Hill. We chose them because the menu is seasonal and designed just for us based on our likes/dislikes. I can't say enough about how gracious they have been. (We are also doing a weekday lunch as they are usually closed so we get the whole place to ourselves).
Other places we looked at were: City Bakery, Convivio, Park Avenue (summer, winter, fall, spring), Keste, and Landmarc. I have also heard Shorty's is very good for a private event. You just have to see what works with your budget. From memory, I think City Bakery and Keste could easily work for you (I was really intrigued by the whimsy of City Bakery).
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Blue Hill
75 Washington Place, New York, NY 10011
City Bakery
3 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011
Park Avenue Cafe
100 E 63rd St, New York, NY 10021
Landmarc
179 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013
Convivio
45 Tudor City Place, New York, NY 10017
Paired 'regular' and vegetarian tasting menus.
I do this ALL THE TIME! I don't eat meat, but my fiance does, and I always call ahead and have never had anyone tell me no. Sometimes I get a pescatarian version, sometimes straight vegetarian (depends on the restaurant). We love tasting menus and this has never been a problem for us.
EMP will absolutely accommodate this. We were going to do a tasting recently and they told me to simply call 24 hours before so they could tell the chef. They were happy to oblige given notice.
Beyoglu Zeytinyagli Ispanak (Spinish w/ Dill) Recipe
No idea, but this is one of my fave restaurants. I have never had patlican domates soslu (eggplant with tomatoes) as good anywhere else.
How open are restaurants to changing their tasting menu (substitutions)
This often happens for us since Im a pescatarian and my partner is a carnivore. I have never been to a place that didn't offer a vegetarian or pescatarian version of their tasting menu (I always call ahead as some places want 24 hours notice so they can plan). So, by default we either get different tasting menus or different preparations of a dish (a scallop dish that incorporates chorizo and one without, for example).
This works great for my fiance since he gets to try everything. Not always for me :-) Though, I usually take a taste of a few of his side dishes (the meat courses always come with the good sides like creamy polenta!!).
Other places like Ko do this on their own for several of the courses just to give you the chance to try different things.
What to order at Blue Hill?
Really? I had the tasting menu in the fall and it didn't take that long. Maybe an hour from ordering to the final course. At some places I would think that's a long time, but for a tasting menu at this type of place it's pretty average. I definitely wouldn't do a tasting menu anywhere if I had somewhere to be afterwards (theater, etc).
I can't really make any recommendations, since I ate there in the fall and the offerings will be entirely different for summer. (though, at the time, the farm egg was heavenly).
Everything was delicious during our visit (did the farmer's tasting: one vegetarian and one non-vegetarian) and we are having our wedding lunch there as a result of our dinner experience.
Run, Don't Walk to The Bedford
Just moved to Williamsburg and we are exploring the good eats in the area. Yesterday, we stumbled on The Bedford (corner of Bedford Ave and 11th). This place is a gem!!
Super cozy with the friendliest staff in the world. Server said they had been open 3 months. I was sad to see that we were the only table during our time there (7-8p), though, there were 3 people eating at the bar discussing movies with the bartender. (perhaps Sunday evening is not a big dine-out night in Williamsburg?)
This is a farm to table restaurant and the menu changes daily. The offerings were varied and delicious and the prices very reasonable. They are cash only which I HATE, but they are worth it.
We got out of there for about $80 including tip. Had 1 cocktail (delicious!!) and glass of wine. We split the frito misto starter which was squid, scallops, green beans, olives, zucchini and lemon fried with tartar sauce for dipping. Perfectly breaded (light!!) and divine! My finance had the crispy chicken which was a half chicken with mashed potatoes and greens. His words "I don't know what they did to these greens, but they are unbelievable". The chicken was super juicy and he was in heaven. I had the mussels with chorizo and paprika. Came with grilled bread and a mixed green salad. DIVINE. Spicy, soothing, juicy and the bread was heaven.
Portions are also very generous. So far, we have experiences fairly small portions for the price at the places we have tried, but that was not the case here. A really good value for the quality and amount of food.
The chef also sent us a complimentary order of corn which was rolled in paprika and ricotta salata. He said it's fresh and local and hasn't been selling. Me: Who doesn't want fresh corn? Him: I know! It's freaking me out. I hope you enjoy it. It was super yummy and my first corn of the season.
We shared the blueberry galette for dessert which was perfectly sized and just barely sweet. Perfect end.
We will definitely go back. They also do brunch from 10-4pm so we look forward to checking out their brunch menu.
Go immediately!
Need a special place that is both veg friendly and not too dressy
Devi is another great option - it's vegetarian indian and is completely wonderful. Another favorite on this board. Though, I can't quite tell from your post whether Indian food might be too adventurous for your dining companion.
I also did a vegetarian tasting menu at Blue Hill while my partner had the non-veg tasting menu. Both were completely wonderful. (They are very good at accommodating preferences.)
I have also always had good response from high-end restaurants when I call ahead. We love to do tasting menus and many (EMP included) were more than accommodating. They just asked me to call 24 hours in advance to remind them so the chef can plan for it.
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Blue Hill
75 Washington Place, New York, NY 10011
Miranda in Williamsburg is Incredible!
Agreed that this place is yummy. We just moved to the area and popped in for brunch. Super cozy and the friendliest staff. Had huevos con mole and poached eggs with polenta and tomatoes. Regret that we didn't get their bread basket (made fresh every day - all sorts of assorted deliciousness). And truly delicious coffee which practically never happens. A classy affordable neighborhood place!
pizza and beer second date
Go to Veloce pizza in the East Village. Get the white clam, 5 onion, or mushroom pizza. It's sicilian style (square), but the crust isn't grossly thick - it's thin and buttery and crispy and heavenly. Place has the vibe of a wine bar and a good list. Also great meat and cheese plate specials.
