Where to Eat During NYC Restaurant Week 2014
If you’re anything like us, the list of recently opened restaurants that you just need to visit is a mile long. And while in theory, Restaurant Week seems like the perfect, most cost-effective opportunity to check out as many as you can, the truth is, few of the newest, buzziest eateries ever participate. That’s why we view the annual event as an ideal time to focus on iconic, New York restaurants, some of which, amazingly, we’ve still never frequented. While some may dismiss Restaurant Week as just for suckers, we’ve found some pretty great dining institutions to cross of your to-try list.
Want to finally experience the old world glamour of the glitzy 21 Club in Midtown? Here’s your chance. Dying to get a taste of Daniel Boulud’s elegant French cuisine, but can’t afford dinner at his eponymous restaurant? Happily, all of his other spots are taking part in Restaurant Week. So hurry up and make those reservations now, because you only have from February 17th to March 7th to try Delmonico’s signature, $49 Steak for hamburger prices (it’s offered as part of a three course, $25 lunch or $38 dinner!)
Cafe Boulud
The crown jewel of Daniel Boulud’s empire is undoubtedly the three-Michelin starred Upper East Side restaurant, Daniel, but his other venues are equally worthy of praise. And during Restaurant Week, they’re all shockingly affordable, especially his only slightly less highbrow Café Boulud, overseen by executive chef (and former Bocuse d’Or representative) Gavin Kaysen. Three courses are available during lunch hours, and you’ll have multiple options for each, like Duck Terrine with Pickled Vegetables and Whole Grain Mustard, Pot au Feu with Baby Turnips and Bone Marrow, and a Red Velvet Gateaux with Fromage Blanc Mousse and Toasted Almond Ice Cream.
Read MoreNougatine
Jean-Georges Vongerichten is New York’s other French kingpin, with three Michelin stars of his own (for the venerated Jean-Georges) and a spate of other excellent restaurants besides. Take the charming Nougatine, which is actually directly adjacent to his flagship dining room, with a regular prix fixe lunch that is already known as one of the best deals in the city ($32 for three courses). So why not squeeze out even more value during Restaurant Week, when Fluke Sashimi with Pistachios and Mint, Rigatoni with Mushroom Bolognese, and an elegant, Seasonal Dessert are available for a mere $25 at lunch or $38 at dinner?
Read More21 Club
This prohibition-era speakeasy is known as a perennial, Mad Man-esque power spot for Manhattan’s movers and shakers (the model airplanes, toy trucks, and boxing gloves hanging from the ceiling only add to the pampered, boys club vibe). You won’t find the famous burger on the Restaurant Week menu, but the 21 Club is hardly holding out; you can order Cornmeal-Crusted Crab Cakes, Prime Beef Short Rib, and a Lemon Blueberry Sundae for the regular cost of a Caesar Salad. Use the money you’ve saved towards one of the classic cocktails (21’s true raison d’être), like a “Perfect” Manhattan with sweet and dry vermouth, a dash of bitters, and a shot of top shelf rye.
Read MoreDelmonico’s
Quite literally New York’s oldest restaurant, this FiDi institution has occupied the same corner of Wall Street since 1837. And it’s entirely worth paying a supplement during Restaurant Week to try the dishes they added to America’s culinary canon, like Lobster Newberg with Brandy, Cream and Caviar ($25 extra), Baked Alaska with Walnut Cake, Apricot Jam, Banana Gelato and Meringue ($5 extra), and the glorious Ribeye Steak, served with seasonal Vegetables and topped with a single, massive Onion Ring ($15 extra). Oh, in case you didn’t know, Delmonico’s happens to be the home of the Baked Alaska.
Read MoreGotham Bar and Grill
Alfred Portale made his name at this quintessential New York brasserie, which opened on a tree-lined block of Greenwich Village in 1984. The regular menu is market-inspired without being overly precious or preachy about it, and the Restaurant Week menu more than follows suit. Try the Cauliflower Veloute with Green Apples and Crimson Grapes, Halibut with Leek Fondue and Braised Savoy Cabbage, and a Tropical “Vacherin” with Mango Paper and Coconut Sorbet. Bonus points for the $10 glasses of Hermann J. Weimer Dry Riesling from the Finger Lakes; we featured the wonderfully crisp and fruity wine at our wedding!
Read MoreLe Cirque
Who hasn’t heard of Le Cirque’s legendary owner, the gregarious restaurateur Sirio Maccioni? His extravagant, circus-themed eatery may have undergone various permutations and changed locations throughout the years (its newest home is in the Bloomberg Building), but the tuxedoed Italian has remained Le Cirque’s ever-present master of ceremonies. So take advantage of Maccioni’s famed hospitality during Restaurant Week, with an over-the-top lunch of Truffle Risotto with Pumpkin, Confit of Salmon with Coco Bean Salad, and Crème Brulee “Le Cirque;” the restaurant introduced New York to the tasty, torched sugar-topped pudding in the 1980’s!
Read MoreNobu
Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto got his start at Nobu New York, run by that famed pioneer of Japanese fusion, Nobu Matsuhisa. Matsuhisa’s signature dish, Black Cod with Miso, is actually on the sleek Tribeca eatery’s Restaurant Week menu, along with a number of other pristine fish dishes, like assorted Sushi, Shrimp Tempura with Creamy Spicy Sauce, Umami Arctic Char, and Sashimi Salad dressed with rice vinegar, mustard and soy.
Read MoreAureole
Charlie Palmer’s flagship, Aureole, may have moved out of its magical Upper East Side townhouse (can you tell we’re bitter?), but it’s still serving up superior progressive American cooking in its new, Bryant Park digs. Appropriately, the Restaurant Week menu showcases dishes, made with regional, American ingredients, like Farmed Baby Greens Salad with Apple and Pumpkin Seeds, Pearl Barley Risotto with Roasted Root Vegetables and Herbs, and a classic, comforting Brownie, topped with Milk Chocolate Mousse and Vanilla Ice Cream.
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