Our Father’s Day 2016 Dining Guide
We’re perfectly aware that not all dads are obsessed with steak, barbecue, and beer; just as we know that not all moms are suckers for chocolate, mimosas and brunch. But when it comes to narrowing down Father’s Day options, we’re going to venture a guess that the following restaurants are legitimately failsafe bets for making dad happy. So from mutton chops at Keens to smoked meat at Pig Beach, go ahead and get your pop what he probably (definitely) wants!
Freud
Eduard Frauneder has emerged as the king of lightly refined Austrian fare in New York City. And his latest, notably hip Vienna-inspired brasserie — recently opened in Greenwich Village — all but cements his title, with Crushed Beet and Whipped Liptauer Cheese Salad, Pork Neck with caramelized lettuce, Scallops with shitake mushrooms and blood sausage, Cipollini Onion Tartes with gravy and Dark Rye Spatzle, tossed with 5 Spoke Tumbleweed Cheddar and roasted florets of cauliflower.
Read MoreKeens
Sure you can score reservations at any one of NYC’s sleek, modern steakhouses, or you can treat dad to dinner at the very (rarely disputed) best. Since opening in 1885, Keens has become synonymous with luscious, USDA prime Ribeyes, Porterhouses, T-Bones and Filets, as well as legendary, plate-sized Mutton Chops and a stellar single malt collection, enjoyed in a cavernous, clubby series of rooms, bedecked with antique chandeliers and vintage churchwarden pipes.
Amada
Tapas can seem a little precious (especially since they’ve basically given way to the tweezer-ized small plates craze), but they’re appropriately lusty at Jose Garces’ New York outpost of Amada. We’re sure your father will feel duly sated by Ham Croquetas, Lamb Albondigas and a stew of Chorizo and Clams, followed by larger feeds such as Paella Valenciana and Whole Roasted Sucking Pig, accompanied by customizable Gin & Tonics from the mix-and-match bar.
Read MoreBedford & Co
We’re totally sold on the Burgers — topped with cheddar, caramelized onions and pork belly — at John DeLucie’s blessedly non-pretentious Midtown joint; helpfully located near Grand Central Station, in case your pop’s coming in from out of town. But it’s hard to argue with anything that emerges from the fragrant, wood-burning oven; from Berskhire Pork Chops to Prime Hanger Steaks to day-aged Colorado Lamb Leg, served with spiced broccolini, briny olives and a sour cherry jus.
Read MoreLlama Inn
Eric Ramirez may be a vet of Eleven Madison Park, but he’s gone back to his Peruvian roots at Williamsburg’s vibrant, dynamic Llama Inn; serving a truly unique rendition of Lomo Saltado (a french fry-crowned beef tenderloin stir fry, meant to be wrapped in scallion pancakes), as well as Whole Roasted Chicken with aji sauce-slathered potato wedges, an array of anticucho featuring Short Rib, Octopus and Pork Belly, and perhaps the city’s most inspired Quinoa Salad; interspersed with bananas, cashews, avocado and bacon.
Read MorePaloma Rocket
Does dad fancy himself a beer connoisseur? At the Lower East Side’s quirky Paloma Rocket, he can actually pour his own; filling his pint glass at will from 30 different, frequently changing self-serve taps. And after an evening spent sampling Thirsty Dog Brewing Company’s Labrador Lager, Singlecut Beersmiths’ Half-Stack IPA, and Two Roads’ Worker’s Comp Saison, you can even treat him to a growler to go, as an appropriately sudsy parting gift!
Read MorePig Beach
Barbecue seems a no-brainer for Father’s Day, especially since there’s no shortage of estimable smoked meat temples currently operating in New York. But the 13,000-square foot, largely al fresco Pig Beach — which just reopened for the season in Gowanus — has the distinction of being overseen by an all-star crew of chefs and competitive pit masters. We’re talking Balthazar’s Shane McBride, Ed Lobster Bar’s Ed McFarland, and Del Posto alum Matt Abdoo, who’ve joined forces to serve za’atar-rubbed Lamb Leg, supple Pork Shoulder, and provolone and pepper-stuffed Sausages, slathered in their award-winning, mustard-based sauce.
Read MoreL&B Spumoni Gardens
You’ll want to bring the whole family along for a sprawling, Italian American-style feast at Brooklyn’s landmark L&B Spumoni Gardens. Especially if you order the Chef’s Table; an entirely off-menu progression of beyond-red sauce dishes, from long-stemmed Roman Artichokes to orzo and scallop-stuffed Lobster, to Veal Chops paired with buttery mashed sweet potatoes and garlic-bombed broccoli rabe, followed by mind-boggling dessert sculptures constructed from various cakes, sweets and ice creams.
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