Restaurants in New York City
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Junoon – Restaurant Reviewed
Wow, they must have sunk a fortune into this place. That’s the first thing that comes to mind when you step foot inside Junoon and find yourself standing in front of a tranquil reflecting pool. This new Indian restaurant, located on the outskirts of Madison Square Park, literally looks like a palace. The bar room alone is bigger than most restaurants, ornamented with antique teak swings, glossy marble floors and high ceilings. While the cocktails at ethnic restaurants tend to be gimmicky, these are both elegant and creative — a martini with a splash of vermouth and garam masala or a beautifully balanced “Agave Thyme” cocktail with rum and a fresh sprig of thyme. A long walkway leading to the dining room is trimmed with 200-year old arched gates and hand-carved sculptures from India. There’s a glassed-in spice room...
Read MoreBest Ethnic Eats in Queens
One of the best things about eating out in New York is the boundless number of cuisines to choose from. You could eat a different dish at a different restaurant every night of the year. Of all the boroughs, Queens is the largest and the most ethnically diverse, and while it’s only a few miles wide, New Yorkers can eat as if they’re anywhere in the world. There’s Flushing’s wonderfully spicy Chinese food, Jackson Heights’ mole dishes and even Floral Park’s Indian-style seafood offerings. Chengdu Heaven Address: Golden Mall, Stall 31, 41-28 Main St., Flushing No phone Who would have thought some of the best Sichuan is being made in a basement food stall? But hey, in Queens, anything goes. Chengdu Heaven’s dan dan noodles – a staple of the province where spicy food reigns supreme – is one...
Read MoreChoptank – Reviewed
*** – Three Stars Address: 308-310 Bleecker St., at Grove St. Phone: (212)675-2009 Cuisine: Chesapeake seafood Vibe: Refined neighborhood joint Occasion: Oyster binge; Casual date; Group dinner. Hours: Seven days a week. Dinner, Sun-Wed, 5:30p.m.-12a.m., Thu-Sat, 5:30p.m.-2a.m. Don’t Miss Dish: Arctic Char; Fried chicken; Bay leaf sorbet. Average Price: Appetizers, $10 ; Entrees, $20; Dessert, $7. Reservations: Reservations recommended. Capsule: Fine fish shack fare & terrific fried chicken in the West Village You used to have to wait patiently for summer to arrive to get your fix of crab chowder, peel ‘n eat shrimp, and Old Bay seasoned fries. Not anymore. It may be February and freezing, but fish shack fare is in fashion right now. Choptank, located in the West Village, is the latest in a string of newcomers. If you wanted a lobster roll a few...
Read MoreRye – Restaurant Reviewed
*** – Three Stars Address: 247 South 1st., nr. Roebling St. (Williamsburg) Phone: (718)218-8047 Cuisine: American Vibe: Timeless neighborhood haunt Occasion: Group dinner; Date; Bar bites. Hours: Seven days a week. Dinner, Sun-Thu, 6p.m.-11p.m., Fri & Sat, 6p.m.-12a.m. Don’t Miss Dish: House-smoked sturgeon; Duck confit; Meatloaf; Average Price: Appetizers, $15 ; Entrees,$20 ;Dessert, $9. Reservations: Reservations recommended. Capsule: A neigborhood restaurant worth venturing out of your own for in Williamsburg. Have you ever envied a neighborhood for their restaurants? I have. There are so many great places to live in New York with so menu great restaurants. But if I ever mustered up the courage to search for a new apartment and pack boxes, I’d head to Williamsburg. That’s where Brooklyn’s dining scene really was born. Places like Stone Rose, Peter Luger, and have been around forever, but...
Read MoreTipsy Parson – Reviewed
**** — Four StarsAddress: 156 Ninth Ave, at 20th St.Phone: (212)620-4545Cuisine: Southern-inspired comfort cuisineVibe: Charming brownstone Occasion: Casual date; Group dinner; Bar dining.Hours: Dinner, Mon-Thu, 5:30p.m.-11a.m., Fri & Sat, 5:30p.m.-12a.m., Sun, 5:30p.m.-11a.m; Brunch, Sat & Sun, 10a.m.-4p.m.Don’t Miss Dish: Hush puppies; Catfish; Brussel Sprouts ;Sweet potato pie; Tipsy Parson dessert.Average Price: Appetizers, $12; Entrees, $23; Dessert, $8.Reservations: RecommendedPhoto Credit: Jennifer Calais Smith Capsule: Warm hospitality and wonderful cooking at Tipsy Parson in Chelsea. How great would it be if you could go out for dinner in your pajamas? Unless you’re going to a local diner, eating out requires a certain amount of sacrifice. You have to jump on the subway, walk in the rain, hail a cab, and look slightly presentable. Or, you could just sit on the couch and eat mediocre take-out. As much as I wanted to...
Read MoreMermaid Oyster Bar
*** — Three Stars Address: 79 MacDougal St., nr. Houston Phone: (212)260-0100 Cuisine: Seafood Vibe: White-washed fish shack Occasion: Oyster cravings, casual date, group dinner. Hours: Dinner, Mon-Thu 5:30p.m.-11p.m, Fri & Sat, 5:30-11:30p.m. Closed Sundays. Don’t Miss Dish: Mermaid Mary cocktail; Sauteed calamari with feta & frisee; Fried clam strips; Roasted mussels. Average Price: Cocktails, $11Appetizers, $9; Entrees, $20; Complimentary Dessert. Reservations: Reservations recommended. Capsule: Back to the beach for dinner. It’s rare to find fried clam strips in Manhattan and even rarer to find some that aren’t overly chewy. So when I spotted them on the menu at the new Mermaid Oyster Bar, I ordered them and hoped for the best. They were even better than that: Tender clam strips enrobed in a perfectly light & crispy batter. Even the aioli that came alongside it was remarkable....
Read MoreAbe & Arthur’s – Reviewed
**Two Stars Address: 409 West 14th St., btwn. Ninth & Tenth Aves. Phone: (646)289-3930 Occasion: Group Dinner: Night out Hours: Dinner, mon-Wed, 6p.m.-11:30 p.m., Thu-Sat, 6p.m.-1:30a.m., Sun, 6p.m.-11p.m. Don’t Miss Dish: Tuna tacos; Strip steak, Apple cobbler Average Price: Appetizers, $ Entrees, $ Dessert, $12. Reservations: Highly Recommended. Capsule: Carnivores in Clubland. Maybe I’m getting old, but I like a little separate between church and state at dinner. I don’t care less about who’s sitting at the next table than what they’re eating for dinner. I was definitely in the minority on the nights I dined at Abe & Arthurs, a new restaurant that opened over a month ago in the old Lotus space. The Meatpacking District is much better known for its nightlife than its dining scene, but there are a number of wonderful exceptions, like Scarpetta,...
Read MoreBia Garden – Reviewed
*** Three Stars Address: 154 Orchard St., btwn. Stanton & Rivington Sts. Phone: (212)780-0100 Cuisine: Vietnamese street food Vibe: Hush hush backyard beer garden Occasion:; Group dinner; Beer binges; LES dining. Hours: Dinner; Seven days a week, Sun-Thu, 5p.m-12a.m., Sat & Sun,5p.m.-2a.m. Don’t Miss Dish: Crispy pork belly; Duck nem sausage; Baked whole fish. Average Price: Appetizers, $10, Entrees, $15, No dessert. Reservations: No reservations accepted. Cash only.Capsule: An exotic beer oasis on the Lower East Side. Think La Esquina by way of Vietnam and you’ve got Bia Garden, which recently opened on the Lower East Side. If you’re not the kind of eater that hunts down restaurants, you might miss it. But it’s worth discovering. There’s a dinky grill out front, the kind you’d find in someone’s backyard in the suburbs. Step down a flight of stairs...
Read MoreYerba Buena Perry – Reviewed
**** — Four Stars Address: 1 Perry St., at Greenwich AvenuePhone: (212)620-0808Cuisine: Modern Latin cooking Vibe: Sleek, lively West Village haunt Occasion: Group dinner; Casual date; Night out. Hours: Dinner; Mon-Wed, 5p.m..-11:30p.m., Thu-Sat, 5p.m.-2a.m, Sun, 5p.m.-2a.m.Don’t Miss Dish: Manchego croquetes; Tilapia tacos; Lechon (Roasted suckling pig); Watermelon fries: Churros.Drink: Mezcal MaidFinish With: Cinnamon-dusted churros with dulce de leche & chocolate sauce Average Price: Appetizers, $11, Entrees, $25, Dessert, $9.Reservations: Reservations recommended. Cheat Sheet:Drink the: Mezcal MaidNibble On: Manchego croquetes, tilapia tacos, flounder limeno cevicheEat: Lechon (Roasted suckling pig)Finish With: Churros with dulce de leche & chocolate dipping sauces Capsule: Julian Medina on the rise in Greenwich Village You never really have a great meal at a bad restaurant. Did you ever notice that? Chef Julian Medina has had his share of restaurant successes, but Yerba Buena Perry is his...
Read MoreAureole – Reviewed
*** Three StarsAureole Address: 135 West 42nd St., btwn. 6th & 7th Aves.Phone: (212)319-1160Cuisine: American Vibe: Sleek, haute midtownOccasion: Business lunch; Group dinner; oeniphile destination Hours: Dinner; Sun-Wed, 5:30p.m..-12a.m., Thu-Sat, 5:30p.m.-1a.m.Don’t Miss Dish: Pastrami pork belly sliders; Steamed branzini in lemongrass-coconut broth;Sweet corn souffle.Average Price: Appetizers, $15, Entrees, $30, Dessert, $10.Reservations: Reservations recommended. Capsule: Aureole does upscale Vegas by way of Times Square. Aureole used to be a sure thing. When everyone else was doing haute French, Charlie Palmer trailblazed haute American cuisine in the 90’s. Aureole became synonymous with fine dining, impeccable food, and a wonderful wine list. Eating in the restaurant — an elegant, Upper East Side townhouse — felt like you were a dinner guest at Charlie Palmer’s house. But over the years, Aureole lost its luster. Even with Adam Tihany’s redesign, the food no longer...
Read MoreThe Mott
The Mott: A cozy find with thoughtful cooking pops up in Nolita Cuisine: Modern American Vibe: Charming downtown nook Occasion: Casual date, group dinner, intimate evening Don’t Miss: Fluke crudo, ricotta gnocchi, duck breast with spinach and figs Price: Appetizers, $11; entrees, $22; desserts, $7 Reservations: Recommended Phone: 212-966-1411 Location: 173 Mott St., at Broome I have to admit: Dinner’s a lot more affordable when there’s no alcohol on the menu. But most people like to have a drink with dinner. These days, you need one. Or two. It’s hard enough to open a restaurant, never mind a sobering one. The Mott, a new establishment in Nolita, had to debut without a liquor license. There was some saga about how Emma Cleary, a former owner, parted ways and took The Mott’s liquor license with her. But you know what?...
Read MoreCivetta
New Nolita Italian spot Civetta makes disappointing debut Cuisine: Italian-centric Mediterranean Vibe: Inviting downtown kitchen Occasion: Group dinner; drink date downstairs Don’t Miss: Rigatoni alla Bolognese, lamb goat cheese polpettine, lamb sausage with drunken raisins Price: Appetizers, $13; entrees, $28; desserts, $7 Reservations: Recommended Phone: (212) 966-9440 Location: 98 Kenmare St. between Mulberry St. and Cleveland Pl. If a restaurant could have a midlife crisis, Sfoglia is having one. Sfoglia is an irresistible Italian spot on the upper East Side with wonderful food and tons of charm. Judging from the reservation book, everyone else thinks it’s irresistible, too. Sfoglia is run by Colleen and Ron Suhanosky, a husband-and-wife team who work alongside each other in the kitchen. But maybe they needed a little space, because they have just built a bigger kitchen in a much bigger restaurant way downtown....
Read MoreThe Standard Grill
The Standard Grill: High life on the High Line – at a reasonable price Cuisine: American Vibe: Bustling High Line haunt Occasion: Night on the town, date, group dinner Don’t Miss: Octopus with sweet potato & chilies, lamb chops, rainbow trout with currant and pine nut relish, shaved lime-mint ice Price: Appetizers, $9; entrees, $18; dessert, $7 Reservations: Recommended Phone: 645-4646 Location: 846 Washington St., at 13th St. Hip usually comes at a cost. When a restaurant’s hip, you can’t get a reservation or you can’t afford one. If you somehow manage to get a table, it’s too noisy to hear yourself eat or too early to eat. The Standard Grill’s different. It’s undeniably fashionable and entirely affordable. The dining room’s filled with celebrities and everybodies. The restaurant opened in the Meatpacking District, right underneath Andre Balazs’ Standard Hotel...
Read MoreHotel Griffou
Hotel Griffou: Setting the bar high for drinks Cuisine: Retro-American Vibe: Subterranean swank Occasion: Night out; impress a date; cocktail cravings Don’t Miss: Every cocktail; lobster thermidor fondue; deviled crab croquettes Price: Appetizers, $10; entrees, $25; dessert, $9 Reservations: Recommended Phone: (212) 358-0228 Location: 21 W. Ninth St., bet. Fifth & Sixth Aves. The cocktails at Hotel Griffou are phenomenal. There’s one called the Trophy Wife. I wanted to dislike it based on its name alone, but it’s excellent – a vibrant mix of cachaca, Champagne and passionfruit puree. My favorite is the Tarbell, a soothing combination of cucumber vodka, elderflower liqueur, cucumber and mulled red grapes. It’s the kind of drink that’s a little too easy to drink – as is the Mexican Rose, made with tequila, strawberries, lime and a fragrant dose of cilantro. The Griffou isn’t...
Read MorePrime Meats
Good meat, well-aged ambience Cuisine: Northern European Vibe: Victorian barroom Occasion: Neighborhood dining; bar bites; meat cravings. Don’t Miss: Daily punch, herb and Gruyere spaetzle, Vesper Brett, Prime Meats burger. Price: Appetizers, $9; entrees, $13; dessert, $5. Reservations: No reservations accepted. Cash only. Phone: (718) 254-0327 Location: 465 Court St., at Luquer St., Brooklyn Remember when Sam the butcher used to make house calls to the Bradys? The Brady-era butcher shops were different from earlier ones. Through the end of the 19th century, most New York butcher shops were owned by Central European immigrants. They didn’t just sell ground meat, tenderloins and pork chops. They also sold sausages, spaetzle and sauerkraut. Prime Meats, a new restaurant in Carroll Gardens, honors the tradition. In fact, the restaurant was inspired by a German butcher-shop sign from the 1880s that hung on...
Read MoreMarea
Seafood shrine is a great catch. Cuisine: Coastal Italian Vibe: Breezy fine dining Occasion: Business or bargain lunch, romantic date, dinner for an occasion Don’t Miss: Lobster with burrata, brodetto di pesce, garganelli with sausage ragu, zucchini torte with frozen yogurt Price: Appetizers, $11; entrees, $18; dessert, $9 Reservations: Recommended Phone: (212) 582-5100 Location: 240 Central Park South, between Broadway & Seventh Ave. Chef Michael White is either really confident or completely out of his mind. These days everyone is scaling back and lowering prices. Everyone, that is, except for White and partner Chris Cannon, who just opened Marea, a haute seafood restaurant on Central Park South. The main dining room is furnished with high-gloss rosewood, chocolate leather banquettes, silver-coated seashells and roaming silver trolleys lined with liqueurs. And what’s most compelling about Marea’s dining room isn’t the decor,...
Read MoreDBGB Kitchen & Bar
Cuisine: Global Vibe: Tavern chic Occasion: Group dinner; casual date; night out Don’t Miss: DBGB dog, tuna crudo, lamb Tunisienne sausage, raspberry pistachio cake Price: Appetizers $11, entrees $18, dessert $9 Reservations: Recommended Phone: (212) 933-5300 Location: 299 Bowery., between Houston & First Sts. If Daniel Boulud ran a hot dog stand, how would it look? Now we know. DBGB Kitchen & Bar looks like a gourmet mess hall. The bar is loud and crowded – so crowded that on most nights, bar traffic spills out between the tables in the upfront dining area. The floors are cement, and the mirrored walls are covered in a collage of quotes. Boulud’s always been an uptown guy. He’s got an uptown empire of French restaurants: Daniel, Café Boulud, DB Bistro Moderne and Bar Boulud. His newest one is way downtown on...
Read MoreLocanda Verde
Cuisine: Italian Vibe: Buzzing trattoria Occasion: Group dinner, casual date, night out Don’t Miss: Blue crab crostino; fettuccine verde with white Bolognese; almond semifreddo Price: Appetizers, $13; entrees, $22; desserts, $8 Reservations: Recommended Phone: (212) 925-3797 Location: 377 Greenwich St., near N. Moore St. What a disaster Ago was. It seemed to have everything going for it – Robert De Niro, the Greenwich Hotel, a distinguished designer, and it was an Ago, an offshoot of the original Hollywood eatery famous for its celebrity clientele. The one in Tribeca was like a cafeteria that served miserable, overpriced Italian food. It opened and closed in less than six months. Ago was dreadful, but the new incarnation, an Italian trattoria called Locanda Verde, is excellent. This was quite an exorcism. It’s got two high-powered chefs, Andrew Carmellini and Karen DeMasco, a hip...
Read MoreMesa Coyoacan
Cuisine: Mexican Vibe: Laid-back chic Occasion: Group dinner, communal dining, neighborhood bites Don’t Miss: Tacos de suadero, enchiladas de mole, churros Price: Appetizers, $8; entrées, $14; desserts, $4.50 Reservations: Accepted only for six or more Phone: (718) 782-8171 Location: 372 Graham Ave., between Skillman Ave. and Conselyea St., Brooklyn The first time I ate tacos de suadero was from a street cart in Mexico City. The persuasive aroma of cooked meats and freshly baked, corn tortillas drifted down the crowded, sweltering streets. I had no idea what “suadero” even meant, but when I eyed the meat simmering in a deep metal pan, I had to order it. It’s Spanish for thin, smooth brisket, and in the right hands, it’s amazingly tender and tasty. You rarely see tacos de suadero in New York. But they’re on the menu at Mesa...
Read MoreMonkey Bar
Cuisine: American Vibe: Swanky supper club Occasion: Stargazing; see and be seen. Impress your date. Don’t Miss: Monkey bread, Nora’s meatloaf, sticky toffee pudding Price: Appetizers, $13; entrees, $25; dessert, $9 Reservations: Highly recommended Phone: (212) 308-2950 Location: 60 E. 54th St., near Park Ave. Monkey Bar isn’t really a restaurant. It’s Graydon Carter’s uptown dinner party. The editor of Vanity Fair began dabbling in restaurants a few years back when he revived the aging Waverly Inn. Some people like buying vintage cars. Carter likes buying vintage restaurants and restoring them. Monkey Bar still looks like the original, 1930s supper club – rich red-leather banquettes, brass trimmings, monkey lamps and a 65-foot mural of New Yorkers along the walls. Most of the servers wear white steward jackets with long tails and striped patches on the shoulders. The dining room...
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