Restaurants in New York City
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Macao Trading Company
311 Church St., near Walker St. (212) 431-8750 Seven days, 5 p.m.-4 a.m.; CUISINE Global fusion; VIBE Exotic speakeasy; OCCASION Swanky date, bar bites, festive group dinner; DON’T MISS DISH Sticky rice-stuffed quail, Portu-guese-style shrimp with green sauce, trio of flans; AVERAGE PRICE Appetizers $8, entrees $22, desserts $7; RESERVATIONS Highly recommended.Macao Trading Company At the moment, the most beautiful bar in New York may be the one at Macao Trading Co.. It’s a grownup’s bar – owned by grownups, staffed by grown-ups. But really, it feels like a bar for 8-year-olds. That’s a good thing. I suppose you could get a Grey Goose martini, dirty. But why, when you can drink Drunken Dragon’s Milk or down a Bashful Maiden or be treated by Dr. Funk? After all, what’s a bar for, if not to free you inner 8-year-old?...
Read MoreThe John Dory
A little like Le Bernardin in blue jeans. Address: 85 10th Ave., near 15th St.Phone: (212) 929-4948 Seven days, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.Cuisine: SeafoodVibe: Kitschy fish shackOccasion: Posh counter dining, date, group dinnerDon’t Miss Dishes: Razor-clam ceviche, chorizo-stuffed squid, oyster pan roast, sautéed cod milt:Average Price: Appetizers, $16; entrées, $28; desserts, $10Reservations: Highly recommendedThe John Dory If you could draft a fantasy restaurant team, who would you pick? It depends on what’s on the menu, of course. Italian? I’d take Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich. British pub? I’d take Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield. (Have you eaten the deviled eggs, devils on horseback or Roquefort burger at the Spotted Pig?) These people are first-round draft picks, in my opinion. Together, they could open a restaurant called Dumpster, serve trash, and people would probably line up. So I’m not surprised that...
Read MoreBar Bao
Redefining Vietnamese on the upper West Side. 100 W. 82nd St., (212) 501-0776. Mon.-Wed., 6 p.m.-1 a.m.; Thurs.-Fri., 6 p.m.-2 a.m.; Sat., 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Sun., 5-10 p.m. CUISINE Vietnamese VIBE Cozy meets cool upper West Sider. OCCASION First date, group dinner, neighborhood outing. DON’T-MISS DISH Daikon duck hash, cuttlefish with salsa verde, duck fried rice. AVERAGE PRICE Appetizers $11, entrées $20, desserts $8. RESERVATIONS Recommended When I was just an eater and not a writer, I used to dine at a number of Bao restaurants – Bao Noodles, Bao 111, and also Mai House, where Bao was in the kitchen. It was like a chain of Bao restaurants, a chain in time, not space. Now there’s Bar Bao on 82nd Street. If you order one way at Bar Bao, it’s like eating at an old Bao restaurant. Order...
Read More10 Downing
10 Downing St., at Sixth Ave. (212) 255-0300 Tue.-Wed. 6 p.m.- 12 a.m.; Thu.-Sat. 6 p.m.-1 a.m.; Sun. 6 p.m.- 12 a.m.; closed Mon. CUISINE French-inflected American VIBE Bustling downtown eatery OCCASION Casual date, neighborhood bites, family or group dinner DON’T MISS DISH Trout tartare, squid ink agnolotti, coffee-scented semi freddo AVERAGE PRICE Appetizers $10; entrees $24; desserts $8 RESERVATIONS Recommended Here’s the first thing you need to know you about 10 Downing. Order the charcuterie, especially the duck liver mousse and the duck prosciutto. There’s a lot of charcuterie in this town, even housemade charcuterie, a lot of it obligatory, a lot of it ordinary. I overlooked the 10 Downing charcuterie on my first two visits. When it comes to the table, pay attention because the chef is paying attention. Here’s the second thing you need to know....
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Vesta Trattoria
Vesta Trattoria 21-02 30th Ave., Astoria; (718) 545-5550 Lunch, Mon.-Fri., noon-4 p.m.; Dinner, Sun.-Mon., 5-10 p.m.; Tue.-Thur., 5-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5 p.m.-12 a.m. CUISINE: Italian VIBE: Warm nabe spot OCCASION: Casual date, neighborhood bites, family or group dinner DON’T-MISS DISH: Three-meat lasagna, lamb shank, baby Jesus cake PRICES: Appetizers, $8; entrees, $14; desserts, $5.50 RESERVATIONS: Accepted Have you ever had wine by the shot? I hadn’t either, until a few weeks ago. I don’t mean shot, as in a one-ounce shot of whiskey. I mean a port glass of Primitivo – a spicy, medium-bodied red from Puglia – for $2.50. This is a wine you could drink all through dinner. But why bother? If you can drink wine by the shot, you can try many more wines and pair them more closely with each course you order. And still...
Read MoreBraeburn
Bistrong overdirects his menu at Braeburn. 117 Perry St. between Hudson and Greenwich, (212) 255-0696 Open seven days; lunch, noon- 4 p.m.; dinner, 5:30-10:30 p.m. CUISINE: AmericanVIBE: Cozy corner spotOCCASION: First date, group dinnerDON’T-MISS DISH: Smoked brook trout, breast of duck, pumpkin cheescakePRICE: Appetizers, $12; entrées, $26; desserts, $6RESERVATIONS: Accepted The other day, I called Braeburn. The general manager answered, “Thank you for calling The Harrison.” Then he hung up, embarrassed. It was a natural mistake. Almost half the staff comes from The Harrison, a Tribeca restaurant that embodies the idea of American bistro cooking. In fact, some dishes make you feel like you’re at The Harrison and some dishes make you wish you were at The Harrison. What The Harrison does in a relaxed way, Braeburn does in a way that’s both fussy and tiny. After an appetizer,...
Read MoreRouge Tomate
10 E. 60th St., between Fifth and Madison; (646) 237-8977; Open seven days, noon-4:30 p.m., 5:30-10:30 p.m.; CUISINE: Modern American; VIBE: Glossy culinary spa; OCCASION Midtown lunch, business dinner, detox dining; DON’T MISS DISH: Arctic char, yellowjack crudo, rabbit with chestnut pasta; PRICE: Appetizers $10, entrees $20, desserts $10; RESERVATIONS Accepted in downstairs dining room. Different menu in upstairs cafe; both equally good. There are 393 calories in the rabbit Fleischnacke at Rouge Tomate. The nutritionist counted. How many restaurants do you know that have a nutritionist? Fleischnacke is German for minced meat rolled in pasta and cooked in a stock. At Rouge Tomate, this means farm-raised, braised rabbit rolled up in chestnut pasta and sautéed in rabbit jus. None of the ingredients requires quotation marks. There’s not a mock anything anywhere in this dish. Those 393 calories also...
Read MoreMr. Jones Yakitori
Mr. Jones: A little swank with your yakitori. 243 E. 14th St., (212) 253-7670. Sun.-Wed., 5:30 p.m.-midnight; Thur.-Sat., 5:30 p.m.-2 a.m.; CUISINE: Traditional Japanese VIBE: Stealthy yakitori den; OCCASION: Night out, casual date; DON’T MISS DISH: Chicken wings, wagyu with wasabi, escolar with citrus sauce; PRICE: Appetizers $6; entrees $15; desserts, none; RESERVATIONS: Recommended Some people like to invent imaginary friends. Lesley Bernard likes to invent imaginary friends who design restaurants. He created Tillman’s, a Harlem soul lounge in Chelsea, named after its fictional proprietor, Mr. Tillman. Mr. Jones is the name of Bernard’s new restaurant on E. 14th St. The question is — who does Mr. Jones think he is? And more importantly, do you really want to eat in the mind of a fictional character? Especially a mind that resembles James Coburn’s in “In Like Flint”? But...
Read MoreCipolla Rossa
Recession-proof dining. 1762 First Ave., at 91st St. (212) 996-9426 Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun, noon-10 p.m. CUISINE: Tuscan Italian VIBE: Humble neighborhood spot OCCASION: Neighborhood dining, family dinner DON’T MISS DISH: Grilled calamari, venison pappardelle, wild boar meatloaf, tiramisu AVERAGE PRICE: Appetizers, $7; entrees, $14; dessert, $5 RESERVATIONS: Accepted Why aren’t more people talking about Cipolla Rossa? Maybe it’s the location — First Ave. near 91st St. Maybe it’s the narrow storefront. It has a bright yellow awning and it looks more like your average takeout joint than a real restaurant. The only reason I knew about it was the wild boar meatloaf. Someone had tipped me off, knowing I’m fond of game. So, I trekked up to Cipolla Rossa on a cold, rainy Saturday night and waited 30 minutes for a table. As it turned out, the...
Read MoreSecession
Dinner as improvisation at Bouley’s Secession 30 Hudson St., near Duane St., (212) 791-3771 Mon.-Thur., 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Cuisine: Franco-Italian Vibe: Gilded Tribeca affair Occasion: Downtown date, family dinner. Don’t-Miss Dish: Boudin blanc, Princess crab & avocado salad, chocolate banana with prune Armagnac ice cream. Average Price: Appetizers, $12; entrees, $23; dessert, $9. Reservations: Recommended Let’s start with the numbers. On the menu at Secession, there are eight charcuteries, a dozen salads, seven types of oysters and clams, four soups, three risottos and three kinds of fries. And that is only half the items. I haven’t mentioned the classics or the sides or, for that matter, what’s been roasted, fried, grilled or cooked a la plancha. You might be tempted to hand the menu back to your server and say simply, “Bring me food.” Order...
Read MoreBussaco
Starting a chowder trend in Park Slope 833 Union St., near Seventh Ave., (718) 857-8828. Mon.-Thur., 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Fri & Sat., 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m. CUISINE: Contemporary American VIBE: Domesticated firehouse OCCASION: Casual date, group dinner DON’T-MISS DISH: Crab chowder, sweet potato tortellini, Greek yogurt cheesecake AVERAGE PRICE: Appetizers, $10; entrees, $21; dessert, $7 RESERVATIONS: Accepted Eating the crab chowder at Bussaco makes me wonder why chowder isn’t more popular. Was there a chowder trend? Did I miss it? Why don’t we have one now? After all, it’s a good time for one. The economy sucks and the weather is starting to suck, too. Just imagine – a cold evening, a warm restaurant and a hot bowl of chowder, the white not the red. And what makes it even cozier is that you’re seated in a roomy banquette...
Read MoreDouble Crown
The urban tropics, Malaysia by way of the Bowery. 316 Bowery, at Bleecker St., (212) 254-0350 Mon.-Thur., 6 p.m.-midnight; Fri.-Sat., 6 p.m.-1 a.m.; Sat.-Sun. brunch, 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. CUISINE: Fusion. VIBE: Hip Bowery eatery. OCCASION: First date, festive group dinner. DON’T-MISS DISH: Duck steam bun, sea bream sashimi, Singapore laksa. AVERAGE PRICE: Appetizers, $14; entrees, $25; dessert, $10. RESERVATIONS: Accepted. In the right kind of restaurant, eating out reminds you that you belong to a social world, something larger than yourself. Maybe it’s the gentle haze of conversation, the buzz at the bar, or the music thumping in the background. There’s a pulse, something electric in the energy darting about the room. How do you create that feeling? In the case of Double Crown, down in the Bowery, it was designed right into the restaurant. It is owned and...
Read MoreThe Libertine
British pub grub altered – for the worse – for the American palate. 15 Gold St., (212) 785-5950. Lunch: Mon.-Fri., 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dinner: Mon.-Thurs., 5:30-10:30 p.m.; Fri., 5:30-11; Sat.-Sun., 6-10. Brunch: Sat.-Sun., 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. CUISINE: Brit comfort food VIBE: Think private men’s club. OCCASION: Business lunch, group dinner DON’T-MISS DISHES: Lamb potpie, hazelnut chocolate trifle AVERAGE PRICE: Appetizers, $14; entrees, $25; dessert, $10 RESERVATIONS: Accepted I’m all for whimsy and chefs who play with my food. After all, it’s just food. I’m game for a gimmick – as long as it tastes good. A Kobe-beef pig in a blanket? I can’t argue with that. Sliders? Overplayed, yes. But in the right hands, sliders can be worth a month-long wait for a table. Case in point: the gravy-smothered meatball sliders at the Little Owl. Apple pie with cheddar...
Read MoreChar No. 4
Hard times call for hard liquor. And Southern cooking at Char No. 4. ADDRESS: 196 Smith St., between Baltic & Warren Sts.; (718) 643-2106. HOURS: Sun.-Thurs., 6 p.m.-midnight; Fri.-Sat., 6 p.m.-1 a.m. CUISINE: Southern comfort food VIBE: Hip house of whisky Destination dining, group dinner DON’T-MISS DISH: Crispy cheddar curds, sage pork sausage, smoked honey glazed chicken AVERAGE PRICE: Appetizers, $8; entrées, $16; dessert, $9 RESERVATIONS: Accepted How many bourbons can you name? Do you know the difference between rye and Scotch? Is there really a Scotch named Compass Box Vatted Grain Hedonism? For the answers to these questions, visit Char No. 4 on Smith St. in Brooklyn. Be prepared to drink. A lot. I thought I knew a thing or two about bourbon until I sat at the bar. It’s a glowing shrine to all grains distilled and...
Read MoreBar Pitti
Happiness is a plate of pesto pasta. 268 Sixth Ave., near Bleecker St., (212) 982-3300 Seven days a week, noon to midnight CUISINE Italian VIBE Downtown sidewalk scene OCCASION First date, group dinner DON’T MISS DISH Pesto pasta, veal meatballs, eggplant parmigiana AVERAGE PRICES Appetizers, $7; entrees, $13.50; dessert, $6.50 RESERVATIONS Accepted for parties of four or more Wasn’t last week a miserable one in New York? The markets were down and so were some of the candidates.Some people lose their appetite when things seem gloomy. Not me. All I wanted was a bowl of pesto pasta. And nobody makes better pesto sauce than Bar Pitti. If you’ve ordered it, you know exactly I’m talking about. Every New Yorker should eat it at least once. But it was late in September, so my chances were slim. High basil season...
Read MoreBraai
It’s not dinner at the zoo. It’s dinner in Hell’s Kitchen. 329 W. 51st St., between Eighth and Ninth Aves., (212) 315-3315 Sun.-Wed., 5 p.m.-1a.m.; Thu.-Sat., 5 p.m.-3 a.m. Cuisine: African barbecue Vibe: Funky Hell’s Kitchen spot. Occasion: Casual date, group dinner. Don’t Miss Dish: Venison sosoties & chicken bobotie. Average Price: Appetizers, $12; entrees, $23; dessert, $8. Reservations: Recommended Do you ever read the menu online before you go to a restaurant? It’s a bad idea, at least at Braai. I skipped lunch and all of my mid-afternoon snacks because I planned to take down a barbecued ostrich that evening. And what did I get? I got one dainty skewer of overcooked ostrich, domestically raised. I didn’t want domestically raised. I had my heart set on ostrich right off the veldt. And where’s the antelope? I came for...
Read MoreApiary
60 Third Ave., between 10th and 11th Sts. (212) 254-0888 Mon.-Thurs., 5:30-11 p.m.; Fri-Sat., 5:30 p.m.-midnight; Sun., 5:30-10:30 p.m. CUISINE: New American VIBE: Stylish E. Village eatery OCCASION: First date, group dinner DON’T-MISS DISHES: Roasted peaches and serrano ham; spice-crusted lamb PRICE: Appetizers, $12; entrees, $25; dessert, $8 RESERVATIONS: Recommended CAPSULE: Honey and spice Apiary reminds me how hard it is to get it right. To most of us, dinner is just dinner. But to a restaurant’s chef and its staff, it’s much more complicated. Imagine all the questions that have to be answered before your entrée arrives. What’s fresh today? Can we make a profit on that? Am I going to shoot myself if I have to roast another chicken? Is this dish too much like Bobby Flay’s? Would anybody notice if I just pulled it off the...
Read MoreAllegretti
46 W. 22nd St., between Fifth and Sixth Aves. (212) 206-0555 5 p.m.-11 p.m. CUISINE Southern French VIBE Think yacht chic OCCASION First date, group dinner, business lunch DON’T-MISS DISH Heirloom tomato salad, seared dorade, chocolate fondant PRICE Appetizers, $15; entrees, $26; dessert, $10 RESERVATIONS: Recommended Capsule: You’ll want to become a regular at Allegretti. Allegretti is growing on me. And that very fact demonstrates one of the few drawbacks of being a restaurant critic. I don’t get to be a regular anywhere. What could be better than a restaurant where you don’t even have to order, where the server already knows how you like your steak and martini? (Ice-cold vodka in a martini glass, please. Olives on the side.) There’s a lot of pleasure in trying a new dish every night, but there’s something to be said...
Read MoreLa Superior / The General Greene
La Superior 295 Berry St., near S. Second St., Brooklyn, (718) 388-5988. Mon.-Thu. 12:30 p.m.-midnight, Fri.-Sun, 12:30 p.m. – 2 a.m. Cuisine: Mexican street food Vibe: Dingy taqueria Occasion: Destination dining Don’t miss dish: Mushroom quesadillas, enchiladas suizas Average price: Appetizers, $4; entries $10. Reservations: No reservations, cash only, BYOB. To say La Superior is understated is an understatement. “Do you think this is it?” a friend said nervously. We were standing outside a dingy storefront on an empty street in Williamsburg. “It must be,” I answered cheerily. “I need a cocktail,” she grumbled as she followed me through the door. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the restaurant doesn’t have a liquor license. The dining room at La Superior looks like a diner on its last legs. The table settings are disposable – red and...
Read MoreDelicatessen
54 Prince St., at Lafayette St. (212) 226-0211 Mon.-Sat., 7:30 a.m.-1 a.m.; Sun., 7:30 a.m.-midnight. CUISINE Creative comfort food. VIBE Open-air theater. OCCASION Casual date; group dining. DON’T-MISS DISH Bangers and mash, Ovaltine pudding parfait. AVERAGE PRICE Appetizers, $7-$11; entrees, $12-$24; dessert, $8. RESERVATIONS Recommended. Not many delicatessens require reservations. Then again, Delicatessen isn’t a “deli” in any conventional sense of the word. It’s a sleek, open-air theater in SoHo – floating leather banquettes, glossy white tables, a backlit bar and black Escalades parked out front. The restaurant spills onto the corner of Prince and Lafayette, and the corner spills into the restaurant. Waiters walk out onto the sidewalk to bring you your food. Right out front, slim young things smoke cigarettes and stare at their cell phones as if they were compacts. The social electricity lights up the...
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