Guide to Restaurant Week Summer 2014
If you thought Restaurant Week existed solely to persuade New Yorkers to dine out during the doldrums of winter, think again. There’s a similar incentive offered during the summer; although how much convincing do you need, really, to venture out into the sunshine to enjoy a three-course lunch for $25 at Bill Telepan’s newest farm-to-table venture, Telepan Local, or dinner for $38 at Jean-Georges unfailingly elegant Nougatine? So without further ado, here’s where to eat out during Restaurant Week Summer 2014 — and with participating establishments this legit (and deals this good), you might just want to consider trying them all!
Nougatine
Already one of the best prix fixe deals in the city, the comparatively more casual adjunct to Jean Georges’ eponymous eatery will be participating for both lunch and dinner during Restaurant Week. For an insanely low price, you’ll be able to sample Chilled Cucumber-Yogurt Soup with Fresh Berries and Basil and Sautéed Flounder with Fresh Corn Pudding and Marinated Cherry Tomatoes, followed by Vongerichten’s famous Warm Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
Read MoreTelepan Local
Farm-to-table pioneer Bill Telepan’s version of bar food has very little to do with basic burgers and fries. And during Restaurant Week, you’ll be able to try four different Greenmarket-inspired plates for either lunch or dinner, including Jamison Farms Lamb Sliders with Roasted Tomato, Fluke Crudo with Rhubarb, Green Strawberries and Jalapeno, a Sourdough Pizzette with Montauk Clams and Chili Oil, and pastry chef Larissa Raphael’s Blueberry Cheesecake Sundae for dessert.
Read MoreCasa Mono
Andy Nusser’s Union Square staple celebrates the vibrant fare of Catalunya, specifically inspired by the offerings at Barcelona’s legendary market, Boqueria. So, appropriately, the special Spanish lunch menu he’s devised for Restaurant Week is simply bursting with farm market freshness, including Pulpo and Calamare with Watermelon and Smoked Avocado, Fried Green Tomatoes with Cana de Cabra goat cheese and Piquillo Harissa, and Cantaloupe Sorbet with Honeydew Marmalade.
Read MoreMas (La Grillade)
We’re all about grilling in the summertime, making Galen Zamarra’s wood fire-inspired eatery an excellent choice for Restaurant Week. Almost everything on the three-course menu is treated with a kiss of aromatic smoke, from the Petite Aïoli with Lovage, Baby Vegetables and Sugar Snap Peas, to the Flying Pigs Farm Pork Belly with Dragon Tongue Beans, Bell Peppers, Cippolini Onions and Corn Crème, and a Buttermilk Cake with Grilled Peach Compote and Blueberry Ice Cream.
Read MoreThe Harrison
Granted, nose-to-the-grindstone Jimmy Bradley is rarely mentioned in the media nowadays. But when you check out the Restaurant Week dinner at his Tribeca institution, The Harrison, you’ll see how the seminal restaurateur has managed to remain relevant for all of these years. How does Homemade Pappardelle with Summer Squash, Roasted Tomato and Garlic-Thyme Butter sound, followed by Peppercorn-crusted Porgy with Salted New Potatoes, Pistou and Arugula, and Chocolate Crème Brulee with Whiskey Soaked Cherries and Maldon Salt?
Read MoreThe Peacock
If you want to dine out for a good cause during Restaurant Week (besides saving yourself a good deal of dough, that is), check out this alternative promotion, offered all summer long at the new, British eatery, The Peacock. A portion of the proceeds from a $40 prix fixe dinner will benefit “A Love Shared,” a local charity dedicated to ALS. The menu includes starters, such as Chilled Carrot and Ginger Soup and Cod Fish and Caper Cakes, entrees, like Whole Roasted Brook Trout and Chicken Tikka Masala, and sweets, including a decadent Milk Chocolate and Maldon Salt Tart.
Read MoreTanoreen
Justly lauded as one of the finest Middle Eastern establishments in the city (but nowhere near the most expensive), Restaurant Week is an excellent excuse to make the trek out to Brooklyn for a dependably terrific lunch or dinner at Tanoreen. Don’t miss the Crispy Brussels Sprouts paved with Tahini and Pomegranate Syrup, Chicken Fetti — toasted pita layered with rice and shredded chicken and topped with yogurt-tahini sauce and almonds — and sticky, nutty diamonds of syrupy, housemade Baklava.
Read MoreBenchmark
Benchmark is one of our favorite casual steakhouses as well as one of the few Brooklyn businesses to participate in Restaurant Week. So be sure to stop in during lunch or dinner for chef Ryan Jaronik’s Lobster Bisque with Tarragon Royale, Grass-fed Filet Mignon with Purple Potato Gratin, and Market Strawberry and White Chocolate Bread Pudding, drizzled with rich Bourbon Caramel.
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