usa :: new york :: general

[Fookums]

^^I've always heard about the crazy wait times for Clinton St. Baking, but the two times I've been there the wait's never been more than 10 minutes. Maybe I've just been lucky..?

[polishmike]

I've waited 30 min before so it really depends.

[shoreman1782]

/takes notes

I'll be staying around 51st and 2nd, but probably wandering all over the goddamn place.

[mlproject]

menchanko-tei on 55th btwn 5/6 - great shoyu and hakata ramen

this place is the jam! i used to eat there all the time when i worked up there. so fucking tasty.

[DaBestSpoona]

Any superfuture midtown recs? Not necessarily "lunch for $3" so much as "good food for under $20/person".

Aburiya Kinnosuke has a good lunch deal

[mlproject]

when i'm talking about 2-3 hrs at clinton street, i'm talking about weekend brunch hours. dinner you can usually walk in or there's maybe a 20-30 min wait tops.

[avonalliv8]

this place is the jam! i used to eat there all the time when i worked up there. so fucking tasty.

i used to eat there all the time, too... until the DOH closed them down for a month. after reading why, exactly, they closed it, i dont think i will go back.

not sure if anyones mentioned this, but check out http://www.midtownlunch.com for some good midtown secrets

[the_state]

when i'm talking about 2-3 hrs at clinton street, i'm talking about weekend brunch hours. dinner you can usually walk in or there's maybe a 20-30 min wait tops.

brunch crowd is mental on the weekend, especially when the weather is getting to the point where it's at now. sooooo many fine LES std-rockin, drug-habit havin, trust fund check cashin womenz though. i'll have to swing by for dinner one time.

[the_state]

/takes notes

I'll be staying around 51st and 2nd, but probably wandering all over the goddamn place.

i used to work on 50th and 3rd. if there's one place you must try out, it's pampano taqueria. they're in the basement of this giant office building on 3rd avenue between 49th and 50th (odd side of the street). get the fish and pork tacos, both are very good and better than just about anything in manhattan (unless you're from LA they're be very impressive). only open during lunch hours on weekdays.

[premier]

Any superfuture midtown recs? Not necessarily "lunch for $3" so much as "good food for under $20/person".

Check out this guy's blog on Midtown lunch spots. Pretty informative

http://midtownlunch.com/

[JesseJB]

Every time I go to NYC I go alone and come back with the best stories. Just wing it man! You just need to pack light and wear good shoes. Or cover your bases and try and crash with someone from the forum here...(pay them in beer).

[diewhitegirls]

So I haven't been in the city for almost 6 years and I feel a bit out of touch. I'm taking the ladyfriend to NYC for the first time and I'd like to do it up a couple of nights. Tavern on the Green and that ilk (RTR/4 Seasons/etc.) are on the table, but I'd like to know what's new and good. Right now my best thought is Union Square Cafe, so something along that vein is perfect. I'm not looking for any celebrity restaurants or anything like that.

Thanks all.

On a side note, has anything "must-do" popped up in the last few years?

[jimmyc]

....I'm not looking for any celebrity restaurants or anything like that.

Kitchen at the Mercer Hotel. You'll see a lot of people you'll recognize.

[kunk75]

craft is still one of the best. morimoto is always a good time.

[diewhitegirls]

Kitchen at the Mercer Hotel. You'll see a lot of people you'll recognize.

If I'm doing Jean-George, I'm doing Jean-George's.

craft is still one of the best. morimoto is always a good time.

The lady is a vegetarian. Forgot to mention that.

[sushijerk]

Man forget Tavern on the Green. Banquet hall food for tourists and 80 year old couples. The room is the ony nice thing about it.

Blue Hill is pretty nice. I also like Cru if you are into wine. Does vegetarian rule out sushi?

[polishmike]

my best friend is vegan so here are few places we visit often:

http://www.purefoodandwine.com/

http://www.angelicakitchen.com/

http://www.raw-q.com/

they are all highly recommended

you can get a great falafel at taïm

[mellowfellow]

I'd recommend neighborhood restaurants in the west village. They are all very good restaurants, non trendy and casual places with amazing good food at affordable prices. These places are great to take your lady friend. Plus, you can wear whatever you want. No need to dress up like jean georges. Unless suit and tie is your thing. I second blue hill. Others are:

The little owl (very hard to get in but they do accept walk in).

Perilla (top chef season 1 winner, Harold),

August (the back restaurant is like a green house, glass ceiling, makes you feel like your in a back garden.)

The Red Cat (this is in chelsea. Worth a visit).

I haven't been to Union sq cafe. But if you like danny meyers rstaurants. You may check out Gramercy Tavern.

[diewhitegirls]

Man forget Tavern on the Green. Banquet hall food for tourists and 80 year old couples. The room is the ony nice thing about it.

Blue Hill is pretty nice. I also like Cru if you are into wine. Does vegetarian rule out sushi?

Oh man, I grew up on Tavern. It's got memories for me, plus my dad knew Warner Leroy so I have a lot of sentimentality tied up in the place.

my best friend is vegan so here are few places we visit often:

http://www.purefoodandwine.com/

http://www.angelicakitchen.com/

http://www.raw-q.com/

they are all highly recommended

you can get a great falafel at taïm

Angelica looks like a great idea. I'll take a closer look at the other places also. How does the falafel at Taim compare to Mamoun's?

I'd recommend neighborhood restaurants in the west village. They are all very good restaurants, non trendy and casual places with amazing good food at affordable prices. These places are great to take your lady friend. Plus, you can wear whatever you want. No need to dress up like jean georges. Unless suit and tie is your thing. I second blue hill. Others are:

The little owl (very hard to get in but they do accept walk in).

Perilla (top chef season 1 winner, Harold),

August (the back restaurant is like a green house, glass ceiling, makes you feel like your in a back garden.)

The Red Cat (this is in chelsea. Worth a visit).

I haven't been to Union sq cafe. But if you like danny meyers rstaurants. You may check out Gramercy Tavern.

Aaaaah, I have to go to Perilla now. Fuck my celebrity chef nono, I love Harold.

Thanks for all the help. I think I've got my hands full right now.

[AstroWolf]

Blue water grill has great fish. Try the lobster bisque, its more or less the star of the show.

if your looking for a romantic vibe go to Cafe Des Artists, its amazing fu nto bring a girl and have a good time, i love the martinis. and the sowrd fish is really good too.

[sushijerk]

Imho Taim is better than Mamouns.

[readytoignite]

tavern / craft / danny meyer / mercer kitchen / etc were already pretty old hat six years ago. nowadays the preference is for more casual, intimate places in the style of jewel bako (little owl fits in this category). also fatty pork is king.

i don't know how useful this will be to a veg diner but you may want to check out: degustation, momofuku ssam bar (late night menu), fatty crab... bigger places from more established restauranteurs there's: bar boulud, del posto (affordable prix fixe at the enoteca/bar area... or not), bouley upstairs and the new blue ribbon on the upper west side (great sushi, but for the best go to sushi gari on the upper east side).

[DaBestSpoona]

I never felt casual at Jewel Bako, especially when theres always like 4-5 waiters standing behind you.

[diewhitegirls]

Thankfully we're going to be there for 10 days, so I'll be able to put a bunch of these places to the test.

I should probably also add brunch questions to this list now. Anything already mentioned fit the bill? I prefer a good buffet, but if the plate service is off the hizzle, I'll go for that too.

[DaBestSpoona]

Thankfully we're going to be there for 10 days, so I'll be able to put a bunch of these places to the test.

I should probably also add brunch questions to this list now. Anything already mentioned fit the bill? I prefer a good buffet, but if the plate service is off the hizzle, I'll go for that too.

Aquavit has a nice brunch buffet, but a jacket is required

Cookshop

Five Points

[sleazie ninja number 47]

Freemans and kingswood are two I'd check out. During summertime, barrio chino is one of my fav spots as well. All are casual, with good crowds and food.

Brunch, err, how about 9th st market? Balthazar is a classic as well, and not as dated as some of the restaurants listed by the OP.

I wouldn't bother with tavern or un sq cafe, unless that's your bag.

[readytoignite]

brunchwise i'd say cookshop or brown's (if you go early). i kind of hate brunch in the city though. balthazar is a lot better than it has to be but still a bit of a scene for my tastes.

btw i was bummed to hear that florent is going out of business at the end of this month... the last time i was there i was thinking this is the kind of place in the city that just doesn't exist anymore and here we are. so check that out before it's gone.

on the mcnally front has anyone been to his italian place?

[conan.]

x post as i cant find the original nyc thread and there's threads in jetset and official..

does anyone know of any cheap good place to stay, ie motels, hostels whateva? can be like in brooklyn or whereever, i don't really mind, as long as easy to get by transit... haven't been to new york since i was like 11, am heading down there for a week in late august with a friend

i want something pretty cheap so i can more money for shopping, food, etc...

advice or like links to sites with info, or anything, would be greatly appreciated

[concealed]

i usually just stay at one of a few places in chinatown on or around the bowery. really cheap and pretty clean. also very close to soho and cheap chinese food.

pm me if you want specifics, but i usually just wander down the street and go into one of the two or 3 places between canal and grand

[polishmike]

two exhibitions worth visiting:

Heavy Light: Recent Photography and Video from Japan

International Center of Photography

1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street

Tomoko Sawada

Zabriskie Gallery

41 East 57th Street, 4th Floor

(only til June 27 but I really liked this one)