New York City Dining

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > New York City Dining

KidDynamite: Feb 11, 2005

New York City has some of the best food in the world and there's a lot of goons that live and eat there everyday, live in the area and commute over for a nice day followed up with some nice food, and those that visit for the first time ever and want to experience what it's all about.

Since the clean up of GWS this is no longer going to be a real chat thread I'd like to keep it more structured. I'll provide example formats of how reviews and requests will go. Hopefully this works out and we can have a large repository of reviews for anyone to page through. If you have suggestions on fields to add to the review or suggestion requests let me know.

Example Review
Name: Le Halles
Price Range:$20-30 a plate
Location:411 Park Avenue South (at 29th Street) (I'm not from the City so I don't know what name you guys have for this area but either way I think providing the exact address will be really helpful.)
Dish you reccomend: Duck Confit, and order of Pommes Frites
Comments:I really enjoy Les Halles if I'm in the area and in the mood for a solid meal. I would not travel for Les Halles.

Example Suggestion Request
Dinner style:Dinner for 2
Location: Near the Museum of Natural History
Willing to spend:Under $100 with drinks
Restictions: French food only

Something simple like that I think will work well. Here's the template for those lazy lazy goons that can't be bothered to bold anything.

code:


[b]Review[/b]
[b]Name:[/b] 
[b]Price Range:[/b]
[b]Location:[/b]
[b]Dish you reccomend:[/b] 
[b]Comments:[/b]

[b]Suggestion Request[/b]
[b]Dinner style:[/b]
[b] Location:[/b] 
[b]Willing to spend:[/b]
[b]Restictions:[/b]

# ? Oct 6, 2011 13:36

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# ? Apr 23, 2024 07:55

bartolimu: Nov 25, 2002

I'd also note that the GWS Wiki's City Guide currently has no entry for New York. It would be pretty cool if a significant amount of information posted here found its way into making one.

# ? Oct 6, 2011 17:17

fatherdog: Feb 16, 2005

Note about Les Halles - wine is 50% off on Mondays, and that includes the Mondays of three-day weekends, so if you're in NYC on Labor Day or something it can be an economical choice.

# ? Oct 7, 2011 18:30

Slig: Mar 30, 2010

I'm not a regular on GWS, but I am a New Yorker that likes to eat. Here are some cheap places that me and my friends usually go to.

Review
Name: Cafetasia
Price Range: $7-13
Location: 38 East 8th Street (Between Broadway and University Place)
Dish you recommend: Minced Chicken with Thai Basil
Comments:Good, cheap Thai food, large portions, plenty of vegetarian options. It gets louder in here as the night goes on. Don't come here after 7 if you want to have dinner conversation. Fast turnover, very short wait times even at peak hours.
Website: http://www.cafetasia.com/greenwich/home.html

Review
Name: Kenka
Price Range: $5-20
Location: 25 Saint Marks Place (Between 2nd and 3rd Avenue)
Dish you recommend: Tonkatsu with some croquettes
Comments: One of about a dozen Asian restaurants on the block, but one of if not the best. Large selection of Japanese food and drink. Get there before 6pm and put your name on the list. This place fills up quickly. Genuine Izakaya bar experience.
Menu: http://www.allmenus.com/ny/new-york/275953-kenka/menu/

Review
Name: Patsy's Pizza
Price Range: $8-17
Location: 67 University Place (Between 10th and 11th Street)
Dish you recommend: Pizza or split a family sized Penne alla Vodka with the table.
Comments: Pizza is the main attraction but they also have pasta, soup, and salad.
Menu: http://www.patsyspizzeriany.com/menu.php

Review
Name: Apple
Price Range: $10-20
Location: 17 Waverly Place (Between Greene and Mercer Street)
Dish you recommend: Vietnamese Lunch Box, Chicken Chili Basil
Comments: Vietnamese restaurant and bar with a karaoke room in the back.
Website: http://applerestaurant.com/

Review
Name: Ghandi Cafe
Price Range: $10-15
Location: 283 Bleecker Street (between 7th Avenue and Jones Street)
Dish you recommend: Chana Poori and Chicken Tikka Masala with Naan
Comments: Good, cheap Indian food. Very small restaurant, not great for larger groups but they will try to accommodate you. One of the waiters is really awkward. Complimentary rice pudding and tea after the meal.
Menu: http://menupages.com/restaurants/ghandi-cafe/menu

# ? Oct 9, 2011 23:39

showbiz_liz: Jun 2, 2008

I have a large, young, pretty poor group of friends in Astoria who like going out to new restaurants...

Suggestion Request
Dinner style: Group (6-10)
Location: Astoria or LIC
Willing to spend: ~$25/head or less
Restictions: None, really. Weirder is better.

# ? Oct 10, 2011 12:04

infiniteguest: May 14, 2009; oh god oh god

Review
Name: Isa
Price Range: $50
Location: Williamsburg
Dish you reccomend: Lamb tartare
Comments: BYOB Italian in a gorgeous, country-cottage style dining room. You get three courses for fifty dollars as well as three communal antipasti platters before you get your starter. The food here is incredible - as good as most of the 2 Michelin star restaurants in the city. (The lamb tartare I would have not batted an eye at if served to me at Corton.)

# ? Oct 10, 2011 14:40

Jay Carney: Mar 23, 2007; If you do that you will die on the toilet.

So Sifton posted his final Review, which was for Per Se, which he called the best restaurant in New York.

http://tinyurl.com/5u6sxvb

I've only eaten there once, and haven't eaten everywhere in NYC, but I'm inclined to agree with the review. The food was on a level I have seen elsewhere, but the service takes the entire experience to a new level. Hell, even when they were hustling us out, they did it by taking us on a tour of the kitchen and wine cellar. It was only when I walked out of the Time Warner center did I realize what they had done, and I couldn't complain in the slightest.

I think that's something missing in a lot of places, the level of service that makes going out a different experience from just eating. I guess places have started sacrificing service in lieu of raising menu prices, but it is still a trend I'm not a fan of.

One other note: I've begun cooking from the French Laundry Cookbook, and it made me even more impressed by my meal at Per Se. Each dish is so goddamn labour-intensive that the persistant level of quality shown throughout the meal becomes unreal.

fake edit: Let's keep this thread alive!

# ? Oct 19, 2011 22:29

ohnoyoudidnt: Mar 19, 2005; I was told there would be pie

It's far from fancy, but if you are in Chinatown and you're overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices you have and want to make sure you don't end up in a rip-off tourist trap, go to Lin's Garden at 69 Bayard Street. When I lived there (admittedly a few years ago) it was always my choice for reliable, tasty, cheap food. And they give you LOADS. Just in case you travel ghetto like I do

# ? Oct 20, 2011 02:30

tycho_atreides: Oct 25, 2006; Here be dargonz

ohnoyoudidnt posted:

It's far from fancy, but if you are in Chinatown and you're overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices you have and want to make sure you don't end up in a rip-off tourist trap, go to Lin's Garden at 69 Bayard Street. When I lived there (admittedly a few years ago) it was always my choice for reliable, tasty, cheap food. And they give you LOADS. Just in case you travel ghetto like I do

Yes 69 Bayard is awesome. They are also open 24 hours and usually have no problem serving you Tsingtao's at 6 am. They also sell T-shirts, for whatever reason.

# ? Oct 20, 2011 21:47

KidDynamite: Feb 11, 2005

Suggestion Request
Dinner style:quick lunch for 4
Location: Near the Beacon theater, 2124 Broadway
Willing to spend: 35 a head
Restictions:none

KidDynamite fucked around with this message at 22:06 on Oct 24, 2011

# ? Oct 24, 2011 22:01

blacquethoven: Nov 29, 2003

I found a neat little free app in the iphone store called "Chefs Feed" where you can browse the favorite dishes of NYC, Chicago, San Fran, and LA chefs. It also has a live feed that compiles their twitter postings.

# ? Oct 24, 2011 23:07

ohnoyoudidnt: Mar 19, 2005; I was told there would be pie

tycho_atreides posted:

Yes 69 Bayard is awesome. They are also open 24 hours and usually have no problem serving you Tsingtao's at 6 am. They also sell T-shirts, for whatever reason.

T-shirts? Wow, business must have really picked up since the last time I was in New York!

They have been around for ages. The reason I first went there was because my mother remembered the address...from the 1970s. Do they still have dollars all over the walls?

# ? Oct 25, 2011 07:00

bloody ghost titty: Oct 23, 2008; tHROW SOME D"s ON THAT BIZNATCH

ohnoyoudidnt posted:

It's far from fancy, but if you are in Chinatown and you're overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices you have and want to make sure you don't end up in a rip-off tourist trap, go to Lin's Garden at 69 Bayard Street. When I lived there (admittedly a few years ago) it was always my choice for reliable, tasty, cheap food. And they give you LOADS. Just in case you travel ghetto like I do

And I want to solicit for prosperity dumpling on Allen near Hester. I worked an event where one of the models showed up with a box and we went all food-geeky on how good and cheap ($1/5 fried pork dumplings) they are, which was as close as I'll ever get to sleeping with her.

# ? Oct 25, 2011 12:56

KidDynamite: Feb 11, 2005

Guys please remember to try to keep everything clean and within the parameters. bartolimu doesn't want this to be a chat thread and I don't want to see this closed.

# ? Oct 25, 2011 19:08

Massive: Apr 8, 2004

KidDynamite posted:

Guys please remember to try to keep everything clean and within the parameters. bartolimu doesn't want this to be a chat thread and I don't want to see this closed.

Dunno, the whole reason why I visited / contributed to the previous thread was because it was a nice mix of reviews and banter. Why write about food when you can't talk about it? That's most of the fun.

# ? Oct 28, 2011 19:21

Argona: Feb 16, 2009; I don't want to go on living the boring life of a celestial forever.

Suggestion Request
Dinner style: For a group of ten
Location: anywhere in nyc
Willing to spend: 40~
Restictions: Preferably decent decor and also preferably any type of East/South Asian food

# ? Oct 29, 2011 04:12

ScooterMcTiny: Apr 7, 2004

saahil92 posted:

Suggestion Request
Dinner style: For a group of ten
Location: anywhere in nyc
Willing to spend: 40~
Restictions: Preferably decent decor and also preferably any type of East/South Asian food

Szechuan Gourmet is pretty good for larger groups. Not the fanciest place, but drat fine food.

# ? Oct 29, 2011 18:02

Jorge Bell: Aug 2, 2006

I really hated in the last thread when chefs would invite readers to come in and have a glass of wine or whatever on the house, or talk about their menus or rooftop herb gardens. Glad to know that kind of bullshit won't be tolerated anymore in the new hypersleek GWS NYC Dining thread!

(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)

# ? Nov 9, 2011 13:45

bloody ghost titty: Oct 23, 2008; tHROW SOME D"s ON THAT BIZNATCH

saahil92 posted:

Suggestion Request
Dinner style: For a group of ten
Location: anywhere in nyc
Willing to spend: 40~
Restictions: Preferably decent decor and also preferably any type of East/South Asian food

Allow me to start with the disclaimer: groups of 10 are sometimes difficult to accommodate, and may incur an automatic gratuity, depending on the restaurant, which may change your price bracket. You definitely want to have clear, confirmed reservations, and maybe pick a less usual hour than say, 7-9p. Eating on the early or late side will ensure that you get more prompt service and that all your food comes out at a reasonable rate, since timing 20+ dishes (assuming app, main, and either sides or little soups) can be dissatisfying for both the staff and the patrons.

That said, go to Laut on 17th between 5th ave and Union Sq West. Mid-priced, one-star Southeast-style dining, beautiful decor. Friday at 8 for 10 isn't happening, but off-times would probably work. You may spend closer to 50 if you're a drinking crowd, but it's totally worth it. The curries are nuts and crazy fresh.

_{_freebiscuit}

# ? Nov 9, 2011 17:53

KidDynamite: Feb 11, 2005

Massive posted:

Dunno, the whole reason why I visited / contributed to the previous thread was because it was a nice mix of reviews and banter. Why write about food when you can't talk about it? That's most of the fun.

Don't shoot the messenger dude.

Also please help.

KidDynamite posted:

Suggestion Request
Dinner style:quick lunch for 4
Location: Near the Beacon theater, 2124 Broadway
Willing to spend: 35 a head
Restictions:none

# ? Nov 9, 2011 18:00

bloody ghost titty: Oct 23, 2008; tHROW SOME D"s ON THAT BIZNATCH

Up near the Beacon? I think Salumeri Rossi is up there, but I don't think I've been north of 70th st in years.

# ? Nov 9, 2011 18:55

district 12: Oct 19, 2004; muscles griffon~~

Suggestion Request
Dinner style: nice nice nice
Location: manhattan
Willing to spend: anything
Restrictions: vegetarian-friendly and/or could make substitutions (i of course would call in advance to tell them so)

# ? Nov 14, 2011 02:22

Jay Carney: Mar 23, 2007; If you do that you will die on the toilet.

district 12 posted:

Suggestion Request
Dinner style: nice nice nice
Location: manhattan
Willing to spend: anything
Restrictions: vegetarian-friendly and/or could make substitutions (i of course would call in advance to tell them so)

Per Se has a vegetarian tasting menu that is out of this world.

Dino. probably knows of a few places as well.

# ? Nov 14, 2011 02:24

district 12: Oct 19, 2004; muscles griffon~~

Per Se looks so good but I guess I didn't realize when I said I could spend anything I'd be looking at $295pp

that's a bit too much. So maybe $200 total, 2 people

# ? Nov 14, 2011 02:43

Two Worlds: Feb 3, 2009; An IMPOSTORE!

Kajitsu, Daniel.

# ? Nov 14, 2011 05:12

tycho_atreides: Oct 25, 2006; Here be dargonz

district 12 posted:

Suggestion Request
Dinner style: nice nice nice
Location: manhattan
Willing to spend: anything
Restrictions: vegetarian-friendly and/or could make substitutions (i of course would call in advance to tell them so)

HanGawi might not be as upscale as you're thinking of but the vegetarian food there is awesome. It very well executed Korean. Also, you should know, you have to sit on the floor.
12 E. 32nd St., near Madison

Also seconding Kajitsu.

# ? Nov 14, 2011 07:00

mindphlux: Jan 8, 2004; by R. Guyovich

district 12 posted:

Per Se looks so good but I guess I didn't realize when I said I could spend anything I'd be looking at $295pp that's a bit too much. So maybe $200 total, 2 people

lol

# ? Nov 14, 2011 09:15

mediaphage: Mar 22, 2007; Excuse me, pardon me, sheer perfection coming through

mindphlux posted:

lol

seriously.

How much does Eleven Madison Park run? I've never been, but I want to go. Also, that might be a fit?

Also if you can score a walk-in, WD50 is totally doable on that budget.

mediaphage fucked around with this message at 12:10 on Nov 14, 2011

# ? Nov 14, 2011 11:49

sink the biz: Jun 13, 2002; My goodness my Guinness

Seconding Kajitsu. Dirt Candy could also work.

# ? Nov 15, 2011 20:36

Massive: Apr 8, 2004

Heading to Kajitsu on Sat for an anniversary dinner. Super excited. I ate Kyo-ya last night for the first time. Holy crap that place is great, but drat pricey.

# ? Nov 15, 2011 21:05

twerking on the railroad: Jun 23, 2007; Get on my level

Forgive me for not conforming to protocol but I just got back from NYC and I noticed two food-related things.

a) Di Fara's is temporarily closed for health code violations

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/22/di-faras-pizza-closed-aft_n_1107549.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#sb=404300,b=facebook

b) When I went to pick up my train, I got a delicious triple chocolate donut and coffee from Zocalo's in grand central. I couldn't help but think that the guy behind the counter looked very familiar...

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/11/01/top-chef-contestant-brings-doughnut-pop-up-back-to-grand-central/

# ? Nov 23, 2011 04:15

Lieutenant Dan: Oct 27, 2009; Weedlord Bonerhitler

Suggestion Request
Dinner style: Nice, going out with my foodie-ish parents
Location: Pretty much anywhere
Willing to spend: Max $150~ a person
Restictions:

We're doing a family visit to New York, which will be my first time going, which is pretty exciting. :shobon:

My parents and I really love trying new culinary things and are amassing a list of good dinnertime restaurants that aren't tourist traps to try. For reference, their favorite places at home (Vegas) are Bouchon and Vinter Grill.

# ? Dec 7, 2011 08:52

Serendipitaet: Apr 19, 2009

Suggestion Request
Dinner style: Breakfast, lunch and dinner for two
Location: Manhattan
Willing to spend: dinner for two under $100 with drinks
Restrictions:

My girlfriend and I will be going to NYC over the Christmas weekend and were looking for places to eat. She's not the most culinary curious, I'll try anything.
Our budget is pretty tight, but I'd like to fit in one nice-ish dinner at least and try to avoid chain places for breakfast and lunch.

# ? Dec 20, 2011 02:25

Jay Carney: Mar 23, 2007; If you do that you will die on the toilet.

100 bucks total for 3 meals? Or just for the dinner? And where in manhattan will you be?

# ? Dec 20, 2011 03:03

Serendipitaet: Apr 19, 2009

Generalisimo Halal posted:

100 bucks total for 3 meals? Or just for the dinner? And where in manhattan will you be?

Just for dinner. We'll stay around Broadway/103rd St.

# ? Dec 20, 2011 16:02

Jay Carney: Mar 23, 2007; If you do that you will die on the toilet.

Serendipitaet posted:

Just for dinner. We'll stay around Broadway/103rd St.

For dinner I would say to try and hit up the Red Rooster if you are that far uptown anyway. Depending on your booze you wil probably hit $120 bucks for the night, but it will be worth it.

edit: You are going to have a hell of a time getting rezzies to a lot of places this close to Christmas just fyi.

Jay Carney fucked around with this message at 16:19 on Dec 20, 2011

# ? Dec 20, 2011 16:14

Bumblebee: May 23, 2007; Clever Betty

My mom is coming up to visit for her 70th birthday soon. For the past few years I've been taking her to various places in Astoria/LIC (where I live), but I want to treat her to something special in Manhattan this time.

Any help is appreciated!

Suggestion Request
Dinner style: Dinner. Nothing ridiculously fancy or formal.
Location: Anywhere in Manhattan.
Willing to spend: $50-70pp (that doesn't include alcohol)
Restrictions: No Asian or Middle Eastern food, unfortunately. American, Italian, Spanish, French cuisines are her favorites.

# ? Jan 21, 2012 04:06

An Alright Guy: Nov 11, 2007; The playoffs work the same way

Bumblebee posted:

My mom is coming up to visit for her 70th birthday soon. For the past few years I've been taking her to various places in Astoria/LIC (where I live), but I want to treat her to something special in Manhattan this time.

Any help is appreciated!

Suggestion Request
Dinner style: Dinner. Nothing ridiculously fancy or formal.
Location: Anywhere in Manhattan.
Willing to spend: $50-70pp (that doesn't include alcohol)
Restrictions: No Asian or Middle Eastern food, unfortunately. American, Italian, Spanish, French cuisines are her favorites.

Monkey Bar
The Lambs Club
La Grenouille is a bit expensive but your mother would go apeshit if she loves French food. Call ahead and order flowers if you want.

# ? Jan 21, 2012 12:47

Bumblebee: May 23, 2007; Clever Betty

An Alright Guy posted:

Monkey Bar
The Lambs Club
La Grenouille is a bit expensive but your mother would go apeshit if she loves French food. Call ahead and order flowers if you want.

Thank you so much! I will check these out.

# ? Jan 22, 2012 03:56

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# ? Apr 23, 2024 07:55

ccrazy88: Feb 8, 2009

Bumblebee posted:

Thank you so much! I will check these out.

How about Aldea? It will be at the high end of your budget.

# ? Jan 22, 2012 04:22

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