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My superawesome FI is taking me to NYC for a weekend in December as my Christmas present!! Woot!! I'm soooo excited. I've never been to NYC before! So, we're staying at the Sofitel on 44th in Manhattan. I know there's SO much to do in NYC and we'll barely scratch the surface...so my biggest goals are to see the Christmas tree at Rockafeller Center, stroll through Central Park, and get a slice of authentic NY style pizza. :-) Obviously we'll do a little more than that...but...
1) Any recommendations for a great, authentic NY pizzeria in Manhattan or nearby?
2) Any recommendations for great restaurants in general, nearby? Maybe one really nice one and one that won't break the bank.
3) If there's something I simply MUST do on my very first, and very short, trip to NYC...what is it? Keeping in mind that I don't want us to have to venture too far from where we're staying, for time's sake.
Thanks, ladies!!
As fr as number two, it would be helpful to know what you define as "nice" and "break the bank." Sticker shock for NY restaurants can be intense.
For pizza, you HAVE to go to Di Fara in Brooklyn. It's a bit out of the way in Midwood but it is seriously the best pizza I've ever had. Better than Grimaldi's (another pizza place, under the Brooklyn bridge). All the pies are made by this one old guy who's been there for decades, and he personally snips basil over each pie by hand. AMAZING! If you want different pizza, try Artichoke Basille, on 14th St. and 2nd Ave. It's super rich and creamy and deelish.
I would check out the highline, if you get a chance (very cool park made on what used to be railroad tracks--not the best description, but take my word, it's cool) and walk over the Brooklyn Bridge (after you get di Fara's of course!).
For restaurants...oh man, I love so many. For Spanish food, I love Mercadito (teeny tiny restaurant with awesome fish tacos and hibiscus margaritas) and Boqueria (loud, kind of trendy tapas style place). For Italian, In vino (amazing wine bar/restaurant iin the LES) and Salumeria Rossi (small plates Italian food on the UWS). For sushi, it's a bit of a splurge but Sushi of Gari is some of the best sushi I've ever had. You have to go for the omakase (it's expensive but worth it!). For a nicer restaurant, Mercer Kitchen, David Burke townhouse, Park Avenue Winter, and Gramercy Tavern are all amazing in terms of food and ambiance.
In terms of stuff being nearby, the subway system is so awesome you can pretty much go anywhere for just the price of a metro card. Just make sure to check for service changes due to track work! Or, just grab a cab :)
Hmmm...good point. OK, for really nice, I'd say, $250 for two people. Upscale dress but maybe not coat-and-tie required. And then maybe a quintessential NY place that locals love, for less than $100 for two.
Thanks!
@hilsy85: I live right around the corner from Artichoke... their pizza is DIVINE.
If you want to do something different/fun, there's a lot of really good Korean bbq in K-Town (32nd btw Broadway and 5th).
My favorite restaurant is a little place called "The Redhead" on 13th st near 1st ave. They do local & seasonal cooking and were actually featured in the NYTs article on places where two can eat and drink for under $100. Really yummy cocktails and delicious food.
You should also at least walk down 5th ave from central park and take in all the store windows. Barney's Christmas windows are great this year!
And don't be afraid of the subway. Usually the cheapest and easiest way to get from point A to point B. Also, use your hotel concierge for recommendations, they know what they are doing and can usually get you in places you couldn't get in on your own.
Also, 230 5th Avenue is a nice bar with a roof deck open year round. They have heaters up there and snuggies for your use. Fabulous views from the roof (and inside).
For pizza - try Artichoke. They just opened a new outpost right by the highline, so it's one stop shopping. So tasty.
Peasant is tasty Italian, and Dos Caminos has yummy margaritas and creative Mexican. Both of those should be in the approx. $150.00 to $200 for two including alcohol, appetizers and desserts.
Check out nymag.com for more recommendations and photos of restaurants. If you do decide to try somewhere currently in demand (Grammercy Tavern, Minetta Tavern, etc.) book a reservation now. It sucks to get excited about a place only to discover that the next available table is in May... of next year.
Avoid, at all costs, the tourist-y "must do" restaurants (Rainbow Room, Russian Tea Room, etc.) You'll pay an arm and a leg for subpar food
@KatNYC2011: I"ve also heard great things about The Redhead; I'll have to try it one of these days.
To add to all the great recs, Quality Meats is my fave steakhouse in the city. I also enjoy STK if you are looking to have the Sex and the City experience :)
@hilsy85: It is SO good. I highly recommend it. I've been there 4 or 5 times and it never disappoints. It's a very small space though, so if you go on a weekend, be sure to get there early!
@plantains: Quality Meats is DELICIOUS!
TAO is really good too, and an amazing space.
@KatNYC2011: aww DH took me to Tao for our first date :) I have such a soft spot for it.
I also second the recommendation to make reservations now, lest you be stuck with a 5:45pm dinner res on Friday/Saturday night.
To add to KatNYC2011's comment about roof top bars, Rare View in chelsea is another roof top bar that's open year round and has great views - it is enclosed so it's not freezing, and they have a million different kinds of burgers (and steak burgers, yum!) Not too expensive.
For another inexpensive delicious meal, check out Otto (5th Ave at 8th Street). Yummy pasta and pizza and great wine. The liquor is a bit pricey but the food is WAY cheap for NY prices.
I'll try to think of more...
Thanks again ladies!
@KatNYC2011: We're definitely up for braving the subway! We're all about the Metro in DC and Philly. I just wasn't sure how fast the subway is on a weekend. We've got a Friday evening (my flight gets in at 5 PM), all day Saturday, and then about a half-day plus on Sunday (our flight leaves at 6:30 PM). My motivation for staying as local as possible is because I didn't want us to end up losing time getting from point A to point B. I should explain, though, that my only concept of travel time in NYC comes from the movies. :-) Hah! So I just imagine snarls of traffic everywhere!
@teaadntoast: I'll check out that website! Thanks! And we'll definitely avoid the tourist-trap restaurants. Part of the reason I figured I'd ask for good recommendations here! :-)
Keep those recommendations coming, ladies! I certainly appreciate it. FI and I love to travel and we like to kick it local style wherever we go, so I love hearing about the places that NYC residents call their favorites.
@tarheelgrad98: If you like good Belgian beer and Belgian food, there's a great little Belgian Bar near times square. It's sandwiched between a theater and a big ol' BBQ joint with neon lights, but the place is super down to earth and not touristy.
It's called BXL and it's on 42nd btw Broadway & 6th. They have really good fries there and I've heard their mussels are delicious.
@tarheelgrad98: Subway = awesome. Service is generally pretty good on weekends, and traffic isn't too bad. Plus, you'll be right by Rockefeller Center and Times Square stations, both of whioch are hubs for lines that will take you to interesting neighborhoods in the south or north.
Artichoke has great pizza -- we also live right near there and it's delicious!
And I second Otto. We usually take visitors there because it's a fun atmosphere and the food is great. They definitely book up early, but if you can't get a reservation, you can wait for your table in their front area where they serve cheese and antipasti, and of course wine.
If you're looking for a place closer to your hotel (maybe for a more casual dinner Friday night), 5 Napkin Burger on 45th and 9th is a lot of fun. Hell's Kitchen (9th Ave between 46th and 47th) is a Mexican place that I also like a lot.
For a nicer dinner, ABC Kitchen and Gramercy Tavern are two of my favorites. There's so many to choose from, I'm sure you'll have a great time!
@KatNYC2011: I'll have to try to The Redhead! Looks good and I always like finding new places in the neighborhood.
Yay, you'll love it! Sofitel isn't in the best neighborhood for food - but it's perfect for sight seeing. In order to get a great pizza slice go to the West Village (hope on the B train at 42nd and 5th and take it downtown to West 4th St) and check out John's Pizzeria on Bleecker St. AMAZING. http://www.yelp.com/biz/johns-pizzeria-new-york-4 And the neighborhood is great for bars/nightlife.
As far as nice restaurants? I have to disagree with the other Bee's that said TAO. Yep it's gorgeous - but they'll make you wait up to an hour after your reservation time. And when you're on a time crunch the last thing you want to do is waste an hour!!! I'd recommend Artisinal for a very cool, foodie experience. Or Gramercy Tavern, David Burke Townhouse, Park Ave Winter, Central Park Boathouse.
For a good and affordable options: La Lanterna, Giorgio's of Gramercy, La Giara.
Use Yelp.com to look up the restaurants, see pics, read reviews. If you want to look at menus use MenuPages.com.
Enjoy!!
@JrzyGurl: I don't know why everyone says TAO makes you wait. I got there slightly early for my reservation, thinking I'd have to wait and they seated me Early! Prime time too, 7:30pm on a Friday night.
I second Artisanal, VERY good food. I also LOVE Balthazar. Very cool place and delicious food downtown.
@sarahnyc23: I've never even heard of Otto, I'll have to try it. Where is ABC kitchen? Is that affiliated with the ABC home store? Because I LOVE Pipa. Delicious tapas and cocktails, and a very cool atmosphere with all the chandeliers on hanging from the ceiling!
@KatNYC2011: Yep, ABC Kitchen is on the other side of ABC Home from Pipa (on 18th Street). It's Jean Georges' newish restaurant that opened where Lucy Latin Kitchen used to be, and it is so good and a really cool space! And definitely try Otto! So much fun.
I wanna go back now i've read all your recommendations. When we went last New Years we didn't know where to go to Eat and struggled with it, but some of the places you've mentioned sound Fab and am thinking dam it how did we not see some of them. I was constantly on the search for pizza and Grimaldi's was recommended but never went to Brooklyn (regret it now), where we did go for pizza, the day we got engaged, the guy was quite rude.
@sarahnyc23: I have put Otto on my must try list, as well as ABC Kitchen. I love Pipa (in fact my favorite cocktail EVER is served there) but it's usually so packed!
My absolute best pick for "really nice one" is One If By Land, Two If By Sea. It was ranked one of Zagat's most romantic restaurants and is housed in a colonial carriage house converted into one of the best contemporary American restaurants. We went there the night we got engaged. It's also in the West Village, so it's quaint and cute and more "real NYC" than midtown/Times Square is.
@MissKatelyn: That place is great. FI and I went there during restaurant week. Such a cool space and very romantic.
For an experience like that (but a little less expensive and well known) there's a great place called "The House" on 17th st and Irving near Gramercy Park. It's also an old carriage house. The food is delicious and the space is great. FI and I went there the night we got engaged.
There's also Mario Battali's place called Casa Mono right across the street. Haven't been yet but heard great things.
Artichoke has been mentioned frequently, but the one on 14th St is tiny and if you're looking for a sit down place, you might want to try something else. Di Fara is a must, but if you can't trek out there, I recommend Co. A pizza blog I love is http://slice.seriouseats.com/
Too bad you only have a weekend! There are only so many meals you can fit into one day :D
By the way, every New Yorker has their "best of" list and are not shy to tell you.
@KatNYC2011: Yes, def go to Otto! the menu is very inexpensive and it's a cute spot. It's very hard to get a reservation last minute but they leave about half the tables open for non-res, so i usually go, have a nice big glass of wine (they pour in those carafes so it's really like two glasses) and by the time i'm done it's time to sit down :)
Also love Artisanal!
@ATP2011: Exactly! If you find yourself wandering a neighborhood and get hungry just ask a passerby or someone working in a store for a restaurant recommendation.
I flove Casa Mono. I gets pretty busy and ressies can be hard to come by at short notice but worth it.
@KatNYC2011: LOL the reason you didn't have to wait at TAO is because you went at 7:30. That early by TAO standards. Try a 9pm ressy - you'll be waiting an hour at least. Grrrr!!!!
So many good recommendations on here! I totally forgot about One if By Land Two if By Sea - if you are looking for a romantic spot, that's it!
Also, maybe check out a comedy show for Saturday night. Comedy Cellar in the West Village is awesome, and a lot of these restaurant recs are near there anyway.
Anyone on here have any great UWS recs? Just moved to the 80s and don't know too many good places yet. THNX
@JrzyGurl: Haha... guess I AM an early bird.
As for UWS, Gennaro is fantastic. Amsterdam btw 92nd and 93rd.
Besides the eating... check out the shops/ ice skating at Bryant Park (holiday shops) and grab a Crumbs cupcake while you are there. The main NYC public library is right there too. I personally love checking out the holiday windows and displays at Macy's, so I would recommend that too! Have a great trip!
You'll also likely have to wait if you go to One if by Land, Two if by Sea. We went there for our one year anniversary, had a 9pm res, and didn't sit down until 11:30. It was insane. They did comp us a bottle of wine and some champagne, so that was nice at least.
@JrzyGurl: I'm on the UWS as well! I mentioned an Italian place, salumeria rossi--on 73rd and amsterdam. Delicious italian, served kind of tapas-style. Telepan is another amaaazing restaurant--kind of pricy, but really good, fresh, simply prepared food in a really nice setting. I think it's 69th and Columbus. Shalel is a pretty cool lounge/restaurant on I think 70th and columbus. You have to walk downstairs and they scatter rose petals all over the floor and the seats, so it's very romantic. And actually, one of our fave restaurants for brunch is in the Fairway on 74th and Broadway. The food is amazing there--not surprising, considering how bomb the store itself is! For good sushi, we like Momoya on like 81st and Amsterdam or around there. It's always fresh and yummy.
I live on the UWS, too! Ha! This thread is amazing! I live close to the Fairway at 131st & Broadway - my FAVE!!
For some ridiculous pizza, check out Koronet Pizza near Columbia. It is - and I'm not exaggerating because I just had some Sunday night - larger than your face. One slice for $3.75 is the size of almost a whole pizza. It's thin and hot and gooey and greasy and perfect if you've had a bit to drink. Plus, you can take funny pictures of yourself eating a giant pizza. I've actually had tourists come in to watch me eat a slice because I'm such a petite girl. They're like, "Is that pizza real???"
http://www.yelp.com/biz/koronet-pizza-new-york
But here's my REAL rec: For dessert, Momofuku Milk Bar. Anthony Bourdain is obsessed with Momofuku because they have these amazing pork buns, but it's impossible to get a seat there, and they sell the pork buns at the Milk Bar! They also have all these incredible experimental desserts, breads, and drinks. Alcoholic milkshakes, "cereal milk" ice cream which is made from milk in a cereal bowl - shockingly delicious, breads bakes full of delicious goodies, etc. It seriously the best dessert I've ever had in my life and in general, the line to get in is pretty reasonable.
I've only been to the one in the East Village, but looks like there's one in midtown pretty close to your hotel. Check. It. Out!
http://www.momofuku.com/milk-bar/
I 2nd/3rd/whatever number I'd be in for Otto. I used to go to school right near by and somehow ended up going there once. But it's inexpensive, good, and such a nice cozy environment.
Another place I found through Yelp and keep finding excuses to go back to is Kashkaval. It's a Mediterrian type place closish to you (well walking distance, 54th and 9th I think)...not too bad in price, and super duper amazing. Lots of good spreds/dips/olives, and they also have fondue. :) I've been able to get away with a $30 bill for two people, and leave fully full.
And I'm sorry to repeat this if someone else said it, but I'd say look at all the holiday windows! That's super fun! Macys, Saks 5th Avenue, and Lord and Taylors all have really neat windows this time of year (plus I'm sure others I've missed). most are in the general area, and can be easily walked to. OOOO and also the New York Public Library. It's a beautiful building, especially with all the holiday decorations.
@judithsr: Mm love kashkeval! DH used to live in Hell's Kitchen area and we went there all the time :)
Ohmygosh. You gals are awesome! I haven't had a chance to read through all the posts yet, but I just wanted to say thanks again for all the recommendations! I'm SOOOO excited for this trip! (And I'm getting hungry thinking about all the great eats! Mmmmm....)
Oh, and to whomever commented that you can only eat so much in a day...well, believe me, I can make my way through quite a bit! Hah! *wink*
Oh! Also! If you have an iPhone, download the Not For Tourists app. It will do a search based on your current location and give you the closest coffee shops, bars, pharmacies, hospitals, restaurants, etc. in your era. It also offers reviews of all of them AND provides you with top picks. It has saved MANY an indecisive evening for me, my FI, and my friends...
Here's the online version, but the app is way better and more helpful. The guidebook itself, which should be on sale in any Borders or Barnes and Noble, is also awesome, full of super detailed fold-out maps of the subway, lots of specific recs per neighborhood, and funny tips!
Another NY bee who lives in the Redhead/Artichoke neighborhood (should I admit I haven't been to Artichoke, though?). Redhead is great (it had actually fallen off my radar until you folks reminded me, now I want to go!), and I'll also second (or third) the ABC Kitchen recommendation. For a nicer restaurant, I'll recommend Hearth--great food, funky and awesome wine list, and the chef just came in 2nd on Next Iron Chef or something like that if you're into the food shows. The Hearth folks also have two wine bars, both named Terroir, one down the block from Hearth and one in Tribeca. Tribeca is a lot more spacious, but the E. Village one can be kind of a fun vibe if you can get a seat.
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