New York Restaurants

Word. Also, for REAL Mexican food: the Rocking Horse Cafe, Gabriela's, Los Dos Rancheros.

A good place to check out if you want to spend lots of time (and major bandwidth warning) is the message board at chowhound.

Commentary on places mentioned before:

I second the recommendations for Gabriela's (90s location probably has a less annoying crowd than the 70s one), which is pretty good as far as NY Mex goes. Maya is a wonderful, if expensive, haute Mexican place on the southern tip of the Upper East Side. One of NY's better restaurants. As for other places, I've been once to the supposedly authentic La Palapa in the E. Village/LES and wasn't impressed, food- or other-wise. The others I don't know about.

Carmine's is not exactly subtle food, but it is better than one might expect and can be a great time for a group. Go for the Upper West Side branch, if convenient, to avoid the Times Square crowds (though I don't know what effect the theatre strike will have). If you do the Little Italy thing, you should know that the restaurants there aren't necessarily great (I don't know how they stack up against the E. Vill/LES places, which I've never been to). Of the ones there, Il Cortile can be pretty good.

Ollie's has a special place in my heart, but it is not worth your time unless you want slightly-better-than-average-Americanized (and excessively corn-starched) Chinese and it's nearby. Columbia branch better than the others.

John's Pizzeria (the Village place referenced, but not named, in Aaron Grossman's post, I believe) - very good pizza, not sure if it's a destination. V&T near Columbia is comparable. The great pizzerias are Lombardi's (in Little Italy/NoLita) and Patsy's (in Harlem, with V&T-quality branches elsewhere). You should, however, have some cheap, average NY pizza in addition to excellent, wood-burning-oven pizza to get the full experience.

Dosa Hutt - I've never been, but this place gets raves from most foodies. And you don't have to go to Flushing - there's one on Lexington in the 20s (26th?). Also nearby on "Curry Hill" is Curry in a Hurry, a great place for dosas and steam-table meals. That place, however, can't beat...

Pakistan Tea House in Tribeca (the place Tracer Hand was referring to). In the past year and a half, I've eaten in probably ten of the best restaurants in New York. I'm not sure I've had anything more memorable at those places than this place's Chicken Makhni platter with spinach and dal.

Coffee Shop - food shouldn't be the reason you go there (though it is decent). I'm not sure what should.

Blue Ribbon - I've never been to Blue Ribbon proper, but have been to the Blue Ribbon Bakery, slightly less, but still relatively, expensive. The food wasn't as amazing as I expected (though it was very good and I ordered strangely), but this place has great atmosphere.

Stuff you should try:

Hot Dogs - The classic places are the papaya ones (Gray's Papaya over Papaya King for me). F&B in Chelsea is a v. cute place with a chic'er and broader menu and probably better food.

The Soup Nazi - in midtown, open during the day. Cuisine in an expensive-for-lunch-but-cheap-for-quality cup (with lots of goodies added). Worth the adventure.

Sushi - but only if you go to one of the really good places, which will probably cost $. On the Upper East Side, Sushi of Gari is an inventive, fun (and pretty trendy for the UES) place that my Dad thinks has the freshest fish he's ever eaten (and he's eaten a lot). The invention here isn't quite my style (I do like invention, just a different kind), but many disagree. The other great sushi place, besides Nobu (which, like most big-name restaurants, is totally hit-or-miss) and the midtown-business-lunch places, is Jewel Bako in the East Village, where I've never been.

Chinese/Vietnamese in Chinatown/Little Italy - I'll leave the picks to others (I'm too Americanized to appreciate rice gruel). But I do like Funky Broome.

A cute/trendy/semi-cheapy French bistro like Le Pere Pinard on the LES. Metisse near Columbia has especially excellent food in this category, but is a much older, more sedate scene.

A personal pick - Beyoglu - on the Upper East Side (where it seems you won't be going), this place has really fantastic Turkish food, perhaps the best in NYC, for not all that much money. A group meal here can be great.

Are you a serious foodie planning on eating somewhere seriously gourmet/expensive? Cuz that's another discussion. I'll note that some of Danny Meyer's restaurants have comparatively cheap options - lunch at the bar at Union Square Cafe, the front room at Gramercy Tavern, the Tabla Bread Bar - that get you their very good (but not life-changing or anything) food and wonderful service for slightly less money.

Michael Daddino - are you the only other UES'er besides me? Am I going to run into you in Eli's (though I never have time to waste money there any more)?

Yes! But Ashoka is better.

the upper east side is way underrated. three reasons to visit: the pizza at, fuck, can't remember, it's on like 81st and First Avenue, is my favorite I've had in NYC. I also like Angel's on 63rd and First. and perhaps greatest of all, and a real NYC institution: SERENDIPITY on 60th between 2nd and 3rd. I had my b-day dinner there (thanks again, Andy!) and love it every single time I go there, which isn't frequently enough. HUGE ice cream desserts, good soup and regular U.S. fare (nachos, burgers, chicken) done really well. the interior design is SICK--basically it's '70s nostalgia for the '30s. Andy Warhol ate there regularly, and it's where John & Yoko went for ice cream after John got his green card. Love it love it love it.

I live around the corner from Curry Hill, the heavily Indian-restaurant populated area of Murray Hill, and there are quite a few good places there. what I remain a perpetual sucker for, however, is Curry in a Hurry on 28th and Lexington--quick, delicious, well priced (big chicken tikka masala platter w/rice, naan and vegetable side is $9.19 including tax) and once you go upstairs to eat very atmospheric, w/blue walls and one of about three Bollywood flix playing silently on a small TV screen, huge picture windows to look out of. (plus Gareth can compare it to similar UK spots.)

and hell yes stay away from Dojo.

Seconded, although I haven't been there in years.

Curry in a Hurry is k-classiXor.

Though Jewel Bako in the East Village is really truly fantastic, really super-expensive. One piece of otoro is $20. The omakase is either $70 or $100. And don't arrive hungry, because you'll leave hungry. Oooh, but my favorite is Sushi Hatsu on 1st avenue and like 58th street. It's open till maybe 2am and they have the widest variety of fish [many flown in from japan] and THE freshest yummiest fish on the east coast. They have maybe 50 varieties of fish including many I've never heard of - but the waiter can explain what the differences are. It's crazy expensive though. And they only take American Express.

in my experience, this is somewhat true (while not exactly terrible) not only for NYC but for anywhere off the pacific rim. you can only freeze seafood for so long before you sacrifice freshness.

that being said: nobu nyc was really great ALL THINGS CONSIDERED (ie, far lesser than nobu la and on par with nobu vega$). i will be going to the original nobu next month... anyone ever been?

I will second Serendipity but not the food, the desserts are where it's at.

Oh Lord, tell me about it. I worked there for three months and the food is horrific [and really fucking expensive]. Though I have to say, the Brunch isn't that bad if you don't mind terrible service. $17 for 2 courses and a mimosa, in a really nice garden. The place looks prety nice, in the early evening when all the trashy people haven't arrived yet. Anyways, NYC restaurants spend too much money on design and not enough on, like, food.

Lombardi's is the best pizza in New York, but still can't beat pizza in CHICAGO!!

love,
phil

Also, must have bagels. Most NY'ers go for the enormous, doughy variety epitomized by H&H Bagels.You can also get this variety at Pick-A-Bagel (and Ess-A-Bagel? which some consider the best). The classic, smaller, crustier kind are probably epitomized by Columbia Bagels (also sold at Zabar's, which is essential in its own right).

I'm pretty sure the pizza place Matos is referring to is Totonno's, on Second Ave between 80th and 81st. It's a branch of the Coney Island original, which is considered one of if not the best in NY, but the branch is supposed to be not quite as good (I've never been).

I miss Ed Debevic's too.

Aspirational: Howard Johnson's Midtown

Intrigued by this description - ? Is this like how you would describe the late Sholl's Colonial Cafeteria in DC?

also hoboken, nj.

My soon to be 11yo has always deeply loved beef and steak. I want to take her for a good steak for her bday. What's a good place that wouldn't feel too stuffy for an 11yo girl with her dad? I thought about Luger but it would be a long ride from us coming from north of the city - something in Manhattan/Bronx/Queens is probably easier to get to.

Why not take her to an Argentinian place. Buenos Aires on E. 6th St. has a good selection of beef and a cheerful, casual vibe.

I mean luger’s isnt stuffy

Right, it's not, it's just further from us. But I think she might get a kick out of it.

That Argentinian place looks good too, good idea

Keens is so fun and so great.

peter luger's is kinda a memory more than a meal, maybe worth it

i think keens has better food and vibes than luger

^^^
Kid might also think the pipes on the ceiling are neat.

i haven't been but 212 steakhouse is one of the few steakhouses in america that serves officially licensed kobe beef https://www.212steakhouse.com/our-kobe-beef

oh wait they are no longer on the official list... did they lose their license lol https://www.kobe-niku.jp/shop/?lang=1&prefecture=52&tag=3

Keens is normally my go to - definitely better vibes than Luger. And the mutton! (I might still prefer the basic Luger steak though). Old Homestead is also excellent with a similar level of fanciness as Keens. It all depends on one's tolerance for that clubby kind of atmosphere. But I've seen young people at all these places.

Yeah, Keens is old-school and fancy feeling without feeling stuffy. It was fun and friendly when I went.