New York Restaurants

I think Casa Enrique is excellent. The cooking is very elegant for what is often thought of as rustic food. Also, Michelin tends to ignore stars for non-Italian/French/Japanese ethnic food, so I am cool with it.

OTOH I love M. Wells Steakhouse and that's michelin starred

Japanese and Korean are generally very good quality in NYC, even at reasonable price points. I agree go for ramen, udon or kimchi jigae.

the michelin stars also take service and consistency into account.

I'm borderline anti-service

oh maybe they don't look at service, disregard.

"quality of the ingredients used, mastery of flavour and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in his cuisine, value for money and consistency between visits."

Didn't know Estrellita Poblana, will check it out. My fave is a different bronx mexican place. i guess that says something about mexican in the Bronx.

Tortilleria Nixtamil was pretty great but it suddenly closed recently.

yeah we were p sad about Nixtamal closing. Is there anything else good in Corona? We're in that area a lot (zoo/hall of science/queens museum)

this place:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/cienega-las-tlayudas-de-oaxaca-mexican-cuisine-corona?osq=mexican

was really cute. They specialize in these Oaxacan "pizzas". Wife got it veggie and it was kinda boring, imagine it's better with meat. I got some tacos that were really good. I'd go back.

people love park side but i've never been. lemon ice king isn't a restaurant really but it is consistently great and a beautiful shining institution.

but look at the tomatos in the picture for that place and you'll see what I mean about produce in NYC.

I've never been here:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-y-quesadillas-mexico-restaurant-queens?osq=mexican

but they run the cart at 61st and roosevelt that's my regular.

whatever I got from lemon ice king was garbage, IDK if I just ordered the wrong thing or something

aw drag. give it another shot. i like the peanut butter ice but i understand that it is maybe not to everyone's taste

also not much of a sit-down, but La Esquina del Camaron in Jackson Heights is AWESOME. It's the back of a bodega and outside when weather permits. He makes shrimp or shrimp and octopus cocktails that are fucking amazing. Also ceviche and fish tacos.

side note but I feel like a queens FAP is due. Maybe we can go to Nowadays when it's warmer -- could even do daytime and bring the kids.

the only thing worth getting at the lemon ice king is lemon ice, ime

Octopus cocktails!

i am down for a kid friendly nowadays hang

Nixtamal is closing? i drive out there for fresh masa to make tamales for christmas

Nixtamal is closing? i drive out there for fresh masa to make tamales for christmas

oh sorry for double post

oh wait, not an octopus alcoholic drink.

i had some really good tacos in the back of a grocery store by my nephews place in bushwick

the best taco i've had in ny was suadero from izucar in bushwick

nixtamal is closed.

focussing on wholesale distribution

if you ever checked out the paper list of clients taped up next to the tortilla machine, it was bonkers.

Idk if Estrellita is on the same level as other places mentioned here, but it's on Arthur Ave, and for my money I'd rather have posole and jamaica than any kind of fake Italian for $30 a plate available on that street.

I loved Nixtamal but it was kind of a weird uncomfortable space and very small. Tables were always a pain with kids. Also there was a time when they would always have really fantastic and interesting specials but then they stopped doing that and just stuck to their bog standard (but excellent) taqueria menu. I wish they would open a slightly larger and more comfortable place with an expanded menu.

carne, Nixtamal still has a production facility a couple of blocks away where you can purchase the tortillas. You may be able to buy the masa there as well.

people love park side but i've never been.

I went five years ago for work with a guy who had part of a table in the main room. (Some of the tables are “owned” by patrons so they have access to them and have little plaques with their names on them. One of the other names on the table we were at was Alphonse D’Amato, lol).

I got there early and got a drink at the bar. While I waited, regulars arrived in a steady stream. It was like the scene in Goodfellas after the Lufthansa heist when Carbone walked in with his wife and her new fur coat. Everyone was dressed 20 years out of date and the women wore tons of makeup. It was hilarious.

I was pleasantly surprised by the food, though. It is definitely Italian-American, but executed very well.

got to love a place owned by a guy named Tough Tony https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Federici

any recommendations for a good not super expensive French Bistro/Brasserie ? no specific area

never been there, but this is the same people as Casa Enrique and I hear it's good:
https://henrinyc.com/cafe-henri/

oh I also like le barricou in williamsburg

oh yeah, also really like L'Antagoniste in Bed Stuy

little bistro in sunnyside: https://cotesoleilnyc.com/

and they just opened another in jackson heights: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bistro-eloise-queens

same weird strip mall as the french bakery

so many queens restaurants have that same long/narrow shape like they used to be phone card stores or something

I've heard good things about L'Antagoniste, I have to go there. I like Chez Oskar and it's very close to me but some of their dishes are hit or miss. The time I ordered garlic mashed potatoes and they were not garlicky and also cold was a bummer. But other things there are great.

go when it's warm, the backyard is nice

le garage in bushwick is very good, probably the most consistently pleasant/satisfying nice-ish restaurant in that neighborhood

For something easy/walk-in/dine by yourself, I like Bar Six and L'Express still.
If you are in Tribeca, I would grab a drink at Frenchette, nicely curated natural wine selection and cocktails. It's kind of a scene (loud, hard to get reservations for dining in) but the interior is beautiful, I want to steal so much of the furniture.

Amelie also has a good happy hour but it gets packed.

Actually, maybe skip Amelie for eating, I had some bad octopus there.

nice ! lots to check out

Chez Moi is a more consistent version of bar tabac, which is also good (DT Atlantic area)

xp I was finally able to get into Frenchette a month ago and it was awesome. It is definitely a little more scene-y than I like, but the food was excellent though rich. I had a beef and carrot main with oxtail and spaetzel that was delicious. The sauce had so much gelatin it just coated your mouth. Drank a 1997 Morgon that was fun.

Great food and drinks, but a little expensive for more than once in a while.

Yeah, that is why I was saying to just get drinks there for a stop. The food is excellent (i've had blowfish, sweetbreads, duck and lamb dishes and everything has been great) but it's on the pricey side. Frenchette and Le Coucou I think are worth it for every so often splurges. Heh, I think I also ordered a beaujolais there last.