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[captscience]

I was initially surprised at the 3* review for 11 Madison Park since I ate there about 3 years ago and it was definitely 1* material but.... I ate there last weekend and came away having the best meal I have ever had. I haven't eaten at Per Se or Masa so maybe I am not qualified but my father in law who has eaten everywhere including at el Bulli, Per Se, French Laundry, Daniel and the Fat Duck said it was the best meal he had ever had too.

My buddy has made us a reservation for Brooklyn Fare in a month so I am excited to see how that goes. I live in Brooklyn so its exciting to have a 3* in the hood.

Unrelated to restaurants but good news for fellow Brooklynites Fleischers butchers is now open in Park Slope.

Glad to hear you had a great meal at Eleven Madison. They're pretty spectacular on a good night. Not El Bulli/Fat Duck level in my book, but they're certainly different types of places.

Congrats on scoring the Brooklyn Fare reservation! I love the place. If you're a wine drinker, I think it's still BYO, so take advantage! The courses run heavy on seafood. In fact, the last time I went there was only really one course that cried out for a red. I 'm a big riesling fan and the bottles I've brought have always paired well. A pinot or barolo/barbaresco would be a good red for the meat they generally serve. Chef Ramirez is awesome and a great guy to chat with about food. Enjoy!

Have you checked out the Fleischers yet? Good? Expensive?

 

[StoOgE]

So, assuming I can score reservations for everything I am thinking of going nuts in New York in December.

Per Se reservations on the 2nd (Friday) - Scored these already by being super nice and telling them I'm popping the question after dinner that night.
11 Madison reservations on the 4th dinner (Sunday)
Le Bernadin reservations for lunch on the 3rd (Saturday)

Hey, you only get engaged once (hopefully).

 

[scorcho]

i hope you're aiming for the tasting menu at both 11 Madison and Le Bernadain. surprisingly, i enjoyed the former far more than the latter, though i haven't been back to Le Bernadin since their renovation.

and congrats on the (hopefully) pending engagement!

 

[Host Samurai]

I recommend Bondst for Sushi. Coolest sushi place in town.

 

[StoOgE]

i hope you're aiming for the tasting menu at both 11 Madison and Le Bernadain. surprisingly, i enjoyed the former far more than the latter, though i haven't been back to Le Bernadin since their renovation.

and congrats on the (hopefully) pending engagement!

Thanks! The engagement is already a known and agreed upon mutual decision, the timing is about 90% known to her as well through deduction.

11 Madison is going to be a tastin, as will Per Se (obviously). Le Bernadin won't be, it's just a 3 course tasting at lunch. We only have 4 nights in New York and I don't want to take 3 of them up with super swanky dinners.

Speaking of, are there any good bars we should check out? Something really swanky would be fun, something with a view would be perfect. I know in Chicago you can get drinks at the top of the hancock building which is super nice.

 

[StoOgE]

So, just some last advice..

Elevel Madison Park - when do they start taking reservations exactly? I want to jump on this since they just got their 3rd star.

Le Bernardin - Same question since they just opened a new dining room.

I want to jump on these as early as humanly possible. I got L2O reservations without any issue in Chicago, but that's a very different situation, and my attempts at Alinea reservations 30 days in advance were met with polite laughter.

Thanks.

 

[scorcho]

i don't do swank bars, so i can't help you there

regarding eleven madison and le bernadin - both allow reservations at most 28 days out. but at this time of the year they'll be pretty hard to score a table for on the weekends unless you don't mind eating around 10pm or so. you can try by calling them, or using opentable.com

 

[aorange999]

Speaking of, are there any good bars we should check out? Something really swanky would be fun, something with a view would be perfect. I know in Chicago you can get drinks at the top of the hancock building which is super nice.

I can't think of too many really swank bars in NYC but a couple I would recommend are before you go to 11 Madison Park you can catch a drink at Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel (I bumped into and ended up having drinks with Balthazar Getty and Sienna Miller during their affair, lol). Its a regular bar but great for people watching. Over in Meatpacking District the Boom Boom Room at the Standard is walk-in before 8pm (you won't get in after). They have some of the best views and nicest rooms in the city. Personally I feel NYC bar scene is not really about super swanky and more about exclusivity which can come in the form of a dingy back room rather than leather and gold. Congrats on the engagement!

captscience Fleischers is great and the pricing is great, I think by being in Park Slope they were able to keep costs down. My brother in law picked up some great natural ground lamb and we had an amazing lamb ragu the other day. Supposedly the prices are exactly the same as the upstate store where they ship meat out of.

 

[N Coward Parody]

Speaking of, are there any good bars we should check out? Something really swanky would be fun, something with a view would be perfect. I know in Chicago you can get drinks at the top of the hancock building which is super nice.

How about The Library Bar? It's at the top of the Paramount Hotel near the Chrysler building in midtown... There's another bar called The Library in the East Village so watch out if / when you're looking for directions... Here's their website...

http://www.nycparamount.com/librarybar.html

It's not, like, one of the premiere / hip cocktail bars or anything, but it doesn't sound like that's what you're after. The Library seems to fit the atmosphere you described.

EDIT: Hmmm. And now I'm wondering if I'm not thinking of The Library Bar at The Hudson Hotel. I guess there are more "Library Bars" around the city than I thought... Anyway, hope this helped in some way...

 

[StoOgE]

How about The Library Bar? It's at the top of the Paramount Hotel near the Chrysler building in midtown... There's another bar called The Library in the East Village so watch out if / when you're looking for directions... Here's their website...

http://www.nycparamount.com/librarybar.html

It's not, like, one of the premiere / hip cocktail bars or anything, but it doesn't sound like that's what you're after. The Library seems to fit the atmosphere you described.

EDIT: Hmmm. And now I'm wondering if I'm not thinking of The Library Bar at The Hudson Hotel. I guess there are more "Library Bars" around the city than I thought... Anyway, hope this helped in some way...

Thanks.. I thin there is a chain of college bars called "the library". That's probably the one to avoid.

 

[bob page]

Thanks! The engagement is already a known and agreed upon mutual decision, the timing is about 90% known to her as well through deduction.

11 Madison is going to be a tastin, as will Per Se (obviously). Le Bernadin won't be, it's just a 3 course tasting at lunch. We only have 4 nights in New York and I don't want to take 3 of them up with super swanky dinners.

Speaking of, are there any good bars we should check out? Something really swanky would be fun, something with a view would be perfect. I know in Chicago you can get drinks at the top of the hancock building which is super nice.

Most nice hotels have swanky bars at the top that aren't too busy. One that comes to mind is the Mandarin Oriental on Columbus Circle, which has a bar 35 floors up that overlooks Central Park (~$10/beer).

 

[N Coward Parody]

Thanks.. I thin there is a chain of college bars called "the library". That's probably the one to avoid.

Gah, I found it. It's the Bookmarks Bar at the Library HOTEL. Boy am I a dummy. Anyway, nice spot...

http://www.libraryhotel.com/dining/index.cfm

 

[StoOgE]

So, on Dec 2nd I have reservations for lunch at Le Bernardin at noon and Per Se at 10 PM.

How long will a tasting take at each?

I'm planning on popping the question that night prior to Per Se and using that as a celebratory dinner.

So

I assume we won't be out of Le Bernardin until around 2-2:30 if we do the full tasting. that gives me about 7-8 hours to fill prior to dinner at Per Se.

I would probably pop the question around 8, to give us plenty of time to call friends/family prior to dinner. Any ideas on what I could fill that time with? Would getting to Per Se early and going to their bar for some bubbly be appropriate?

In any case, hitting two 3 star michelin, 4 star NTY, top 20 restaurants in one day is pretty fucking sick :lol

Still need to try and get my EMP reservations for that Sunday.

 

[entremet]

So, on Dec 2nd I have reservations for lunch at Le Bernardin at noon and Per Se at 10 PM.

How long will a tasting take at each?

I'm planning on popping the question that night prior to Per Se and using that as a celebratory dinner.

So

I assume we won't be out of Le Bernardin until around 2-2:30 if we do the full tasting. that gives me about 7-8 hours to fill prior to dinner at Per Se.

I would probably pop the question around 8, to give us plenty of time to call friends/family prior to dinner. Any ideas on what I could fill that time with? Would getting to Per Se early and going to their bar for some bubbly be appropriate?

In any case, hitting two 3 star michelin, 4 star NTY, top 20 restaurants in one day is pretty fucking sick :lol

Still need to try and get my EMP reservations for that Sunday.

Dinner tasting are usually 3 hours in my experience, but can go longer. You're gonna be stuffed with that itinerary. lol. Good luck and enjoy the ride.

 

[StoOgE]

Dinner tasting are usually 3 hours in my experience, but can go longer. You're gonna be stuffed with that itinerary. lol. Good luck and enjoy the ride.

Yeah, I'm a bit worried about being overly stuffed. We could do a 4 course at lunch if you think it's too much food. I've done tastings before (L2O in Chicago, Uchi here in Austin) and have never really felt stuffed. In fact, in both cases we asked for an additional desert to get our fill.

Granted twice in one day is a whole other story, but they are 10 hours apart and we'll be running around central park. Getting too much wine at Le Bernardin is my biggest concern. I don't want to get a case of the sleepy in the afternoon.

Perhaps we can do the fixed price and ask for a few signature dishes in addition to that. Is there anything at Le Bernardin that I just have to have?

 

[Nex Superne]

So, on Dec 2nd I have reservations for lunch at Le Bernardin at noon and Per Se at 10 PM.

How long will a tasting take at each?

Le Bernardin should take 2 to 2.5 hours, Per Se will likely take 3+ hours. If you think that's too much food, Le B's $70 three course prix-fixe lunch is excellent, with plenty of choices. Sam Sifton said that Eric Ripert's gnocchi with sea urchin sauce and Osetra caviar was the single best dish he had in 2011, but it carries a $70 supplement charge. He may be clueless, but that dish is indeed a knockout; other people are calling it the best dish in NYC. For no surcharge, I'd strongly recommend the baked turbot with "Zarzuela Sauce", essentially a rich bouillabaisse spiked with saffron. Don't miss it.

I would probably pop the question around 8, to give us plenty of time to call friends/family prior to dinner. Any ideas on what I could fill that time with? Would getting to Per Se early and going to their bar for some bubbly be appropriate?

If you mention your proposal plans to Per Se, they will treat you very well. If you want a spectacular view of Columbus Circle and Central Park, you can head to the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental for a pre-dinner drink.

Still need to try and get my EMP reservations for that Sunday.

Many NYC fine dining restaurants, including EMP, are closed on Sundays. You could try for a Saturday dinner, but why not go for something more casual? Variety is good.

 

[scorcho]

Many NYC fine dining restaurants, including EMP, are closed on Sundays. You could try for a Saturday dinner, but why not go for something more casual? Variety is good.

Agreed. There's a wealth of good eats to be had in NYC, and it would be nice to take a break from the level of service and decorum that goes with the four-star restaurants.

I do love EMP, though.

 

[StoOgE]

Agreed. There's a wealth of good eats to be had in NYC, and it would be nice to take a break from the level of service and decorum that goes with the four-star restaurants.

I do love EMP, though.

EMP is the place I want to go the worst, but I think Per Se is going to be a bit more romantic. Flatiron is my favorite building in the world, and the fact that EMP is located in the would be tallest building in the world before construction halted is pretty awesome.

I think going to dinner there Saturday after insane Friday is way too much. That's why I was hoping on Sunday, but didn't bother to see if they were open.

We don't fly out until late Monday, but we won't have a hotel room so changing out of dress clothes would be difficult. Maybe I can try and get EMP for lunch on Friday and scuttle Le Bernardin reservations? She is a pescatarian though, so it seems somewhat cruel to not take her to the countries best seafood restaurant.

She would of course never complain about going to EMP on Saturday night after Le Bernardin, but I also hate to fill two of our 4 evening completely with eating since I know it will take most of the evening.

Eh, We'll be back to NYC I suppose. Thanks for the tips guys!

 

[Keen]

Good luck with the proposal, and I'm insanely jealous of your restaurant itinerary!


As it happens I'm going to NY myself next week, leaving Wednesday and returning Sunday. But I have to go for more moderatly priced eateries unfortunately! Still, so excited! Can't wait, haven't been for a number of years!

 

[abuC]

172 E 103rd St

No Michelin stars lol, but it's got great food.

 

[StoOgE]

Ok,

So question for everyone. Let's say I decide to not have a second nice dinner at EMP on Saturday but want to keep lunch and dinner at insane-o places for Friday.

Per Se is 100% set. It's impossible to get reservations there, and it seems like the perfect spot after popping the question in the park.

My question is which to choose for lunch? Le Bernardin is obviously amazing fish, I've cooked their recipes and while I am an above average cook, I'm obviously not going to be able to cook nearly as well or source nearly as good fish. So, I'm very interested there. My girlfriend is also a pescatarian, so fish is kind of her go to dish, and her comfort food is my seared scallops.

On the other hand. I want to go to EMP in the worst way possible. She has told me when I was looking at places that she would prefer places that would "wow" her and do things that you would never think to do yourself. I know Per Se is going to already fit this definition. But EMP seems more like that than Le Bernardin.. which seems to me more like a perfectly cooked "standard" dish. Not to poo poo Le Bernardin obviously, since I want to eat both.

I had initially written Le Bernardin off because of their horrid looking dining room, but they seem to have fixed that.

Any thoughts? Lunch prices are roughly the same between them.

 

[planar1280]

why is the serving size in OP so small. I want BIG servings

 

[Davidion]

why is the serving size in OP so small. I want BIG servings

You'll come around when you actually sit down at one of these places after your 7th course.

 

[planar1280]

You'll come around when you actually sit down at one of these places after your 7th course.

if the OP serving is one of 10 servings, its still too small

 

[Davidion]

if the OP serving is one of 10 servings, its still too small

Like I said, you should probably reserve your opinions until you've actually been to one of these restaurants.

http://www.east-harlem.com/images/orgphoto/Lechonera_Restaurante_2009_11_23.jpg
172 E 103rd St

No Michelin stars lol, but it's got great food.

I want in on that. Need my lechon fix every once in a while.

 

[StoOgE]

if the OP serving is one of 10 servings, its still too small

Eh, it's really not. By the time you are done you are in for 4-5 glasses of wine, 10 courses, a bunch of 'hidden' courses and about 8 billion "free" deserts. You'll leave decently full, not stuffed.

One time during a tasting menu I had to order another course of food. That was because the waitress was making a tasting menu for us since she said she could tailor it to our tastes and was flopping horribly.

The other 3-4 times that hasn't been the case.

 

[Davidion]

Hit EMP for lunch and scratch that foodie itch; it doesn't seem like your gf would exactly protest. Plus, don't you have time to go to Le Bernardin later?

 

[StoOgE]

Hit EMP for lunch and scratch that foodie itch; it doesn't seem like your gf would exactly protest. Plus, don't you have time to go to Le Bernardin later?

I live in Texas, so it will be difficult to get back. We want to move to NYC at some point (she has lived there before, freelance writer. I work in Finance) and then we will hit these things up a few times a year. For now, it's a long weekend (Thursday - Monday).

Le Bernardin is full for the weekend already (outside of lunch where I have reservations). EMP I can try and get reservations for on Saturday night. Cost might start to become an issue at some point, but you only get an engagement celebration once (hopefully!).

I'll double book Fridays lunch, see if I can get EMP dinner reservations and then cancel one of the lunches. I would prefer EMP greatly, and I doubt she would protest. Then perhaps we could go to a "nice" dinner Saturday at Gramercy Tavern or something else a bit more affordable.

 

[ShOcKwAvE]

A vote for Parlor Steakhouse on 3rd and 90th. The girl I took there last night was pretty impressed

 

[Davidion]

I live in Texas, so it will be difficult to get back. We want to move to NYC at some point (she has lived there before, freelance writer. I work in Finance) and then we will hit these things up a few times a year. For now, it's a long weekend (Thursday - Monday).

Le Bernardin is full for the weekend already (outside of lunch where I have reservations). EMP I can try and get reservations for on Saturday night. Cost might start to become an issue at some point, but you only get an engagement celebration once (hopefully!).

I'll double book Fridays lunch, see if I can get EMP dinner reservations and then cancel one of the lunches. I would prefer EMP greatly, and I doubt she would protest. Then perhaps we could go to a "nice" dinner Saturday at Gramercy Tavern or something else a bit more affordable.

A good plan. Honestly though, I don't really think you'll do wrong at either of these places. There are enough must-go restaurants in NYC that if you agonize over a decision between two "really good" places you'll never get around to actually eating anything.

 

[StoOgE]

A good plan. Honestly though, I don't really think you'll do wrong at either of these places. There are enough must-go restaurants in NYC that if you agonize over a decision between two "really good" places you'll never get around to actually eating anything.

yeah, I think I want to do EMP because it seems more like an "event" restaurant. That and I love that part of the city and setting of it. Much more tranquil and lends itself to a nice stroll through Madison Park. My girlfriend has never seen Flatiron before, which is my favorite thing on the planet. So that will be nice. Then from there we can go to the Empire State Building.

Wonder if we will have room for a shake after lunch.. lol

 

[Battersea Power Station]

This is the wrong thread for it, but I figured it's currently active and people seem to know what they're talking about:

I'd like to take my wife our dancing tonight or tomorrow night to celebrate her passing an important exam. Any recommendations for clubs/lounges that are not too expensive and not too focused on being drunk/crazy?

 

[POWERSPHERE]

Momofuku Ko and Milk Bar.

Deal with it.

 

[fancimus]

Another good high-end lunch option is Jean Georges in columbus circle, and i think it would run around 60/person including tax, tip and a glass of wine/cocktail. Not too bad for a 3-star michelin/4-star nyt restaurant!

 

[pyrealnova]

Another good high-end lunch option is Jean Georges in columbus circle, and i think it would run around 60/person including tax, tip and a glass of wine/cocktail. Not too bad for a 3-star michelin/4-star nyt restaurant!

Hmm, never tempted my body at Jean Georges, but it certainly sounds worth the price of entry. Only 3-star michelin, though? Why not 4?

 

[zero_suit]

Hmm, never tempted my body at Jean Georges, but it certainly sounds worth the price of entry. Only 3-star michelin, though? Why not 4?

Michelin only goes up to 3 stars.

 

[Host Samurai]

Bondst for sushi on the LES is highly recommended.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

yeah, I think I want to do EMP because it seems more like an "event" restaurant. That and I love that part of the city and setting of it. Much more tranquil and lends itself to a nice stroll through Madison Park. My girlfriend has never seen Flatiron before, which is my favorite thing on the planet. So that will be nice. Then from there we can go to the Empire State Building.

Wonder if we will have room for a shake after lunch.. lol

Too bad you probably can't get a reservation for Brooklyn Fare which I hear is seafood centric but only for dinner too.

I'd say check out Jean George with its prix fix lunch menu its the cheapest 3 michelin star experience you can get.

 

[scorcho]

i haven't been to Per Se (yet!), but dining at EMP is definitely an event, especially if you elect for the tasting menu. the decor is more resplendent, its proximity to Madison Square Park and the Flatiron more romantic, and the service absolutely, insanely over-the-top. then you have the food, which obviously offers a bit more diversity than Ripert's and some more daring on top of that.

instead of going for a shake at the Shack after dinner, go to Eataly (Batali's homage to an open Italian market) and have their roasted pistachio gelato. it's otherworldly and right across the street from the park. they also have a standing wine bar and a rooftop beer garden, should you two want to drink a bit more after the meal.

 

[StoOgE]

Well, I couldn't get EMP reservations for Saturday night. I did get Jean Georges reservations however (the nice thing about being from a different time zone is the 10-1030 slots aren't that bad at all) since it's like 9-930 to me.

So, now I have to decide between Le Bernardin or EMP for Friday lunch. Given locations and my personal preference I think EMP will win the day.

I think a really late dinner at Jean Georges is also nice because it doesn't cost us the entire evening, and bars will still be open when we are done.

So 4 course at EMP, tasting at Per Se, 3 course at Jean Georges.

Has to be the most insane 36 hours in foodie history. Or at least my own.

And it leaves things like EMP tasting and Le Bernardin for later.

 

[Nex Superne]

Sounds like a very full schedule, have fun!

Spoiler

Masa is still better than all those places!

 

[suffah]

Going to Yasuda's tonight for omakase. I hear he's no longer in the states though.

 

[fancimus]

So 4 course at EMP, tasting at Per Se, 3 course at Jean Georges.

Definitely a great choice! EMP is probably my favorite restaurant in nyc, and jean georges is really great as well. At some point I'll splurge and try per se...after sifton's last review it seems even more impossible to get reservations.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Spoiler

Masa is still better than all those places!

And 1 meal there can almost cost as much as the 3 he is planning.

 

[Nex Superne]

And 1 meal there can almost cost as much as the 3 he is planning.

Like master, like apprentice. Masa and Urasawa stand apart from all other restaurants in the US in terms of ingredient quality and, unfortunately, price.

 

[Emily Chu]

Not to make everyone feel like a snob but what ever happened to cheap but good eats?

Nothing over 5$...

say a bowl of pho at some random place in c town

Or pizza

Artichoke pizzaeria best damn pizza in the whole city

A gyro at someplace

Etc...

 

[scorcho]

Artichoke doesn't serve pizza. it's a damn casserole weighed down with lead.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Like master, like apprentice. Masa and Urasawa stand apart from all other restaurants in the US in terms of ingredient quality and, unfortunately, price.

Most of the costs comes from the air shipping of the seafood though but I am not against them. In fact Urasawa is my dream dining destination of the moment.

 

[Angry Fork]

What's the most 'Dorsia' kind of restaurant in Manhattan? If you guys haven't seen American Psycho it's basically the restaurant that the richest, young, fresh, best people. You can never get a reservation and anyone who does has some major pull. Does a restaurant like this exist and if so which is it?

 

[Nex Superne]

Not to make everyone feel like a snob but what ever happened to cheap but good eats?

Nothing over 5$...

say a bowl of pho at some random place in c town

Or pizza

Artichoke pizzaeria best damn pizza in the whole city

A gyro at someplace

Etc...

True enough. There are plenty of options in Chinatown, Flushing, Woodside etc., only a small fraction of which are mentioned in the OP. Some ideas here:
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/our_ten_best/
http://nymag.com/restaurants/cheapeats/2011/queens/top-twenty/
http://midtownlunch.com/2011/01/07/best-midtown-lunches-as-voted-on-by-you-2010-edition/

Pho, and Vietnamese food in general, isn't particularly good in NYC. But there are some decent places in Sunset Park, such as Ba Xuyen for bánh mì.

I don't mind the Sicilian slice at Artichoke. Not nearly as good as Di Fara's version, but it does OK in a pinch, if greasy.

As for gyros, I tend to favor the halal street carts instead. Kwik Meal, Halal Guys etc.

What's the most 'Dorsia' kind of restaurant in Manhattan? If you guys haven't seen American Psycho it's basically the restaurant that the richest, young, fresh, best people. You can never get a reservation and anyone who does has some major pull. Does a restaurant like this exist and if so which is it?

Rao's is probably the closest to that; it's virtually impossible to get a reservation unless you have some connection to the owner. The Waverly Inn used to have a similar system, but they now take online reservations.

But the food at these places is always mediocre and lags far, far behind the better restaurants in the city. No reason to bother.