Going to NYC with my wife in August for a weekend. Just have one night available for a nice dinner, but there are so many choices its really hard to contemplate. Want a special night out, but doesn’t need to be Per Se or Daniel. Tried Gramercy Tavern, but too late to get a time. Something with a “reasonable” wine list would be appreciated.
Have you considered Hearth? Great spot, great food, and an interesting wine list that won’t necessarily break the bank.
Check out Trestle on Tenth - 10th Ave and 24th St. Great little restaurant with an excellent wine list. The Sommelier worked - I believe at Grmercy Tavern - or one of Danny Meyers resturants and the food is sublime, yet reasonably priced. Plus it is right near all the Galleries in Chelsea as well as the High-Line. Also across the street is the Red Cat, another great little restaurant with superb food and nice list. Hope you have a good time.
A restaurant that doesn’t get much talk here is Annisa. I had a spectacular dinner there in May. While I byo’d, they do have an interesting wine list. Another recommendation is The Modern (the main restaurant), where I had another spectacular dinner followed by a great lunch not too long ago, and I byo’d at dinner and bought off the list at lunch. Le Bernardin was at its finest at a dinner in April, although their wine list is much pricier than the other two. I had a nice dinner at Scarpetta this past Sunday, where I am partial to their pastas, and their bar which makes some of my favorite cocktails.
There’s a ton of stuff beneath the PerSe/Daniel level. You might be very descriptive about what you want. I’d love to be at Red Cat tonite, but I don’t know if that’s special enough for your one night.
Thanks everyone. We were looking for something quintessentially NYC. We did get into Gramercy Tavern for one night and now have one additional night to fill. Love French or Bistro food and are staying in Midtown.
Boulud Sud.
Quintessential NYC and French bistro? Not in Midtown, but Minetta Tavern, to me, checks both NYC and French bistro boxes.
http://minettatavernny.com/
I’d second Minetta Tavern. The BEST! Also The NoMad.
EMP easily over Gramercy and won’t cost much more. Ai Fiori for Italian or Maialino but I prefer the first. The Modern for sure and even the bar at the Modern is very good if you don’t want to go fancier. I say no to the NoMad. Wilfred and I disagree on that one.
Marea.
Katz’s.
Agreed. Good but not stellar.
I prefer the bar room at The Modern to the actual “fancier” part of the restaurant, but the bar is a very different environment. Its far more loud and not cushy but I think the food is better.
Totally understand Paul’s feeling about NoMad…I’ve had very variable experiences there and its not priced for the faint at heart, wallet wise. But when its on, its really on. It did get 3 stars from the NYT.
I would go to the bar just for the liverwurst! I’m drooling just thinking about it.
+1.
You just convinced me to give this place a try in a couple of weeks. The menu looks great. Any thing else you recommend as a must have?
Joe, the charcuterie plate is very good. Lots of different items on it. But when you are done you’ll want more of the liverwurst. Tarte flambé and house made sausages are especially good. I try to order things that I’m not going to get at home like tripe and pork belly but everything I’ve had has been good. It’s small plates so you get to try a lot of dishes. No corkage on Sundays but I think they limit the number of bottles now.
Thanks Paul. We’ll probably start with a tarte, then liverwurst and foie gras terrine, then maybe the tripe. That’ll be on Thursday evening. I think possibly Champagne with the tarte, them maybe switch to beer. They have some really interesting looking stuff that should pair well with those dishes. On Friday we’re having lunch at Marea and dinner at EMP. Shaping up to be a nice weekend!
Thanks guys, great suggestions.
We have a mixed marriage when it comes to Gramercy Tavern and Eleven Madison Park. My wife has always preferred the more casual vibe at GT as well as the great American cooking of Mike Anthony. Over the years, Jon Perez, who runs the front of the house, has become very welcoming to us and always sends something special our way. My favorite restaurant in America might be EMP. Not as homey and welcoming as GT, but the cuisine is more interesting and innovative, and I always get a cracker-jack surprise every time we eat there. Almost always the smaller menu, I order by asking that Chef Humm decide whatever dishes he thinks are particularly good that night and pair interestingly together. I’ve had great meals that way, often including a course or two with a different preparation than that described on the ‘menu’, especially if someone else at our table orders the same ingredient. The cracker-jack surprise is usually a vegetable starter that I would never think of ordering, that ends up being my favorite dish during that week in NYC. We hosted our daughter’s master’s graduation dinner in May, at her choice of GT and had a memorable time. My wife and I have reached the following accord: whenever in NYC, we eat at both. Hard to go wrong that way.
Oh, and lunch at the Bar Room at the Modern coupled with a Sunday morning at MoMA is a perfect way to spend the day.