195718 Wed Jun 26 16:49:56 -0700 2002 18 18 Manhattan 0 1044881 what's the best place to eat around union square? Wed Jun 26 16:49:56 -0700 2002 0 kathleen 1 1044889 Oh goodness, the 'hood is so full of good eats. But some to consider, both upscale and not upscale: Rainbow Falafel Havana Central City Bakery Craft Union Square Cafe Tocqueville AZ Gramercy Tavern Chicama Wed Jun 26 17:15:43 -0700 2002 1044881 0 Nina 2 1044892 AND: Verbena Irving on Irving (sometimes) Candela (according to some posters) Le Pain Quotidien Mesa Grill (according to some) Zen Palate Wed Jun 26 17:38:36 -0700 2002 1044889 0 CTer 3 1044904 ... and Fleur de Sel and Veritas Wed Jun 26 21:13:34 -0700 2002 1044892 0 RR 4 1044911 funny no one mentioned my favs, VERBENA's BAR DEMI if you want intimate wine/tapas and REPUBLIC for inexpensive noodles and more. get your burger and murphy's fix at the OLD TOWN. Thu Jun 27 00:59:13 -0700 2002 1044904 0 mrnyc 5 1044919 Also great at Old Town: the fries with cheddar-horseradish sauce. Thu Jun 27 09:35:34 -0700 2002 1044911 0 Abbylovi 5 1044931 I was just going to say! Republic is great! I've only had two things off their menu, but it really is good. Thu Jun 27 11:23:00 -0700 2002 1044911 0 AKMartin 3 1044915 Zen Palate is supremely boring. Their food is bland. I don't see the appeal. Even when I was a vegetarian I didn't understand the appeal. Thu Jun 27 08:39:26 -0700 2002 1044892 0 Peter Cuce 4 1044918 I've always thought that the mains at Zen Palate were awful, and yes boring. My strategy is to order the apps and the soups which I find absolutely delicious and flavorful. Thu Jun 27 09:33:46 -0700 2002 1044915 0 Abbylovi 4 1044930 I second that: Zen Palate gets a thumbs down from me. If you want good healty food, try Other Foods on 12th St. mmm... yummy. Or even City Bakery has really yummy and interestingly prepared vegetables every day. Thu Jun 27 11:20:26 -0700 2002 1044915 0 AKMartin 3 1044916 love verbena, dislike candela had dinner with a friend once & a work group dinner once - food was only okay but what i didn't like was the low oxygen levels - the ventilation seemed weak and the candles seemed to consume what was there - one person in our group left early because they were feeling faint. good air goes hand-in-hand with good food. (not that i'm advocating smoke-free restaurants...just ventilation) i had a wonderful 3 hour food experience at verbena that i'll not forget - i highly recommend the place Thu Jun 27 09:16:54 -0700 2002 1044892 0 big head 2 1044897 Rainbow has been a consistent winner for me since the warmer weather started. I still don't know how they get the babaganhoush to be soo good. The Japanese place next door is also pretty good, Ennu I think it's called. Frank Wed Jun 26 18:39:25 -0700 2002 1044889 0 Iron Frank 3 1044899 It's called Ennju. Wed Jun 26 18:55:55 -0700 2002 1044897 0 Nina 2 1044949 What is Rainbow Falafel and Havana Central? Never heard those Thu Jun 27 13:31:36 -0700 2002 1044889 0 B-Nice 3 1044987 Raibow felafel is a shoebox of a takeout shop which serves some of the best babaganoush, falafel, and chicken shwarma(only if it's early enough to get fresh off of the spit). I also love their dolmas but avoid the pies and lahmajun unless you're bringing your own pizza oven as they microwave them to mush. It's on 17th between 5th and broadway, two doors from Havana Central a new Cuban semi-fastfoodplace that is an unproven commodity at this point. Enjoy. Frank Thu Jun 27 18:44:59 -0700 2002 1044949 0 Iron Frank 1 1044908 There's good, and then there's overrated. I personally think Union Square Cafe is simply a "good" (NOT great) meal, as well as Candela. (Both were suggested as some of US's bests in prior posts.) As for my faves, Patria (on Park) is fabulous. Also, I do love Blue Water Grill -- it's consistently a good meal. Wed Jun 26 23:55:37 -0700 2002 1044881 0 foodsie 2 1044932 When it comes to Union Square Cafe, I'm with you in the overrated camp. We only went there once and we have not made a huge effort to go again since the experience was totally underwhelming. I have absolutely no memory of what I ate there, and that says a lot because I tend to remember outstanding meals, or at least outstanding dishes. As for Blue Water Grill, it's sort of the reverse. I agree with you, and I'm never sure why some people diss it. The few times we have been there, we have had good service and the food was very tasty. As for an outstanding dish -- their key lime is excellent! Thu Jun 27 11:28:25 -0700 2002 1044908 0 RR 1 1044943 Dear Kathleen, As you can see, "best" is highly subjective when it comes to chowhounds. At least you're getting a list of what's in the nabe, and the pros and cons of just about all of them. The choice is still up to you. :-) Thu Jun 27 13:01:28 -0700 2002 1044881 0 CTer 1 1044989 I had a fantastic meal at Pipa last week. I don't know if it's the best around Union Square. It was their sherry tasting menu, and it was good enough and interesting enough(enormous amounts of food) to make me want to go back. Thu Jun 27 18:54:58 -0700 2002 1044881 0 Caitlin Wheeler