215208 Thu Oct 21 10:10:43 -0700 2004 3 18 Manhattan 0 1145994 So you've won a bet (hint - it had something to do with two sports teams from Boston and NY) and your friend has to make good, by taking you out in NYC. He'll bring you anywhere. Where do you go? Ideally somewhere that isn't too formal or stuffy, but is first-class all the way - food, service, atmosphere (in that order) I love Italian - Union Sq Cafe is among my favorite spots in NYC - looking for that same sort of vibe and experience - - but would like to try something different. Looking forward to your responses. Thu Oct 21 10:10:43 -0700 2004 0 twentyoystahs 1 1146005 well if there is no price limit: first ADNY (easier to get into than Per Se); Daniel, JG, Masa, Megu, Bouley, and LB all come to mind. Il Mulino is certainly over the top. Babbo is fabulous of course.... Thu Oct 21 10:49:08 -0700 2004 1145994 0 Nathan 1 1146039 My best friend took me to Bouley last night for a special dinner. I'd never been. It rocked my world. Rooms are beautiful. Very European. Service is stellar and far from stuffy. George Thomas was our server, and he couldn't have been wittier and more entertaining. Food was heavenly. We both did the tasting menu. We also both started with the phyllo-crusted shrimp, Cape Cod baby squid, scuba-dived sea scallops, and sweet Maryland crabmeat in an ocean herbal broth. Sublime. And the daddy of the group was definitely the crabmeat. Think herbed butter. Yum. Next, I had the Mediterranean loup de mer with brocollini puree, black trumpets, coconut, and black truffle sauce. Wonderful. He had the black sea bass with procini and Hon-Shimeji mushrooms, green asparagus, and mushroom cappucino broth. I preferred his fish, only because the broth knew its purpose well and kept the bass insanely moist and flavorful. Third courses: I had the Maine day boat lobster with heirloom tomatoes, sweet watermelon glazed with ginger and ox heart tomato sorbet. (Okay, here's the embarrasing: I honestly asked for this course without the ox heart, explaining I didn't like the idea of eating hearts, and George Thomas had to explain to me that these were a variety of heirloom tomatoes. Oops!) The tomatoes and watermelon flavors were surprisingly strong and managed to somewhat outweigh the lobster's own flavors. Essentially, this was like sweetened lobster, which actually worked. He had the whole roasted apple fed baby pig from Bender Farms, Connecticut water spinach, braised Japanese Hon-Shimeji mushrooms, galette of wild mushroom fettucini, 24-hour braised pork belly with a five-spice and young ginger glaze. I didn't try it, because I don't really care for pigs (besides Babe, of course). He, however, seemed to like it quite a bit! DESSERTS. A gazillion desserts. They knew it was a birthday dinner and literally filled our table with copious amounts of chocolate and other savories. George Thomas also served us complimentary muscat, which was heavenly. We even took the liberty of refilling our glasses a couple times each when he accidentally left the bottle on our table to address another table at one point! They gave me a wonderful loaf of lemon cake bread when I left. Eating it now as I write. Bouley. :)kirk Thu Oct 21 12:30:35 -0700 2004 1145994 0 kirk 1 1146142 Italian, not too formal or stuffy, food, service atmosphere in that order: Babbo Thu Oct 21 23:07:50 -0700 2004 1145994 0 Nina W.