Looking for FLA chowhound reqs for NYC

[LunasMom]

The Chowhound Team moved this Manhattan discussion from the Florida board
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Hey fellow florida hounds,

I am leaving for NYC at the end of the month, and wanted to know what Florida's recommendations of places that blew your socks off when you were there. Right now I have reservations at:

Mesa Grill - Friday

Telepan - Sat.

Babbo - Sun.

[tpigeon]

I think you can do better than mesa grill. Have not been for years btw, just a feeling.

Telepan is very good but a tad overrated. I am sure you will love it though...

Babbo is my favorite italian restaurant. Get olive oil gelatto for dessert.

Kat'z deli always blows my socks off when I go.

Sushi Yasuda (I always sit at the counter in front of yasuda himself) blows away any other sushi place I have ever been to.

Patisserie Claude - this ranks with the best patisseries I have been to in France. Awesome.

Il labrotorio del gelatto - awesome - even better than olive oil gelatto at babbo or otto

Di Fara's pizza (a trek for sure - deep in brooklyn) - there is none higher (get the squares)

Doughnut plant rocks

Barney Greengrass for breakfast - soft scrambled eggs with nova and onions with two plain untoasted bagles, put eggs break off a piece of bagel, put eggs on it and you have the best breakfast in the universe.

Russ & Daughters for bagle cream cheese and lox to go - best anywhere - their other fish and spreads are top noch as well

Peter Luger's steakhouse - The best steakhouse I ate at.

Lunch at Jean Georges - Dinner is awesome too but lunch is much cheaper and more casual.

[Porthos]

Tpigeon is spot on. Mesa Grill sticks out like a sore thumb in your line up of otherwise excellent choices. "Blew your socks off" is not something I would use to describe Mesa Grill.

I second Yasuda and Babbo as *musts* for anyone visiting NYC from anywhere in the country. It's always my first two reservations. For the third, Peter Luger serves excellent steak and Jean Georges serves excellent modern french with asian influences. For stratospheric, Per Se but only if price is not a concern. L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon is a more casual and fun high-end dining experience (very expensive wine list).

If you can't make it out to Di Fara's, I still like Lombardi's but go on a weekday afternoon to avoid the crowds. Quality wavers when it gets packed.

For Bagels and whitefish salad, I'm going to recommend Ess-a-Bagel. It has a nice crust on the bottom and is nice and chewy on the inside.

[tpigeon]

Per Se was the single best dining experience I ever had, unfortunately it is stratospheric pricing and even worse very unlikely that the op will get a reservation on such short notice.

[dmfnole]

I really enjoyed L'ECOLE, which is the French Culinary Institute's rest.
http://www.frenchculinary.com/lecole.htm