Anniversary meals
Ok, back again for anniversary from florida....last time everyone was very helpful. We tried Lupa, Babbo, Balthazar and Becco. This time we are staying in Financial district but have from friday noon to sunday 4pm. We are doing show sat, not sure if 2pm or 8pm. Wife is looking for nice Italian...like a Lupa in terms of selection. Also wants to try best pizza(not trying to start pizza wars on what is best, but have heard Joe's, Johns, Uno, etc...would like somewhere in EV or WV. Also looking for nice Chineese meal...have heard great things on Oriental Garden(keep in mind very limited in florida in terms of selection for us). I for one am looking for good mussels, tried Cafe Brussels(sp) and enjoyed. Also great breakfast ...leaning to Balthazar again for early 7:30 am breakfast. I am also looking for nice tapas, spanish style, seafood etc. Lastly looking for nice place to have a great drink/wine with view if possible before dinner.
Want to stay below 50th if possible, we love village area and would like to stay below $150 before drinks on meal if possible for Lupa style meals and same for others listed.
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For Spanish seafood, I don't think anyone does that better than the Galicians. El Charro at 4 Charles Street (corner Greenwich Ave) is owned by Galicians, and I love to go there for seafood, from Zarzuelas to Grilled Pulpo. They will make anything for you as a small plate, just ask.
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re: anniversary
My major gripe with Casa Mono is the *extremely* tight -- as in, practically sitting in the lap of the person at the adjacent table -- seating. If feeling like a sardine won't bother you, then I'm sure you'll enjoy the very tasty food. Note that this situation can be avoided if you go when it's least busy, afternoons between 2 and 5. No opinion on Alta since we've not been.
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re: anniversary
Casa Mono is a great place for excellent Spanish tapas. The Spanish wine list is more than decent and more than sufficiently robust.
We’ve been to many other places in NYC, as well as elsewhere in the world, where space is a premium and Casa Mono would rank nowhere near uncomfortable.
With the very good dishes, you’re in for a good treat at Casa Mono. Enjoy.
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re: RCC
MMRuth
Apr 12, 2009 05:36 PM
I agree - I know that the space issue there bothers RGR, but I have found that, while I do think it is a bit tight, once I'm seated and eating and enjoying wine, I don't notice it at all. I think we have always been seated at a table in one of the windows, and I think that helps a bit.
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felidia for italian...any opinion...we have tried becco....i know its more upscale....but how is food...
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Another question...we are seeing a play on saturday 8pm and are planning to have late lunch early dinner, but are looking at place afterwords in the financial district as we are staying there for light meal/drinks....tapas, italian, works...any idea...we can work our way to village as well...
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just found out baltazar does not do breakfast at 7:30 on saturday....looking for early breakfast something like balthazar for sat. morning early......
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re: anniversary
Try this: http://falainyc.com/panetteria/
They have an array of pastries as well as what's on the menu. -
re: anniversary
Balthazar's hours:
BREAKFAST
Mon to Fri: 7:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Sat & Sun: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
(continental only)BRUNCH
Sat & Sun: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PMDoes it have to be 7:30am? A lot of places don't open until 8am. Unless you are OK with a 24/7 diner.
Early weekend (Saturday, Sunday) spots for breakfast and brunch:
Patisserie Claude (croissants, opens at 7am?)
Cafe Mogador (opens at 9am)
Caffè Emilia (8am)
B&H Diner (7am)
Sarabeth's (3 of their locations open at 8am)
Grey Dog (opens at 7am)
'ino (9am)
Penelope (8am)
Barney Greengrass (opens at 8am)
Veselka (24/7)
See also http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/584297
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I second the tapas recommendations for Tia Pol, Alta and Casa Mono. They're all consistently delicious. Tia Pol doesn't take reservations but they're rarely busy at lunch time so that could be a nice option for you. Definitely order the ham croquettes and the crispy squid po'boy if you go there!
I also second the Chinese recommendation for Peking Duck House. Chinatown Brasserie and Shang are very good too if you would prefer somewhere on the trendier side. Shang's menu is definitely creative and a bit unusual so, while it's delicious, I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for more traditional Chinese fare.
In terms of Italian, I think you and your wife would really like Bellavitae in the West Village. I'm also a fan of dell'anima and Crispo.
I'm more of a brunch eater than breakfast, but if you're willing to eat a little later in the morning, Five Points is really delicious. I also love City Bakery and they open early. It's a cafeteria-style buffet and they also have great pastries (try the pretzel croissant!).
It looks like you've gotten plenty of recs for pizza, and I'm not really sure about mussels...maybe Pastis? or Markt?
Hope that helps. Happy Anniversary!
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re: sam920
Casa Mono is open continuously throughout the day and also takes reservations (as well as walk-ins). They also have an open kitchen that you can watch from the counter seating.
I would not recommend Shang as I found the food there to be overwrought, too complicated, and just plain not tasty enough.
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re: Pan
I had the risotto balls which were fine. Then came the pasta...UGHH. A gooey mass of pappardella with a surprising amount of kale and a tasteless sauce. I was most put off by the kale which had not been rinsed so that there was grit in every mouthful. The last straw was that our server seemed oblivious to the fact that my dinner was virtually untouched. So many great restaurants and I chose that one! I have just booked Lupa for this spring's trip so hopefully I will have redeemed myself!!
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I am Asian and I frequently visit Chinatown so I will recommend Chinese meals.
I haven't been back to Oriental Garden on Elizabeth Street for a while but the last couple of times I was there I really liked their seafood dishes so you can try them. Just a word of caution, don't be shy to ask and confirm the price of seafood from the fish tanks before you order because a lot of the seafood dishes are "market price" and if you happen to order a 5 lb+ King Crab at ~$60 or $70 a pound it may break your budget.... (King Crab is probably one of the more expensive seafood but I think dungeness crabs are around 1 to 2 lbs each for a total of $30-45 per crab so you should be ok.... ) There are also other dishes on the menu (chicken, beef, etc) that cater to both Chinese and non-Chinese and the waitstaff speak decent English so in case you are not Chinese you won't feel left out.
Another Chinatown place I like is Peking Duck House. I believe you can order a Peking Duck for the two of you to share and plus maybe 1 entree (or see if they have "Peking Duck Pre-Fixe Dinner" for 2 people). If you order a la carte and get too many dishes on top of the Peking Duck, you will end up with a lot of leftovers because the duck can be greasy and the pancake they wrap the duck meat in can get filling too. But overall, the food is solid and the ambiance is a little nicer than other Chinatown places.
I also like Dim Sum Go Go but a lot of folks here don't like it so you can read up on topics regarding that place to make your own decision. I believe dimsum is available at dinner time (at a slightly higher price than lunch but it's less crowded) and it's doesn't have dim sum cart service (it's made to order.) They also offer some relative "contemporary" and innovative HK style entrees that are not typically available at traditional Cantonese restaurants in Chinatown.
Lastly, you can check out Amazing 66 on Mott Street. A lot of people here seem to like it. I have not personally visited but it seems to be quite popular with people here.
I wish you will have a great anniversary and great food with it!
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re: anniversary
I see. I think both Peking Duck House and Oriental Garden offer non-seafood dishes so you should be ok. I have visited with non-Chinese friends who do not eat seafood there and they all enjoyed the food there. These two restaurants are a little pricier (~$25 to 50 a person depending on what you order) than other Chinatown places but the ambiance and service (plus a waitstaff who speak English) are nicer than other places.
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re: anniversary
For two people, it's easier to handle the portions at Szechuan Gourmet, I think. Otherwise, it's simply a question of whether you prefer Sichuan or Cantonese food, although I think Szechuan Gourmet is probably better, overall except for non-spicy dishes. Then again, that could well be due to my preference for Sichuan style...
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re: anniversary
No, VERY spicy. If you don't like your food very spicy and numbing, don't go to Szechuan Gourmet. I've found their non-spicy items boring. The problem with Cantoon Garden is that their portions are humongous, so a party of two would be likely to have leftovers from a single dish. If you want to go to a Sichuan-style place that has some good non-spicy dishes and doesn't usually make things quite as spicy as Szechuan Gourmet, you could try one of the Grand Sichuans.
I like Dim Sum Go Go, but the dumpling house is one of those 4 dumplings for $1 place, isn't it? Totally different type of place. If you want cheap pork dumplings and such and don't mind a limited selection, go to a cheap dumpling house. If you want a greater variety, including some fancier items, go to Dim Sum Go Go.
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re: anniversary
Oh, if you don't mind spending money, Chinatown Brasserie presumably remains the best dim sum place in Manhattan, and they also have excellent cocktails. I haven't been there for over a year because it's expensive and can be annoying in some ways, but both times I went, the dim sum items and cocktails were wonderful.
In terms of Grand Sichuan, their flagship is at 24th and 9th, but it can be mobbed to Kingdom Come, especially on weekends. That's the one I'd most recommend, though, with the caveat that I haven't been to the new 7th Av. South location. Here's the official Grand Sichuan website, with all the locations and menus:
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re: anniversary
I think the "mild spicy" dishes at these authentic Sichuan restaurants can sometimes be "very very spicy" for people who don't eat spicy food. So you will have to be careful if your body doesn't have a high tolerance for spicy food or you can order non-spicy dishes like Pan has recommended (just confirm with your waiter/waitress).
I am Chinese and I eat Chinese food all the time, spicy or not. Not to sound extreme but there were a few times that I almost needed a diaper the day after I ate "spicy" dishes from various Sichuan places such as Szechuan Gourmet or Grand Sichuan.
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re: thew
thew,
If you look at bearmi's 4/05 post time stamped 10:59PM, you will notice s/he states s/he's Chinese.
Not some sort of magic, but in my view, someone who is of a certain ethinicity and has grown up eating that particular cuisine can often provide specific insights that those of us who have not might not be able to. I think it's especially helpful to those have not had much experience with the cuisine being discussed or have had experiences that have been less than positive.
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re: RGR
thew
Apr 12, 2009 02:00 PM
i guess i have to disagree. is every american an expert in american cuisine? or do some think mcdonalds is the height of american eating?
is s/he chinese born or american born? does that make a difference or is just having the physical characteristics enough?
can a chinese person be an expert in french cuisine, maybe even more than they are to chinese?
i just don;t buy it.
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re: thew
This is not about "physical characteristics." My reference was to someone who grew up in a certain culture and had experience eating the authentic cuisine of that culture. However, it was never intended to be a sweeping statement, i.e., all Chinese people are experts on Chinese food.
And, yes, a Chinese person can certainly be or become an expert on French cuisine.
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re: thew
Thew, you keep missing the point here. I have already stated that I eat in Chinatown often and I don't eat much of other non-Asian cuisine that's why I responded to the original post recommending Chinese food.
I was born here but grew up in Taiwan. I go home to Taiwan about every 4 to 6 months and I eat in Chinatown and Flushing all the times so I have had my share of Chinese cuisine. I am not going to give you my bank account number and social security number though.... ha...
By the way, I eat at McDonald's often too and I will make a recommendation on American food even though I am Chinese but just because I go there often. Their Chicken Nuggets are the best and the ones in Taipei serves some pretty good Cream of Corn Soup for about US$1!
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re: bearmi
bearmi--i don't think you have to justify that you have an understanding of chinese food and being chinese gives you some validity. and to be honest, whether you were born/raised here or there doesn't even matter. is it that difficult for white people to get that many/most people of ethnic background grow up eating their culture's food? my Mexican husband (born/raised in LA) knows Mexican food better than those that are not because he grew up eating home-cooked Mexican food. I'm Chinese (born and raised in So Cal) and grew up eating Chinese food. My parents don't eat anything but Chinese food, so yes, for the love of God, it is more then conceivable that I know Chinese food better than white people! it's absurd that this is even an argument on this board. i will ALWAYS trust a Chinese person before a non-Chinese person when it comes to Chinese food recs. Period.
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re: kim e
Yeah, it's a kind of "all things being equal" statement. While there are obviously some Chinese people who lack taste and whose opinions aren't worth a damn, all things being equal, there's a greater chance that someone who grew up eating Chinese food in the home habitually and who is fluent and literate in Chinese and therefore faces few if any handicaps in obtaining whatever a Chinese restaurant makes will be more likely to have more authoritative opinions on Chinese restaurants in Chinatown. I wouldn't say I'd always trust a Chinese person before a non-Chinese person, though, because there's always the matter of taste, so it still depends on WHO the people involved are. But all things being equal...
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> Joe's, Johns, Uno
I hope you meant Una Pizza Napoletana and not Pizzeria Uno! UPN is probably the best choice in the East Village. Joe's is a slice takeout joint. John's on Bleecker Street is OK. But if you really want the best in NYC you'll need to travel a little bit out of those neighborhoods.
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re: anniversary
The usual suspects for best pizza in NYC are typically: Lucali, Franny's, Di Fara, Totonno's of Coney Island, Una Pizza Napoletana, John's of Bleecker, Lombardi's, Grimaldi's, Patsy's of East Harlem and Artichoke. I would also add the newly opened Co. to this list. (I have been to all of these but Lucali and Franny's.)
Unfortunately, Totonno's of Coney Island just suffered a fire but they hope to be back in operating condition 6 weeks. Meanwhile, I would try to get out to UPN or Co. for pies (they are pies only) and Di Fara and Patsy's (for slices). Given that you are visiting on a weekend, expect lines for dinner. Although if you arrive at Di Fara before noon on a weekend, the line isn't so bad.
Check out this awesome trip that someone did in only a few days where they hit up 7 of the greats:
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives...
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