NYC Trip Chowtinerary - Summer

[Searching4Dunny]

Hi all...I'll be heading out to NYC from LA this July/August for 3 nights 4 days and have composed the following list of chow places based on my semi-extensive lurking on this list. I will be with my fiancee and staying in the LES. I will be turning 30 on this trip and my girl is a year younger. Price range will range from cheap to $$$$ (i.e. $175 per person w/o drinks, tip, tax). We enjoy good flavorful food with some creative twists. Will eat most things but not too keen on offal. Our itinerary is as follows:

FRIDAY

B-fast-
Arrive early a.m. and hit Shopsin's for slutty and mac n' cheese pancakes.
Afterwards, walk around and do some sightseeing and shopping until around noon.

Lunch-
Katz Deli - Pastrami sammich to share (and pickles) with a possible hot dog on the side.

Pre-dinner drinks at Eastside Co. Bar

DInner-
Stanton Social. It is close to our hotel and are looking for some sort of trendy, not-so-serious scene with small bites.

After dinner we plan to go bar-hopping in the area and party it up until we get hungry again. For late-night eats, I was thinking we would go up to Criff dogs and try to dip into PYT for a specialty dog and some inventive cocktails. Do y'all recommend making a res for a table for such a late-night visit (around 1:00 am)?

SATURDAY:

B-fast-
Grab some good donuts from Doughnut Plant (cake donuts appear to be the hit on this board).

Afterwards we will head up to the MET and Central Park.

Lunch-
This is where it gets kind of difficult. I would like to make a res at JG for lunch but am worried about overplanning our days and not allowing for spontenous dining. Alternatively, I am considering, Shake Shack (shake burger and fries to be eaten in Central Park) or grabbing some picinic goods from Dean & Deluca or some other place so we could picinic in the Park. Suggestions?

Dinner-
Morimoto for trendy sushi place with good to decent food. We want to eat light at this point since we will be meeting friends for dancing, etc. afterwards.

Late-night Eats:

Choices are: Corner Bistro (for a burger), Pizza slice (not sure where yet but know that Rosario's is near is our hotel - is this place decent?), or maybe Blue Ribbon.

SUNDAY

Brunch:
Somewhere in the LES. Any suggestions?

Snack:
Maybe a good sandwhich, a slice of pizza or some meats, cheeses, breads. On this day we do not have anything planned so we could theoretically go/eat anywhere without filling up too much.

Dinner:
Hoping to get a res at Babbo. Will see what happens. If that fails, maybe Scarpetta or another place.

Afterwards will grab a drink at the flatiron lounge or maybe take in the view at 230 Fifth.

MONDAY:

B-fast/Lunch-
Thinking Inoteca but may fill this in with a good slice or burger if we do not make those ventures earlier in the trip.

We plan to make several stops for sweets and would like to try the Momofuku Milk Bar and Sugar Sweet Sunshine. Open to other suggestions as well.

All in all, I know this list needs some work so I am hoping some of you chow experts can fill in the blanks. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks in advance!

[kar_north]

If you want a unique foodie experience out in the boroughs...its worth the trip to Kebab Cafe in Astoria, Queens. A bit pricey but very low key. I won't warn you much except to ask for the one and only Ali and don't ask for a menu. Then man can cook thats all you need to know. If you really love food like Ali does than you will have happy memories of this place! P.S. its Egyptian food.

:)

[Searching4Dunny]

Thank you kar_north, we actually have quite an abundance of middle eastern food out here in LA/Orange County. Do you know if the experience here would be very different? The omakase style eating sounds very intriguing though since Arabic/Egyptian food has as much variety as japanese!

Roxie, thanks for the tip. I take it Cafe Boloud and Bar Boloud are in separate locations?

[RGR]

Cafe Boulud, one of our favorites, is on the Upper East Side, on 76th St., b/t Madison & 5th Avs., one block from Central Park and a few blocks from the Met Museum. It is 4-star Chef Daniel Boulud's second-tier restaurant; however, the cuisine is first-rate, service is polished, and the space is lovely. It is less formal than his eponymous, jackets-required flagship, but the overall vibe is somewhat sedate. They are offering a fabulous bargain at lunch: 3 courses for $24. Lunch is served Tuesday - Saturday.

http://www.danielnyc.com/cafebouludNY...

As noted above, Chef Boulud's Bar Boulud is on the Upper West Side. The vibe is much livelier than at Cafe Boulud.

[Searching4Dunny]

Thank you RGR. The charcuterie board you posted about earlier won us over, although the lunch special at the cafe seems like a great deal. We will need to think this one out thoroughly.

[RGR]

I haven't been to L.A. in ages, but my guess is that, as good as Cafe Boulud is, you can probably find cuisine of that type in your hometown or nearby. However, charcuterie, especially of this high level, is not so easy to come by. Plus, I think the bustling, upbeat vibe at Bar Boulud might be more appealing to someone your age.

[roxie]

Check out Cafe Boulud in The Surrey. You will be a short walk from the Met on the East side.

[RGR]

Hey, Searching4Dunny,

On Sunday, you might want to consider doing my (in)famous LES self-guiding noshing tour. I begins at Katz's and ends at Economy Candy, though you can easily tack on Sugar Sweet Sunshine at the end since it is just further down Rivington St. Here's the link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/493333

This would mean making some changes to your original itininerary. Instead of Katz's for Friday lunch, you might do pizza. My favorite thin crust-style is at Posto, on the corner of 2nd Av. & 18th St.

http://www.postothincrust.com

On Saturday, if you want to do Shake Shack in Madison Square Park, the best way to do so and avoid the hideously long lines is to make it brunch and arrive a few minutes before they open at 11 a.m. Lots of tables for al fresco dining. If the weather does not cooperate, the UWS Shack is indoors, on Columbus & 77th St. From what I've heard, the lines there are less onerous.

Alternatively for Saturday, two excellent lunch options near the Met Museum (which is on the east side of Central Park on 5th Av.) are Cafe Boulud, on 76th St., b/t 5th & Madison, and Cafe Sabarsky, in the Neue Galerie, on the corner of 5th & 86th.

http://www.danielnyc.com/cafebouludNY.html
http://www.wallse.com

If you can't get into Babbo or Scarpetta, Convivio would be an excellent option. The 4-course prix-fixe for $59 is the way to go there, a bargain for food of such high caliber.

http://www.convivionyc.com

Finally, the LES 'inoteca now has an "uptown" branch. 'inoteca Vino, Cucina and Liquori Bar is located on the corner of 3rd Av. & 24th St. We haven't been yet, but all the reviews I've read thus far have been very positive.

http://www.inotecanyc.com/liquori/ind...

[kathryn]

The lines at the UWS Shake Shack are less onerous but the seating is less abundant. Can't have it all, I guess.

[Searching4Dunny]

I've read on this board that the hounds prefer the Madison Square Park Shack over the UWS one. I guess for me it will depend on where a are that day.

RGR, I absolutely do intend on taking the (in)famous LES noshing tour that is so revered on this board. One question though, is the Posto pizza slice a classic "NY style" slice or is it a thinner version?

[RGR]

S4D,

Well, I'm not sure about "revered," but has become popular. :-)

Posto only serves whole pies, no slices. I'm not sure what you mean by "classic" style, but in terms of the crust's thinness, I'd put it in the same category as John's on Bleeker, but much better. I had an extremely disappointing pizza at John's when we were there several years ago.

[Searching4Dunny]

Sounds perfect, and with a whole pie we'll be able to take some home (if any left) for those late night pizza cravings. John's was actually on my list but seeing as Posto is closer to where we are staying I think we'll replace. Thanks!!

[RGR]

Posto actually has two pie sizes: the smallish 9" "personal" pie and the more common 16" pie.

Enjoy!

[Searching4Dunny]

How does the pie compare to San Marzano? I have read the slice at SM are small but are the pies similar in type and quality? If you have dined there that is.

[RGR]

We haven't been to San Marzano.

[Slob]

1. The peanut butter and jelly donut at Donut Plant is a MUST. I understand some people like the cake donuts, but do your palate a favor and get a PBJ. I actually dream about them.

2. PDT is really corny and lame. The whole trap door scene is weak. And the lame waiting on the other side with a condescending glare when you have the unmitigated gall to press the stupid button or pick up the phone or whatever is the pathetic mechanism that prompts the crypt keeper to open the trap door is equally vomit-inducing.

3. If you go to inoteca, stay away from the wagyu (sp?) beef sandwich. It's dryer than Madonna's fake face before her minions slather her in expensive creams. I love inoteca, but avoid that sandwich and thank me later. The truffled egg toast with the dehydrated fish eggs is always delicious. And the eggplant lasagna is another winner.

4. Grab a quick bite at Russ and Daughters. They're super nice in there. And the food is delicious, including some super-tasty ruggelach (sp?).

[Searching4Dunny]

The PBJ donut does sound good...and very original. Thanks! Also, thanks for the heads up on the wagyu at inoteca. I think we'll move 'inoteca to the late night eats category and just stumble back to the hotel after stuffing ourselves and with wine and bites.

[kathryn]

Searching4Dunny, the Manhattan board seems to get the most activity 9-5pm, Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, BTW. Posting after 5pm New York Times won't likely yield many responses until the next morning.

> Pre-dinner drinks at Eastside Co. Bar

I might try to substitute Tailor or Milk and Honey (milkandhoneynyc.com). Yerba Buena is good too but it's more of a restaurant than a proper bar and the actual bar is pretty small. *Definitely* make a reservation if you want to get into PDT. Also Mayahuel is a brand new cocktail place that is opening in a few weeks, and it's nearby, so keep that on your radar.

> I would like to make a res at JG for lunch but am worried about overplanning our days and not allowing for spontenous dining.

Note that both the Met and Central Park are huge. Shake Shack is on the west side of the part. The Met is on the east side. And how will you be dressed? June tends to be rather warm, and JG, while not requiring jackets for lunch, does ask for business casual dress and no sneakers. A picnic in the park does sound nice, but make sure you have a backup plan in cause of rain.

Late night eats: 'inoteca is open late near your hotel. Rosario's used to be good but then they decided to make their pizza thick crust! Yuck. I guess San Marzano? They're fairly new, and I'm not sure of the hours. Their slices are pretty small though. Also open late: Schiller's, Spitzer's Corner.

For Sunday brunch on the LES, you have a ton of options:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/592743

And more if you decide to walk to up the EV:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/601815

Post-Babbo, I might consider going to Pegu Club or Eleterria, if you want something closer to walking distance.

For your Sunday snack, I guess it depends where you are. If you feel you've exhausted the LES at this point, Soho and the West Village have tons of places to nosh.

Have you seen these, BTW?
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/612219
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/611116 <-- this poster here has a huge sweet tooth (like me :
)http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/597021

[Searching4Dunny]

Thanks for the posting information. I guess I was getting a little impatient (and hungry). I will definitely take note regarding the weather and our apparel with respect to JG. From the website, it looks like JG is not open for lunch on Sat and Sun. We will likely reschedule so that we go on Monday. I do not want to miss dining there.

Thanks for the links!

[fdb]

Not sure about Sundays, but JG is open for lunch on Saturdays.

[kathryn]

They only recently started serving lunch in the formal dining room on Saturdays. Their web site seems a bit out of date.

[Searching4Dunny]

Ok, thanks. I am thinking we will still leave it for Monday. That way we will be able to have one last amazing meal before we fly back. Thanks.

[lanadai]

If you want to walk through Central Park on Saturday after the Met, you can walk to the Time Warner Center and have lunch at Bouchon Bakery. There's also a Wholefoods there, so you can pick up picnic goods from there too.

[Searching4Dunny]

Is the Bouchon in NY similar to the one in Vegas? I've never been to the Yountiville location but really enjoyed the brunch at the one in Vegas.

[AimeeD]

No Bouchon Bakery is not similar to the ones in Yountville or Vegas. It's more of a take-out lunch place.

[kathryn]

There is a cafe area with waiter service, as well as a retail counter area for takeout.

http://www.bouchonbakery.com/showPlac...

[Searching4Dunny]

I am thinking that Bouchon may be a good place to grab some bread for a picnic in the park. If it is near Whole Foods, we can get our meats and cheeses there...unless there is another recommendation in the area for those items.

[LNG212]

Depends where you're going in the park. That would put you at the southernmost end. If you'll be a bit further uptown on the westside, there are a number of other choices: Salumeria Rossi, Fairway, Zabars, even H&H bagels. All would be good to take items to the park.

[Searching4Dunny]

We will most likely be closer to the north part of the park, near the lake. I've read good reviews here about Salumeria Rossi and it sounds exactly like what we are looking for in terms of charcuterie. Do they sell good bread there as well? Thank you.

[RGR]

If you are interested in superb charcuterie, you should consider going to 4-star chef Daniel Boulud's Bar Boulud, a couple of blocks west of Central Park West, on B'way, b/t 64th & 65th Sts.

http://www.danielnyc.com/barboulud.html

[kathryn]

Seconded. Seriously delicious stuff.

[Searching4Dunny]

Menu looks amazing! I know there has been a lot of discussion about the Boulud eateries on this list and a chef friend of mine in LA recommended Daniel. I think Bar Boloud may fit the bill for a great lunch for our Central Park day. The croques also look delightful. Too many places so little stomach space!!

[kathryn]

If you go for weekend lunch/brunch it's a 2-course prix fixe and the charcuterie plate is extra. Worth it but might end up being too much food.

[RGR]

We were there recently for brunch. We asked if we could share the grand charcuterie platter as our main course, with a salad for each of us to start + a dessert for each of us. The manager said we could. We were not charged for the salads, only for the charcuterie ($32) and for the desserts. We found this amount of food perfect for the two of us.

[Searching4Dunny]

That sounds like a very reasonable deal considering what I would expect to be a quality charcuterie plate. Do you recall the what was included?

[RGR]

Actually, it's a large board. There were 7 cold terrines + ham and dry sausage. Also, there was a variety of accompaniments (cornichons, pickled beets, and several others) and abundant toasted bread.

[kathryn]

Here's a photo of the large board:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ulterior...

[Searching4Dunny]

That looks like a serious board! ;-) and a wonderful snack after a long walk in the park. Good stuff!