Going to be in Midtown Manhattan, need Recommendations

[excel]

Hey guys,

I'm hoping you guys could help a poor Canadian out. I'll be in midtown Manhattan for 2 days, going to the Yale Club for dinner one night. But I'll need recommendations for a lunch and dinner.

Doesn't have to be fancy, just good food. I'm willing to head to other parts of NYC so long as it isn't clear across town. Hoping you guys can recommend staple chowhound places and places that are currently getting a lot of buzz.

Thanks!

[excel]

Thanks guy! I really appreciate all the recommendations! I'll eat anything, I consider myself a "foodie" and will try anything at least once.

I actually live in TO and have lived in Vancouver and can say that the Chinese food I get is pretty darn good. I would venture and say that it's pretty close, if not better than places in HK and China. With that said, I'm sure NYC has places that service up great Chinese too.

I wasn't expecting so many recommendation so, now I've got another question, out of all the recommendations which ones would be "must" visits and staple NYC restaurants?

Thanks again guys!

[kathryn]

Of the ones listed already in this conversation, I would say the must visit/staple NYC restaurants:

Sushi Yasuda
Keens Steakhouse
Jean Georges

There are tons of other must visits/staple NYC restaurants, they just aren't in Midtown. Some tips for visitors...

Don't Leave NY Without Eating...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/610739

NYC for visitors:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/597021
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/610107
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/604369
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/605545
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/603298
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/589834

I highly recommend RGR's self guided Lower East Side Gustatory tour but it doesn't look like you're going to have the time:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/493333

[excel]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the continued recommendations. I found a hotel in time square so any recs around there would be fantastic too!

Thanks again and keep them coming!

[jenniebnyc]

have lunch at Bouchon Bakery in Time Warner Center. Great food, sweets, view and people watching. Good if you are eating solo at communal table. or go to Jean Georges for prefixe lunch. one of the best deals in town.

as for dinner momfuku noodle bar (ramen), joes shanghai (soup dumplings/chinese), crispo (italian) or if it's a nice night head to shake shack in madison sq park for a burger and prosecco.

[steve h.]

scoot over to sushi yasuda for the best sushi in nyc.. sit at the bar, in front of the boss.

keens grills a good porterhouse. the scotch selection is exemplary.

it's all good.

[FrankieLymon]

go to szechuan gourmet on 39th between 5th and 6th for lunch and order L2 with wonton soup and white rice. it will cost 8.10 and be alot better than the garbage chinese your probly eating in canada

[crabby_cakes]

Isn't the Chinese food in Canada supposed to be good? My friends from there are always telling me how bad it is in New York in comparison.

[fourunder]

Isn't the Chinese food in Canada supposed to be good?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Definitely for sure if you live Vancouver or Toronto and their surrounding environs. However, I cannot say for sure for anything in between.

Consider Del Frisco's Bar menu Lunch Loophole for Steak Tips...

http://midtownlunch.com/2007/11/01/a-...

[sherry f]

Excel, as a fellow Canadian (Toronto) who frequents New York (just got back), I have been blessed to be turned on to some local and reasonable gems in the area that aren't as pricey as say Anthos or Milos (both of which I love, by the way).

Taboon- 10th and 53rd - very authentic Israeli cuisine and amazing bread.

Eatery -9th and 53rd (sister restaurant is Whym at 9th and 58th)- Very casual

There is also nice antipasto and wine by the glass at Tratoria Del Arte (7th in the high 50's)

I also really like BLT Market in the Ritz Carlton at 6th and Central Park South. It is pricier than the above three.

Also, if you are looking for a quick lunch, Mangia on 57th between 5th and 6th is great for a self service breakfast/lunch place. Sarabeth's on Central Park South between 5th and 6th is lovely for breakfast or lunch.

I would have to say that the Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants in Toronto and Vancouver are better and more reasonable than in New York, and actually San Francisco for that matter from my experience.

[cimui]

any particular cuisines you like in particular, excel? (and what do restaurants on your home turf do really well?)

there are a few japanese restaurants i really like in midtown east and west: yakitori totto, aburiya kinnosuke, sakagura and yasuda. all are open for dinner. aburiya and yasuda are open for lunch.

my favorite inexpensive take out lunch in the area is chaat from indus express. there's a steam table with decent hot offerings, too. there are numerous carts selling halal chicken and rice, including an especially well known one on the southeastern corner of 53rd and 6th ave. at lunchtime. and there's the hallo berlin cart on 54th st. just west of 5th ave.

more expensive restaurants that i like include:

the modern dining room
aquavit
insieme
anthos
milos

really, though... it would be helpful to would-be advisors if you could give just a few pointers about cuisine preferences and ideal price ranges for lunch and dinner. there are really a gazillion and a half places to eat in nyc. :)

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Aquavit
65 E 55th St, New York, NY 10022

Yakitori Totto
251 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019

Sushi Yasuda
204 E 43rd St, New York, NY 10017

Insieme
777 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019

The Modern
9 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019

Aburiya Kinnosuke
213 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017

Sakagura
211 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017

Anthos
36 West 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019

Milos
125 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019

Indus Express
48 W 48th St, New York, NY 10036

[YummyInTheCity]

I really love Hells Kitchen around 46th and 9th - innovative Mexican good. For midtown I really think the west side had more places to eat - hell's kitchen area/9th ave. anywhere between 43rd to 59th and 9th has a ton of restaurants

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Hell's Kitchen
679 9th Ave, New York, NY 10036