Saturday/Sunday Lunch Prix Fixe or Tasting Deals

[gac101]

Hi All,

I work in a crappy area where there's no good restaurants within walking distance, my job also does not allow me to take 2 hour lunch breaks to go sample the fancy lunch fares at Michelin starred restaurants in the city. I know I could do dinners, but they're a bit pricey for my budget and I often work late and don't want to go to bed right after a big fancy dinner, bad for the waistline. My search has yielded little results as most lunch deals are Mon-Fri only. So the question I pose to my fellow chowhound experts are:

Which restaurant(s) in NYC serve an awesome value lunch prix fixe or tasting menu on Saturdays and/or Sundays?

I look forward to trying the ones recommended and will report back my experiences.

Thanks!!!

[gac101]

That website is not too useful, many of the restaurants listed only offer lunch from Mon-Fri.

[hungrycomposer]

Momofuku has a weekend prix fixe lunch - I think the Ssam bar's prix fixe is $25, two courses plus dessert, with two or three choices per course. Noodle bar has a $20 two-course plus soft serve lunch that changes every day (no choices, but generally delicious) and a $30 3-course dinner. On weekdays they post the menu on line, but on weekends they don't.
Today my $20 bought me
oyster bun – spicy mayo, pickled ramps, romaine
roasted hanger steak – celery root purée, escarole, shallots
soft serve – sweet potato / pie crust / twist

Plus a raw scallop amuse bouche.

I swear they were the best fried oysters I've ever tasted, and the hanger steak was perfectly cooked, just rare enough and incredibly flavorful.

[RGR]

I agree with buttertart's Toqueville recommendation. We've had many of the 3-course $24.07 prix fixes, and they are always superb. The last one as in September. You can see the photos here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11863391@N03/sets/72157622307667453/

Jean Georges (the formal dining room) serves lunch on Saturday. It's the 2 for $29 menu.
Each additional course is $14.50. Desserts are $8 each.

The more casual Nougatine serves lunch on Saturday. The 3-course prix fixe is $28.

http://www.jean-georges.com

Bouley serves lunch on Saturday and Sunday. A 5-course tasting prix fixe for $48 is available. We recently did lunch on Sunday and had the tasting. This was our first time at Bouley, and I thought the food was quite good though, to be perfectly honest, not as rave-worthy as many others feel it is.

http://www.davidbouley.com

[gac101]

Thanks, RGR, I was actually drooling over your pics this past weekend. Was definitely attracted by the way the dishes looked from Toqueville, you and buttertart just sealed the deal for me. I will go ahead and make the reservation for this Sat. You think they'll pull the prix fixe menu off and replace it with some other special menu since it's Halloween?

I will do the other ones in the coming weeks as well.

Any other good ones out there? I've been deprived of some fine dinning for a looong time...

[buttertart]

I don't think Hallowe'en will have an influence on their prix fixe, it's not really that kind of place - you could always call them and ask.

[RGR]

gac101,

The good thing about Tocqueville is that the food tastes as delicious as it looks.

After you click on "Menus," click "Lunch Prix Fixe" on the drop down menu. The prix fixe is available Monday - Saturday, all year long. They do sometimes make changes to it, and don't always keep the website up-to-date. If they were going to do something for Halloween, it would be separate and would not affect the prix fixe. In fact, they had a special Rosh Hashanah menu for that holiday, but it was in addition to the regular prix fixe.

Two more to consider:

Cafe Boulud has reopened. It's one of our favorites though we haven't been since the refurbishment. They serve lunch on Saturday. I read that they are offering two prix fixes: 2 courses for $28 and 3 courses for $35. Nothing about it on the website, so you'd best call to verify.

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

The Cafe at Aquavit serves lunch on Saturday. 3-course prix fixe @ $24.07. It's the same menu as in the formal dining room, which is closed on Saturday.

http://www.aquavit.org/pdf/cafelunchm...

[tkm616]

2nd JG/Nougatine. just went to Nougatine again last Sunday for brunch and the meal was delicious as always.

[gac101]

So they have a Sunday brunch Prix Fixe?

[RGR]

The brunch menu on the website shows only an a la carte menu.

http://www.jean-georges.com

[tkm616]

i ordered from the prix fixe menu and ordered the tuna tartare and the tenderloin and and my brother ordered an appetizer with mushrooms (i don't see it on the brunch menu online) and the pork chop from the a la carte menu. this was two weeks ago and it was definitely a sunday because i flew in from chicago that morning. you can call to double check. i had reservations for 1pm if that makes any difference.

[tkm616]

oh yeah, and i also had the lemon ricotta cake which was awesome. i'm pretty sure it was included in the prix fixe.

[buttertart]

Tocqueville has a very nice 3-course lunch on Saturdays for $24.00 and wine pairing for an additional $15.00. Excellent price to quality ratio, a beautiful room, great service.