10 best dinners to round out our time in NYC

[umai]

Who: foodie foursome with 10 months left in Manhattan
The plan: one serious dinner/month for the remainder of our time here

We have all lived here for a number of years and have had some really great food here, but our time is coming to an end. Our goal is to go to the major restaurants we have yet to experience. Our list includes Per Se, Daniel, Ko (if we can ever get a reservation), and Blue Hill, but we're trying to nail down the rest of it. We started off with the Spotted Pig. I know, not a fancy place, but somehow none of us had gone and fancy is not exactly what we're going for. We're not necessarily looking for the most expensive meals in NYC-just the best. Would love your suggestions to round out our list!

What we've already done: Peter Luger, EMP, Jean-Georges, bo ssam at Momofuku Ssam, pretty much every pizza place mentioned on these boards, ramen at Ippudo, The Modern, Graffiti, spaghetti with tomato and basil at Scarpetta, halal cart on 53rd,...

What are your favorites? What have we missed?

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Per Se
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019

Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Blue Hill
75 Washington Place, New York, NY 10011

Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St, New York, NY 10014

Ippudo
65 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003

Scarpetta
355 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014

[steakrules85]

Some favorite places of mine (that you didn't list as going to yet);

Gotham Bar and Grill
Craft
Daniel
La Grenouille
Maialino
EMP
Alto
Marea
Convivio
Il Mulino
Strip House
Keens
MInetta Tavern

Added in a few more than 10.

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Il Mulino
86 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012

Gotham Bar and Grill
12 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003

La Grenouille
3 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022

Convivio
45 Tudor City Place, New York, NY 10017

Marea
240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019

Strip House
13 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003

Maialino
2 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010

[umai]

Thanks so much for all your suggestions! We got a reservation for Momofuku Ko and will be going this weekend. A few of the places you guys mentioned are meals we've had...degustation, casa mono, wd 50, babbo. Apparently Daniel is controversial. Any other thoughts?

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Momofuku Ko
163 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

[ellenost]

Congrats on your resy for 4 at Ko! I'm also not a fan of Daniel. If you can, I would try Per Se (while very expensive, it will be a memorable meal). I'm a big fan of EMP and Bouley too. BTW, I hope you report on your Ko meal (dinner/lunch?). I have another reservation for dinner next week so I'm curious about what's on the menu. Thanks.

[daffyduck]

to add to your 4 picks 15 east, babbo, degustation, le bernadin, wd 50. ill 2nd blue hill stone barns even though it's in westchester ny i think it is worth going out there.

[MarlaPR]

I also love, love Eleven Madison Park!!

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Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010

[sexyLAMBCHOPx]

Felidia, Spotted Pig & Babbo is exceptional. Delmonico's, IMHO is a great steak house.

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Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011

Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St, New York, NY 10014

Felidia
243 E 58th St, New York, NY 10022

[sgordon]

I'd drop Daniel. And Per Se. Just my opinion.

If I were to just pick 10, not including the ones you've already hit, they'd be:
WD-50
Babbo or Del Posto
Cafe Boulud (yes, I rank them higher than the flagship, Daniel - frankly I think CB is the four-star resto and Daniel the three-star.)
Marea
Henry's End (Brooklyn) - during Wild Game Season, specifically.
Ssam Bar, again (only order anything & everything BUT the Bo Ssam this time)
Falai
Oriental Garden or Fuleen for a Chinatown adventure.
Kaiseki at Kyo Ya
Soto or Morimoto

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WD-50
50 Clinton Street, New York, NY 10002

Cafe Boulud
20 East 76th St., New York, NY 10021

Soto
357 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10014

Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011

Del Posto
85 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011

Fuleen
11 Division St, New York, NY 10002

Oriental Garden
14 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10013

Falai
68 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002

Morimoto
88 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011

Kyo Ya
94 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

Marea
240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019

Henry's End
44 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

[umai]

Why drop Per Se?

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Per Se
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019

[fm1963]

I would definitely keep Daniel, and also add:

Corton
Le Bernardin
La Grenouille (though skip this if you've dined a lot in France)
Babbo
Casa Mono
The Breslin (if you liked Spotted Pig)

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Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011

Casa Mono
52 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003

Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St, New York, NY 10014

Le Bernardin
155 W. 51st St., New York, NY 10019

La Grenouille
3 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022

Corton
239 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013

The Breslin
20 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001

[gutsofsteel]

Cafe Boulud
Blue Hill Stone Barns
Sugiyama
Kyo Ya

I haven't been yet - but perhaps the "new" EMP.

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Cafe Boulud
20 East 76th St., New York, NY 10021

Blue Hill
75 Washington Place, New York, NY 10011

Sugiyama
251 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019

Kyo Ya
94 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

[luxe_foodie]

I despise Daniel. Me and my companion had a terrible meal there - my sole was rubbery with a disgusting bernaise sauce and his steak was chewy, no flavor, dry and overcooked. Terrible.

The food at the Spotted Pig is soooo rich. Don't order too much as a little goes a long way.

I am a huge fan of Babbo, Felidia and Wallse.

A MUST is dessert at Adour at Alain Duccasse at the St. Regis. Too die for.

Masa is fantastic but outrageously expensive. But a great experience if you can afford it.

[luxe_foodie]

Btw, why skip Brooklyn? Vinegar Hill House, Prime Meats and Fornino are great. Not as high brow as the other places but if you are looking for great food, Brooklyn is where its at.

[trishottawa]

Degustation