Dinner tonight: Breslin, Momofuku, Back Forty...
I'm interested in going to a place like the Breslin, Momofuku Ssam, Back Forty (great food, reasonably priced, fun) but I'm terrified of the 1-2 hour waits I hear about at these places.
It is going to be a party of 2, tonight (!), probably around 7:00 - we are looking for something in the price range of the aformentioned places - location unimportant. Any ideas? Or, conversely, can anyone give feedback about the wait at these places?
Thanks in advance, as I understand the short notice I am providing.
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Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Back Forty
190 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009
The Breslin
20 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001
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Just wanted to report on a few of these restaurants which I was able to make it to this weekend.
I went with a group of 3 to Back Forty for brunch yesterday and they quoted a 30 minute wait, although it didn't take that long. I had the fried chicken and waffles - it was really delicious. One of the most moist and tasty waffles I've ever had with really moist fried chicken on top. Really great, and pretty reasonable at $14.
This morning I went to the Breslin for brunch around noon and walked right up to the bar and sat, and in fact, there were quite a few seats around me available. I ordered the lamb burger and thought it was good, but not great. Both the burger and the fries were SO salty, so I felt like by the end of the meal the flavors were getting lost in all the salt. I must say, though, that I really enjoyed the combination of the lamb and feta cheese with the cumin mayo cutting through the richness. Also, for all of the problems others have had with service, I must say that everyone I dealt with was really friendly.
If I were to go back for one dish, though, I'd choose Back Forty, but I'm not sure you can go wrong with either....
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Back Forty
190 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009The Breslin
20 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001 -
I know this is a day late-- where did you end up going?
If you're only going for the lamb burger at The Breslin... go for lunch! I've walked in with two people and I've walked in with 4 people at various times for lunch and never had more than a 10 minute wait. Also worth having is the tongue sandwich- delish!
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The Breslin
20 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001›2 Replies-
re: iamraven
loratliff
Feb 20, 2011 06:24 AM
Ditto, where'd you go? We actually almost went to Back Forty last night ourselves, but made the trek over to Roberta's instead. You wanna talk long waits, 2 hours for two people at 7:30 p.m.... But we did it, and it was worth it. :)
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Back Forty
190 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009-
re: loratliff
Wow! Thank you all for your words of wisdom. All of this information will certainly be useful in the weeks to come, and I will keep everyone posted on the waits (or hopefully lack thereof) that I incur at some of these restaurants.
We ended up at Momofuku and the wait, as you all predicted, was minimal - maybe 15 minutes. The food was great, the environment very lively, and service friendly. A great experience.
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Breslin is going to be crazy.
Momofuku Ssam might not be too bad. They have a lot of places to put 2-tops especially if you're willing to sit at a counter across from each other. Might be more like 30-45 min. Not 2 hrs. A meal there will last about an hour tops, so they're good at turnover.
Not sure about Back Forty. You might consider trying to get a last minute reservation at Prune, Peels, maybe DBGB?
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Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003Back Forty
190 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009DBGB
299 Bowery, New York, NY 10003The Breslin
20 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001›9 Replies-
re: kathryn
At 7pm a lot of restaurants are still on the empty side. I've gone to the Breslin around 7/730ish on a friday and walked right in. Usually starts picking up after 8 and closer 9.
Same goes for Momofuku Ssam bar. The later you go the longer the waits are. At 7, usually not more than 15-20 minutes. By 9, you are talking over an hour.
I actually think Back Forty would be the worst option, since they actually take reservations, so I think walk-ins would have a longer wait there.
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Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003Back Forty
190 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009The Breslin
20 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001 -
re: kathryn
rose water
Feb 18, 2011 11:42 AM
if you can do a little earlier, like 6:30, you'll probably be fine at ssam
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re: detroit1010
rose water
Feb 18, 2011 11:51 AM
yeah, nothing about the wait at the breslin is fun--bar staff who assiduously ignore your existence, and limited communication about wait time and status...too bad the lamb burger is so damn delicious.
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loratliff
Feb 18, 2011 10:52 AM
I think Back Forty will have the shortest wait.
It *is* a Friday, so you're probably looking at at least two hours at the Breslin, if not closer to three. Someone who goes to Ssam more often can give you a more accurate estimate of their wait.
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Back Forty
190 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009The Breslin
20 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001
