Your current NYC favorites

[Jmore]

Will be making a much needed trip to the states in sept & will be traveling with my gf, along with my brother & his partner, as well as the old folks.. Will have 5nights/dinners & breakfasts, only 4 lunches

Although we won't be doing everything together (different shopping tastes/destinations and different plans for visiting sites), we all enjoy the same food/restaurants which makes it pretty convenient -
would like to know everyones current picks of what they would in each category and what you would order... or what I could add if I'm missing something that should be included
+ indicates a place we are pretty set on
- are options we've come up with to fill in (but as mentioned, please do mention if we are missing something youd recommend)
If you agree with the +, please recommend a must Eat dish

We are prepared to spend $1 to $200 for a meal, as long as it's value for money, the service isn't f*@$ off bad (meaning we are willing to bare AVERAGE service - given the food will be top notch) and we are not spending time on a meal that could/should have been spent elsewhere... So here's where Your help would be greatly appreciated

1) Breakfast
+ Locanda verde (everything looks good)
+ Clinton st baking co (gf loves pancakes)
- Maialino (willing to give a go although my brother received terrible service @ breakfast)
- cookshop
- shopsins
- patisserie Claude or Ceci cela (for choc croissant)
- Joseph Leonard (breakfast sandwich)

2) lunches
+ burger: (shake shack/burger joint/db bistro moderne/minetta tavern... Could even be moved to a dinner before broadway show if another lunch recommended)
+ EMP (seems like a ridiculous deal + highly recommended by brother)
- del posto (lunch special)
+ Katz (pastrami on rye)

3) dinners
+ babbo
+ pizza (will probably have 2 pizza meals - looking at sit down meals - narrowed down to lucali/motorino/keste)
- Xian famous foods (was thinking for a quick meal before Yankees game)
- ???
- 1 high end dinner would be nice... Preferably not Asian Food

4) other food
Hot dogs, will fit one in somewhere (crif dogs or grays papaya?)
Gelato, will most probably be eating desserts at restaurants.. But will get round to one, so after reading good reviews so far, la cremeria
Chocolatiers, Kees + la maison
Beers, spuyten devil + dba... Burp castle + blind tiger + vol de nuit
Cocktails, open to any suggestions - nice place to hang out

Even if you can only respond to one part, your input is really appreciated

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Joseph Leonard
170 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10014

Maialino
2 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010

[vinouspleasure]

instead of a hot dog, why don't you hit a great food cart? check out the vendy awards for suggestions. Also, it would be a shame to leave NY without trying a great bagel. The russ&daughter suggestion is good, you might try ess-a-bagel for a lox and cream cheese bagel.

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Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

Ess-a-Bagel
359 1st Ave, New York, NY 10010

[asiansupper]

on the 4) other food - gelato front, if you end up going to wd-50, def worth a stop at il laboratorio del gelato just a few blocks away on houston (closes at 10p on weekdays, later on weekends i think). pretty awesome but possibly quite crowded. i actually like the fruit flavored sorbets the best but gelatos are excellent too.

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Il Laboratorio del Gelato
188 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002

[daffyduck]

If you go to Keste my favorite pizza is the Pizza Del Re and I think you should visit supplement your Katz visit with Russ and Daughters (I'm a big fan of the Meshugge, super heebster (some prefer the heebster more), babka, herring in white sauce, lol I can go on and on this place is amazing IMO.

[heavyj]

seafood:
lobster roll - http://www.lukeslobster.com/
ipswich clams - http://lobsterbarnyc.com/

dessert:
Imperial Woodpecker Sno-balls - http://newyork.metromix.com/restaurants/essay_photo_gallery/inside-imperial-woodpecker-sno/2658194/content

if you'll be around on a saturday, take the trip to smorgesburg:
http://brooklynflea.com/smorgasburg/

if yer gonna troll 7th street for burp castle, might as well hit the institution:
mcsorley's - http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com/

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Ed's Lobster Bar
222 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012

Burp Castle
41 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

McSorley's Old Ale House
15 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

Luke's Lobster
93 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

Imperial Woodpecker Sno-balls
145 7th Ave S, New York, NY 10014

[Pan]

I couldn't link Zabar's in that post, for some reason. I think it worked this time.

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Zabar's
2245 Broadway, New York, NY 10024

[Pan]

Some more ideas for you:

If you want some uniquely New York things, make sure also to try New York-style cheesecake. The best I know of is from S&S in the Bronx, but Zabar's carries it. If you have access to a refrigerator, get a whole cake there and eat it gradually. Lau, who I find very reliable, said a place south of Houston St. (I hate saying "NoLiTa") was equally good in a different way, but I don't remember its name. You could probably get a slice there. If not, there's also Two Little Red Hens, whose cheesecake is very good, and they also make delicious squares (lemon, lime/coconut, chocolate/pecan, linzer), which is a very American thing (except, sort of, the linzer).

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Two Little Red Hens
1652 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10028

Zabar's
2245 Broadway, New York, NY 10024

[RGR]

Might that be Eileen's Cheesecake? It's on Cleveland Place, in SoHo.

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

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Eileen's Special Cheesecake
17 Cleveland Pl, New York, NY 10012

[thew]

eileen's makes a chocolate cake that was my go to cake for many years

[Pan]

Yes, I think that was the one.

[MVNYC]

Many good thoughts have been posted here but I figured I would add a few.

Before the Yankee Game I would suggest some Jamaican food which you probably don't get in Oz. The Feeding Tree is a couple of blocks from Yankee stadium and offers a good intro into the cuisine.

Your beer selections are right on, be sure to try anything brewed by Captain Lawrence which is the best of our local breweries. Sixpoint is good too if you are in the mood for something hoppy. Brooklyn Brewery is an old standby that makes some interesting beers as well.

[makko]

I've been going to the Feeding Tree since the early 90's.
A very good choice before the game if you like Jamaican.
They are located on Gerard Ave.

[nmprisons]

The best Jamaican in the neighborhood, though, is from the nice lady who runs the Jamaican food cart accros the street from the state court building, about 4 blocks East of Yankee Stadium.

[sgordon]

Narrowing it down to one Italian: I'd go Babbo - Falai or Maialino - Scarpetta or Marea. Maybe Ai Fiori belongs in there, but I haven't been yet. They're also the most expensive of the bunch by a good margin. The only reasons I put Babbo first are a.) you had it in your original post, and b.) I personally haven't been in awhile. That said, we go to Falai the most often - but we live around the corner from them, and tend not plan our meals the month in advance one has to to dine at Babbo. I think of late the food is equal at both, though Babbo has a more extensive menu. I put Falai & Maialino second they're a little different than the others, each concentrating on a particular style - Florentine & Roman respectively. Also, if you're doing WD-50, Falai could be a fun comparison - he's the other "Clinton St. Modernist" and very influenced by Dufresne. Keep in mind, though, both restaurants operate limited hours - WD-50 is closed Mondays & Tuesdays, Falai Sundays & Mondays (through Labor day, at least)

Scarpetta is good, even excellent at times, but like I said earlier, as it's a chain now... just doesn't feel as special. If you're a seafood freak, though, Marea could be the right call. Really depends on your tastes.

Regarding WD-50 tasting vs. a la carte: I generaly go ALC. I prefer a couple larger dishes I can dig into versus a series of one-to-two biters. A standard three course meal for two usually runs us $250 with tax & tip, and that's with two cocktails each and a glass of wine. And you can easily do a four-course meal at WD (two apps, one entree, dessert) for less than the the tasting menu - if you're dining with one other person, that's eight dishes to try right there (plus there'll likely be an amuse, pre-dessert, and mignardaises) - you can have quite the spread. Also I'm not partial to tasting menus because it removes the fun of sharing - if everyone's eating the exact same thing, there's just less excitement around the table, I find. But some people are very pro-tasting, so YMMV.

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

Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011

Falai
68 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002

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

Marea
240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019

Maialino
2 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010

Ai Fiori
400 5th Ave, New York, NY 10018

[kathryn]

Favorite dishes and cocktails right now at WD-50? I'm going back in about a week and a half.

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

[sgordon]

There's a few new things on the WD menu since I was last there. Of what's current, I dig the Peekytoe roll (kind of a lobster roll, only with crab, and presented as a sushi roll by flattening the hot dog bun and using it like nori) - the foie is good as always, eggs benny a classic, and I'm fond of the cold fried chicken. Not a fan (as I've said before) of the shrimp spaghetti. For entrees the lamb and pork are both excellent, and I'm very much looking forward to the new duck preparation (w/ sesame dumplings in parsnip consommé) next time I go - he works well with duck, and for whatever reason I find his consommés are generally great. And the sockeye with root beer looks interesting.

[kathryn]

The OP is from Sydney, so I don't know if it really matters to them that Scarpetta is now also in Toronto, Miami, LA, and Las Vegas. Unless they're going to the LA one already.

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

[Jmore]

That's exactly what I am looking for! Thankyou so much

And wow that is a long list of recommendations for scarpetta!

Uwsister - I did mean to say traditional English brekkie, some real good options on the menu at Breslin

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

[Jmore]

Sorry uwsister, I should have been more clear

Eliminating the 4 I already have for brekkie, what else would you choose for our final place?

Re comme ca - would love to know what you would place ahead of this in LA(sorry for discussing in manhattan thread, but only brought up as you mentioned could be better options)..

Pizza - yeh you're right sounds like a good idea, although much of a muchness really we don't mind traveling a couple extra mins

Haha yeh 500 isn't particularly cheap, i made the call by looking at the a la carte.. Which is prob what we do.. Unless u strongly recommend set menu?

[uwsister]

Clinton Baking Co. and Shopsin's *are* my two faves for breakfast. I usually don't get up early enough for breakfast so I go to both places in the afternoon on a weekday, which works out since there's little or no wait. If your old man wants "traditional American breakfast" then I'd go with Clinton Baking Co. though portion sizes aren't huge - not sure if that's what he wants?

Some of my favorite dishes at Scarpetta: spaghetti with tomato and basil (natch) duck and foie ravioli, polenta with mushroom app, and don't forget their awesome bread basket!

I think there are other posters who have more experience and knowledge about wd-50 to advise you with ordering there.

re: Comme Ca, it's an average to decent bistro and not worth a spot on your itinerary - if you want to do French bistro do it in NYC, not L.A. though even in L.A. there are better options than Comme Ca (Church & State for one) - there are LOTS of threads about burgers on L.A. board but my definitive rec for sit-down burger in L.A. is Father's Office. I better stop here!

[thew]

if you haven't been to wd-50 i would go with the set tasting menu - more flavors, more fun. not every dish is a hit, honestly, but it is all playful , and imaginative, and done well. It's like good jazz or the grateful dead - sometimes they fall flat on what they try, but sometimes they soar. if you play it safe you will never fall flat, perhaps, but you are also unlikely to ever soar....

[Jmore]

GEEZ.. thanks so much guys you replied so quickly!

just to clarify that there is 6 of us. However, we will have some meals on our own & probably be drinking as a party of 4.

BREAKFAST - so i narrowed it down to Locanda Verde, Shopsins, Patisserie Claude, Clinton St (but early in week).. so if you guys had one last breakfast in NYC - where and what would it be?

LUNCHES - got these pretty well locked down - as you said kathryn should have pizza for lunch but dont know how i could swap it in.. 1) Shake Shack (will be going "high end/restaurant" burger if you could call it that at Comme Ca in LA - so thought id opt with this rather than another sit down restaurant burger), 2) EMP, 3) katz pastrami on rye (although you recommend club over rye sam?), 4) Del Posto (purely for the bargain)

DINNER -
no preferred cuisines - but to eliminate, not particularly fond of Japanese + we do have some good Thai restaurants in Sydney.

1) Pizza (yet to be decided – leaning towards keste or motorino – just because lucali might be a pain to get to, no?)

2) Italian – ahh now I have too many suggestions haha (but thankyou for creating this problem)
So to narrow it down – if you had to have one Italian restaurant meal in nyc – where would it be?

3) wd50 - sgordon – thanks for bringing wd50 to my attention it also looks surprisingly cheap. I was always under the impression that wd50 was higher scale of $$. I think it will be a lock in

4) ? (will move Xi’an to a late night meal – rather than a meal for dinner.)
Which means I now have two more spots to fill. Any recommendations based on what your number 1 go-to restaurant would be OR one restaurant id need to experience?

5) ?

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Patisserie Claude
187 W 4th St, New York, NY 10014

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

Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013

[uwsister]

As for breakfast, I'd pick Clinton Baking Co. or Shopsin's but as pointed out upthread, Shopsin's won't sit 6 people. Either way, I'd go way early or way late on a weekday. Both are very, very popular breakfast spots.

IMO you can do so much better than Comme Ca burger in L.A. Or NYC for that matter! If you want fast food style, Shake Shack is indeed my favorite in the city. I think your other lunch choices (EMP, Del Posto, Katz) are solid as well.

I like both Motorino and Keste - why don't you decide depending on which side of the town you are in? I don't think you can go wrong with either.

I wouldn't consider wd-50 cheap (our last dinner there was $500 for two, with wine pairing for one) but then again I suppose it could be if you ordered a la carte carefully?

[kathryn]

Additional breakfast: Russ & Daughters, bagel sandwiches with nova, red onion, capers, tomato, cream cheese

Italian: Since you're already doing Del Posto, do Maialino or Scarpetta. Scarpetta would be my preference as I love the food, service, and more modern atmosphere.

Dinner: Motorino, Scarpetta, WD-50 sound great to me. I think the portions aren't huge, just FYI.

Remaining dinners: If it were me, I'd do Pies 'n' Thighs (followed by drinks at Dram) in Williamsburg one night, and then Pearl Oyster Bar the next, with drinks at Pegu Club after. Fried chicken and lobster rolls! Very American foods.

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

Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

Pearl Oyster Bar
18 Cornelia St, New York, NY 10014

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

Pegu Club
77 W Houston St, New York, NY 10012

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

Maialino
2 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010

Motorino
349 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003

[Jmore]

That sounds delic for brekkie! After your suggestion i was thinking of squeezing in russ & daughters for a snack cuz my gf loves salmon (doubt she'd wanna do it for brekkie though)

Could you recommend anywhere nice for a big breakfast (bacon, egg, mushroom etc)
My old man is still under the impression he will never find a traditional brekkie in USA like we do here, would love to prove him wrong if u have any ideas?

Do you recommend any standouts at scarpetta?

Thanks for those other suggestions, they sound fun & different experience

[kathryn]

I just had an excellent brunch at the Breslin. They do a full English with pork sausage, blood sausage, two fried eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomato. Excellent. I also tried their lamb burger with thrice fried chips, grilled cheese with ham and egg, and cinnamon toast, all wonderful.

At Scarpetta, don't miss the polenta, spaghetti, duck/foie ravioli, or desserts.

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

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

[uwsister]

Breakfast/brunch at the Breslin sounds delicious - how late do they serve breakfast on weekdays? I'm looking at the website and can't seem to find the info.

[kathryn]

7am-11:45am Monday-Friday
7am-4pm Saturday-Sunday

http://thebreslin.com/info.html

[uwsister]

Ah ha! I was looking on their menu instead. Duh. Thanks!

[Pan]

I'd add a recommendation for the short rib agnolotti, or whatever the particular ravioli-type pasta was called. I haven't tried their spaghetti.

[kathryn]

Here's a very long thread on what to get at Scarpetta:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/703104

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

[Pan]

Is there a branch of Xian Famous Foods that's open late at night? The one in the East Village closes at 10. Make sure you check the opening hours of the other branches, if you're considering going late at night.

[sgordon]

1) Breakfast

I'm awful fond of Shopsin's, though they're not known for their service. It's not as bad as some make it out to be - Kenny has certainly mellowed with age - but it's fairly brusque, no-nonsense. I'd say persue the menu online before going, as it's 800 miles long and it'll be easier if you know what you want when you get there.

Not as big a fan of Clinton Street Baking Co - they're good, I just don't think they're worth the ridiculous waits. If you go on a weekday, it's worth it, but I'd stay away on the weekends.

I liked Cookshop's brunch the one time we tried it. Also in that neighborhood and very good for brunch is the "Tap Room" at Colicchio & Sons. They're also a good option for regular lunch. I actually kind of prefer the Tap Room to fancier Main Dining Room.

Also of note: Russ & Daughters for bagels & lox.

2) lunches

The lunch at Del Posto is a steal and a half. Given the number of freebies - the bread course, which is notable, the amuses, petit-fours, etc - it's more like five or six courses, and probably the best $30 lunch you could find anywhere.

Katz's - hard to go wrong. The sandwiches are FILLING, you could easily split one. The corned beef and tongue are also great, though.

Burgers: Shake Shack is great, more "fast food" style, if anything but fast given the lines. The DB burger isn't so much what one thinks of as a "burger" though it is excellent, and a classic dish if there ever was one.

Also of note: Prune has a solid lunch, and the lines aren't as crazy as they are for the weekend brunch. The "duck lunch" at Momofuku Ssam Bar is excellent, especially the duck-over-rice (make sure to slather it in the ginger-scallion sauce!) and the broccoli with smoked bluefish vinaigrette. Momofuku Noodle Bar is also a good lunch option, as they're not as busy as they are at night - split a bowl of the Momo Ramen and an order of the famous pork buns, maybe add a couple of seasonal specials depending how many of you there are, and you'll do just fine.

I'd also consider switching Xi'an Famous Foods to lunch. Dinner hours they can be mobbed (though the East Broadway location isn't too bad, now that they've expanded - no seating, but you can take your food into the East Bradway Mall where there are tables set up, eat among the dried ginseng vendors and whatnot.)

3) dinners

Babbo is one of our NYC treasures, but good luck getting a reservation. Good other options for an Italian meal are Falai (very refined, modernist Northern Italian, but casual and unpretentious vibe), Marea (seafood-centric, though I find the secondi a little lacking), Scarpetta (excellent, though now that Conant is branching out across the country it's not so only-in-NYC and thus a little less exciting), and though I haven't been yet, many I trust have recommended Ai Fiori. But that said, if you can get that elusive Babbo rezzie, go for it. Best with a group (but not too big - they don't serve parties larger than 6) so you can try a lot of different things.

For high-end, what do you like? Babbo and the other Italian places listed above are quite high-end already, especially if you're doing a "proper Italian" meal (i.e. four courses - antipasti, pasta, secondi, dessert), though you could certainly go higher. I think Eleven Madison Park is the best of the budget-blowers currently, and not as stuffy as the usual Haute French places like Daniel, Jean-Georges, Le Bernardin, etc. Corton I haven't been to in awhile, but many have said they're really on their game of late. For something a little more adventurous (and a little lower budget, though still pricey) WD-50 is one of those "you have to try it at least once" places. Controversial, yes - some love it, some hate it. Some find it pretentious, others playful. I'm in the pro-WD camp, myself.

4) other food

All the beer choices are good - I'm fond of d.b.a and Burp Castle in particular. Blind tiger has excellent bar food, though.

For cocktails, I'll bring up WD-50 again - possibly the best cocktails of any restaurant in the city right now, on a par with any of the uber-creative cocktail dens we've had pop up over that last few years. Easy enough to grab a couple seats at the bar if you're just looking to casually sip, and you can always order a couple appetizers or desserts or whatever if you to try a bit of food while you're there.

For cocktail bars, the East Village is the plce to be: Death & Co., Mayahuel (the tequila- and mezcal-centric spinoff of D&C), PDT (in which you can try some of Crif Dog's fancier creations, killing two birds with one stone)

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

Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

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

Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011

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

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

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

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

Falai
68 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002

Crif Dogs
113 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009

d.b.a.
41 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

Burp Castle
41 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

Death & Co.
433 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009

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

Corton
239 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013

Mayahuel
304 E 6th St, New York, NY 10003

Marea
240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019

Clinton Street Baking Co.
4 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002

Xi'an Famous Foods
81 St. Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003

Xi'an Famous Foods
88 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002

Colicchio & Sons
85 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Ai Fiori
400 5th Ave, New York, NY 10018

Xi'an Famous Foods
67 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

[Pan]

You like the tongue at Katz's? I'd never recommend that! The time I tried it, it was really unpleasantly offal-tasting, and I think you're the first person I've ever seen recommending it. Now 2nd Av. Deli, that's a place where you can get good tongue, the way I remember it from my childhood. Katz's has great pastrami, very good corned beef, and very good brisket, on the condition that you ask for it juicy. But tongue? No way, as far as I'm concerned.

[tpigeon]

The few times I had a hot tongue on rye at Katz's it was great. That being said, I prefer the pastrami like everyone else.

[daffyduck]

im not a fan of their tongue either, it is better when heated up though. FWIW i'm a very big fan of Katz's chicken liver sandwich.

[Pan]

Yeah, their chopped liver is good. I tried it once.

[sam1]

1) Breakfast
+ Locanda verde (everything looks good)...i find the place to be a bit too corporate but the baked goods are excellent for breakfast.
+ Clinton st baking co (gf loves pancakes)...if you are not from the states, then try it but the wait is just out of control. their blueberry pancakes are excellent though.
- Maialino (willing to give a go although my brother received terrible service @ breakfast)...never been
- cookshop...not the same as it used to be. food is mediocre and the crowd is not good these days.
- shopsins...legendary. go on a wed or thur to avoid fri crowd. get the pancake sampler of course.
- patisserie Claude or Ceci cela (for choc croissant)...both great options...claude has surprisingly excellent iced coffee
- Joseph Leonard (breakfast sandwich)...i recommend going to jeffreys instead. joseph leonard blows...very cramped too. jeffreys has an excellent sausage biscuit sandwich.

2) lunches
+ burger: (shake shack/burger joint/db bistro moderne/minetta tavern... Could even be moved to a dinner before broadway show if another lunch recommended)...shake shack of course, burger joint is good too...db bistro moderne's burger is horrible and made me ill. minetta's is of course an absolute marvel...great spot across the board.
+ EMP (seems like a ridiculous deal + highly recommended by brother)...never been.
- del posto (lunch special)...not a fan but lunch is a bargain i guess.
+ Katz (pastrami on rye)...get it on club bread. got super popular over the last few years.

---id recommend you sneak in lunch at prune...just a fantastic deal and great vibe.

3) dinners
+ babbo...best days are long gone. id go to dell'anima or spasso...a bit scene-y though.
+ pizza (will probably have 2 pizza meals - looking at sit down meals - narrowed down to lucali/motorino/keste)...keste all the way...its unreal and by far my favorite.
- Xian famous foods (was thinking for a quick meal before Yankees game)...cheap and delicious.
- ???
- 1 high end dinner would be nice... Preferably not Asian Food

4) other food
Hot dogs, will fit one in somewhere (crif dogs or grays papaya?)...crif dogs sucks...the buns are cheap and the dogs arent anything special. grays papaya is fine when yr drunk i suppose.
Gelato, will most probably be eating desserts at restaurants.. But will get round to one, so after reading good reviews so far, la cremeria...havent really craved it but grom was always excellent.
Chocolatiers, Kees + la maison
Beers, spuyten devil + dba... Burp castle + blind tiger + vol de nuit
Cocktails, open to any suggestions - nice place to hang out...good choices...i love dba in the east village...terroir for wine, lorelay is a great german beer garden too. tom and jerrys is a good spot in the area.

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Ceci-Cela
55 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Loreley
7 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002

Blind Tiger
281 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Dell'Anima
38 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10003

Prune
54 E 1st St, New York, NY 10003

Terroir
413 E 12th St, New York, NY 10009

d.b.a.
41 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

Vol de Nuit
148 W 4th St, New York, NY 10012

Spasso
551 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

Tom & Jerry's
288 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10012

[rrems]

I would recommend Ciano over Babbo, and it's much easier to reserve. For one high-end dinner, I would choose the Dining Room at the Modern. The current menu is amazing, food is delicious and beautifully presented, and I love the design and the view of the sculpture garden.

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

Ciano
45 E 22nd St, New York, NY 10010

[kathryn]

BTW, Patisserie Claude is closed for summer vacation through Aug 4.

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Patisserie Claude
187 W 4th St, New York, NY 10014

[kathryn]

Just to confirm you'll be a party of 6? If so, that is kind of considered a large group in NYC, just so you know. Some restaurants only have 1-2 tables for groups of that size.

> 1) Breakfast
> + Locanda verde (everything looks good)

Great choice, make a reservation if you plan to go on the weekend. I love their egg dishes, pastries, and the porchetta sandwich. The juice blend I had a little while ago was pretty great as well.

> + Clinton st baking co (gf loves pancakes)

Go on the weekday, the line is way too long on weekends. You'll be waiting an eternity for 6 people. Pancakes or breakfast sandwich with tomato jam and bacon. Mmmmm.

Note that 6 people is the max for brunch party size.

BTW, they serve the pancakes for dinner, too!

> - Maialino (willing to give a go although my brother received terrible service @ breakfast)

I think it's a fine choice and I've received excellent service during brunch/breakfast.

> - cookshop

Haven't been in a while, can't comment.

> - shopsins

Note their kind of weird hours and that they DON'T do parties of more than 4 people.

> - patisserie Claude or Ceci cela (for choc croissant)
> - Joseph Leonard (breakfast sandwich)

Both great choices.

> 2) lunches
> + burger: (shake shack/burger joint/db bistro moderne/minetta tavern... Could even be moved to a dinner before broadway show if another lunch recommended)

Minetta Tavern serves dinner and weekend brunch but not weekday lunch.

Burger joint gets pretty busy during weekday lunch, not so much on the weekends I think.

Shake Shack crowds are very dependent upon which one you visit and when -- UES, UWS, Midtown, Madison Square Park?

> + EMP (seems like a ridiculous deal + highly recommended by brother)

EMP's lunch prices were updated last fall. Now it is:
Lunch- Three courses for $56, Four Courses for $74

> - del posto (lunch special)

Don't forget that you'll probably want to dress up for this one -- the room is quite fancy. Definitely make a reservation.

> + Katz (pastrami on rye)

> 3) dinners
> + babbo

Babbo, I think has exactly one or two tables that fit six people. Good luck snagging a reservation. Don't forget that they take them starting at 10am New York time, exactly one month to the numerical date. If you don't get into Babbo, don't fret as we have many excellent Italian restaurants. Babbo + Del Posto may be too much Batali, I'd try to throw in maybe Scarpetta (which can more easily accomodate a group your size).

> + pizza (will probably have 2 pizza meals - looking at sit down meals - narrowed down to lucali/motorino/keste)

You'll be waiting an eternity for 6 people at Lucali, and possibly also for Keste. If your heart is set on Lucali, look up Giuseppina, the Lucali spinoff. If your heart is set on Keste, go for lunch instead of dinner, or at the very least, don't visit on a Friday/Saturday.

> - Xian famous foods (was thinking for a quick meal before Yankees game)

Note that the E Broadway location doesn't have a ton of seating. East Village does have a bit more but not much. I'm having trouble seeing 6 people in there. Maybe the new Mott St one would be best for you.

> 1 high end dinner would be nice... Preferably not Asian Food
Any preferred cuisines?

> 4) other food
> Hot dogs, will fit one in somewhere (crif dogs or grays papaya?)

Hard to compare the two. Crif dogs are known for deep fried (no batter), creative hot dogs. Gray's Papaya are known for satisfying cheap eats and plainer/standard hot dogs.

> Gelato, will most probably be eating desserts at restaurants.. But will get round to one, so after reading good reviews so far, la cremeria

Not sure where you are coming from but Otto (olive oil), Grom (Italian chain, anything with chocolate or espresso, pistachio is good too), and L'Arte (they have more fruit flavors than Grom, I love the strawberry + mascarpone) are my favorites. Haven't tried La Cremeria yet.

> Chocolatiers, Kees + la maison

Kee's makes her chocolates fresh so go in the morning for the best selection. La Maison flies them in from France so less of a concern about selling "out" of flavors there. They also do a great chocolate ice cream in the summer.

> Beers, spuyten devil + dba... Burp castle + blind tiger + vol de nuit

Right by Burp Castle is Jimmy's No. 43, which you should pop into, and do a little crawl on 7th St.

> Cocktails, open to any suggestions - nice place to hang out

Will be difficult for a party of size as NYC cocktail bars can be quite small (that's the trend these days) and a good chunk of them have "no standing" rules. I'd say Pegu Club (bigger, allows standing), Death & Co (smaller, go before 7pm, hope that you snag a booth, no standing), Mayahuel (tequila/mezcal focused, good for groups). PDT is good too but you'd need to call at 3pm on the day of to try to get one of their booths. Reservations there so pretty fast.

Best mixology / bespoke cocktails:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/609073
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/709227

I see that a stop at Russ & Daughters is not in your itinerary and would suggest you get a bagel sandwich to go there (can be shared).

BTW, if you're not from the USA, I'd suggest you get some more items perhaps not available in your home country like New England style seafood, BBQ, or Southern.

Maybe add on Luke's Lobster, Pearl Oyster Bar, Pies 'n' Thighs, Redhead, etc.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/775164
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/794934

I also don't see any Chinese (outside of Xian), Japanese, Korean, Thai, Indian, Spanish, French (maybe Jean Georges for the high end dinner?), New American/farm-to-table (like Blue Hill or Craft), etc. on your list. Again, not sure where you're coming from and what cuisines might be weaker in your home city!

Lots of great ideas here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/780317

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Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

Katz's Delicatessen
205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

Patisserie Claude
187 W 4th St, New York, NY 10014

Kee's Chocolates
80 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012

Pearl Oyster Bar
18 Cornelia St, New York, NY 10014

Burger Joint
118 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019

L'Arte del Gelato
75 7th Ave S, New York, NY 10014

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

Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011

Blue Hill
75 Washington Place, New York, NY 10011

Shopsin's General Store
120 Essex St, New York, NY 10002

Jean Georges
1 Central Park W, New York, NY 10023

Shake Shack
Madison Ave and E 23rd St, New York, NY 10010

DB Bistro Moderne
55 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036

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

Minetta Tavern
113 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012

Cookshop
156 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011

La Maison du Chocolat
30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020

Otto
1 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003

Craft
43 E. 19th St., New York, NY 10003

Jimmy's No. 43
43 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

Please Don't Tell
113 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009

Pegu Club
77 W Houston St, New York, NY 10012

Crif Dogs
113 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009

Gray's Papaya
2090 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

Gray's Papaya
402 6th Ave, New York, NY 10014

Burp Castle
41 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

Grom
233 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Death & Co.
433 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009

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

The Redhead
349 E 13th St, New York, NY 10003

Keste Pizza & Vino
271 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Mayahuel
304 E 6th St, New York, NY 10003

Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013

Clinton Street Baking Co.
4 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002

Xi'an Famous Foods
81 St. Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003

Joseph Leonard
170 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10014

Luke's Lobster
93 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

Maialino
2 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010

Xi'an Famous Foods
88 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002

Motorino
349 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003

Xi'an Famous Foods
67 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

La Cremeria
178 Mulberry Street, New York, NY 10012

[Aussietraveller]

I just want to say thanks for putting so much detail in! I think I've planned my whole trip off your one comment!