Entertaining Euro Client upscale Manhattan restaurant/club/lounge
... very appreciative of some advice! Early 30's Euro client (married with kids, but big night in New York so ...) thinking he would like more of a "scene" restaurant than place like Restaurant Daniel or Le Bernardine.
Top execs including myself (4 to 5 people) so thinking ...
1. Drinks at Boom Boom room (they are 'open to public' until 10, close for private clients at 11
2. Dinner at a later happening spot at ten, which unfortunately means later night place like Pastisse in meatpacking etc. which is limiting ...
Or maybe 6-8 pm drinks then a fab dinner place
I got this list from a woman in the "scene" -- thoughts are welcome (note: it is a tuesday night, and summer here in NYC is s-l-o-w ... we would not want to go to a place that would make us wait even a half hour)
And even if a place is super trendy, we would need to be able to talk withoout too much noise ...
Lion
Crown
Griffou
Sd26
Hurricaine club
Beauty and essex
Crema
Momafucko
Buddakhan
Minetta tavern
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Crema
111 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011
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sgordon
Jul 18, 2011 11:05 AM
If you don't want to wait, cros Momofuku off the list right off the bat. Unless you plan on ordering the Bo Ssam or something, it's no rezzie.
For something sceney, but with decent food, you could do worse than Beauty & Essex (or Santos' other resto, The Stanton Social), plus it's fairly new, so the shine hasn't worn off yet. Minetta is also a good call, but getting a rezzie might be tough. Tuesday night, though, maybe not so bad. Minetta also gets the celeb clientele, FWIW.
As to The Lion, from what everyone says the food is pretty sub-par. If there's anyone in the group who actually wants a good meal, might be better to skip that one - better options are available.
I don't know if I'd consider SD26 "sceney" - I guess it depends on the age / type of client. Same for Crema. Food's good at both, though.
Buddakhan might be the ultimate in sceney-ness, but the food is pretty meh. And the crowd is very bridge & tunnel.
You might want to consider Morimoto as well. Definitely a hip vibe, very good food (composed dishes especially, sushi / sashimi just okay), good cocktails, and among the wackiest bathrooms in NYC. If they're the sorts who'd be impressed by the TV Chef connection, all the better.
I'd add WD-50 as well, but they're generally closed on Tuesday nights. The third Tuesday of every month they're open, so if it happens to be that particular night, they could be a good choice - fun scene, playful food, popular joint, not too high a noise level.
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WD-50
50 Clinton Street, New York, NY 10002Buddakan
75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011Minetta Tavern
113 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012Stanton Social
99 Stanton Street, New York, NY 10002Crema
111 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011Morimoto
88 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011SD26
19 East 26th Street, New York, NY 10010The Lion
62 W 9th St, New York, NY 10011Beauty & Essex
146 Essex St, New York, NY 10002›2 Replies-
re: sgordon
Griffou's e.c. David Santos is not involved with The Stanton Social in any way, shape, or form. You are confusing him with SS's chef/owner *Chris* Santos.
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"...we would need to be able to talk withoout too much noise ..."
Then definitely NOT Ssam Bar. We've only been there once in the evening, for the Bo Ssam, and the noise level was so insanely high that shouting was the only way to communicate, and even then, it was difficult to hear what others were saying.
The last time we were at SD26, the bar area was hopping and the music was booming. Thankfully, the music could not be heard in the dining room; otherwise, we would have left. In any case, that was a year ago, so I have no idea how things are currently.
We had dinner at Hotel Griffou recently. I had heard that they get a "douchey" crowd, but there was no evidence of that in the dining room where we were seated (there are several small dining spaces). Perhaps, that's the case in the bar room, but we didn't spend any time there. When we arrived, it wasn't busy, and when we left, it was pretty crowded but looked "normal." We were at Griffou specifically for the cuisine. From what I understand, the food at Griffou used to be pretty grim. However, Chef David Santos, has definitely turned that completely around. No surprise to us, really, because we were familiar with his talents when he was the chef de cuisine at the upscale Restaurant Nicholas, in NJ (considered #1 in the state), where we;ve dined many times. At Griffou, his food is more rustic but contains hints of haute style. Every dish we had was perfectly prepared and seriously delicious.
Hotel Griffou photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11863391@N03/sets/72157627086885648/
http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com
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Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003Hotel Griffou
21 W 9th St, New York, NY 10011SD26
19 East 26th Street, New York, NY 10010 -
Momafucko? That's... a new creative misspelling.
Which one did she mean? There are several Momofuku restaurants now. Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssam Bar? I assume she didn't mean Ma Peche, Milk Bar, or Momofuku Ko.
Of that list, I don't think I know what Crown means, unless you meant Double Crown. Griffou is Hotel Griffou? SD26 is not very happening last time I went in. I would describe the vibe at Hurricane Club as douchey, honestly. Haven't done Beauty and Essex or Crema.
Foodwise, Minetta Tavern is the best on your list I think.
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Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003Minetta Tavern
113 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003Crema
111 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011Momofuku Ko
163 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003Double Crown
316 Bowery, New York, NY 10012Hotel Griffou
21 W 9th St, New York, NY 10011Ma Peche
15 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019SD26
19 East 26th Street, New York, NY 10010Hurricane Club
360 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10010›4 Replies-
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re: fm1963
waxyjax
Jul 18, 2011 09:27 AM
momafucko is genius - i'm totally using that, but will credit you each time!
boom boom room is a great way to impress a sceney client. you can reserve a table during their regular hours so waiting shouldn't be a problem.
i would recommend against buddakan - even if you have a reservation they still make you wait at least half an hour in their crowded lounge area for your table.
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