Review my dining itinerary, please?

[Embla]

Hi all,

I'll be in NYC from the 24th-26th and the 30th. Finding reservations during the holidays has been a bit tricky, but here's what I've planned on so far. Could you please review it and remark on whether it's doable or overkill?

*** Sat. Dec. 24
* Union Square Holiday Market ~12:30pm
* Kyotofu (maybe) to kill time until hotel check-in
* Momofuku Noodle Bar for dinner

*** Sun. Dec. 25
* Lunch at Jean Georges
* Dinner at Tocqueville

*** Mon. Dec. 26
* Lunch at Le Bernardin (no res. :( walk-in for lounge seating)

What is the lounge at Le Bernardin like?

*** Fri. Dec. 30
* Lunch at EMP (waking up at 3:50am today to try for reservations. *crosses fingers*)
* Lunch backup is Shopsin's (meh. maybe.) or Kyotofu if I don't get to go during the previous days
* Dinner at Per Se (no res. :'( walk-in for lounge seating)

Could someone please let me know what the lounge at Per Se is like? I read a review here where the person went right at opening and had a window table and it seemed grand. But a mention in the NYT had the reviewer disappointed that he sat on a sofa while eating..?

Also, how do you stay well-dressed for a nice meal when it's freezing cold? :p

I was considering going to the Palm Court for breakfast/brunch because I saw it suggested to someone looking for a nice breakfast place and they ended up enjoying it. Yelp reviews aren't entirely great either but they're mostly for the afternoon tea. Has anyone been there lately?

That's all - thanks in advance! :)

P.S. back-up plans for all meals is to sit in my hotel room in my pajamas with a spoon and a tub of Salvatore Bklyn ricotta. mmmm.

[deepfry7]

NYC Local Hounds: fun article that reminds me of posts like these. I feel extremely lucky to live in NYC and have some disposable income to eat out, although doing something like this in another city is always fun.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/28/din...

[famdoc]

Re: the lounge at Le Bernardin.
You can get the lounge menu OR the dining room menu.
I can confirm this, as I was told this by the host yesterday.
As you know, it is walk-in, unreserved seating and is frequently full.

[Embla]

Thanks for letting me know about the menu options. I'm glad I can try the dining room menu!

I was planning to be there at 11:45, 15 minutes before opening. That should be fine, right?

[gutsofsteel]

How to stay well dressed for a nice meal when it's freezing?

Wear whatever nice clothes you want. Just cover them with mink. :-)

[Embla]

haha!

Mink! I'll be warm and still look fabulous! ... Pretty sure I'll be spending less on all my meals than a mink coat would cost me. :)

[StevenCinNYC]

You have a great plan and have gotten wonderful recommendations already. For what it's worth, I love EMP, and I think it's the best restaurant in the City, especially the tasting menu. The food is wonderful and inventive, the service is great and personal, and the space is elegant. I have only dined once at Per Se and really didn't love it. The service was really good, but the food was just very good and not memorable. I see other people on here who love it and have no doubt had more and better visits than my one. I also ate once at Corton. It's not on the same level in terms of atmosphere and service, but the food to me was better and certainly far more inventive and interesting than the food I had at Per Se. I haven't been to the Palm Court in its current incarnation, but I went to the buffet brunch in the past, and it was great, and the atmosphere is special. If you're there, Todd English's Food Hall under the Plaza is definitely worth a visit. Plus, Bouchon Bakery at Time Warner is another worthy stop (I like their macaroons for the flavors even though the textures don't touch La Duree, and their other pastries are great, too). Petrossian and Petrossian Bakery are nearby and interesting for a visit or at least a peek in the window.

I can offer this as to the clothing. My mother is always cold, and she wears shearling (coat, hat, and gloves). I have a great long shearling coat that avoids the needs for layers. For footwear, you can change from warm boots to heets once you arrive. Having said all that, it may not be cold. I can recall New Years in the 50s, including when I did the Midnight Run in Central Park (which has fireworks!).

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Per Se
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019

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

Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10019

Petrossian
182 W 58th St, New York, NY 10019

Corton
239 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013

Plaza Food Hall
1 W 59th St, New York, NY 10019

[Embla]

Oooh, shearling. That might be a bit difficult to find in Hawaii. Shearling would be very cozy, though! I'll cross my fingers that it's not raining and freezing while I'm there. You've given me hope! hehe.

Thanks for the notes on the other restaurants! Everyone has such great things to say about EMP, I'm really looking forward to it! I'll try for the Palm Court, but if not I'll check out the Food Hall. Can't believe I forgot to write down Bouchon Bakery in my itinerary. I'll definitely be there.. trying everything. :) Also, I did not know that Laduree opened in NYC. I'll be there trying everything, too!

ahhh, I don't know how I'm going to fit all of these places in 4 days... :)

[vidyoh]

Instead of eataly, try Salumarria Rossi. Much better. Have a drink at Bemelmans bar in the Carlyle Hotel for some true NT feel. Follow the rules at Shopshins!

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

Salumeria Rosi
283 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10023

Bemelmans Bar
35 E 76th St, New York, NY 10021

[Embla]

Thank you for the recs! Salumarria Rossi does look good, and I've seen Bemelmans recommended in other posts as well. I do like jazz too. I'll try to squeeze in a visit to both during my trip. So many things to eat/drink, so little time! :)

[foodwhisperer]

Sat. Dec. 24
* Union Square Holiday Market ~12:30pm ( union sq is fun, you can go to Casa Mono or next door to it for tapas or some good Spanish ham, to kill time)
* Kyotofu (maybe) to kill time until hotel check-in
* Momofuku Noodle Bar for dinner

*** Sun. Dec. 25
* Lunch at Jean Georges
* Dinner at Tocqueville (I think I'd do Toqueville another time, it will disappoint ,right after JG. Maybe something Italian, i'm not sure what is open, maybe Il Mulino or Osteria Morini instead, or Da Silvano)

*** Mon. Dec. 26
* Lunch at Le Bernardin (no res. :( walk-in for lounge seating)

What is the lounge at Le Bernardin like?

*** Fri. Dec. 30
* Lunch at EMP (waking up at 3:50am today to try for reservations. *crosses fingers*)
* Lunch backup is Shopsin's (meh. maybe.) or Kyotofu if I don't get to go during the previous days ( Yin and Yang, Emp and Shopsins,,, I'd do lunch at Katz;s or Balthazar.Ippudo, Shopsin's is not on my shortlist.
* Dinner at Per Se (no res. :'( walk-in for lounge seating) ( Per Se sounds good)

( No good Japanese on your list , like Kyo Ya, or Brushstroke, or 15 East)

[Embla]

Woweee, thanks for all the suggestions! Although everyone is suggesting many new things I didn't consider before and now I want to try them all! except I unfortunately have limited time and stomach space. hehe

I realized only after making the reservations that it might be better to do Tocqueville for lunch and Jean Georges for dinner. I may switch them if I can, although Tocqueville only has a 2pm opening for lunch on Open Table so I'll have to call... If things don't work out though, that's fine. I've wanted to try Tocqueville for a while now. :)

haha, yeah. I suppose EMP and Shopsin's are on different ends of the spectrum. I did manage to get a lunch reservation at EMP though, so lunch is solved. However you did remind me that Katz's, Balthazar, Ippudo, and Kyo Ya were high on my list after reading through the board... ahhh, So much to eat!

[RGR]

I don't agree that Tocqueville, which is one of our favorite restaurants, will disappoint you after Jean Georges. The cuisine styles are very different, and Tocqueville's food is utterly delicious. We've been to J.G. three times -- once for dinner and twice for lunch -- and I've actually had dishes that disappointed me, which has never happened the scads of times we've been to Tocqueville. If I were you, I'd leave things just as they are.

Tocqueville photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11863391@N03/sets/72157627680335651/

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

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Tocqueville
1 East 15th Street, New York, NY 10003

[Embla]

Hi! I'd seen your photos and looked through your blog after reading lots of posts on the Manhattan board, but I'll certainly be happy to take another look at all your mouth-watering photos. ;) Your write ups and pictures of your experiences at Tocqueville were what made me want to try it in the first place! I'll be keeping things as they are, as I figured it would surely be a good time either way. Thanks for the assurance! :)

[six dower]

Recent visit to NYC – sat at the bar at Le Bernardin for lunch. Very good. Sam the bartender was very kind and he can make a mean cocktail. You can order from the lounge menu or the dining menu. I had the scallop ceviche and the “Egg”. Also munched on fab bars snacks and the bread options with excellent butter.
The same day I went to Per Se for champagne and an app prior to dinner. The lounge is very comfortable and beautifully decorated for Christmas. You have options of sitting at the high tables by the bar or the couches. We ordered the pasta dish which was incredible. I promise you will love every minute. I also received a tour of the kitchen. Amazing! It was like watching an art show or play. I could have stayed in the kitchen the entire evening.

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

[RGR]

Hi Embla,

I'm very flattered that (a) you've visited my blog, and (b) that my experiences at Tocqueville are what interested you in going there. It does, of course, have many other fans on this board.

I hope you have a smashing time in NYC!

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

[Cheeryvisage]

For Le Bernardin, you'll be sitting at the bar if you want to dine off their dining room menu. For people who sit at the lounge tables, they only serve the lounge menu.

For Per Se, yes you'll be sitting on a sofa and eating off a coffee table at the salon. It's not the most comfortable environment to be eating a meal, but if you really want to eat at Per Se and don't have a reservation, it's the best way to go.

-----
Per Se
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019

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

[Embla]

Hmm.. I don't think I'll really mind sitting at the bar for Le Bernardin, but I'm a little disappointed about sitting on a sofa at Per Se. I wasn't able to get a reservation though, so I suppose I have no choice. :) Thanks for the informative response!

[kathryn]

For Christmas Eve, the Union Square Greenmarket might be interesting to walk through. For other time killers, perhaps Eataly or Chelsea Market?

For dinner, any particular reason you chose Momofuku Noodle Bar? Are you looking for ramen specifically? Or just want to try a David Chang restaurant?

For Christmas Day, for lunch are you dining at Nougatine? That's a separate menu from JG's dining room. I'd note that Maialino is also going to be open that day for lunch.

For EMP, I believe they also serve the full lunch prix fixe at the bar.

For Shopsin's, make sure they aren't taking that day off.

Dressing for a nice meal on the cold usually means lots of layering and super thick tights for me. I assume you're a woman?

-----
Union Square Greenmarket
Broadway and E 17th St, New York, NY 10003

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

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

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

Nougatine
1 Central Park West, New York, NY 10023

Maialino
2 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010

Eataly
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

[Embla]

Hi Kathryn, thanks for the reply!

Eataly and Chelsea Market sound great. I'll try to make it to both of them. Would you have any suggestions about what I should keep an eye out for at either place?

I chose Momofuku Noodle Bar just because I've never been there before. :) I know they're doing a Christmas Eve prix fixe at Ma Peche but I'm not as interested in it as trying Noodle Bar.

For Christmas Day, I'll be dining at JG... I'm fairly sure, although I read here that their dining room is going to be closed, so I'll double check.

I did manage to get reservations at EMP at noon (yay!) but now I'm worried that I might not be hungry enough to do the tasting menu at Per Se at 5pm. Is walk-in seating at the lounge difficult to land if I don't go right at opening time?

And yes, I'm a woman. Layering and tights, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks! :)

-----
Per Se
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019

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

Ma Peche
15 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019

[Cheeryvisage]

Are you planning on doing the tasting menu at Per Se's Salon? Per Se doesn't serve the tasting menu in the Salon. What they do do, is an a la carte "salon menu".

Scroll to the last page for a sample salon menu:
http://www.tkrg.org/upload/ps_menu.pdf

[Embla]

Oh no. I missed that! Salon menu it is then - at least I don't have to worry about not being hungry enough for the tasting menu. Thank you very much for letting me know about that. :)

[Cheeryvisage]

Here are some photos from my meal at Per Se's Salon a couple of months ago, to give you an idea of what it's like: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjvLaqt9

[Embla]

Beautiful pictures! The pictures of the salon are helpful too, now I know what to expect. I did try searching flickr previously but for some reason your pictures didn't come up. Thank you for sharing! Your other restaurant pictures are beautiful as well. :)

[kathryn]

At Eataly, I like stock up on interesting/unusual pasta shapes and gawk at the fresh seafood. There's often someone making mozzarella and the cheese and meat section has some interesting selections. You can also have a glass of wine and a snack there as it's a mixture of supermarket and mini-restaurants. They also have a rooftop beer garden.

At Chelsea Market, there's a ton of great vendors, including 9th St Espresso, Tacombi (tacos), L'Arte de Gelato, Lobster Place, plenty to keep you occupied. There's even a cocktail bar now, too, but it doesn't open until later in the afternoon around 5pm.
http://www.chelseamarket.com/retail/

OK it sounds like Ma Peche is out (and Ko is closed) so it's really just a debate between Momofuku Noodle vs Ssam. Here's a helpful thread:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/782014

Do you already have a JG reservation for Christmas Day? They aren't showing any availability on OpenTable, and I assumed they were closed, but I guess they WILL be open. I swear this notice wasn't there a few days ago:

Christmas Day Reservations
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Six course Christmas tasting menu to celebrate the holidays. Beginning at noon in addition to Jean-Georges Signature Tasting menu.

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L'Arte del Gelato
75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

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

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

Ninth Street Espresso
75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

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

The Lobster Place
75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Eataly
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

Birreria
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

The Tippler
425 W 15th St, New York, NY 10014

[Embla]

I do have JG reservations for Christmas Day. I only started checking restaurant websites two days ago for holiday hours so they must have put that up recently. Before I checked JG's website, though, they weren't showing any openings for Christmas Eve or Day on Open Table.

Thanks for the thread link. I'm leaning much more towards Ssam now. :)

Wow! It sounds like I could spend many, many hours at Eataly and Chelsea Market. I was thinking I might check out one or the other if I have time to kill, but now I'll definitely make sure to check them out. Thank you!

[Embla]

Also, thanks for the Maialino suggestion. It seems to be well regarded on these boards. I'll try to make it if I can squeeze in another meal somewhere... Breakfast or brunch, at least?