Anniversary Dinner

[JC2]

Looking for something new and interesting. Not over the top fancy. eclectic taste. Recently loved: Wong, Recette, Kin Shop, Aldea. Thinking of trying Falai, that new Korean place in Tribeca, any other thoughts? It is more than 30 days from now so i should have a good chance of getting a reservation.

[sgordon]

Well, Falai sadly no longer exists. Chef Falai had to close his flagship last year. He still has his casual places - the Caffe in Soho and the Panetteria on the LES, but the "fancy" one where he was doin his more refined, playful, experimental takes on Northern Italian cuisine is long gone... (and the city is poorer for it, IMHO.)

It seems from your list you like big, intense flavors. I haven't done Jung Sik yet, thogh from what many of the other respected 'Hounders have said it's well worth it. That said, it seems like the places you've mentioned all have a bit of a fun, casual ambience, while I get the impression that JS is a little more "white tablecloth" style - not, like, Haute French white tablecloths, but still a bit more fancy-dancy than any of the listed places. Correct me if I'm wrong on that, though, anyone?

A couple of places spring to mind that you might dig, around the same price point, all serving great food in a more casual, neighborhoody vibe:

Marc Forgione: playful takes on New American, with a variety of influences. Very hearty, bold flavors.
Public: "fusion" that actually works, a little more adventurous, touches of Aussie/NZ & SE Asain cuisines with a local/seasonal base.
WD-50: controversial - people love it or hate it, it seems. Some find it fun, others pretentious. I'm on the "fun" side of the equation. Big influence on Chef Falai, FWIW.
Babbo: if you can't go to Falai, you could do worse... (and if you're lucky enough to get a rezzie, of course...)

Nuela, above, was also a good suggestion, especially if you both like duck - the Arroz con Pato for two is great. Wasn't as a big a fan of Annisa as some other Chowhounders are, but I keep thinking I should give them another shot sometime. I liked them pre-fire, just seems the couple times I've been since the re-opening I've been left a bit wanting. (As in, wanting to grab a slice on the way home...)

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

Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011

Annisa
13 Barrow Street, New York, NY 10014

Falai
68 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002

Public
210 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10012

Marc Forgione
134 Reade Street, New York, NY 10013

Nuela
43 W 24th St, New York, NY 10010

Jung Sik
2 Harrison St, New York, NY 10013

[Cheeryvisage]

You're correct, sgordon, Jungsik is more formal with the white tableclothes and whatnot. If you're looking for casual, the small plates modern Korean restaurant Danji may work. However, I personally wouldn't have my anniversary dinner at Danji. It's a bit *too* casual for for a special occasion in my opinion.

[JC2]

You feel Cafe Falai is not an acceptable alternative? Marc Forgione seemed like a clever idea, but i just looked at the menu, and somehow wasn't moved. WD-50 is definitely fun. Nuela sounds interesting - we do like duck. Still pondering.

[sgordon]

Caffe Falai is much more straightforward - it's very good for what it is, but it's not really an "anniversary" place. More a cozy weeknight don't-feel-like-cooking or lunch-while-people-watching kind of place, to me. I won't knock CF - worth going to for sure, at some point. The pastas are great, the food is always solid - but it's a bit like offering up Otto as an alternative to Babbo, or DBGB when you'd been thinking of Daniel. They're just different, serve different purposes. In fact, I'd say probably the best substitute for Falai would be WD-50, in terms of their approach to food. Only Wylie Dufresne's isn't rooted in a specific regional cuisine / flavor profile as a jumping-off point.

The menu at Forgione, on paper, reads less exciting than the food on the plate actually is, I admit. Some of it is fairly traditional, though delicious (the chicken for two is arguably the best roast chicken in the city) but the more creative dishes they don't do a terribly good job of describing - the "list of ingredients" style menu leaves a bit to be desired. And while there's nothing quite so surpring as, say, what "Eggs Benedict" turns out to be at WD-50, it's all a bit more interesting than it appears. The Chili Lobster is a fun mish-mosh of two chili-loving cuisines (Vietnamese and Texan, of all things) and the BBQ Oysters are pretty special. My only major issues with MF are I wish their beer list was better, and the cocktails are bit too sweet for my taste. But Ward III is a block away for a pre- or post-dinner cocktail, so no biggie.

That said, if it didn't move you... better to go with something that did. Nuela & WD sure ain't bad choices. Both a lot of fun, in different ways.

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

Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011

Caffe Falai
265 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012

DBGB
299 Bowery, New York, NY 10003

Ward III
111 Reade St, New York, NY 10013

Nuela
43 W 24th St, New York, NY 10010

[JC2]

Thanks sgordon for your thoughtful response. You are right, I like big flavors and less pretentious atmosphere. For non-special occasions I love inexpensive non-European ethnics like Zaab Elee.That said I also love a perfectly roasted chicken. OF course, that is why we all live in NYC. So many choices. Difficult to choose.

[linguafood]

Imagine how difficult the choice is if you only visit a few times a year '-(

[Cheeryvisage]

I absolutely recommend Jungsik. I returned a month ago and had a fabulous birthday dinner there and seriously, it was exquisite. See my report of my first meal here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/815513

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Jung Sik
2 Harrison St, New York, NY 10013

[Riverman500]

Have you been to Perilla? I had a very nice dinner there last night, same chef as Kin Shop. Dieterle will also open Marrow in Brooklyn this year (not sure when though).

Wong and Aldea are also good. You might also consider Nuela. Recette didn't leave much of an impression though I've only been there once. I haven't been to Falai (I thought it closed?) or Jungsik.

http://ny.eater.com/archives/2011/09/...

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Perilla
9 Jones Street, New York, NY 10014

Aldea
31 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011

Recette
328 West 12th Street, New York, NY 10014

Nuela
43 W 24th St, New York, NY 10010

Wong
7 Cornelia St, New York, NY 10014

[Pookipichu]

I think you may enjoy Annisa, it is a lovely place to celebrate and has refined Asian/Western cuisine.

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Annisa
13 Barrow Street, New York, NY 10014

[JC2]

You are right. I love Annisa. It may be my favorite restaurant in NYC.