Lunch - or the first point at which burgers become socially acceptable
Little Owl:
This is probably my favourite lunch spot in New York - I could happily eat here every day in my own little La La Land. In an understated and intimate setting, owner and chef Joey Campanaro, serves up fresh, seasonal American food with a strong Mediterranean influence.
Bibb and Beets
Aragula salad
This trip, we feasted on the delicious aragula salad with grilled pears, gorgonzola, pecan and balsamic, the fine bibb and beets salad (squash, seeds, parmesan, cranberry vinaigrette) for The Peanut Gallery and, for me, the amazing bacon cheese burger made from Pat LaFrieda's signature burger meat blend - juicy, lusty, fabulous. In "The 50 best things in the world, and where to eat them", Killian Fox of The Observer (UK) rates Little Owl as the best place in the world to eat a burger. Here, here!
The menu is varied and everything sounds tempting. All is reasonably priced. Toss a coin to make a choice, order a vino, and gaze through the windows at the Sesame Street scenes of Greenwich Village, pondering just how good life can get. Is that a bird chirruping on my shoulder? 90 Bedford Street, Greenwich Village
Fatty Crab: Fabulous Malaysian/South East Asian joint serving up home cooked style spicy fare. Our dishes were sensational and left us hankering to return for more. The Lo Si Fun was a soul nourishing noodle dish which arrived in a clay pot with a poached egg on top of a mountain of weird and wonderful ingredients, ready to be broken up and mixed in. Hearty and a taste sensation - every spoonful revealed something more.
The green mango salad was zesty, refreshing and packed with flavour.
Even the coconut rice had an edge, topped with roasted shredded coconut for an extra sweet touch.
Cheap on price, without skimping on size or quality. Also try it for a casual but great quality dinner option. 643 Hudson Street
Pastis (also a fun breakfast and dinner option):
Even without the Manolo's, you can live the Sex and The City vibe at Pastis. We sat outside and basked in the sunshine this week, but inside is crackling, and cranks up even more at night. And, for those who love a good celebrity sighting, this is the place for it - The Peanut Gallery almost bowled over Jon Bon Jovi (yes, JON BON JOVI) on his way out the door this week.
Most importantly, the food is great - think French bistro with the occassional Provencal number. While it's hard to go past the fabulous burger and fries which we've sampled before, this time we opted for the Coq au Vin served on egg noodles (hearty, sweet, TPG couldn't finish it - I stepped up to the plate) and a decent Nicoise salad (new Yorkers know how to do a salad).
Having since thought through this in detail of course (and having recounted the Jon Bon Jovi aspect numerous times to strangers on the tube), I wouldn't order a salad here again - a salad is really a crime when the other more interesting stuff on the menu is just so good. But I was in need of a detox (see Momofuku below). 9 9th Avenue, Meatpacking District.
Cafe Habana: This popular Cuban cafe, in the middle of shopping nirvana, never fails to disappoint. The only draw back can be the lunch time wait. Arrive early to nab a seat, and chow down on the amazing grilled corn smothered in chilli powder and butter with lime on the side (their signature dish), or throw yourself into a delicious shake and burger. Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I love it best on a sunny summer's day - an instant Cuban holiday. 17 Prince Street, Nolita
Shake Shack: From Pat LaFrieda (legendary meat purveyor) to Frank Bruni (former NY Times critic), the experts are united that Shake Shack serves up an amazing burger. At cheap eat prices, Frank Bruni heralds it "the people's burger" compared with some other burger greats, such as the Black Label burger at Minetta Tavern which is apparently outstanding, but less accessible at $26 a hit.
The Peanut Gallery and I have almost missed our flight home while refusing to give up on the queue, but the juicy, no frills deliciousness of it makes it well worth the wait for any burger fetishist.
The burgers are ground fresh and hand made daily by LaFrieda, and team up nicely with the sensational crispy fries. TPG also loves the hot dogs (he likes to get an extra one for the flight home, much to the delight of his nearest neighbours) and the shakes are formidable - try one of the "Concrete" shakes combining frozen custard with the likes of caramel sauce, toffee and chocolate chunks, or the hand spun frozen custard shakes with all the standard flavours, or even salted caramel (uh huh) or peanut butter flavour (for the truly gross among us). A glutton's oasis in the park. Madison Square Park (not to be confused with Madison Square Gardens, like we did first time around - long story).
Blue Ribbon Bakery: The bread oven is at the heart of this operation, and the food is fresh and homely. We've sampled the big sandwiches crammed with delicious fillings like chorizo, coleslaw and cheddar, and market salad (romaine, asparagus, carrots, cucumber, artichoke, tomatoes, olives, beets, chick peas, egg and grilled onion). Lovely on a sunny day for lunch, but also would be a great dinner option - it's known for the fried chicken. 35 Downing Street, West Village (I'm also planning to try the Blue Ribbon Brasserie, at 97 Sullivan Street, Soho)
Jean Georges: This elegant French restaurant opposite the south western most corner of Central Park is a showcase of masterful, fine cooking. Sample the 3 Michelin star cuisine (given 4 stars by Frank Bruni at the New York Times in 2006) while its Autumn special is on for only $26 for lunch or $38 for dinner - absolute bargain. We took a decadent $26 prix fixe lunch here in May, and adored it. The food is creative, thrilling, rich and distinctive. For $8, there is a choice of 4 dessert plates: Caramel (chocolate pop, coffee & cardamom ice cream, caramel curd sponge, roasted pineapple sorbet), Chocolate (chocolate cake, vanilla bean ice cream, warm chocolate gnocchi, grapefruit, gianduja, basil) and the equally tempting sounding Rhurbarb or Apple options. Although the decor is formal, with its big windows and high ceilings it's more airy and elegant than stiflingly posh (something I always find a turn off - see my upcoming review of Marea for the latter). Worth a splurge. 1 Central Park West, on Colombus Circle.
Nobu: Chef Nobu Matsukisa's flagship restaurant in Tribeca need not be as extravagant a splurge as you might think. Although the skies the limit on the amount you could spend, for around $20 each (plus drinks and service), we shared lunch of broiled black cod with miso (Nobu's melt in the mouth signature dish) and Tempura Donburi which was light, crispy and flavoursome. All came with with rice, miso soup and green tea. It's not 100% traditional Japanese cuisine - at least until everyone else starting drawing inspiration from the menu, Nobu's cuisine was considered innovative and many of the dishes are inspired by the chef's experience in South America. It still has a bit of the celebrity hangout feel to it (Robert De Niro is one of the partners in the business, along with restauranteur Drew Nieporent, and Harvey Weinsten was eating there at the same time as us) but the food is genuinely good. Nobu has 1 Michelin star, and was given 3 stars by the New York Times in 2001. 105 Hudson Street, Tribeca
Katz's Deli: A New York institution, and home of the famous Meg Ryan "faking it" scene in "When Harry Met Sally", Katz's Delicatessan was opened by Russian immigrants in 1888. Since then, it has been serving up delicious, jaw breaking sandwiches to its customers in droves. Don't leave without trying the legendary pastrami on rye. Other eye popping options include the dry cured corned beef sandwich, brisket and matzo ball soup. Expect George Costanza's parents to walk in any minute. Busy, bustling and you'll definitely wonder where you're going to put it all. 205 East Houston Street, Lower East Side
Balthazar: Noted in my brunch section (Part 1), good ol' Balty is also great for lunch and dinner, as would be Public (I suspect).
Dinner - because a good lunch deserves reflection over a lengthy feast:
Babbo: We have a hot new contender for my favourite New York restaurant. Babbo.
Mario Batali's amazing Greenwich Village enoteca serves up traditional Italian cuisine with sufficient flair to be granted an easily deserved 3 stars by the New York Times' Ruth Reichl. Now, I love a bowl of pasta. So you can only imagine my joy at the carb loading feeding frenzy posed by Mario's 8 course pasta tasting menu. Heavenly.
It also radiates a fabulous atmosphere which was the perfect antidote to our night at the more staid Marea the night before. An extravaganza worthy of its own separate Greedy Diva head - and stomach - in the clouds rant, to follow shortly. I noticed on return from NY that in "The 50 best things in the world, and where to eat them", (also quoted above) Killian Fox of The Observer (UK) lists Babbo as the best place in the world to eat ravioli, and specifically the oxtail ravioli with black truffles and pidgeon liver sauce. Mama mia. 110 Waverly Place, Greenwich Village
Marea: The chemisty just wasn't there. Perhaps it was one of those "it's not you, it's me" scenarios. But with all the atmosphere of a dental clinic, our evening at Marea was in stark contrast to the fabulousness of Babbo the following night. Marea, New York's new(ish) Italian seafood restaurant, has been much overhyped in my view, receiving plaudits from critics everywhere, and even a Michelin star. And the food was fine.
Our oysters were just so-so, and arrived before our amuse bouche. However, our starters of crab and scallops were nice but not mind blowing, as was my spaghetti with crab, Santa Barbera sea urchin and basil.
Some things were even delicious, like The Peanut Gallery's rigatoni with seppia and shrimp ragu and fresh chickpeas.
However, mostly the food was just fancy and nice, which in my book is not enough at such lofty prices. I want more ooh and ahh for my buck. It was certainly not sufficient to make up for the stiff, arthritic ambience. Service was stilted and odd, the suggested wine pairings were questionable and a heavy whiff of self importance pervaded the air. A place to go with some grey suits and grey hairs on a corporate expense account, but not for a fun or romantic night out. We left without ordering dessert (normally unheard of with TPG present), before the rigor mortis set in. 240 Central Park South
The Standard Grill:
Fun American bistro in the heart of the hip Meatpacking District, which oozes old school glamour. However, its excellent brasserie style food is not all about appearances (despite its flashy clientele). Think Sex and The City with meat. See the full Greedy Diva review to follow shortly (here). Cnr Washington and West 13th Streets, Meatpacking District (under the High Line)
Dell'Anima: Excellent Italian wine bar/restaurant with simple, seasonal food. Delicious house made pasta dishes (the carbonara with speck, egg and pecorino is a thriller) as well as a great selection of traditional secondi. There's also a fantastic wine selection, and it's a lovely place to eat at the bar, in front of the kitchen or tete a tete at the tables. A regular feature on our New York dining list - it's always good. Small, intimate and friendly. 38 8th Avenue, West Village.
Bond Street: Recommended by Vaughan and Dima, our finger-on-the-pulse Melbourne friends living the good life in New York, we enjoyed a great meal at Bond Street last year. Kick off the night with a lychee cocktail, and move on to fresh sushi, vibrant salads and dish after dish of luxurious Japanese food with flare. Fun and delicious. 6 Bond Street, NoHo
Matsuri: It's been a couple of years since we dined at Matsuri, but I still vividly remember the succulent and delicious grilled steak with garlic soy sauce (one of the best steaks we've ever eaten) and the delectably lush sake black cod. Huge, vaulted ceilings set off the splendorous and fun setting. A great recommendation from my favourite one time New Yorker, Amanda. 369 West 16th Street, under the Maritime Hotel
Craft: Share on your table an array of quite large dishes at Tom Colicchio's stylish restaurant which describes itself as "haute cuisine" uniquely married with "family-style service". Lovely dishes like roasted duck, diver scallops, rack of pork, 6 types of roasted mushrooms and warm chocolate tart, buttermilk ice cream, cinnamon custard and cashews make this a varied menu of excellent quality. Expect big flavours rather than fanciful twists, and the ambience is swish, but not stiff. Expensive, but a night you'll remember - for all the right reasons. 43 East 19th Street
Telepan: Sometimes fortune smiles upon you, and she was grinning broadly the fine evening we stumbled by chance upon Bill Telepan's seasonal Upper West Side restaurant. It was a few years ago now, but we're eager for a follow up feed based on the terrific dinner and service we've sampled (having missed out on an evening booking this time around). Skilful dishes are based on seasonal, local ingredients, each showing the chef's flair. The decor is understated - the food is the main event. And it need not cost an arm and a leg, despite the fine dining ambience - there are dinner tasting menus ranging from $39 to $65 or, for a bargain, try out the 3 course lunch for $28 (Wednesday - Friday). A solid trooper which will outlast flashier rivals on the glitzy New York dining scene. 72 West 69 Street, between Central Park and Colombus Avenue
Daniel: French cuisine in a grand, elegant setting and a rare 4 star rating by the New York times (3 stars in the 2010 Michelin Guide). We went for a special occassion last year, and were mildly underwhelmed. We were tucked up in a smaller room away from the grander, livelier main dining room (and we weren't even wearing our velour tracksuits). That definitely took away some of the sparkle and perhaps explains why we felt it lacked some of the razzle dazzle and luxurious taste sensations we were expecting. The food has plenty of flourish, and many would consider it New York's best of the fancy big league. For me it was good, and I could even see how it had the potential to be great on another night, but for us it was almost like someone had dimmed the lights and thrown a lampshade over the anticipated sparkle. 60 East 65th Street
Snacks (to get you through the long wait between meals):
Magnolia Bakery:
You know it, I know it. And I know that if you don't average a cupcake for every day of your New York break, if you don't find yourself floating gloriously along Bleecker Street with an empty box and icing on chin, you're just a cupcake pretender.
Forget the other charlatans out there with their phony fru fru icings - these are the best cupcakes in the world. And among their glorious selves, the classic vanilla cupcake remains the queen goddess victorious.
(Queen Goddess Victorious Vanilla is on the left;
New fangdangle Snickadoodle cinnamon number is on the right).
(Not Magnolians)
Momofuku Milk Bar:
Crazy bakery among the successful Momufuku restaurant family, serving up a weird and wonderful selection of cakes, cookies, pies and soft serves. This is TPG's sugar rush nirvana.
Try the disgraceful sounding (but, off the record, completely delicious) cornflake, chocolate chip and marshmallow cookie (yes, those things are all within the same cookie). We have also tried and survived the compost cookie, comprised of pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, butterscotch and chocolate chips (presumably low cal), and the selection of ginormous Gaudi-esque cakes look amazing (how does chocolate malt cake with malt fudge, malted milk crumbs and charred marshmallows sound?).
As for the shakes, "cereal milk" anyone? I quite like the pork and egg bun for breakfast (deep fried soft poached egg, cucumber, hoison, scallions).
207 2nd Avenue, East Village
Murray's Cheese:
Excellent cheese shop owned by Rob Kaufelt, partner of food writer Tamasin Day-Lewis. Rob roams the globe finding the best local, regional cheeses around and brings them back to the big smoke. A cheese monger's paradise, and with lots of experts on hand to help and offer tastings.
A great place to stock up on a case full of fine cheeses and salamis, but hard to smuggle home without stinking out the plane (more than usual). 254 Bleecker Street, Greenwich Village
Faicco's Pork Store: Next door to Murray's Cheese, Faicco's Pork Store completes the lucky quinella.
Completely old school butcher/delicatessan (the Italian sausages look fab) making up big takeaway sandwiches brimming with ham, pork, salt beef, fresh mozzarella etc - sometimes all at the same time.
Nothing fancy - these guys are keepin' it real. It was TPG's one regret that we didn't try one of these gobstoppers, but as we were still digesting a hearty lunch followed up swiftly by our Magnolia cupcakes, it would have been obscene. Next time. 260 Bleecker Street.
Hot dogs: Any and all hot dog stands. Anywhere, anytime.
Until the next gluttonous adventure, long live the Big Apple!
You've just made me want to go back to NYC so much. *drool*
ReplyDeleteHi Sharmila - Sometimes the thought of Shake Shack is enough to get me checking plane fares.
ReplyDeleteHey this is so good. I like your blog. I'll come back to read it again.
ReplyDelete