NYC - 1. Degustation? 2. Dinner & theatre?

Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 12:05 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 711
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
NYC - 1. Degustation? 2. Dinner & theatre?

We will be in NYC for three days and two nights in November. First time for hubby and only 2nd time for me. I have two specific questions:

1. Is Degustation a sushi place or not? On some reviews/websites it is referred to as sushi bar. That is not what we are looking for.

2. We want to plan for two good dinner restaurant experiences, but also would like to fit in the theatre on night. How do NYers do dinner and theatre? Early dinner - late dinner - no dinner? I can see the two of us enjoying a good meal and a bottle of wine then sleeping through the performance!!

I read Francos 2010 post about NY restaurants and learned a tremendous amount. I detest going somewhere for vacation and venturing out for dinner without having a destination. We usually waste time and end up somewhere mediocre, so I trying to have a plan since we are soooo short on time in NYC.

We are early 50 year olds, from the MIdwest, usually in bed by 11, but will adjust while in NY. We are not looking for the most expensive restaurant in NY and probably wouldn't have the dress to visit those places anyway, but we would like to enjoy good food and we love wine and trying new wines as well.

Thanks for any help!!
Cindywho is offline  
Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 12:27 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,549
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
Hardly a 'sushi place' http://www.degustationnyc.com/
janisj is online now  
Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 12:32 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,549
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
meant to add - if you click on 'food' the entire menu is listed.

Potato Leek soup w/ Octopus. Oxtail w/ potato canneloni. Seared fois gras w/ hazelnut and cocoa butter -- etc . . .

Small plates, not sushi . . .
janisj is online now  
Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 01:02 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,305
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
As for whether to eat before or after the theater, there's no definitive answer. You'll get responses from those who favor both. I'm on the pre-theater side, as having dinner at 11 is not something I want.
As for restaurant recommendations, two questions:
How much do you want to spend? What type(s) of food? Without those answers, it's tough to give recommendations that will fit your desires.
HowardR is offline  
Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 01:07 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 23,201
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Degustation draws its inspiration from modern tapas bars in Spain; the chef was born in Mallorca, I believe, and has worked in the Basque country. I like the place very much, but have not been in a year or so...
ekscrunchy is online now  
Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 01:11 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 23,201
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I think that the confusion as to whether it is a sushi bar comes from the fact that the owner of the restaurant operates a well-known sushi restaurant, Jewel Bako, in the adjacent space.
ekscrunchy is online now  
Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 01:11 PM
  #7  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 711
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks, janisj, I didn't think it was sushi so wondered why some referred to it as such.

Budget is around $150-$175 or so for two w/wine (or other drink). We are considering Peter Luger's, my husband can barely resist a good German offering, but I know that is in Brooklyn.

We are not too sophsticated, but love to try new fare. I have looked over some NYC menus with very different ingredients and I think that is what we should go for - new things. Not chinese or sushi, several French restaurants look interesting, Greek or Italian would be good as well. Spanish cuisine is something we have not tried too often, other than a Brazilian steakhouse, so that sounds inviting.
Cindywho is offline  
Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 03:48 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Depends on your plan for the entire day. If we go to the theater on weekends we eat before - since the day is our own. But we don;t eat a special meal - or even usually a big meal for just the reason you mention. We usually eat lighter and then go for a dessert or a drink afterwards and then walk home.

If we go during the week we usually have a late lunch (often do that at work anyway - and then just have a quick drink and munchie - or nothing - before and have supper afterwards. Again, not a very heavy meal - and walk it off on the way home.

Don;t see how you can have a special meal before the theater - since there is o way that I can have a full dinner at 6 in the afternoon. For a special meal we always go at 8 or 8:30 (leaving a little time to relax and change after work).
nytraveler is offline  
Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 04:21 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 799
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
One of the best NYC experiences (in my opinion of course) is a visit to Balthazar for either brunch, lunch or dinner. It is a fantastic French bistro and a great place. I would do a meal there if it was my first time in the city. It is not for before or after the theatre becasue it is in Soho.

I am for a pre-theatre dinner for sure. Something light, and not too much booze is the way to go. And as suggested above, a walk afterwards with dessert and/or a cocktail is a good idea. For a good range of restaurants, I would check opentable and plug in Theatre District or Midtown West to get a range of places.
jamierin is offline  
Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 05:15 PM
  #10  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 711
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you both for your recommendations - light would be the better way to go if having something pre theatre, I agree.

I also thought that Balthazar looked very good - I was on their website earlier today! We may just give that one a try.
Cindywho is offline  
Old Sep 4th, 2011, 07:18 AM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,397
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Another recommendation for Balthazar - we really enjoyed it on our trip to NYC in June.
iowamom is offline  
Old Sep 4th, 2011, 10:11 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 26,710
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
First Peter Luger's is not German is purely a steak house and porterhouse at that. But it is considered one of the top in the city. They only take cash (or their in-house credit card) and you should take a cab from Manhattan. They will arrange for a cab back.

And whatever you do not go to Rolf's for German food, it is one step above unedible.

I am a big fan of the curiously cramped bakery of Balthazar but I am not a fan of the restaurant. For French bistro I prefer Lucien or Casimir. They are local spots
Aduchamp1 is offline  
Old Sep 4th, 2011, 11:54 AM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 17,801
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I would argue for a post-theater dinner, but, as everyone has said, it does depend on your day and how you prefer to spend it. We usually eat a late lunch, then go to the theater, and book a table for afterwards. Being night owls, eating dinner after 9pm doesn't bother us. And this schedule allows us to have a really good dinner at a carefully chosen restaurant, instead of just a light bite before the show.

We enjoyed db bistro moderne recently for after-theater dinner.
http://www.danielnyc.com/dbbistro.html
NewbE is offline  
Old Sep 4th, 2011, 05:47 PM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 22,939
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
For a real splurge, from my trip report:

[Four of us went to] 11 Madison Park (http://www.elevenmadisonpark.com/ ). To be considered only if willing to spend a lot of money. With four cocktails, 4 glasses of white wine and a half bottle of red wine (all at their low end of their price scale), and the 4 dish $125 prix fixe, the total cost came to more than $800 with tax and tip, but there are all sorts of amuse-bouches and end of the meal mignardises not mentioned on the menu. The cocktails are elaborately described. The menu is somewhat of a conceit. It is there to engage conversation with the wait person. One item, for example, said: potatoes. It does not sound particularly interesting, and yet it was feather light gnocchi with a light seafood sauce of shrimp and calamari (outstanding). Chicken sounded no more interesting, but turned out to be fantastic. We simply took everything on the menu, shared among the four of us, since there were 4 sets of dishes with four choices in each set. Here’s a sample dish: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7623088372713/ .
Michael is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
rolfene
United States
9
Oct 1st, 2017 12:17 PM
dvlish
United States
14
Jan 8th, 2014 12:07 PM
PamSF
United States
20
Jun 10th, 2009 04:42 PM
Juldie
United States
43
Jan 24th, 2008 06:37 AM
bmwoods72
United States
6
May 15th, 2005 10:03 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -