i guys....I have an out of town guest who wanted to have dinner at Craft but they don't have a table for us. I seldom have dinner in the city as I always have to catch my train to Bellport, LI so I am not familiar at all with NY restaurants. My friend who is from Columbus, OH is savvier than me in that respect...can anyone suggest a restaurant in the area that is comparable? She's been to Olives, Union Sq, Gramercy Tavern, Mesa and Gotham...(I've been to Gotham once)...can anyone suggest another restaurant? Thanks!!!

Patria is my favorite restaurant in that area. Park Avalon is nice, too, for that ephermally defined "new American" style.

Chowhound.com will get you more answers, if you can give more parameters of what you're looking for, how soon you need the reservation, etc.

Or just pick up Zagat's.

I was recently looking for a similar suggestion - was taking out a friend who has been to many of the top restaurants. Many folks in the discussion forum at egullet-com recommended Blue Hill, which is in the Washington Square Park area. They have an innovative menu that focues on the best of seasonal, regional ingredients as they become available. Lots of good word of mouth on this place and they are a trifle cheaper than Gramercy Tavern and the like (five course tasting menu is $55 if I recall correctly).

Loved 11 Madison Park -- beautiful room, delicious food and great service. Tabla is also unique and the Bread Bar downstairs is their "lower price" option.

Try Tabla. They are great about trying to squeeze people in, and you can always eat at the Bread Bar.

On the same level as Craft (or close), I would recommend:

Babbo
Blue Hill
Annisa
Town

How about Beppe? The food is great and the atmosphere is wonderful. They have a wood burning oven in the middle of the dining room and it smells great. Very warm, charming decor. The homemade pasta is excellent. 45 E. 22nd St. between Park and Broadway. 212-982-8422.

For more ideas, check out CitySearch New York. Reviews by readers and they have a "Best of" section as rated by the readers.

Check out CitySearch ewfor some more ideas. They also have "best of..." for a lot of different categories as voted by the readers.

My advice would be to try Union Pacific Restaurant in the Union Square area. The restaurant is beautifully designed, and the food is top-notch.