Another restaurant request for NYC
 

I really hate to find myself asking such a lame question but when it comes to choosing a restaurant in NYC the choices are staggering. We are taking our son and DIL to the Big Apple for a BD surprise. We have chosen Becco for the BD dinner...no-brainer, fun and easy...(they are not gourmet diners). I am now interested in something in the Upper East area...we will be in that locale all day. We have previously dined at Brasserie Rhulmann near Rockefeller Centre but find the service there can be 'iffy' for the cost involved. Any thoughts please

Cuisine? Price (tax and tip adds about 29%)? More specific location? Day of the week?

cafe sabarsky

Cafe Boulud

http://www.danielnyc.com/cafebouludNY.html#intro

I can HIGHLY recommend Flex Mussels, on E 82nd just off 3rd e. The menu is wonderful, and of course it's mosly seafood, mussels a speciality, oh and the lobster roll was amazing. The service was perfect and the setting is pure Maine.

www.flexmussels.com

Jo Jo's

You say "upper east" - then mention Rock Center - which is midtown. Which area are you looking for? What cuisines? What budget (Becco is very modest - is that the price range you're looking for?)

If you'll do west side as well then also look at Boulud Sud. The menu is amazing and I'd consider it a definite birthday splurge place.

In Midtown, if you want Italian, you might try FELIDIA, also in the LidiaB empire. MUCH nicer than Becco.

http://www.felidia-nyc.com/

A midtown restaurant that is kind of under-the-radar, but which has excellent Italian food in a cozy atmosphere is Scalinatella, 201 East 61st Street, near Bloomingdale's.

Neither of these is inexpensive but they are fairly priced by NYC standards.

eks, I just looked at the menu for Scalinatella, and even for NY (except for the top top places), I find some of the prices astonishing. $65.50 for dover sole?

That's probably about in line with what they charge at Marea.

At Oceana, the price is $60 per pound.

At SD26, it's $55, and at Molyvos, $45.


It's an expensive fish, and these days one has to take care because some places are substituting an inferior Pacific fish and calling it Dover sole. (You'll see that in fish markets, too). The few times a year that I order Dover sole, I always ask to make sure that it is the real thing. The version served at Scalinatella is superb.

http://www.santamonicaseafood.com/co...fic-dover-sole

More on Dover sole pricing in the NY area:


http://thepricehike.com/post/6110690...est-dover-sole

Look at this: That Dover sole is a bargain compared to the $92 steak for one at Tertulia, which is a very casual NYC-style tapas bar (and one with excellent food, I might add; we ate very well for under $100 for two with drinks)


http://thepricehike.com/post/1978655...-bars-145-beef

Upper East Side:

Spigolo
Sandro's
Atlantic Grill
Park Avenue Season (Spring, etc.)

I knew as soon as I pressed SUBMIT that I did not state the correct area. We hope to be at the AMNH much of the day..a Saturday...then will head over towards Rockefeller Centre and hopefully the Top of the Rock. That's why I was asking about that specific area.We are staying in Midtown, 35th St and would be open for a restaurant in that area as well. Because it's a Saturday and because it is Mother's Day weekend,I feel we need a reservation and cannot just rely on serendipity. Budget is a consideration as everything that weekend is X 4. A Splurge...would be a waste for our non-gourmet jrs. We chose Becco for Friday for a easy-peasy and hopefully fun kind of dinner and also because we'll be in that 'part of town' that particular day. I will look up Felidia eks. Sounds like Scalinatella is waaay out of the ballpark however.Really?..$65.00 for sole??? Thankyou to everyone for the previous recommendations

Maybe Bar Americaine? its not far from Top of the Rock, and I think its fun. I think its gotten mixed reviews online, but I've always had a good meal there (have been 3 times). I'd go just for the homemade potato chips with the warm blue cheese dip...YUM!

Okay...YUM!!!!thanks so much ...I'll check that out

If you go to menupages.com you can look up all the places reco'd to check the actual menus and specific prices.

Yes, that's what sole costs - good fish - like good steak isn't cheap. Unless you're wedded to one of those I would pick a place with a lot of choices where prices may be more moderate.

Agreed. And please do not confuse filets of local sole with whole imported Dover sole, which is always among the most expensive items on restaurant menu. At my local NYC fish market, halibut usually costs $30 per pound, Chilean sea bass was recently $35. per pound. Now THOSE are expensive prices!




There are plenty of options apart from Dover sole at the restaurant I mentioned above.

I have been investigating the restaurants suggested...Many thanks to all. I wondered Centralparkgirl, which of the Atlantic Grills you prefer?