Brooklyn dinner? Bronx Breakfast? And opinions on the zoo?
 

Hi, folks, back to planning for the week after Christmas.

I was thinking spending one day in Brooklyn, just window shopping. Head over for an afternoon, go out for a nice dinner, check out Dyker heights lights. there’s also a holiday burlesque show at night that sound like fun. I gather Williamsburg is hipster central? Any favorite stores or other sights or neighborhoods I should check out? Would a half day be enough, or should I just plan a whole day?

Food as always is a priority. I’m considering St. Anselms because steak sounds delicious right now, but I’m open to other options.

What are your favorite NYC steakhouses in general?Italian? I think it’s the weather, but I’m suddenly craving comfort food.

How about raw bars? Brunch? Bagels for breakfast?

Ok, I may need a snack. I’m making myself hungry!


Moving on:

Has anyone been to the ice carving display at the Bronx Zoo? Or do you have opinions in general? I was thinking of heading out early, getting breakfast somewhere in the Bronx, and going to the train show at Botanical gardens and the zoo afterwards if the weather allows. How much time should I plan for the zoo? Breakfast recommendations for Bronx? Do I need to buy train show tickets ahead of time?

Basically, I’m thinking one day for the Met and the Frick, one day for Brooklyn, and one day for the Bronx. One day to just relax and enjoy the Season- Bryant Park, window displays, rockettes, etc. does that sound like a practical plan? Should I try to fit in the tenement museum or Guggenheim? What day? Have not made it to either previously.

If I don’t respond, btw, it’s not that I don’t love and cherish your often fantastic advice, it’s just that for some reason the forum is not allowing me to do so! Thanks!

Look, you could spend weeks exploring Brooklyn. A half day would do it for Williamsburg, maybe, if you go light on the shopping. Speaking of steak, you have Peter Luger there. W'burg was hipster central but its become more mainstream, with 2 million dollar condos and all. You might think of moving out to Bushwick, have lunch at Roberta's, and walk around that area, more edgy that W'burg. You can walk there from Williamsburg if you have time, and good shoes. I did it last time I had lunch at Roberta's.

http://www.robertaspizza.com/menus/lunch


Another up and coming area is Gowanus.

I've had St Anselm on my list for years but never got there.

I just had a very good steak dinner in Manhattan, at a new Korean-owned place, Cote. For $49, their "butcher's feast" gives you about a dozen small plates ranging from soups to salad to kimchee to pickled vegetables to a frothy egg souffle. They also give you romaine leaves with which to wrap your bites of steak. You will also get four different steak cuts, aged varying lengths of time--Wagyu, rib eye, hangar, and galbi (short ribs cut Korean style) were the offerings a few nights ago. The galbi was out of this world. I will go back and order that a la carte. All the cuts were very good and you cannot beat the price..you'll be at $49 just with appetizers at Luger.

https://www.cotenyc.com/menus/

Oh, forgot to say that Cote is not a typical Korean place, like we have in Koreatown, a few blocks north and east. Very young, hip crowd. The staff grills your meats (and some veg) on a tabletop grill using gas and "ceramic charcoal."

See review here:

https://ny.eater.com/2017/9/19/16329...w-nyc-flatiron

I know you asked about Brooklyn but this place might be worth checking out if you do not go to St Anselm or Lugers.

I find Little Odessa an interesting Brooklyn neighborhood - it is the Russian community and if you like Russian food as I do, it is the place to go.

To see the lights in Dyker Heights, you will need a car. It is a residential area and they lights are little spread out.

One more thing about Little Odessa. It is part of Brighton Beach, so if a nice day you can take a stroll on the boardwalk.

I’m baaaack, yesss. Well, for now at least.

Thanks! I take it then that Brooklyn has more than I’d been thinking, and a whole day might be better.

I’m not crazy about Russian food but may have to check it out anyway as that’s something less common here.

The Korean steak restaurant I mentioned above, COTE, was reviewed this week in the NYTimes; again, I'd recommend for excellent meat at a good price, if you can forego the usual steakhouse side dishes in favor of a sampling of about 10 Korean sides and appetizers.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/14/d...ecue.html?_r=0

For the Bronx part, I try to get to the train show every year, I find it really interesting, creative and it gets better and better each year. Went to the ice carving once, a long time ago, at the Bronx Zoo, it was ok, not sure if they've changed that too. That being said, yes, you will need to buy tickets ahead of time for the Train Show, they have "bar car" nights which I find more fun and no children...also go to Arthur Ave beforehand for dinner, that's an experience in itself too.

I do like the Tenement museum too, it really shows what NY was like way back when, you will need to make a reservation for that if you plan to go.

Have fun!

As much as I love the Zoo, unless it is a really nice day in Dec, it may not be worth it as some animals will not be out (Asia Monorail wont be running). I really enjoy the holiday train show and am trying to figure out when I can get down to see it this year.

The zoo is quite limited at this time of year since many of the outdoor habitats/rides are closed for the season since many of the animals needs to be indoors. You can still see them - but obviously it's not the full experience. We usually go in the spring when the habitats open for the season and the animals seem happy to be in their much larger outdoor areas.

For a quick zoo fix in winter you might want to do the Central Park Zooo which has a bunch of cold weather animals - red pandas, snow leopard, penguins and sea lions.

Good to know about the habitats. Oh, I’ve been to the CP Zoo, had more fun than I expected, which is why I was thinking about checking out Bronx Zoo. But I’ll just stop in to watch the sea lions at Central Park instead! I’m sure I’ll want to make a summer trip after this, anyway.

I'm a great fan of the Brooklyn Museum (where I can easily spend the better part of a day) and nearby Brooklyn Botanic Garden (which can be delightful if weather cooperates).