It was great janiekins.

I pretty much followed in LCI's footsteps a couple of trips ago. I didn't have much time to do the research and I know she does GREAT research. It worked GREAT

I hope this list gets built upon...since I will be lucky enough to stay in a friends empty apartment for free...and I will be in NYC for our anniversary, my 50th Birthday and Fourth of July...all in the span of one week!

Aldea is definitely on the list...as will be the Divine Bar.

thereyet

You might be interested in this article from New York, which mentions Aldea. The magazine called him one of the years best "new" chefs.


http://nymag.com/restaurants/whereto...15/index5.html

Wow, I just finished reading that entire article, and now am very hungry! LOL

Thanks ekscrunchy, that was quite the lowdown on the food scene of Manhattan.

thereyet

Also, I can't believe I forgot to mention one of my favorite places, also in the East Village:

Degustation. It is bar seating only but you can watch the chefs right in front of you and the place is very congenial. food is great. The chef used to work for Jean Georges; he was the chef at Perry Street. It is not a bistro but fulfills the other requirements. Kind of under the radar. A multi-course dinner is $50. The lamb belly is a MUST. They are very lenient about letting you design your own meal.


http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/degustation/



http://nymag.com/restaurants/reviews/underground/17189/

Has anyone tried City Winery? I stopped in there while walking around in early Dec. Pretty place, nice lighting, nice bar, good music offerings, looked like a nice menu, and they serve their own wine. How is it?

I've been a few times - the food is good, not great,(great when compared to the food at other clubs tho!) the wine selections is good, the music has been very good. Sometimes the service is flaky, but it's a tough gig - it's a really good addition to the NY nightlife, and they are REALLY trying to showcase different types of musicians and shows (several friends have played there, they really like the space and management). Oh - and the prices are reasonable!

here's their link:
http://www.citywinery.com/

We went to New York for a bit over a week in early November--the lure was the Kandinsky exhibition at the Guggenheim, but we enjoyed revisiting old favorite Le Zie 2000 (http://www.lezie.com/) in Chelsea as well as finding new delights. Weather was full of surprises. We were able to sit outside at Le Zie and reminisce about Venice at lunchtime while savoring salmon and delightful fresh ravioli in a light sauce.
A new favorite is Perry St in the Richard Meier building overlooking the river (http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/perry-street/). The New York Magazine review will give you an idea what to expect. What amazed us was how reasonably priced it was. Everything was excellent, from the young and attractive staff to the subtle and surprising dishes. Even a bottle of one of the suggested wines was a good buy.
For something completely different from Perry St, try Cafe Asean (http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/cafe-asean/). We were lucky again with weather on our first visit, and sat in the charming covered patio. It was chilly and pouring buckets when we returned, so the patio was closed, but the little dining room is darkly comfortable and quirkily decorated. The variety and quality of the food was such that we ordered more than we could eat, and took the leftovers to our rental home, a loft in Chelsea. Everything was fresh and the variety of sauces was a tangy delight. Some suggestions: salt and pepper calamari with spicy mango salsa (reminds me of the Seinfeld exchange about salsa); steamed shrimp and chive dumplings with ginger lime dipping sauce; Vietnamese salmon spring roll with basil/mint dipping sauce...The menu is long and varied, an adventure in eating. It is cash only.
These restaurants are all in the Chelsea/Greenwich Village area. Part of the fun of going to them is walking around and seeing the variety of life in this great city, from shops and restaurants to the town houses and high rises. There are amazing thrift shops and flea markets here--I got a double strand of pearls--Two bucks!

You all are AweSome!

Thanks for the contributions to this thread...I can't wait for my visit in June and my friend who I started the thread for is lurking...with delight I trust.

Thanks again,

thereyet

After my trip, I will post my own reviews on this thread, though I may not be as polished as some contributers, I'll do my best.

thereyet

May I jump into this thread?

We will be be travelling to NYC in April and we are looking for four dinners.

I have already noted Aldea. We will be staying at the Empire Hotel, and I am wondering about their restaurant Ed's Chowder House. It seems to get mixed reviews, however, in New York, every restaurant seems to get mixed reviews. And I got the impression that the NY Times seems to hate the restaurant's owner Chodorow and that their review might be biased. Hence, I need the help of local experts.

So, fellow Fodorites, you are the experts: How is Ed's Chowder House - regarding the reasonable prices ($20-30 for the entrees)? And how reliable are the reviews?

This is from ek's link above on Ed's Chowder House...

http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/eds-chowder-house/

thereyet

I've never eaten there but for me, the fact that is it a Chodorow venture would not bode well. He is known more for large, scene-ey spots with big bar scenes. Places like Tao and Asia de Cuba.

But that is just my own view--some of his spots are very popular, but in general, they are not popular with people in the food community or food obsessed people like myself.


But that does not mean that you cannot get a good meal there....but there are so many truly great places to eat where you can spend less money.

ek, did you see the Anthony Bordain No Reservations show where he visited the five Boroughs?

They went to one funky place that specialized in MEAT. I know that isn't much to go on, and you may not even like that show, but if you did see it, I think you would remember the place.

thereyet

I think it was this place in Brooklyn...

http://www.dinernyc.com/

Thanks,

thereyet

Actually, now that i see the pictures, I think it was this place....

http://marlowandsons.com/

Just a simple question:

Aldea or Daniel for a special dinner?

(Daniel's 3-course menu @ $105 looks like a bargain.)

I did not see the Bourdain show but Marlow and Son is famous for their meat. Diner is owned by the same people, I believe.

Daniel is much more formal than Aldea. The food is great at both, but Aldea is casual.

Thanks ek.

Casual works much better for me...coming from the SF Bay Area.

thereyet