TheModoc

We're planning a May trip into Manhattan for a week. Plenty of things planned but was wondering about a few destinations:

Jewish Deli - thinking two - should we hit Katz's & Zabar's or some of the other deli's?
The tramway out to Roosevelt Island looks interesting, but other than scenic views is there anything there worth seeing?
We are staying midtown, for food were thinking of Hyderabad Zaiqua, Cocina Del Sur, any other quality restaurants around there?
Are there any great breweries near midtown?
The US Open's site says they're closed all May for events - we will be there Sat June 1 - are they open then or not until the following Monday?

ekscrunchy

Jewish deli=. Go to Katz.
Zabars (the main one on the West Side) is more of a food store than a deli. You can buy things to eat in your hotel...smoked fish, sandwiches, etc.
More important: Russ and Daughters Cafe, which is not a deli but a Jewish-style "appetizing" cafe....close to Katz.
Those two would give you a good overview of NYC style food.
No reservations at either and Russ can get crowded so go when they open if you can.

Also you should visit the original Russ and Daughters on Houston Street, near Katz. They are most famous for their smoked fish but have great candies, dried fruits, babka, it's a treasure trove for many of us. Some people cannot have a holiday dinner without shopping there first. Buy some smoked fish to take back to your hotel.....or bring home. I'd consider it a must for anyone who loves food and is visiting the city.

.https://www.russanddaughterscafe.com

The Tramway has great views and only takes a couple fo minutes...there is a lovely monument to FDR on the south end of the island....beautiful right in the middle of the river.

Where is midtown are you staying? I've never heard of the restaurants you mentioned. Midtown is large...mostly divided into east and west.
What kind of food do you like and what kind of budget do you have for food?

Do you want to see a tennis match or just visit the site of the Open? I know almost nothing about any of that..sorry. (Except that there's always a ton of traffic during match days)

Madam397

The U.S. Open Tennis tournament begins in late August so no matches would be on then. It is possible that the site is closed then for grounds renovation work.

Be prepared for very long waits on line at Katz's, Russ and Daughters. The Lower East Side where these delis are located is interesting to walk around you might be interested in visiting The Tenement Museum.

No breweries in Midtown that I can think of or even in Manhattan although I might be wrong. I did look on Yelp and I do see Cocina del Sur listed on West 38th, probably close to 5th Avenue but not familiar with it.

Hopefully some of your plans do include visiting the World Trade Center memorial, art museums, Central Park and a Broadway or off-Broadway show, perhaps a visit to the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. If you don't go to the Statue of Liberty, you can still get a good view from the Staten Island Ferry which is free

nycguy10002

A quick check on Google for "Breweries in Manhattan" came up with a few but only one is in midtown:

Other Half Brewing – Rockefeller Center Taproom

600 5th Ave A2, New York, NY 10020 | (212) 202-2564

For more in Manhattan: https://www.hopculture.com/best-brew...tan-the-bronx/

While I agree that the view, albeit brief, from the Tramway is good, I would recommend taking the Staten Island Ferry (at the lower tip of Manhattan) to Staten Island and back. It passes near the Statue of Liberty. Many people do this if they don't have enough time to visit the Statue itself. The Staten Island Ferry is free. The trip takes about 25 minutes each way. This way you get a good view of the Statue, NY Harbor and the Verrazano Narrow Bridge. ***Important note (I do this whenever I recommend the Staten Island Ferry) - there are 'enterprising" individuals who hang out near the Staten Island Ferry terminal and try to convince the unwary that there is a fare for that ferry and even try to see them tickets. The Staten Island Ferry is free (the Statue of Liberty Ferry located in Battery Park is not)******

Enjoy your stay in NYC

TheModoc

I didn't realize Zabar's was more of a store. Unfortunately neither of us eat most seafood, so the Russ & Daughter's is out (their menu gives us few options) - how about 2nd Ave Deli?

Tramway sounds good! The US Open's site says "We are unable to provide tours for May, as we are hosting a number of events on the grounds of the National Tennis Center", I'm assuming June 1 would be OK, but it is a Friday so....?

We are staying about 2 blocks from MSG. For food we always look for authentic cuisines and reasonable prices. We will avoid dropping $400 for a meal unless that is for the best beef in Kobe, Japan (amazing exception). If you've got any midtown favorites, I'd love to hear about them! Love to do Rao's but it seems hard to actually get a table.

The Tenement Museum looks fascinating - I never heard of it, thanks.

We're from Oregon and love good hops and beer - wherever we go we try to find one or two good brewpubs to have a nice lunch. I see Other Half (Rockefeller), Torch & Crown (soho), Blind Tiger (Greenwich), Earl's Beer & Cheese (near Guggenheim) and Transmitter (Brooklyn Navy yard) but have no clue which are great!

We are planning to do the Amer Mus of Nat History if the planetarium has a good event planned. Also thinking the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Bldg, 9/11 Memorial & Top of Rock. I've done the Nat History museum before, as well as the MET, Guggenheim, MOMA & the World Trade Center before it was attacked, I've also done the Intrepid before but the Concord just came back after being cleaned/repaired so that might be interesting.

Would love to catch a great play - the last time I was in NY I luckily got to see one of the last performances of Alan Alda in Jake's Women - it was a great night! I can't even see what plays are on in May due to the Tony's and their April cut off. None of the BIG Broadway plays interest me (Wicked, Book of Mormon, Hamilton, etc.) but just off Broadway usually has some good options.

TheModoc

Thanks NYCguy - I didn't see your post. I plan on doing the Statue of Liberty as I've never been up (my wife has).

tom_mn

Katz's lines can be insane, and I don't think it is worth it. Note that there are different mob/lines inside: one for the counter service and take out, the other for the seating which is near the back. It's all convoluted, if you dine in you don't pay the server, you pay a third party in between the dining area and the exit, and to exit you queue up to show your paid receipt before being allowed to leave. Very much a "never doing that again ever" kind of experience.

Note that the Tenement Museum has no main structure, it's an ad hoc thing where you prepay for tours at set buildings then meet there at a set time for the tour. It's not a museum in any normal sense, i.e. a building with rooms of exhibits.

1IntrepidTraveler

Having eaten at Katz Deli many times (more that 20) I disagree, but I can offer a few tips for the first time visitor.
1) Go early. 11 am is not too early to avoid the rush (noon to 7 pm).
2) Stand in line.... get a feel for the rush of humanity that craves pastrami on rye.
3) Get the pastrami on rye... world class... expensive, but worth it (IMHO). One sandwich will probably feed two people.
4) Tip your carver a buck or two. He will give you a tast of the pastrami while he assembles you sandwich.
5) After receiving your sandwich and pickles, find a table. At the back of the deli and to the right are more tables.
6) If you want to be waited on, the tables on the left wall as you enter are reserved for waiter service.
7) Don't lose your ticket. If you do, it will cost you. Each person who enters the deli gets a ticket.
8) Come back to Fodor's Forum and tell us about your experience.

Madam397

Virtually impossible to get a table at Rao's. As you are staying near Madison Square Garden you are very close to the Korean restaurants on 32nd St on Broadway. Can't recommend any one specific place as it's been too long. I used to work on 31st Street pre-pandemic and actually there is a very nice restaurant in Macy's, Stella 34 Trattoria. If you enter Macy's on the Broadway side, there is a dedicated elevator. You can call and make a reservation. Most of the area around Madison Square Garden has several pubby kinds of places but there is Hill Country Barbecue Market on 26th Street. Mostly my office would go there for drinks after work and if I recall, the food was pretty good.

tom_mn

This isn't quite right. This is the directions for the counter service/take out, where after getting your food you may be able to find a table and sit down to eat in the general (main) area The dine in table service is all the way to the back on the right, near the toilets. At least it was a year ago.

TheModoc

I was afraid of Rao's being impossible to reserve - I will try for a Mon-Wed night, any time at all (don't have much hope at any rate).

Definitely doing Katz's once, likely early, thanks for the tips. I'll remember to post here once we're back on the West Coast in June.

Good tips on Stella 34 and that TX bbq joint - sounds good.

1IntrepidTraveler

I concur on Hill Country BBQ... I lived in Austin for four years a long time ago, and Hill Country is the closest thing to having BBQ in Texas... (except a bit pricier).

bon_voyage

I was in NYC a couple of weeks ago with my two adult sons, staying at the Belvedere on 48th St near 8th Avenue. The following have outposts at different locations in the city:
Group favorites:
Los Tacos #1 in the theater district. The Chelsea Gardens location had drawn raves from a knowledgeable friend who lives near the city, I was dubious that it would surpass SoCal tacos, after all, we’d eaten more than once at Julia Child’s favorite in Santa Barbara, La Super-Rica Taqueria. I was so wrong, it was fantastic.
Russ & Daughters near Hudson Yards. For the fish people who may come upon this thread. The day that we were in Lower Manhattan we were pressed for time; the Hudson Yards location was an easy walk from the hotel. I had the sturgeon, sublime, and my two sons equally pleased with the lox. We used to order the gaspé nova at Hanukkah to California.
Sullivan Street Bakery: Wonderful breads and pastries. We went out a couple of mornings and brought treats back to the hotel.
And a possible addition to sights: Grand Central Terminal, a filming location for my favorite movie, North by Northwest. It is truly grand.

AngieBright

Jewish Deli: Katz's Delicatessen and Zabar's are excellent choices for sampling authentic Jewish cuisine. They offer a wide variety of dishes and delicacies that are worth trying. Roosevelt Island: In addition to the scenic views, Roosevelt Island has plenty of interesting things to do. Downtown Restaurants: Also I recommend checking out Balthazar and Le Bernardin for a more luxurious experience, as well as Momofuku Noodle Bar for unique flavor combinations. Breweries: The Blind Tiger Ale House, The Ginger Man and Heartland Brewery are worth checking out.

1IntrepidTraveler

You certainly may be right... I haven't been since COVID, and they may have changed the floor arrangement. In any case, the Waiter Only area will be clearly marked.

TheModoc

Nice tips, bon_voyage, I'll jot them down! I've been to Grand Central before - it is an amazing bit of architecture and people everywhere. I don't remember, is there a good spot to eat lunch there?

Angie, I didn't even see Balthazar, but the menu looks great, that one, the Noodle Bar and the Breweries, too.

Does anyone know if there's a nice location to play table tennis/ping pong around midtown. That would be great for a couple hours!

Fra_Diavolo

Try Bryant Park (behind the library) around noon.

Fra_Diavolo

Just noticed there is a Pastrami Queen in the Moynihan Food Hall. @ 31st and 8th. https://www.pastramiqueen.com. Their UES location had excellent pastrami.

laurie_ann

If you do the 9/11 museum I highly recommend you get advance tickets to do the early morning tour they offer before the doors open to regular visitors. I did at 8 am on a weekday early last December and glad I did. There were only about 30 of us and the guide. The guide took us around the around the main part of the museum on a kind of timeline of that day. Then after about one hour he left us to do on our own the more specific exhibits. I left about 10 am and saw vast crowds streaming down the escalators just as I was going up to walk out. They were all respectful. But being able to appreciate the space in the quiet with just a few others made it very meaningful.

bon_voyage

[QUOTE=TheModoc;17548825]Nice tips, bon_voyage, I'll jot them down! I've been to Grand Central before - it is an amazing bit of architecture and people everywhere. I don't remember, is there a good spot to eat lunch there?

TheModoc, not sure because our visit to Grand Central was brief. There is a Los Tacos No.1 very close by,
125 Park Ave, New York, NY 10017.