Manhatten Restaurant ideas - help me out of a rut!
 

Please help me get out of my dining and bar rut. We always have good intentions, but when we get there, we are tired and end up going the easy route and doing the true and tried.

For Italian we love Il Postino but I wanted to try something different this trip, but SIMIALAR in nature, as to atmosphere, quality etc.

Also can someone recommend another that is in the style of Gotham...another favorite but looking for something different.

Finally, how about a Sunday brunch or breakfast place that is leaning towards a French or European touch to it. Used to be a place on 5th Ave we went to near a bookstore, but now I can't remember the name, or precisely where it was.

We are going the weekend of Restaurant Week, but we are not too interested in doing a participating fare.

Also need to get out of my Bar rut, was thinking of Tao on 58th, or Blue Fin. Want something upscale and cool, someplace that served great cosmos!

Never seem to find a GOOD Dim Sum place in China Town. I'm sort of spoiled by trips to Toronto and San Fran, but there has got to be one rock solid place in NYC!

Finally, any thoughts on Indochine for lunch or Dinner?

Thanks in advance....this is always a great place to share ideas.

You want to break out of your rut? For the most part, the best thing you can do is Gget out of midtown.

" Il Postino but I wanted to try something different this trip, but SIMIALAR in nature, as to atmosphere, quality etc." -

Not having been to Il Postino (and I have lived in Manhattan for over 30 years and dine out at least twice a week) nor knowing anyone else who has been there (and I have LOTS of friends who love good food) but after reading descriptions in Zagat and on www.nymag.com, I would suggest you try any of the following: Scarpetta, Bella Vitae, Sfoglia, Convivio, Spigola, Lupa, Lavagna.

They all have different atmospheres and styles but they all are terrific Italian restaurants with excellent food.

"Also can someone recommend another that is in the style of Gotham...another favorite but looking for something different."

Gotham is a great restaurant. If you are looking for upscale, modern big-city dining then you might try Eleven Madison, Picholine, The Modern (admittedly, in midtown), Mas, Blue Hill, Toqueville, Dovetail, Telepan . . .

"Finally, how about a Sunday brunch or breakfast place that is leaning towards a French or European touch to it"

Artisanal, Balthazar, Pastis, Blue Ribbon Bakery.

Never seem to find a GOOD Dim Sum place in China Town. I'm sort of spoiled by trips to Toronto and San Fran, but there has got to be one rock solid place in NYC!

Not knowing where you've been, and understanding NY Dim Sum is not comparable to Vancouver or San Francisco you might try Jing Fong, Dim Sum Au Go Go or to get real dim sum, travel to Brooklyn to Pacificana or to Flushing - Tung Yi Fung, 135-29 37 Ave.

There are better places than Indochine, which is old - what are you looking for? neighborhood? Food? Scene?

check out addresses, menus,prices and reviews at www.menupages.com www.nymag.com

Thank you! looks good.

I went to Lupa last year and it was excellent. Would definately go again, but I will try the one of the others.

Indochine just looked like an interesting place. We love asian fusion cuisine, so anything along that line would be great.

Can't remember where we ended up for Dim Sum, but it wasn't Dim Sum Go Go, but we will try one of the ones you recommended.

We don't want to venture too far from midtown, just want to keep it within a few blocks from where we're staying or the shortest cab trip as possible. We're always "burnt" and these are "recharge" trips so we tend to be homebodies at the hotel sipping on champagne and snacking on goodies we've picked up, except to hit a few good spots over the 4 days there.

Thanks!!!!

Dim Sum

Jing Fong
Golden Unicorn

Brunch

City bakery is right off Fifth
Clinton Street Bakery
Five Points
Prune

Tripadvisor has great reviews and you can check out different areas and types of food. Have fun!

mp,

FYI, an out-of-town visitor dragged me to Il Postino once . . . room was nice, food was OK, some great, some not so great, but way overpriced. Five much better choices for Italian within five minutes of my East Village home. To each his or her own . . .

What would you recommend of the five that would be upscale Italian?

Scarpetta. Hands down. We had another VERY excellent Christmas eve dinner there last month. Google it and read the reviews - 3 stars from the Times, named one of the best restaurants in NYC on many lists for 2008.

Lavagna
I Coppi
Cacio e Pepi

but they are all in the East Village, not midtown

On second thought, Cacio e Pepi may not be fancy enough for your taste, decor-wise. But the food is delicious.

Hi Mark 99,

I second mp's recommendations -- all great choices.

Re: Indochine, please don't go there. It is really very tired, and I don't know of any Manhattanites who ever go there.

If you want to try some extraordinarily compelling (delicious, innovative) pan-Asian, try any of the Momofuku restaurants in the E. Village. Go early for lunch or dinner to avoid lines -- they don't take reservations. My fave is Momofuku Ssam Bar. The food is amazing -- be sure to order the pork-belly buns.

Or, for something more relaxing, Persimmon in the E. Village offers a 5-course tasting for $37. Haven't been yet, but everyone I know who has says its a steal. Also, Ippudo in the E. Village is about as close to a Tokyo-style ramen shop as you're going to get. For something a little more glamorous, right by Union Square, there's Japonais. A little overpriced in my book, but def. along the lines of Indochine.

Cheers, Erica

Alternative to Gotham - try Gramercy Tavern. A lot better than Gotham & one of the best restaurants in NYC, IMHO.

Good Italian - I don't know Il Postino (never heard of it) but depending on what you like, Babbo is very good, especially if you have a yen for uncommon ingredients & pastas. Can't go wrong with Scarpetta, or with Convivio if you like Southern Italian in particular. At a lower price point, for really good flavorful food & cozy (but not upscale) decor, Lavagna is very good. Also look at A Voce.

Dim Sum Goo Go & Jing Fong are goo for dim sum. But perhaps you want to try the Shanghai dumplings at Joe's Shanghai or the peking duck at Peking Duck House... just a thought.

I live in Manhattan and eat out 3-4 times per week.

When I'm in a rut, I pick a neighborhood first, then I go to opentable.com and menupages.com and search that neighborhood.

But midtown? Search elsewhere.

http://www.cortonnyc.com

Thin

Thank you all for the great recommendation. We cancelled the Indochine res and will try to get into Japonais or Momofuku.

We rebooked the Il Postino to Scarpetta after reviewing the information. We are looking for an alternative that is very formal and this seems close enough, and the pictures of the restaurant seem wonderful.

Il Postino we love because of the overall ambience of the place. Yes it is expensive, and perhaps it is not the absolute best Italian in NYC...but we receive excellent service, find the food excellent and it has an "Audrey Hepburn" style to it with patrons dressed very smartly, and that is something that weighs heavily in our dining preferences from time to time.

We are also going to go to Gramercy Tavern, something we have bee trying to do for a while now, and then Dim Sum at Dim Sum Go Go.

The lunch/break and bars I guees we will see the times and try to hit a few of them to check it out.

Been to Babbo and that was fabulous, and we will return another time.

As for the others, I will check them out next trip.

Thanks Again!!!

If you are looking for very formal, upscale Italian, that's not Scarpetta. Scarpetta is NY energy, gracious and friendly, downtown, but not formal. For formal, fancy, I would suggest either Scalina Fedeli or Del Posto. Just to be clear, so your expectations are in line with what the restaurant actually offers . . .
ellenm - thanks for the il postino info - sounds like what I've read is on the money.
Thin - have you been to Corton yet? that's right up there on my list - Montrachet was the "big deal" restaurant for me in my 30's (llloooooong ago . . .)

here is a very good post about the new lunch prix fixel at Momofuku Ssam Bar- try to get there early for lunch or dinner, after around 12:30 for lunch and 7;00 for dinner there is a long wait.
http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/...llage-nyc.html

Will have to try Il Postino then. Scarpetta is not "formal" but it is an nice upscale restaurant. I guess the difference lies in the attitude & sound level. I would still go there unless you want a quiet place.

One our favorite time out lunch spots is to share a burger at David Burkes at Bloomingdales while watching the crowds walk by.

No worries...I knew it was not so formal. It appears to have lots of energy...which we love, and after seeing the pictures I couldn't resist booking it.

We will do the "formal" thing at Gramercy instead, and keep Il Postino as our special little place in the future.

I honestly don't know what all the fuss is about saying it is "expensive". I don't find it any more expensive than any fine restaurant. Then again we are not ordering 400$ bottles of wine either. Luckily my wife is a one drink person, which is the perfect mate to have for a long term designated driver!

Thank you all for the recommendations.

Scarpetta was excellent...nice vibe and the food was excellent! Would definately recommend it. It was not as formal as Il Postino as indicated, but the crowd was well dressed and pleasing.

As well, Gramnercy was another excellent restaurant and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Our real dissapointment was actually Japonaise. I think Erica hit it dead on....overpriced for what you get.

Nice atmosphere, but there was a few tables that were reminiscent of a dorm....with the odd F Bomb being dropped....just not suitable language in such a restaurant. Luckily they left shortly after we were seated.

The martinis were average at best, and the appetizers were beuatiful but dissapointing if flavor.

The entre was excellent, but nothing I could not duplicate at home.

Overall it was ok, but I would definately not go back.

In the end, I have a new love for Il Postino in the sense that it is the best I have found for a very formal atmosphere when you want to dress more formal for the evening of Italian food and have a quiet dining experience.

Great trip and now I have added new places to dine!

Thanks everyone!