PS Statia,

Don't forget that Park, 5th, 6th, Madison and B'way all get quite close togther in that neighborhood, so Park Ave at 28th, for instance, is to my mind within reach for a client lunch.

When one talks about how bad and expensive the reataurants in Times Square are, perhaps he is forgetting about Hell's Kitchen (on the doorstep of the Belvedere). Or the wonderful places just a few blocks away from Times Square in every single direction. I've never understood the idea that really good and well priced food isn't available in that general area (say within 7 blocks in any direction as has been offered for this list above). I couldn't begin to compile the massive list of comparable restaurants within that distance of Times Square.

Thanks for the list, espagnabound. I will print it out for my next trip. :)

BTW - I meant to add that I "can" get into eating a lot of Korean food, and have a lot of faves on 32nd Street, but with a week long biz trip, it's nice to have something different here and there. :)

Thanks again for the recommendations.

It's funny that people would send a tourist into Hell's Kitchn but tell them not to walk on 27th and B'way at night. Hell's Kitchen has gotten better, but it's still dicier than any stretch of B'way.

I eliminated Hell's Kitchen restaurants in my list to Statia because Ninth Avenue is mostly too far to walk for lunch, and south of 42d St is much rougher than the stretch between 42 and 55.

Even so, it's a constant challenge to find a good, well-priced meal in the theater district. My personal favorites on Ninth Avenue (even I seldom to bother hiking over to 10th, because the blocks are so much longer up there) are Osteria Gelsi, Marseilles, Los Hermanos (a real dive) and Mangiaro's (lunch only, and not business class). And if I want boudin noir (that's once every six years or so), I head over to Chez Josephine. (Although, come to think of it, it may have closed.)

East of B'way, I can eat happily at Osteria al Doge off Times Square, and BRILLIANTLY at a few odd Chinese restaurants near Rockefeller Plaza.

Otherwise, I'm starving. It's just simpler to go someplace else for dinner.

Name your picks!

There is nothing wrong with 27th & Bdwy. I am in that area quite often and have NEVER had an issue. However, it is not very pretty and neighborhoodish. Not really a tree lined street type of feel, but not seedy at all. There are 2 restaurants near there that come to mind and they are almost across the street from each other--Scopa, and Country at the Carlton Hotel. 29th & Madison. And 4 blocks south on 23rd street there are tons of restaurants and bars--Nell's, Suede, etc.

And if you head over to 25th and 7th there is a huge Whole Foods store to buy some great munchies for your room.

espagnabound - thanks, saving to print out places to eat.

reynabeyna - Please report back on your stay at the Broadway Plaza Hotel and how it all worked out. You will love NYC.

Sandy

espagnabound, you are confused if you are suggesting that I said "not to walk on 27th and Broadway at night". If you look at my post, I made it clear that it was not a dangerous area and not to worry about it, and even further added that late at night isn't until after 2 or 3 anyway.

My reasons for saying Belvedere would have been a better choice is that the poster asked about being "close to Times Square" and presumably the activities there like theatre. My talking about all the restaurants in Hell's Kitchen was in reference to where she could eat IF she were staying at the Belvedere, less than a block from 9th and 48th. There is not much "seediness" in the 9th Avenue area of Clinton/Hell's Kitchen north of 42nd or so, yet there are dozens of good, reasonable restaurants. My comment about staying at the Belevedere had NOTHING to do with safety issues, just a much nicer and "better" area to stay in my opinion, particularly if she's looking for more "activity".

Besides, didn't you know Hell's Kitchen doesn't exist anymore? It's now called Clinton and it's all cleaned up. (LOL)

And will all that talk, I failed to add my sentiments once again, that reynabeyna, if you are committed to Broadway Plaza, go and enjoy. You will have a great time. All this discussion of restaurants has gotten a little blurry. After all does it make any real difference if you have 10 or 100 restaurants to choose from? You'll do fine where you are.

But people were telling her to stay at the Belvedere before she even mentioned Times Square. And she still hasn't said anything about the theater. I think a lot of people think MTV these days when they think of TImes Square more than they do theatuh.

But obviously my real concern was the misinformation that this area was less safe than the area around the Belvedere. As you pointed out, it's safe.

By the way, one of the funny things we watched happen in the last decade is lots of tourists, groups of women especially, coming to New York because they've watched Sex in the City. They take pictures in front of the places they recognize from the series. (Or maybe somebody has published a tour guide?) Probably more of Sex and the City was shot just west of 27th and B'way than anyplace around the disneyfied 42d street.

Hell's Kitchen will always be Hell's Kitchen. So where are your resto recs? C'mon! No fair. No secrets. (And nothing over 50 per head, please.)

OK, here are a few Hell's Kitchen favorites:

Roberto Passon
Marseille
Le Madeleine
Film Center Cafe
Puttanesca
Amarone
Cascina
Jezebel
Mercury Bar
Hell's Kitchen
Delta Gril
L'Allegria
Pietrasanta
Julian's
Island Burgers
Rachel's
Zen Palate
Zuni
Uncle Nick's
Maria Pia
Luxia
Eatery
Taboon
Amy's Bread (breakfast)
Coffee Pot (breakfast)

And those are just the ones I can remember that I have eaten at. Two new ones I've been told to hit next time are Breeze and Xing.

I've also not included any of the Restaurant Row (46th between 8th and 9th) or even any 8th Avenue places, which may not be Hell's Kitchen, but are in the close range of it and the Belevedere.

The funny thing. While some of the above are better than others, all fit in that budget, most way below, and I've never had a "bad" meal at any of them. I wish I could say the same for some of the much more "in" and expensive restaurants in New York I've been to.

Is it any wonder I like renting in the area between 8th and 9th in the mid 40's to the low 50's? Next stay in May, 50th between 8th and 9th.

Statia,

Look what I found for you (and me!)

New York Magazine's article on "Cheap Streets" -- meaning, streets you can walk down and have a choice of great, cheap restaurants. One of them is West 38th between 7th and 8th! (Djerdan makes the list):

http://tinyurl.com/jznw6

Hmm. Interesting. I googled to see exactly what the "official boundaries" of Hell's Kitchen are, and immediately found this article. It extends the area further in all directions than I would have thought, but this is an interesting assessment of the area, particularly as it relates to real estate.

http://tinyurl.com/2nhw7

And for the theater crowd:

http://tinyurl.com/kkcdy

Neopolitan,

Good choices! Although I have to say I've had a clunker or two meal among the choices, most memorably Zen Palate, but that's par for the course in NYC. I agree with you that going to pricey recommended restos in New York can be a real disappointment. Better to stick to Uncle Nick's when you've been happy there.

You definitely need to add Osteria Gelsi to your list (just down the street from HK on Ninth Av). Food from Apulia. If you like Argentine steak, Chimmichuri (near Marseilles) is cozy. Best sit-down pizza in the theatre district is the paper thin and fresh giant disks at Osterial Al Doge (I think that's 45th between b'way and 6th ave). The have other Venetian specialties.

And there is a Wu Liang Ye at 36 W. 48th St. for Sichuan that is noisy but great eats.

(I have a friend who just made a fortune selling his HK apartment. Going fsst!)

Also, Neopolitan, if you are going to be that far north in May and are walking in and out of Central Park, check out the crepes shack just inside the entrance to the park at Columbus Circle. Nutella. Bananas. Chocolate. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Alas, as a diabetic, that crepe stand will remain a no-no for me, but my partner will no doubt love it. And you've mentioned the perfect combination for a crepe! (unless it would simply be a bit of chocolate with a liberal splashing of Grand Marnier).

Incidentally, I suddenly realized that I have done at least one over $50 meal in that area. It was at Esca -- and yes, it was in fact a "bad" meal in every sense.

Meanwhile by heading just a little east of there I will hit some other favorites, which pretty much fall into a more expensive, but "worth-it" category. Among those, my fav Le Bernardin, Osteria del Circo, Red Eye Grill, Remi, Brasserie, Bar Americain, and Baldoria among them. I still bristle when New Yorkers boldly proclaim there are "no good restaurants in midtown", as some have actually said here.

Funny too you mention Zen Palate. That could easily be my least favorite of that list above, but I just chalked it up to the fact that I make a very bad vegetarian -- bring on the meat!

What a pity you had a bad experience at Esca! It's "crudo" in particular can be truly outstanding. Unless somebody else is paying, I can't afford anything more than to sit at the bar and eat a lone oyster -- but it's a great oyster! I once got into an argument with a waiter at Esca who INSISTED I had to have the branzino because it was delicious that day -- and I didn't want branzino! We went about two rounds on that one.

Le Bernadin -- well, who can argue with that? Most of us you hear whining there are no good restaurants in midtown can't afford Le Bernadin. Or Aquavit.

I think the more accurate way to put this is that the proportion of bad restuarants-to-good is much higher in the theater district and around Times Square than it is in Chelsea or Gramercy.

Sorry I don't know enough about what diabetics should and shouldn't eat to point out gems beyond the creperie. Maybe this Brazilian place is worth a try, even for takeout:

http://tinyurl.com/zgtu5

You'll be so close

Oh, been there. Done that. It's great, but I forgot about it. It closes too early (except maybe weekend nights) for after theatre, but great chicken, beans and rice for lunch. You're right. It's just around the corner from our rental at World Plaza!

And actually there is one regular New York poster here who has indeed said that Le Bernardin is horrible -- a place for nothing but grey haired tourists or people on business accounts who "don't know better". Laughable. It isn't trendy enough for him apparently.

Our Esca experience was a fiasco because it was late (after theatre) and Mario was eating there with apparently a group of managers and/or chefs that all the waiters kept hovering around and socializing. Our waiter lost our order, and when we checked on where our food was we got a rude "everything is prepared to order, we don't rush". Finally after ages more, he came out and asked what we had ordered again. When I said, "I thought maybe the order was lost" he indignantly insisted no. Duh. We were about the only ones there by then, so why was he asking? But it took another 20 minutes or so to get our food. Clearly he had lost the order. I don't even remember what fish we had now, but I do remember I even had to send my cocktail back as they insisted a dry Robroy is made with sweet vermouth. And the fish was not "exciting" to say the least. This was in its first year, so not a recent experience by the way, I've just had no desire to go back.

Well, we've certainly managed to stray from reynabeyna's original question, haven't we?

Try this for after theater

http://tinyurl.com/ezlgt

or Kemia Bar (underneath Marseilles)


Back to reynabeyna's neighborhood (if she sticks with it ) or for Statia:

Ixta (tapas and mex)
48 E. 29th