One of the more interesting and different Greek restaurants is Pylos in the East Village. It does not offer all the usual Greek dishes, but their cooking is superb. Reservations have become a must.

http://www.pylosrestaurant.com/

I love what I saw on the Capital Grille menu, and that option is on the table.

IMO, Capital Grille is, at best, a passable chain and I would not waste a NYC dinner on it.

If I had my heart set on lamb, I would think maybe Craft or Colicchio and Sons. Bear in mind that I have not had lamb at either, but both have lamb on the menu and that seems like something they would do well (I really like both restaurants). Keen's is also (very) famous for their mutton chop and maybe their lamb would be good too?

Here is a list from Chow, as well.

http://www.chow.com/food-news/138412...st-lamb-chops/

For Greek fish, I usually go to Elias Corner in Astoria. Service is pretty poor. Decor is non-existent. But good, fresh fish, and a nice chopped salad. Good octopus.

http://www.eliascorner.com/EliasCorner/Main.html

My favorite pre-theater restaurant is the West Bank Café -
http://www.westbankcafe.com/menu.html

Taverna Kyclades, a long time favorite in Queens, has opened up a branch in the East Village. Not only is the food wonderful, the size of the portions are very unManhattan.

http://www.tavernakyclades.com/

Thank you all for the great suggestions. One of the things I enjoy most about traveling is EATING! =D If only I had more room to put it all or more days to eat it all. I have my work cut out in terms of decisions.

Pylos caught my attention earlier when I was looking at Greek choices. The menu is fabulous. Thanks for reminding me of this one!

Becco. The old man still loves it.

The best lamb chops I've had in NYC were at Peter Luger, in Brooklyn.

BigRuss - How have I missed Becco all these years? My mouth is watering!

2nd vote for lamb at Peter Luger. We may have to give it a try, if for no other reason, just to say we did it!

Thank you for the suggestions.

Becco is the one where they just keep piling on the pasta.

I've never been to Luger's, but Keen's has a spectacular Lamb chop) they call it mutton but it's lamb). If you are a normal person and blanch at the thought of all that meat, it is possible to have a half order in the "pub" -- a non-reservation area between the bar and the restaurant.

http://www.keens.com

“The Mutton chop on the menu, actually a 26-ounce saddle of lamb, skirted with fat
and nearly two inches tall, can wear whatever label it pleases because it
provides as much pleasure as a carnivore could want.”
New York Times, 2006

Yes, at Becco they keep piling on the pasta. But I haven't been there in several years after two trips when all THREE pastas were absolutely gummy, overcooked, and tasteless. I'd much rather go to a decent Italian restaurant where they prepare MY own order of pasta fresh and tasty, -- rather than "all you can eat" pastas cooked to please all tastes (bland) and served from pans that may have been sitting on the stove for quite a while. But if you like bland (especially creamy or cheesey) pastas, and you like lots to eat, it may really fit the bill. I suspect they can't do lots of garlic, any hot peppers, or things like squid or anchovies in pastas that they're trying to make appeal to all tastes.

More great information. We are not "all you can eat" kind of people. Buffets generally turn my stomach. I'd rather go to McDonald's and grab a fresh burger and fries than go to a buffet. I'm not fond of creamy or cheesy pastas either. Becco's is off of the short list.

Fra - Keen's is on our list, but we're still a bit undecided. In addition to the mutton, they also have a double lamb chop that I think would be wonderful. The thing we were hesitant about is that we have a Keen's in Houston offering the same thing, so we could get that at home. However, I've heard that the original Keen's is a bit different/better than the other locations. Any thoughts on this? When I'm in NYC, one of the things I enjoy most is eating great things at places that I can't get at home.

I had no idea Keen's was a chain! The original restaurant is an eyeful.

News to me also if Keen's is a chain. I can't find anything about that anywhere on their website, nor by googling. Nor with a number of searches can I find a Keen's Steakhouse in Houston. Are you sure the two are connected?

The thing we were hesitant about is that we have a Keen's in Houston offering the same thing, so we could get that at home.

I don't think Keen's is a chain. I could be wrong, but it seems as if the one in Houston (I can't find it at all on the Google) would be a knockoff.

When I'm in NYC, one of the things I enjoy most is eating great things at places that I can't get at home.

Go to Momofuku Ssam bar then (a weekday lunch at 11:30 is easy enough to get a table - get the rice cake dish). Or Acme. Or, if you want to break the bank, Eleven Madison Park.

Do not, under any circumstances, be tempted by either BBQ or Mexican in New York. You can also safely pass on Vietnamese if you live in Houston.

For BBQ, try Mighty Quinn in the East Village.

My mistake! You guys are absolutely correct about Keen's. I was thinking of Capital Grille which was suggested earlier. Keen's is likely where we will go for our lamb "fix."

Sorry about that confusion, and thanks for the additional suggestions.

Travelg: I laughed just a little when I read "Do not, under any circumstances, be tempted by either BBQ or Mexican in New York." In 2004, my daughter and I were in NYC for over a week and had begun craving Mexican food by Day 5. Suffice it to say, I could not agree with you more. =)

Well, we don't have great Tex-Mex, but Pampano, http://www.richardsandoval.com/pampano/index.php serves food similar to what you would find in fashionable restaurants in Mexico City.

There are also more and more taquerias which receive good reviews, but they are in areas of the city where tourists, and many locals, fear to tread.

What you lack in Tex-Mex, you more than make up for in every other cuisine imaginable - the one possible exception being BBQ. One of my favorite things about NYC is the plethora of excellent food choices.

When visitors come, they rarely try ethnic foods that might not be available in their home towns.