NYC-- Breakfast Joints Around Empire State Building Area
 

So we abandoned Hawai'i for summer and settled on New York City in September! After much deliberation (and SIX rejected bids on Priceline), we settled on staying at the Red Roof Inn Manhattan on 32nd St. Clean and cheap are fine for this trip-- our highlight will be dinner and a show at the Café Carlyle, which will be VERY expensive. The rest is being left up to our whims when we arrive. If we sit down and make a detailed itinerary for a trip, we abandon it within 30 minutes of arrival.

Although I'd rather be a bit uptown of this hotel's location (I usually stay near my company's Midtown East office), no big deal. But does anyone know of a good breakfast place around here? Bagels and coffee places are good, but how about sit-down eateries? Lunch and dinner are never a problem in Manhattan, I've found.

And any recos for a GOOD "new" hotspot restaurant, maybe with a good bar scene, anywhere between SoHo and Upper West Side, where two forty-ish professionals can "chill"? I know, difficult. But I know you can meet the challenge!

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!! ;)

I'm sure someone will come up with a suggestion closer to your hotel, but the Mayrose at Bway & 21st is great for breakfast.

The Barking Dog Diner at 150 E. 34th (Between Lex and 3rd) is moe than adequate for a sitdown, eggs potatoes and toast breakfast - good selection of omelettes, too.

Very hot right now is Kittichai, the newish Thai fusion place in the 60 thompson street hotel. Also 5 Ninth at . . yes, it's at 5 Ninth Avenue! in the uber-trendy meatpacking district. You might also try Spice Market - Jean Georges Vongerichten's take on Asian street food - very loungy and cool - food is a bit erratic . . . it's right up the block on 9th Avenue and 13th street

As a formerly 40 something professional, I'm not so interested in bar scenes and go out for the food - maybe Gekko will post one of his always scintillating responses - he knows all the bar scenes.

rjw, consider Priceline again closer to Sept. I usually get the Hilton on 6th.

rj, who is the entertainment at the Cafe Carlyle since Bobby Short passed away? I know Woody Allen plays the sax there on Monday nights.

While I love the Carlyle for its ambiance, I'd rather eat at March, Daniel, or Per Se for the amount of money you'll be dropping at the Carlyle.

Make sure you have a pre-CC cocktail at the rooftop terrace at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Incredibly romantic way to start your evening!

I suspect rj is going to see Elaine Stritch who's scheduled for Sept at the Carlyle. (When are you going? I might see you there) Right now it's Barbara Cook.

I need to take my mom on a trip to NYC. She went to high school with Barbara Cook.

Also you might try Sarge's deli on 3rd btw 37th and 38th. 24/7/365, excellent latkes, all-day breakfast. Our fave deli because it's more a locals place than a "destination" deli. Also they can deliver to your hotel most likely.

Menus online at www.sargesdeli.com.

starsville there was an article about B Cook in the NY Times Magzine a few weeks ago. I'd send you the link but you have to register (for free)online to read anything there (real pain.) She might like to read it. It talks about the problems she's had over the years with depression, weight, and the recent loss of her musical collaborator.

Hi Go!! We are indeed going to see Elaine Stritch. Maybe the funniest actress alive, and having missed her one-woman play I'm not going to take a chance to miss her again. She who manages to put 100% of the "broad" in "Broadway" ;) !!

starrsville, I thought about being patient and trying Priceline later, but I found the Red Roof's rack rates (whoa, that's some alliteration!!) to be perfectly acceptable, and the tripadvisor reviews were all quite positive. So it's right near Penn Station and MSG-- I can live with that. As long as cabs are available, right?

By the way-- THANKS to everyone for their advice so far! All good pointers. Now what I need is a good subway map and we'll be set...!

OK, I'm topping my own thread. So sue me.

Let's talk Sunday Brunch. Not a buffet, but a leisurely mid-morning to mid-afternoon meal with champagne, to prepare our journey to the Metropolitan Museum and a Central Park spin, or whatever we feel like on a Manhattan Sunday. I want the non-tourist Locals' Favorite. Fire away, NY locals!

By the way, I am also looking for another cabaret that would be suitable for us mid-40s types and a hip couple in their mid-60s who would be joining us for cocktails on Sunday. Chic, relaxed, fun crowd. Any suggestions?

For cabaret, I would keep an eye on the schedule at Joe's Pub, the cabaret at the Public. They don't have Sept. fully scheduled yet, but a lot of interesting people do gigs there -- nice place (on Lafayette, near Astor Place.) www.joespub.com

Also, there's the Oak Room at the Algonquin, which will reopen in the fall on Sept. 6th; nobody currently booked there until Andrea Marcovicci in Nov., but it's still early yet.

For brunch, my favorites may not be exactly what you're looking for, but I'll toss them out anyway: the Popover Cafe at 87th and Amsterdam. If you go later in the afternoon you'll have less of a wait. Everyone I've ever taken there loves it. Another little secret of mine is a place called Dorian's, which up until recently was called Miss Ellie's Homesick Bar and Grill. They have a garden room in the back on the ground floor which is a nice place to have a lingering brunch. The food is good and basic -- not expensive, either. It's located at 226 W. 79th, just east of Broadway and 79th. Either the Popover or Dorian's is a nice stroll through the park away from the Met. The Popover is always popular; at Dorian's you can sometimes walk right in and get a table.

rj, in case you don't know, buffet brunches are not a NY "thing," but I'm going to recommend one "partial" buffet at Cafe Botanica at the Westin Essex House Hotel on Central Park South. Appetizer and dessert buffet, main course ordered from the menu. Artisanal is closer to your hotel (32 st b/w Madison & Park) and is a great brasserie specializing in cheese. If you don't do brunch there, you should try it for lunch or dinner. They have a prix fixe for both.

For something more casual, what about the Boat House right IN Central Park. Then you can have a stroll up to the Met through the park.

As for cabaret, I agree with robhart, the Oak Room at the Algonquin or perhaps Feinstein's at the Regency are in the same league as the Carlyle. Sunday night might be difficult though. The Oak Room usually has someone on Sun. but Feinstein's may not be open.

I'm another Stritch fan. When are you going?

Just down the block from the Red Roof Inn, on the SW corner of 32nd and Broadway, is Speedy's. I've had lunch there. It's a deli that does brisk lunchtime business. You can get the usual sandwiches, but they also have a hot table with very good offerings each day (think poached salmon, stir-fried vegetables, pastas). Because of its busy location, the food disappears quickly and seems tasty and fresh. They have the requisite coffee bar and bagels/pastries--I didn't notice if they cooked breakfast items. While the deli is teeming with people, there's a large upstairs area with tables and windows with views of Greeley Square (the south end of Herald Square). So its a sit-down place, but you have to get your own food and carry it upstairs--no table service.

This might be farther from your hotel than you want to go, and it's in the opposite direction from the Met, but Friend of a Farmer is an excellent place to go for brunch. It's in Gramercy Park on 19th St. and Irving Place. It's stylish and cozy. The only problem is that there is often a line for brunch.
http://tinyurl.com/8z5gy

Dock's Oyster Bar, on 3rd Avenue at 40th Street, is one of my favorite brunch spots, and is surprisingly never crowded. It has kind of an old NY pub feel, though it's much nicer than your typical pub. Their scrambled eggs with salmon is VERY yummy.

mclaurie: I <i>know</i> buffets aren't a NYC thing (I can't picture UWS yuppies in line for steam-table bacon and scrambled eggs)-- which is why I want the places where the Ladies Who Lunch have planned their brunch--
(&quot;Here's to the Ladies who lunch!
Everybody laugh!
Lounging in their Caf-
Tans and planning a brunch
On their own behalf...!&quot;)

Everyone has come through with great ideas. I appreciate and am grateful for your expertise! Thanks so much.

Points to you for quoting &quot;The Ladies Who Lunch.&quot; Hope you enjoy the Stritch show. Saw her Bway show and it was great.

I wonder, *are* there any NYC brunch buffets? My in-laws were in town last year, and when we went out for brunch, they were a bit put out that it wasn't a buffet. I said I had never even heard of one in the city. So of course I've been trying to find one ever since.

robhart, you should have come to fodor's for the answer! Someone asked the buffet brunch question a while ago and we all learned something by doing some research. Brasserie 8 1/2 evidently does a nice one for $27/person.

http://www.menupages.com/screenmenu....een=MW453.html

The other places we mentioned were the music places like BB King's who does gospel and buffet, Iridium does dixieland jazz and buffet. Aquavit also does one.

Here's the thread
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34507330

rj, in rereading this thread I realize we didn't answer all your questions. Here's a subway map. (I think it's good.;))

http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/maps/submap.htm

If you want a ladies who lunch brunch place go to Orsay (Lex &amp; 75 st) or Lenox Room. Cafe Sabarsky would be a good idea too (in the Neue Museum at 86 &amp; Fifth). Also, someone posted here about having a good brunch at Five Points in Noho (it's very popular). You need a reservation at any of these places.

No one gave you an idea for a newish dinner place. Bruno Jamais on 81st between Madison &amp; Park. (right near the Met) used to be a private club and is now open to the public. It's in a lovely townhouse and there's music (for dancing) mid evening (around 10:30)

http://brunojamais.com/

For some places downtown, a bit trendier, Matsuri (Japanese in the Maritime hotel), 5 Ninth (meatpacking), the Harrison (tribeca) or Village (french bistro in guess where?).