Hi! I'm a former resident of NYC, and my boyfriend is a Brooklyn native, but we've lived in CA since 2005, taking trips back to NYC about twice a year. Every time we go back, we end up going to the same restaurants that we used to go to when we lived there. While there is definitely something to be said for trips down memory lane, I'd love to try some new places when we go for a week in July. I'd particularly like some suggestions in Brooklyn and a great Indian restaurant. Some of our old standbys are: Gotham Bar and Grill, Gnocco in the East Village (is it even still around?), Teany on the LES for lunch and tea, and JoJo and Bella Blu on the Upper East. Any suggestions for yummy, unpretentious dining?

For Indian, I always like Surya in the West Village. Tamarind off Park South also can be good.

As a longtime Park Slope resident, I can say that there are lots of good eats out here! Fifth Avenue in the "north Slope" has a stretch of good restaurants, including the amazing Al di La; they don't take reservations, but if the wait is too long there's lots of other restaurants nearby. Blue Ribbon has two restaurants adjacent to one another on Fifth Ave. I love the cozy French restaurant Cocotte also on 5th (farther south at 4th Street). And my BF and I also like Cafe Steinhof on Seventh Ave, though hearty Austrian food might not be the thing on a sultry day in July!

There are so many other restaurants in the neighborhood that my fingers are getting tired just thinking of all I'd have to type! Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Peruvian, nuevo Latino...

Oh, and W-burg would be good to check out too...

Hope this helps as a start!

I believe JoJo closed. On the UES, the best "new" options are Cafe d'Alsace, Sfoglia, and Spigolo.

All three received excellent reviews from the Times' Frank Bruni.

In the East Village, don't miss Lavagna. The rigatoni is probably my favorite single dish in all Manhattan.

On the LES, the Orchard is wonderful, and in SoHo, Lure Fishbar is great.

Enjoy!

Thank you both so much for all of your fabulous suggestions! I've spent the day researching them online, and am salivating already! I don't think we will have any repeats this year.

ggreen: Surya looks amazing, a nice departure from 6th street. I am particularly intrigued by Al di La and Cocotte. It will be nice to be able to take my boyfriend's mother out for dinner nearer to her home.

gekko: All three of your UES suggestions look so tempting! I will definitely try Sfoglia.

Lavagna has also made the "must" list. A great replacement for Gnocco, which can be uneven. And Fishbar looks like a lot of fun.

I was wondering if you have any specific recommendations for Orchard Street? I used to live on Orchard and Rivington, so I'd love to go back to the old neighborhood. Almost all of the restaurants have changed since then.

Thank you both again for your time and insight!

Northeast Kingdom is a favorite of mine in Williamsburg. Very unpretentious and yummy food, extremely reasonable. Peter Lugers is the best steak ever. www.freewilliamsburg.com is a great site for restaurants.
Brooklyn Fish Camp in Park Slope is excellent, there is also Mary's Fish camp in the West Village.
Stanton Social in the LES is a excellent as well. So many choices! Have fun!

The name of the excellent restaurant on Orchard Street is "The Orchard," between Stanton and Rivington Streets. Check out one of the best cocktails in New York, the Orchard Martini with honey vodka and ginger.

What part of Brooklyn?

Almost all of the restaurants have changed since then.

Wasn't that amazing grilled cheese place on Orchard? Mmm, I miss that place! That area has changed so dramatically in the last few years and I don't down there as frequently as I used to...

Surya is great because as you said, it's a change from 6th Street. There are items on the menu from different areas of India, which is also a nice change. It's an attractive restaurant with fresh food, without breaking the bank like some of the high-end Indian places can do!

In which neighborhood does your boyfriend's mother live? Maybe there's a good restaurant or two there too?

My boyfriend's mother lives in Flatbush, but I'm not sure there is much in the way of dining there. Maybe some good Caribbean food? We are open to exploring all different parts of the borough. We used to hang out on Court Street and Bergen Street on occasion.

Wendy815: Great suggestions! Northeast Kingdom looks great, and the price is right. Brooklyn Fish Camp looks like a blast! I've walked by Stanton Social before, and wanted to go in, but ended up going to an old standby. This time I will know better!

Gekko: Thanks so much for getting back to me. I looked up The Orchard and realized that it must be either next door or directly under my old apartment. Do you happen to know if it is in the location that used to house Baby Jupiter and then a French restaurant that I think was called Tabac? Anyway it looks delicious! I only wish that it was there when I lived in the area. : )

ggreen: Agreed! That grilled cheese place was excellent, I can't believe that it closed! I used to get a sandwich as a treat every time I had to write a paper. : )(I was an NYU student) I moved to Orchard Street in 2000 when the area was in the process of gentrification, and it was a different place when I moved out in 2003. I feel so out of touch!

Thanks again for all of your time and effort. I am going to gain so much weight on this trip! I can't wait!

Gnocco is still there. In thr East Village I would recommend Supper or I Coppi for Northen Italian and Cacio e Pepe for Romano cooking.

For seafood-Mermaid

For French Bistro Casimir.

Friends tonight told us their new find is Alias on Clinton and Rivington. I don't know much about it, but I do trust my friends' opinion! (And of course, crazy Fodorite that I am, I immediately thought "I need to post that to that thread I was on" LOL!!) Looks like it gets good reviews on menupages.com, too.

Alias looks great too! Of course, today my boyfriend said that he wants to go light on the restaurant meals this trip. To him I say: "Too bad!"

I don't know what week you're going, but someone recently posted a link to the NYC Restaurant Week(s) in July. It's July 16-20 and 23-27. Lunch is $24.07 and dinner is $35 for a 3 course prix-fixe. 200 restaurants are participating. It could be a good way to explore new places. And if your boyfriend wants to go light on the restaurants for financial reasons, it's a way to get a weeks worth of lunch and dinner for the cost of 3 dinners in NY!
Of course I can't find the post now, but just google NYC Restaurant Week and it's the first listing.
Have fun!

Here's a new one on Broome Street that I tried last night:

www.barmartignetti.com

Great lobster roll & atmosphere -- the hook here is servers dressed like classic 80's preppies -- and a good-looking, young crowd to match.


(While the lobster roll was excellent, I found the lobster bisque to be a bit too creamy for my taste -- but if you like creamy bisques, go for it as well.)

I want to thank everyone again for their thoughtful responses to my question!

Aduchamp1: Cacio e Pepe looks like just the ticket! I have good friends who live 2 blocks away, so I'll be in the neighborhood anyway. The Mermaid Inn also sounds excellent. I found a glowing review from New York Magazine.

SuCo27: Thank you so much for the "heads up" on Restaurant Week! I'm going to be in New York from July 17th-25th, so I'll be sure to take advantage of the bargains. My boyfriend wants to go light on the restaurants because he doesn't want to gain weight. I say life's too short!

Gekko: I went to the Bar Martignetti website, and the menu looks wonderful, and in the right price range. The theme sounds awesome! Thanks for thinking of me!

All of this restaurant talk makes me want to move back to New York. I live in the Bay Area, which has some of the best dining in the country, but it isn't like New York, where there is a gem on every corner. I'll be sure to report back after our trip. I absolutely can't wait!

amyva, I just saw this little article on Alias in NY Mag and thought I'd pass it along...
nymag.com/daily/food/2007/06/alias_gets_a_new_chef.html

ggreen

Thanks ggreen! I'm even more intrigued to try this pub food/high end Italian fusion!

Enjoy Cacio e Pepe.

Hi amyva, I'm just back from my overseas trip. I'd love to hear what restaurants you ended up trying and what your experiences were like!

ggreen

I want to thank everyone again for their wonderful suggestions. The bad news is that all but one of my meal plans were usurped by stubborn dinner companions who were unwilling to venture into the unknown! (The culinary low-light was when I was forced to go to the Times Square (!) Olive Garden (!!))

The one restaurant I managed to try was Surya, and it was the best meal of the trip! They had an eclectic and unusual menu. Everything we ordered was delicious. We also loved the ambiance. Again, a far cry from the Christmas- light adorned eateries on 6th.

My only consolation is that I'm going back to New York in late November or early December, when I will be SURE to get to most of your suggestions. I will make reservations in advance and force my plans on everyone else for once! I am determined that all of your thoughtful advice will not go in vain.