Special Occasion meal in NYC, on short notice
Hoping the Serious Eats community can help me out here- going to NYC this Sunday (7/13) for the SO's birthday. I'm looking for someplace nice-great food, nice atmosphere. Price range $150-250 including drinks/tax/tip for the two of us. Types of food: Italian, Japanese, French...actually we're pretty open-minded so almost anything goes. Also it obviously needs to be someplace I can get a reservation on short notice. Thanks!!
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10 Comments:
A couple picks for you where you should be able to snag a table: The tavern at Gramercy Tavern. No reservations, but if you go early you should have no problem getting a table. For Italian, try Del Posto's Enoteca. They take reservations day of only.
Alaina Browne at 11:46AM on 07/09/08
How about Sushi Yasuda - amazing sushi, definitely not your standard fare.
And since you said NY, but not specifically Manhattan... :) I would also recommend Saul in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. It's right off the F train, 3 stops into Brooklyn, and it's fantastic. Outstanding food and service, great wine list, a real treat.
Have fun!
CookiePie at 11:55AM on 07/09/08
A bit of a throwback, but I highly recommend Po and the tasting menu, 6 courses $50 pp. The atmosphere is fantastic and the food is really good quality.
BirdDoggie at 1:40PM on 07/09/08
Saul is not special occasion material. Good, yes. But not dependable enough when you really wanna take care of someone.
You will find a great place calling tmrw or day of, I'm positive: It's a Sunday in July.
I were you I'd call:
Babbo, Blue Hill or Blue Ribbon Sushi (for the omakase).
They all fit your price range, have great service and special food
rrakes at 10:47PM on 07/09/08
@rrakes - I'm surprised to hear that! Friends took us there as a wedding gift, and we've taken others there for various celebrations. I don't think it's a, "Hey, it's Tuesday, let's go out for dinner" kind of place -- definitely more for special occasions. We always have had outstanding food and great service.
Did you have a bad experience there? I'd definitely be curious to hear about it -- I recommend it a lot but would be more cautious to do so if I've just been lucky there.
CookiePie at 11:28AM on 07/10/08
I have found the food to be solid: always capable, but never mind-blowing. Service is usually good, but pretty loose (much more amenable to a table of four friends than to a couple on a date), and divergent server-to-server.
I def. am not knocking the place, but given the amount the OP is willing to spend, I think he/she can find more of a "sure thing" resto for a special romantic occasion. For instance, the tasting menu at Blue Hill, at $68 a head.
rrakes at 11:43AM on 07/10/08
Thanks rrakes! Definitely good to know. My experiences there have been completely different, but looking at your other recs, we seem to have similar tastes, so I'll be sure keep what you've said in mind.
CookiePie at 1:06PM on 07/10/08
Gramercy Tavern is an excellent choice. Even though it is last minute, you can call and ask about cancellations, and they will put you on a waiting list and try really hard to fit you in. Since it is a special occasion, I'd definitely mention that, too.
If not, Eleven Madison Park is another Danny Meyer restaurant (great service) and a little more ambitious in its offerings, a bit less cozy, but the food is great. Pricewise, it would be at the very top of your price range. OpenTAble.com is showing a good range of open tables right now.
Del Posto's Enoteca now takes reservations in advance (I believe it is a month to the day), BTW.
For sushi, I would choose Yasuda over Blue Ribbon Sushi. BRS's fish quality is not the greatest, and also, you cannot make reservations. There would probably be a 30-60 minute wait for two on a weekend night. Other options might be Aquavit (Dining Room), Craft, or The Modern - Bar Room. All of those are showing openings on OpenTable.com right now.
kathrynyu at 3:32PM on 07/10/08
Thanks for the suggestions everyone- I am considering Blue Hill, Yasuda, and also a suggestion I received from someone else: Abboccato. Has anyone here been there?
stretchycat at 4:10PM on 07/10/08
Hi, everyone! Love this site. I am de-lurking to third the vote for Del Posto's Enoteca. Just went last week and it was phenomenal. Did a 4 course tasting for $51 each. Gorgeous restaurant. They do take reservations in advance now.
edierae at 11:27AM on 07/11/08