Hi SENY!

I work for a national food magazine, and each month 2 people on staff get a dining stipend to do restaurant research...tough, but someone has to do it! August is my month, and I want to choose a place in NYC that's relevant to changing food trends but also a bit timeless, very good and really WORTH the visit. I'm also looking for a place that's not exactly the obvious answer (i.e Babbo, Per Se, etc). Off the top of my head, two ideas are Kyo-Ya and Annisa (since it recently re-opened). Any ideas, eating gurus?

A few things:

-It doesn't have to be Manhattan... I'm not borough-shy
-Something unexpected is preferred
-I like all cuisines, no foods freak me out that much

I'm looking forward to your thoughts!!