Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3146
Loc: Chicago
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After the traditional debate over spending it in Tampa at her parents house or in Houston at my parents house, we've decided to punt and spend Thanksgiving in New York this year. We may be staying at the Westin New York Times Square based on availability and cost. We have a reservation at Jean Georges for Thanksgiving Dinner and are considering the following for other meals: Le Cirque 2000, Daniel, Gotham Bar & Grill and Tavern on the Green. Any feedback on the Hotel or any of these or other restaurants? Any other hotel suggestions?
Also, we're trying to get tickets to either: Rent, Chicago, The Producers, etc. Any feedback on Broadway shows? Any advice on cozy places for a cocktail?
Thanks,
Dennis
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15729
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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I can't help you with Hotels because I stay with family when Im there..and those restaurant places you mentioned are all pretty good...we loved Lutece's for 5 star dining but they closed up and moved to the Venetian in Vegas.....however...for down and dirty, but incredibly good, blue collar "real" New Yorker food...let me suggest that you cant leave NY without eating in a deli..eating pizza...or going to an original bar.....for pizza...Rays on 7th Ave or Johns on Bleecker Street ...they are quite simply the best in the world - bar none .....for deli....Katz's Deli on Houston Street ( pronouced house - ton, not Houston )...nothing else is in their league for good kosher deli.....for a bar....McSorleys Old Ale House
( I drank there when women were banned from the place, til it got overturned in court in the early 70's...but thats another story )...its older then dirt and was there before the Indians sold the island to white man
add BarVetro on 58th Street to your list of upper end restaurant choices...its very good Italian and thats coming from one fussy Italian who would only eat Italian at Tonys on Post Oak Street when I lived in Houston.....
you must have a Sabrett Hot Dog from the street corner vendors...thats as much a part of being a New Yorker as anything else...and throw in a potato knish and maybe some roasted chestnuts too while you re at it...and maybe take a cab down to Little Italy and have an espresso and a cannoli from Ferraros on Mott Street
enjoy....T Day in NYC is a special treat that I miss dearly
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karma is a beautiful thing at times
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3146
Loc: Chicago
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Thanks, Miker
Ray's is already on the list...love that place! Already planning on the typical tourist evening of a carraige ride through the Park with some roasted chestnuts...just hoping the horse hasn't had a helping of "Beef-a-rino"!
Ah...Tony Mandola..anything his family ran in Houston was good for me!
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Kara Brooks
Reged: 09/30/02
Posts: 1394
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Thanksgiving in NYC (as opposed to turkey day at our house yet again) sounds so great. Jean Georges will be fantastic.
My personal favorite NYC restaurant at the moment is Beppe (212-982-8422). Really pretty and amazingly good Italian food - the octopus "salami" is outrageous. Another one of our favorite NYC things are the oysters at the Grand Central Oyster Bar (downstairs in Grand Central). It is a classic. Sit at the counter. A dozen oysters and a Brooklyn lager has to be one of life's great pleasures. To save a few bucks you might want to try DB Bistro in lieu of Daniel (both Boulud restaurants). The bouillabaisse is the best I have ever had anywhere (but I think it is only available one day a week - perhaps Fridays). We are also fans of Town. - really jazzy, fun place. Sunday brunch at Balthazar is another great bet but make your reservations after noon if you want to order a bloody mary (try the oyster mary and the eggs poached in red wine - so good). I would personally give Tavern on the Green a miss. It really has a tourist only reputation.
On the hotel front, we are fans of the W Tuscany in Murray Hill. It is a great location - Park and East 39th and the rooms are huge by New York City standards. It is on a fairly quiet street, a few blocks from Grand Central (and those great oysters), and located in a renovated pre war apartment building.
As far as the theater, we saw Rent when it first opened years ago and loved it. A few years later, however, we saw some guy from the Backstreet Boys I believe butcher one of the songs during the Broadway on Broadway performance so I am not at all confident that it is still the same quality show. I have heard great things about Wicked. One of the stars of Wicked - Idina Menzel - starred in the original production of Rent as Maureen (and even more idle Broadway gossip: Menzel is now married to Taye Diggs who was also in the original cast of Rent). Just a thought.
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Kara Brooks
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3146
Loc: Chicago
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Thanks Kara!
I'm trying to steer away from Tavern on the Green for just the reasons you mention...I'm getting push-back...
We love oysters so Grand Central sounds fun.
We're coming home Saturday so Sunday Brunch will have to wait 'till another time.
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15729
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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I had completely forgotten about Grand Central Oyster...yes..yes....I second that.....Kara if you like Beppes, you will also like Bar.Vetro as well....I was quite impressed with it....very chic and yet very Italian....
I'm in heaven in the kitchen on T Day....I go nuts with it....its such a great day ....LOL
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karma is a beautiful thing at times
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15729
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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oh take her to Tavern On the Green....yes its touristy but its still kind of nice and I can think of far worse touristy places to go in NYC....like Mama Leones...LOL
oh and its Tony Vallone I was referring to in Houston
Edited by Mike R (11/09/04 01:05 PM)
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3146
Loc: Chicago
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Tony Vallone...right...my bad.
I cooked T-day last year for my wife's family...WHEW! What a production...so much to coordinate at once. Awesome when it's pulled off correctly!
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Erma
Reged: 10/05/02
Posts: 517
Loc: North Georgia
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Quote:
for a bar....McSorleys Old Ale House ( I drank there when women were banned from the place, til it got overturned in court in the early 70's...but thats another story
quite surprising coming from a man with such love of women :-) ....I guess back then you needed a break every once in a while !!!
Ah, to have known the 70's...too bad I was only a toddler...
Best regards, Erma
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15729
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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Erma...back then I was a confused 17 year old with a fake ID ( it was 18 to drink then ) whose need for a good beer and a liverwurst on rye ( both of which Mc Sorleys was famous for) was almost as strong as whatever aspirations I had for whatever women I happened to come across in my travels.....had I known then what I know now....LOL....but the whole "womanization" of McSorlys was a major deal then....front page news and all...and they agreed to let women in ( after the court order) but only on the contingency that the one bathroom they had would remain and they would not install a ladies room...they were able to pull this off, I believe, because the bar truly is/was an original building and with historical status.....I havent been there in quite some time but I would imagine there is now a ladies room in the establishment
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karma is a beautiful thing at times
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NYCFred
Reged: 01/06/04
Posts: 6119
Loc: NYC
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What? no PARADE?
if you're here wednesday nite, head up to Central Park West and 79th st...it's the backstage view of the parade...all the balloons are laid out on the closed streets, being blown up for the parade the next day...kinda a big neighborhood party....
also, lots of new restaurants, some REALLY high end, at the new Time Warner center at columbus Circle...
check out Zagat.com...you can review restaurants by neighborhood.
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I go for the Q-tips.
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Kara Brooks
Reged: 09/30/02
Posts: 1394
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There is also a good bar in the Time Warner complex-- Stone Rose. It is another Randy Gerber bar. Speaking of the Time Warner restaurants, I was just checking the availability for Per Se -- for January 2005 -- and it's booked!
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3146
Loc: Chicago
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Well, that's what started this whole trip...my wife has always wanted to see the parade in person...so off we go...we of no children...to NYC to view the most famous parade in the country (world?). We arrive around 5 PM on Wednesday...trying to get a reservation at Le Cirque 2000. Don't know where that is in realtion to CPW and 79th, but I had read something before about the float blow-up party. We'll keep that in mind.
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15729
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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you re not too far from CPW at all..Cirque is midtown I believe...on Madison....so its only about 30 blocks or so...and it is the best Parade in the world
Edited by Mike R (11/10/04 07:00 AM)
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3146
Loc: Chicago
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Thanks, Miker...and I just read a review of Bar Vetro...sounds very nice...amd It WOULD be nice for at least one meal to cost under $200!!!
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15729
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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yeah I think you'll like it...and NYC is like St Barts in that you dont have to leave a vital organ, or a first born, to have a great meal...many great meals can be had for a reasonable cost....
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karma is a beautiful thing at times
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3146
Loc: Chicago
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Hey Miker...got a feeling you may have a suggestion for this, too: A cozy place for a late night drink...comfy chairs or couches, maybe some music...romantic as opposed to upbeat, good Single Malt selection...good wines by the glass selection.
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mrud
Reged: 04/14/03
Posts: 34
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dennis, i can't speak for the hotel as i've never been, but i certainly have some feelings regarding the restaurants.jean-georges is breathtaking in every way. i don't know if you will have the traditional full belly when you leave, but other than that it's perfect. le cirque is sort of on the way out. certainly not what it was a few years ago, and not in the same league as daniel, which is frankly the best french in the city. (haven't tried ducasse under delouvrier's hand yet) gotham is fabulous and more casual than the others and would recommend it highly, along with gramercy and union square, relatively on the same level with minor differences in food/atmosphere. as for tavern, unless you are going there for the boisterous holiday/tourist atmosphere, skip it. i could recommend at least 20 others with some basic parameters if you're interested. either way, enjoy!
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15729
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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Yeah its been too long since I did that sort of thing in NYC..usually evenings in and around NYC are spent with family who piss and moan about us living too far away, over a lower priced table wine...LOL>...Kara can help you with that I'm sure
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karma is a beautiful thing at times
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sbdreamin
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 307
Loc: NJ
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Dennis,
"Smoke Jazz Club" at 105th and Broadway. Couches, scotch, Wynton Marsalis now and then...
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3146
Loc: Chicago
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just googled it...sounds great...thanks!
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3146
Loc: Chicago
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Ok..we're dining at Daniel Wednesday night...Jean Georges Thanksgiving...lunch at Tavern on Friday. All I need is some suggestions for friday night...we'd like someplace Italian...NOT jacket required...NOT break the bank...a fun lively atmosphere...Miker's suggestion of Bar Vetro sounds good as does Beppe...has anyone been to any of Mario Batalia's places?
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sbdreamin
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 307
Loc: NJ
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Being Puglian, i must vote for I Trulli. excellent food, there is a very nice garden room in the back, and huge spiced wood fireplace in the main room.
Its on E27th betw. Parkave south and Lex.
Bellini is also excellent, very open contemporary looking, down from Bar Vetro at e52nd, betw 2nd and 3rd.
And by the way, if you are in the theater district after 9pm Fri or Sat night, try the front bar at"Don't Tell Mama" on W46th for a great time.Each Bartender sings at the mike on their break, as good as anyone on Broadway. Its alot of fun.
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CarolH
Reged: 11/24/03
Posts: 186
Loc: Leawood, Kansas
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I'll second "Don't Tell Mama" as an entertaining spot. Osteria del Circo is also operated by Sirio Maccioni's family ( Le Cirque 2000)...a circus decor...much easier on the bank. Will look forward to your Thanksgiving Report!Carol
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NYCFred
Reged: 01/06/04
Posts: 6119
Loc: NYC
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<<<A cozy place for a late night drink...comfy chairs or couches, maybe some music...romantic as opposed to upbeat, good Single Malt selection...good wines by the glass selection. >>>>>
here ya go....in Grand Central Station, midtown, 42nd and park...entrance on Vanderbilt Ave....the Campbell Apartment...guy had a private apt in the terminal he used for entertaining for years...here's the quote from the web site....
<<<Formerly the private office and salon of 1920's tycoon, John W. Campbell; The Campbell Apartment has been fully restored to its original splendor -- and reborn as a chic cocktail lounge that has already been cited in the national media as one of "the best bars in America".
The Apartment is open Monday-Saturday from 3pm to 1am, Sunday from 3pm to midnight, and is always available for private parties.
Proper attire (no baseball caps, t-shirts, athletic shoes, etc.) is required.>>>>
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I go for the Q-tips.
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3146
Loc: Chicago
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The Apartment sounds great! I just checked out the website. Looks great, too. Thanks for the tip...that's the kind of place we would probably not have found without the input from this forum...Thanks!
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Kara Brooks
Reged: 09/30/02
Posts: 1394
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We just spent the last couple of days in NYC. Another great dinner at Beppe (great Italian comfort food). We had a sublime dinner at Blue Hill (which is named after the chef's family farm in Massachusetts). I would HIGHLY recommend it (we did the tasting menu paired with wines - outrageously good food and service!).
Tried to get into Babbo one night (they claim to have six tables for walk ins but it was a two hour wait). It smelled so fantastic that I will someday actually have to breakdown and make plans well in advance of a trip and get a reservation.
Fun bar find -- Flatiron Lounge on 19th Street b'twm 6th and 7th. Great cocktail list and a very pretty spot.
The great oyster debate at Grand Central -- for the first time ever an oyster might have beaten out the mighty Wellfleet. Loved the Cuttyhunk (also, of course, from Massachusetts) this time around.
Great cheap massage find - Grateful Services on 2nd Avenue (and 51st I believe). $60 for an hour massage and significantly more privacy than Tui-Na (Lafayette and Spring) although at $40/hour Tui-Na has to be the bargain of the century!
Greatest city ever!!
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Kara Brooks
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3146
Loc: Chicago
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Kara,
Thanks for an up-to-the-minute update! Beppe sounds great...we still haven't figured out where to dine Friday night. Would we need to make a reservation at Beppe before we get to NY?
On the massage info...my wife doesn't read this board...but we have a "full disclosure" policy...so I'm required to tell her about the $60/hr massage..Thanks!
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15729
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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Kara....Bite your tongue!!!!...LOL...NOTHING beats a WellFleet Oyster....nothing....when I lived in P Town a friend of mine was a Wellfleet Oysterman and so I had access to all the Werllfleet Oysters I wanted.....God do I miss that
Cuttyhunk is a wondeful island that time and "progress" somehow has passed by...well worth a visit..best kept Cape secret...and then you can have their oysters too
Edited by Mike R (11/14/04 08:02 AM)
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Kath
Reged: 02/19/03
Posts: 116
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In Vino on 4th Street in the East Village is a great little wine bar.
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GayleR
Reged: 11/18/02
Posts: 1206
Loc: Toronto, Canada
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One of our favorite spots for "old-fashioned" Italian is Nicolas Restaurant - 212-249-9850 - 146 E 84th St (Lex & 3rd). This is a real neighbourhood (upper east side meets wiseguys) spot with huge martinis, amazing clams marinara, gooey eggplant parm, fab pasta, all in portions made for sharing. The room belies the expensive prices, and the waiters have been there since the year "dot". A loyal upper east side crowd ensures the place is always packed and yes, you need a reservation.
For casual Tuscan style in a very nice, busy and noisy room with a wood burning oven, we like Trattoria Delle Arte, 900 Seventh Ave. (bet. 56th & 57th Sts.) 212-245-9800. Amazing antipasto. Friendly staff and very good service.
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