Posts Tagged ‘Restaurant Week’

Foodies, Get Your Forks Ready! It’s Restaurant Week (er, Restaurant Month) Again in New York City through February 12

This year 515 restaurants are giving foodies a chance to enjoy some deep discounts while tucking into wonderful chef creations. Offering two-course lunch (starter and main, or main and dessert) and three course dinner (appetizer, entrée, dessert) prix fixe menus priced at $30, $45 and $60 with some variations, these New York City eateries invite you to sample their culinary wizardry without breaking the bank. Fortunately, the “week” lasts until mid-February so you have time to choose. Check the details as some meals are only offered on certain days. And, no worries, none of these will give you an experience like the one “enjoyed” by invited guests at Le Menu — you can still order a hamburger at some, no strings attached.

Here are 23 exceptional choices for your consideration for Winter Restaurant Week 2023.

Courtesy David Burke Tavern

David Burke Tavern’s three-course Restaurant Week dinner is priced low at $45, offered Tuesday through Sunday. You’ll be able to try Burke’s signature entrees like DB brined and roasted chicken with toasted faro, wild mushrooms and kale; and wild mushroom ravioli with its intriguing combination flavor profile of parmesan, sage, pomegranate and chocolate balsamic. All can be complemented by a selection from the special Restaurant Week $40 wine list. Three sides are also being offered for a reduced price of $15. The restaurant offers a $30 two-course lunch Restaurant Week menu as well.

Seeds and Weeds credit Hallie Burton

New York City has recently announced the arrival of the Tin Building, the sprawling culinary marketplace at The Seaport brought to life by Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Weekly lunch specials can be found at four of the building’s new restaurants: T. Brasserie, a French brasserie; The Frenchman’s Dough, where freshly made pizzas and pastas are served daily; House of the Red Pearl, a sexy fine dining restaurant serving Chinese-inspired dishes; and Seeds and Weeds, a sustainable and artisanal plant-based eatery focusing on using the fresh ingredients of the day. Seeds and Weeds also offers a Restaurant Week dinner.

Courtesy The Fulton

Nearby, set in the heart of the Seaport with stunning river views, The Fulton serves up Restaurant Week lunch and dinner menus featuring the celebratory-feeling petit seafood plateau of oysters, shrimp cocktail and sashimi; and mains such as ume sesame crusted salmon. And, here’s where you can order a French take on a hamburger, Fulton’s Gruyère cheeseburger au jus.

Street Performers Courtesy Mercado Little Spain

How about a movie with your specially priced dinner?  Mercado Little Spain from superstar chef Jose Andres is hosting Monday Movie Nights on the big screen at Spanish Diner, extending beyond the end of Restaurant Week until February 27. Grab some complimentary popcorn and settle in to watch a selection of Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar movies while munching on Spanish Diner’s beloved huevos rotos (broken eggs) and fricando de ternera (traditional Catalan beef stew). Movies are shown at 7:30pm with a lineup of Bad Education, Volver, Parallel Mothers, All About My Mother, Julieta and Matador. Come prepared to read subtitles and have a great time. Not enough evening entertainment? On Thursday evenings from 6-8pm, Mercado Little Spain is bringing in street performers who will roam the market space.

Courtesy Tavern on the Green

You can’t find a prettier place to dine at than Tavern on the Green. Tavern’s $45 lunch includes a choice of appetizers such as Tavern black bean soup, baby spinach salad and grilled portobello mushroom flatbread. Entrées include pan-roasted medallions of monkfish and Angus skirt steak. For just $15 more, you can enjoy a lovely dinner including additional appetizer choices like caramelized garlic shrimp and a three-leaf salad. Dinner offerings include hearth-baked Chatham codfish and mustard-crusted organic chicken breast. For dessert, there’s New York cheesecake, warm apple crisp and carrot cake.

Courtesy Piggyback

Who doesn’t want to enjoy a cocktail tasting with their Restaurant Week special? Piggyback, sibling to the Lower East Side’s Pig and Khao by Chef Leah Cohen, is an Asian-inspired gastropub in Chelsea. Tuesday through Friday, diners can enjoy a three-course lunch prix fixe menu for $28 or a three-course dinner experience for $60 from Tuesday through Saturday. In addition, a vegetarian prix fixe dinner option is offered for $50 per person. Highlights include lumpia Shanghai, Malaysian fried chicken and sticky toffee cake. For those not observing Dry January or if you’re dining in February, Piggyback also offers a cocktail tasting for $32 per person.

Courtesy The Grid at Great Jones Distilling Co.

Whisky drinkers can add a flight of spirits to their meal at The Grid at Great Jones Distilling Co. At this restaurant within Manhattan’s first whiskey distillery since Prohibition, you’ll enjoy a three-course prix fixe menu along with a Great Jones Distilling Co. whiskey flight of three signature whiskies, all for only $45. The menu takes advantage of the season with mushrooms in their porcini mushroom veloute appetizer and the forest mushroom fusilli. Dessert is a fabulous sticky toffee pudding that blends perfectly with a whiskey. This is also the home of another delicious NYC burger, served with Great Jones bourbon and bacon jam. There’s no way to lose here!

Baar Baar © Noah Fecks

Baar Baar, a modern Indian gastro pub located in the East Village, offers a well-priced opportunity to sample Chef Sarkar’s homage to regional Indian cuisine. For Restaurant Week, the restaurant has put together a three-course dinner for $45, Monday through Friday and Sunday. There are many exotic choices to tempt you to be adventurous including pork belly or lamb keema Hyderabadi to start, beef short rib curry or bronzini Paturi with Bengal mustard cream for mains, and carrot halwa cake with phirni mousse and saffron-pistachio ice cream for dessert. As a bonus, you also get a canape and choice of side.

Courtesy IRIS

Inspired by the rich culinary traditions of the Mediterranean, talented Chef John Fraser explores the cuisine of the Aegean at IRIS, drawing upon his Greek heritage and admiration for Turkish cuisine. The special menus include the likes of delicata squash flatbread or grilled octopus with candied citrus to start, moussaka and branzino fillet entrees, and fig sorbet and pistachio baklava for dessert. The restaurant’s wine program covers Turkey and Greece offering an extensive e selection of vintages from the two countries as well as from other areas of the world. IRIS is perfectly located for those planning to attend a performance at Carnegie Hall or a Broadway play.

Courtesy La Marchande

Moving from the Mediterranean to France, La Marchande is Chef Fraser’s modernized take on the French brasserie in a FiDi location convenient for those working in the Wall Street area. Signature dishes show off Fraser’s global dexterity with French onion dumplings in mushroom consommé, hanger steak with shiso chimichurri sauce, and apple tarte tatin for dessert.

Fandi Mat © Andrea Grujic

Brooklyn’s Fandi Mata is a bi-level, industrial space featuring a Mediterranean-inspired menu. Specials here are a $60 three-course menu and $30 bottle of wine. The menu features appetizers such as spice-crusted tuna topped with ginger Champagne sauce and tahini, and burrata and heirloom tomato salad with spiced date jam, mint, pistachio and pea sprouts. For your mains, creative dishes include ribeye with bone marrow with black pepper sauce, lamb tagine, branzino en papillote, or one of Fandi Mata’s signature pizzas. Dessert is a surprise – it’s the chef’s selection.

Courtesy Lincoln Ristorante

Have you been dying to see the inside of the new David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center? Here’s the perfect restaurant for your pre-concert or post-concert dinner. Onsite Lincoln Ristorante presents an authentic Italian feast for $60. Choose among burrata, frito misto, or a romaine salad with anchovy-garlic dressing to start your meal. For your entree, order the gnocco alla romana with oxtail and shitakes. You can also opt for spaghetti cacio e pepe served with shaved cured egg yolk. Finish with a sweet warm pear and raisin crostata with grappa caramel or pinola al chocolate.

Courtesy IXTA

If Mexican is your preference, you won’t be lacking for choices at IXTA, the Mexican Cocina and Mezcal Bar on the Bowery. The restaurant offer an elevated twist on the traditional flavors of Oaxacan cuisine for $60. Choices include guacamole and flautas dorados to begin, followed by half organic roasted chicken with housemade mole poblano and sesame, braised short ribs, or enchiladas divorciadas. For dessert, you’d be remiss if you didn’t order the restaurant’s fabulous tres leche cake.

Courtesy The Mermaid Oyster Bar

For some delicious fun in Times Square, The Mermaid Oyster Bar is participating with Chef Michael Cressotti’s well-priced, $35 lunch menu and $45 dinner menu. First-course choices include fried Point Judith calamari with hot peppers, lemon and Old Bay aioli; “Dressed” Naked Cowboy oysters (every visitor to Times Square knows him!) with ponzu sesame and nori; or smoked salmon “Niçoise” with haricot vert, cooked egg and cured olive vinaigrette. Entrees include blackened fish tacos with pico de gallo, cilantro crème and slaw; and mussels Fra Diavolo with crushed tomatoes, Calabrian chili and arugula. Add a sweet finish to your meal with a Key Lime tart or salted caramel soft-serve ice cream.

Courtesy Vestry

Über-prolific Chef Shaun Hergatt offers an elegant take on Restaurant Week at his Michelin-starred restaurant, Vestry, with a three-course dinner menu for $60, Monday through Friday. Starters include Carnaroli rice risotto with saffron, tomato confit and pine nuts; or celeriac soup with hot panna cotta, parmesan tuile and extra virgin olive oil. Entree options such as potato gnocchi with wild mushrooms, vin jaune and chives; and Wagyu beef with shitake mushrooms, potato purée and miso-mustard are offered. Dessert choices include Guanaja chocolate with passionfruit and cacao nibs, and homemade cheesecake with honey crisp apple.

Courtesy MIFUNE

Beloved midtown Japanese MIFUNE will be offering a three-course dinner for Restaurant Week. Also a Michelin-starred restaurant, MIFUNE focuses on Neo-Washoku cooking, with the chefs’ signature style an infusion of French culinary techniques and flavors into Japanese cuisine. The typically omakase menu changes for each seating but is sure to be a standout.

Courtesy Dowling's at The Carlyle

Notch the class quotient up at Dowling’s at The Carlyle with special lunch and dinner menus. Chef Sylvain Delpique’s menus include choices such as carrot-coconut soup with pumpkin seeds, mint and basil oil; and tuna tartare with avocado, lemon cream and taro chips. Vegetarian s can choose roasted acorn squash with curried pepper sauce for their main course while omnivores can pick from Faroe Island poached salmon with horseradish cream and asparagus, chicken paillard or lobster Caesar salad. This is where you can also have an exquisite burger, Carlyle style. At dinner, the entrees shine with Peking duck and Steak Diane flambéed with cognac. For a sweet finish, don’t miss the restaurant’s lovely crepes Suzette served tableside or their raspberry soufflé for dinner. That’s true class.

Courtesy Archer & Goat

One of my favorite “finds,” Harlem’s Archer & Goat draws culinary inspiration from the husband-wife owners’ Latin American and South Asian heritages with a menu built around flavors and ingredients from Puerto Rico, Ecuador and Bangladesh. Their three-course $30 dinner is a true bargain and is available Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Try the elaborately prepared crispy Brussel sprouts with cilantro chimichurri and pickled chilis; roasted carrots with tamarind chutney, sesame seeds and dill; arugula salad with spicy chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickled red onions for starters. Follow with Goan shrimp curry or vegetable curry with turmeric rice, zucchini and cabbage slaw; chicken Vindaloo arepas with cucumber raita and cotija cheese; or vegetarian-friendly portobello mushroom arepas with cilantro chimichurri. For dessert, the “chef-wouldn’t-give-me-the-recipe” flan de Celeste with rose whipped cream is a knockout.

Courtesy Benjamin Steakhouse

Steak lovers aren’t left out. Benjamin Steakhouse serves a $45 weekday lunch menu items including, wedge salad classic Caesar salad, junior New York sirloin, grilled Norwegian salmon, New York cheesecake and more. On weekdays also, the restaurant’s special dinner menu, priced at $60, lets you choose from more steakhouse favorites like fried calamari, sizzling Canadian bacon, filet mignon, chicken parmesan and carrot cake.

Courtesy Merchants Cigar Bar

Making sure there’s something for everyone, clubby Merchants Cigar Bar on the Upper East Side is participating in Restaurant Week at their midcentury-styled lounge. To celebrate, in addition to their every day menu, the cigar bar presents a special dinner for $60 including deviled eggs, chicken lollipops, short rib pumpkin ravioli, garlic-ginger prawns, strip steak, lava chocolate cake and more.

The full list of restaurants can be found at nycgo.com.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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NYC Restaurant Week® To Go Is Extended through the End of February

Let’s call it what it is: the city’s popular prix fixe dining event, NYC Restaurant Week, should really be called NYC Restaurant Month. This year, in deference to the evolving outdoor dining, indoor dining and takeout/delivery situation, the newly renamed NYC Restaurant Week® To Go has been extended through February 28. You still have plenty of time to try out some of the fascinating cuisines featured in neighborhoods all over the city without ever leaving your home, all for the low price of $20.21 per meal.

No Passport Needed: Around the World

Marta (c) Peter Garritano

If you’ve been lamenting not dining at Union Square Hospitality Group’s popular restaurants, you’ll be happy that Union Square Café, Blue Smoke, Marta and Gramercy Tavern have all ponied up for Restaurant Week® To Go. Happily, now-closed Blue Smoke has two of their signature BBQ items available:  pulled pork and Texas beef brisket. Grab them while you can.

Courtesy Concord Hill

Simple but decidedly Brooklyn in inspo, Concord Hill brings you Chef Guy Kairi’s locally sourced, wild caught fish with a side of truffled fingerling potatoes. Ask for one of the New American restaurant’s signature cocktail infusions to go.

Courtesy UN Plaza Grill

Midtown East’s glamorous and kosher UN Plaza Grill is a popular stop for UN delegates as well as neighborhood residents. Diners can choose either the Plaza Burger with homemade BBQ sauce or chicken paillard with a Mediterranean couscous chopped salad. Please note, the restaurant is closed on Friday and Saturday until dinner.

Courtesy Lekka Burger

Chef Amanda Cohen’s plant-powered burger restaurant, Lekka Burger, has just what you need for settling in with your boo on a snowy evening. Curated from the TriBeCa restaurant’s menu favorites, you’ll get a signature Lekka burger, broccolini Caesar salad, French fries and a milkshake in your choice of flavor.

Courtesy CS DAK by Cuisine Solutions

CS DAK by Cuisine Solutions, New York’s first Dark Assembly Kitchen showcasing sous vide cuisine, is partnering with City Harvest for Restaurant Week® to Go. Under the direction of Chef Sean Wheaton, the team will donate a meal to City Harvest for every meal sold, helping to support the organization’s work rescuing food for New Yorkers in need. CS DAK is very generous to you as well, offering a culinary trip around the world with five chef-curated choices including roasted cod, petit beef tender, chicken breast, Mexican-style tamarind glazed pork ribs and Berkshire pork belly, all with a range of creative sides.

I’m in the Mood for Italian

Courtesy Mario’s Restaurant

Mario’s Restaurant on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx is as Italian as you can get. The 102-year-old Belmont fave serves up chicken cutlet parmigiana, chicken Francese, veal cutlet parmigiana, veal marsala, linguini with white or red clam sauce, ravioli, or fillet of sole Napoletana or oreganata, all with appropriate sides or salad. Ask for a bottle of Chianti to accompany.

Leonelli Restaurant (c) Emily chan

Leonelli Restaurant & Bar will keep you cozy with cuisine from Michelin-starred chef Jonathan Benno’s (Lincoln Ristorante) trattoria in the Evelyn Hotel. A polenta baguette, eggplant parmesan or lasagna verde Bolognese, and almond biscotti make a great spread while you tune into another season of The Crown. Or with this, you might want to consider re-watching The Sopranos.

Courtesy Gran Morsi

Tribeca’s Gran Morsi is offering one of the most extensive Italian selections for Restaurant Week with pizza, nine pastas and many contorni. Try the unusual busiate cacio e pepe or the spaghetti limone for something you might not find elsewhere. For your side, polpette or truffle arancini are a must.

So Many Asian Cuisines

Courtesy Kimika

Chef Christine Lau’s new Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant, Kimika, offers a Menchi Katsu version of a burger combining 30-day dry aged beef, fried mozzarella, shaved cabbage and pickled onion, served with a side of duck fat-fried potatoes. Pretend you’re sipping at the NoLita bar with innovative alcoholic and zero-proof cocktails like “Not a Rum and Coke” with rum, amaro, sherry and Prosecco; or the zero-proof “Basil Cobbler,” a combo of Seedlip Spice, basil, cranberry and other flavors.

Courtesy Tiger Lily Kitchen

Tiger Lily Kitchen highlights Michelle Morgan’s health-conscious, gluten-free Asian dishes.  The soon-to-be-permanent restaurant features appetizers including vegetable summer rolls, Japanese kabocha squash soup, or tofu bites with chili-spiced garlic chips. Mains offer a choice of lemongrass roast chicken, grilled Koji marinated salmon or vegetarian coconut curry with tofu.

Courtesy Torien

As close as you can be to Japan now, Tokyo export Torien in NoHo is offering a range of yakitori bento boxes including Yakitori- Soboro Bento with sauteed minced chicken, nori seaweed and egg; an all-veggie Yaki-Yasai Bento with Torien’s custom spice blend; or a Grilled Vegan Vegetables Box. Sides are a choice of toridashi chicken soup or vegetable broth. The yakitori counter’s skewers are prepared over a custom grill uskng charcoal imported from Japan.

Courtesy Little Chef Little Café

From Long Island City, Little Chef Little Café’s three-course meal includes a starter beverage choice of housemade iced ginger tea, basil lemonade or rosemary limeade. Highlights on Chef Diana Manalang’s Filipino menu are the adventurous Sinigang, a Filipino tamarind-based soup with tomatoes, potatoes, tofu, green beans and bok choy; or a rice bowl with garlic fried rice and topped with chicken adobo, pork adobo or vegan Ginataang (vegetables sauteed in coconut milk and topped with spicy pickled pineapple). Dessert is a traditional Filipino comfort treat, Biko, a coconut rice cake.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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It’s NYC Must-See Week (in addition to NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Broadway Week)

There’s no such thing as the January or February Blues in New York City. New York City’s Must-See Week really isn’t a week — it’s a couple of weeks with exciting programs, all happening at once and offering 2 for 1 tickets for dining, theater and iconic NYC activities. Must-See Week lasts through February 10, giving you at least a week to figure out everything you want to do and connect with your friends. Think 2-for-1 tickets to attractions, museums, tours and more. Now that you’ve made all your Restaurant Week reservations, here’s the next bit of planning that you need to do. Better still, combine these with a dinner reservation or a theater ticket — it’s Broadway Week, too, and tickets at 21 shows including Beetlejuice, Dear Evan Hansen and To Kill a Mockingbird are two-for-one. But, hurry, theater tickets, in particular, are selling quickly.

Bethesda Fountain Central Park NYC

Thanks to NYC&Co. you can overcome your FOGO (Fear of Going out when it’s cold) at least through the first week of February. This is something that will actually give you a case of FOMO (Fear of Missing out), so don’t wait. Do it all. Get your calendar ready.  Pretend you’re a tourist here. Or, if you are a tourist here, revel in the fact that these wonderful programs exist. And INDULGE.

Here are some of the wonderful attractions offering BOGO options this winter:

Mrs. Maisels Marvelous Tour of NYC - photo by Meryl Pearlstein

On Location Tours is offering all of their TV and movie tours at half price.  Their newest and, in my opinion, one of their best is the Mrs. Maisel’s Marvelous Tour of New York City. Led by an actress in perfect 50s Midge Maisel hair, attire and makeup, the tour takes you through the city to visit quite a number of locations seen in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Do you remember where Midge joined in the protest against the new highway in the park? Or where Joel and his buddy Archie commiserated at the bar? Yes, you’ll head to Washington Square Park and then to nearby Old Town Bar and have a drink there, or you can grab a pint at McSorley’s where Midge went after her date at the art gallery. You’ll also visit the diner where Joel proposed to Midge and they danced in the street — it’s in the West Village. I don’t want to spoil all the surprises, but you’ll see actual TV footage to show you the scene as you pass the filming location. You’ll spend a wonderful two a half hours by bus and walking, covering the areas where the Maisels and the Weissmans lived.  The tour is offered Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at noon. Dress warmly in your 50s colorful best and be prepared to walk. Wear a cool hat, and you’ll fit right in!

https://www.nycgo.com/must-see-week/browse/on-location-tours

New York City Photo Safaris

To prepare for your Mrs. Maisel tour, you might want to sign up first with New York City Photo Safaris. Covering the city from Times Square to Central Park, from the Brooklyn Bridge to Battery Park, the safaris are designed for those who want to learn how to capture the essence of the Big Apple. On these tours, led by photography professionals, you’ll get hands-on instruction to help you sharpen your photography skills, whether you use an iPhone or a DSLR. Bring whatever camera you use and be prepared to view the city from a different perspective. When you’re done, you can sign up for a one-on-one tutorial in Lightroom or Photoshop.

https://www.nycgo.com/must-see-week/browse/new-york-city-photo-safari

Central Park Zoo

Would you rather spend your day communing with nature? Animal lovers will get a chance to visit The Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo and the New York Aquarium for half price. I didn’t get to see the snow monkeys in Japan, but you can see them in Manhattan! Enter password MXW20 at the website below.

https://tickets.wcs.org/affiliate/password.

To add to these, a CityPASS for NYC, might just be the admission ticket to help you cover the truly iconic NYC bases in one discounted package. Don’t be shy — be a tourist. You know haven’t been to these in a long time.

CITYPASS Admission includes:

  • The Empire State Building
  • American Museum of Natural History
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Top of the Rock Observation Deck OR Guggenheim Museum
  • Ferry access to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island OR Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
  • 9/11 Memorial & Museum OR Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Pack Up Your Appetites – New York City’s January 2020 Restaurant Week is Back

Yes, it’s back! It’s time to fête the return of New York City’s most beloved dining extravaganza: Restaurant Week.

Dining out is a must-do activity in a city obsessed with finding new restaurants and being “in the know” when it comes to ferreting out the hottest trends, rising chef stars, and cuisines making their intro into this “melting pot” city. We love diversity and Restaurant Week gives you the chance to dip your finger, or at least your taste buds, into some 34 distinctive cuisines. Add these dates into your calendar now: January 21 – February 9 for the 28th New York City Restaurant Week; now is the time to enjoy the fall and winter bounty, especially the local vegetables that add to the seasons’ hearty (and creative) dishes. The next restaurant week won’t be until July (July 20-August 16).

Riverpark's Urban Garden

This year’s Restaurant Week offers up more than 350 restaurants in 45 diverse neighborhoods, each offering a prix fixe menu for a two-course $26 lunch or a three-course $42 dinner or both with locations throughout the five boroughs. (Note that restaurants that are gratuity-inclusive such as Blue Smoke, Maialino, Manhatta, Marta and Untitled have menus for $31 and $50).

Reservations go quickly, so jump on OpenTable or call the restaurant to book your table now. That, and choosing which restaurants to try out, are the trickiest part of this exercise.

To help you sort through the many restaurants offering special menus and Woodford Reserve Specials, I’ve selected ten that are especially interesting with a sample of their menu offerings.  You can find the full list at https://www.nycgo.com/restaurant-week.

ATRIO Wine Bar and Restaurant

Downtown at the Conrad Hotel in Battery Park City, ATRIO Wine Bar and Restaurant celebrates the fall season with a medley of burrata with roasted beet puree and honey-balsamic glazed kale sprouts; tuna tartare with roasted squash, avocado, green apples and pomegranate seeds; and vegetarian-friendly roasted cauliflower with a garlicky Romesco sauce and za’atar spice. Dessert choices are white chocolate and raspberry bread pudding adorned with crème anglaise or a berry compote-drizzled New York cheesecake.

Bagatelle NYC

Just north, Bagatelle NYC in the Meatpacking District has put together a selection of its signature menu items along with new dishes. Homemade Parisian gnocchi in a black truffle sauce, crispy branzino in tempura with a mayonaisey gribiche sauce, and braised beef shank with caramelized carrot purée are popular mains on the menu for Restaurant Week. You’ll be glad the prix fixe includes dessert, as Bagatelle’s French specialties Baba au Rhum and Paris Brest should not be missed.

Gaby Brasserie Française

Feeling especially culture-minded and hungry? Enjoy a taste of Paris at Sofitel New York’s charming Gaby Brasserie Française near the Theater District. Executive Chef Robert Hohmann is serving French faves like Croque Madame and duck Bolognese for brunch, Alaskan cod for lunch, and boeuf Rossini for dinner. The restaurant’s location just east of Duffy Square is perfect for a pre-theater (or post-theater) meal.

Porter House Bar and Grill

If Lincoln Center or Jazz at Lincoln Center are your destination, you might want to reserve a table at Porter House Bar and Grilll in the Time Warner Center. There you can enjoy Michael Lomonaco’s standout ML’s Caesar Salad followed by roast Lancaster chicken with mushroom pan roast; garganelli Bolognese; or Faroe Island salmon with fennel confit, roasted carrots and a  za’atar spice crust.

The Morgan Library & Museum - Morgan Cafe

On the East Side, the glass-enclosed Morgan Café at The Morgan Library & Museum will be showcasing its dining collaboration with Chef Tom Colicchio during Restaurant Week. The two-course lunch menu includes a choice of The Pierpont Salad (named for J, Pierpont Morgan), hamachi crudo, or celeriac soup to start followed by ricotta gnocchi, Chatham cod, or hanger steak with Swiss chard, fingerling potatoes, bone marrow, white anchovies and salsa verde.

Riverpark

For a second treat from Tom Colicchio, book a table at Riverpark where the seasonal and ingredient-driven menu incorporates produce from its own urban farm (overlooking the FDR Drive). The Restaurant Week menu features signature dishes as well as new items. For starters choose the kale salad with mustard greens, roasted squash, pumpkin seeds, ricotta salata and cranberry vinaigrette. Housemade zucca pasta is one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes and is served with pumpkin ragu, basil-dusted delicata squash and a variety of dried basil including Thai, blue spice and lemon basil. Meat lovers can enjoy another favorite, smoked brisket enhanced with broccoli rabe purée, garlic confit and smashed potatoes.

Felidia

Restaurant legend Lidia Bastianich is the draw at Felidia, and Restaurant Week is a good chance to sample some of her acclaimed Italian cuisine. For lunch, appetizers include a choice of bean, squash and chestnut soup; salmone affumicato made with house smoked salmon pastrami and egg potato salad; or Lidia’s penne with gran biscotto ham and creamy tomato sauce. For a main, you’ll have a choice of salmon with potato, spinach and mustard sauce; Lidia’s rigatoni with spicy tomato sauce, housemade ricotta and rosemary; or thinly sliced braised wagyu beef and polenta. Come hungry as you’ll want to indulge in homemade gelato, panna cotta or tiramisu for dessert.

Zuma New York

An exciting choice if you’re in the mood for Japanese is the lunchtime Restaurant Week menu at midtown’s Zuma New York. With an innovative spin on contemporary Japanese cuisine, the sceney izakaya-style restaurant adds ingredients hand-picked and sourced from small farms across Japan by Head Chef Oliver Lange and features an extensive sake pairing menu. Restaurant Week dishes include salmon tartare with ponzu and mustard miso, spicy fried tofu with avocado and Japanese herbs, and black cod marinated in Saikyo miso.

Queensyard

Now that the holiday crowds have disappeared, it’s a good time to explore what’s happening at Hudson Yards.  Located on the fourth floor of the new shopping mall, queensyard is offering both lunch and dinner Restaurant Week menus with comfort food-oriented dishes like delicata squash with shaved Brussels sprouts and smoked chestnut salad; and Green Circle chicken consommé with Jerusalem artichoke doughnuts and pickled enoki If it’s cold outside, the English muffin burger or Hunter’s Pie made with duck, pheasant and rabbit will hit the spot. Desserts like sticky toffee pudding add a sweet finish.

Rahi

Don’t eat meat? There are Restaurant Week menus just for you at Rahi in the West Village. Indian food lovers can choose from starters like flavorful gunpowder aloo and Dahi chili paneer. For a main, vegetarian and fish dishes include pumpkin coconut curry and three mango cod. If you love Indian but prefer a meat dish, try Rahi’s signature banana leaf chicken, a juicy bone-in chicken leg served with Basmati rice.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Here’s A Delicious Way to Celebrate the End of Summer: Resy Presents Off Menu Week NY, In Partnership with American Express

New York City has its share of restaurant weeks throughout the year, but now there’s a new one that has me quite intrigued.  Resy’s Off Menu Week NY gives you an insidery glimpse into how chefs create their next superstar dish. From September 16-22  Resy and American Express® give you a privileged look at some of your favorite chefs at work. It’s a delicious and exciting way to celebrate the end of summer.

Many of my favorites have extended invitations to experience their inner workings like Wayan, the new French-Indonesian bistro in Nolita from Cédric Vongerichten (Jean-Georges’ son), to Estela, also in Nolita where Mediterranean-influenced plates are popular along with bar seating; Loring Place with its veggie-forward choices; sleek, theatrical Chinese Tuxedo on Doyers Street; and the fiery dishes from Danny Bowien’s Mission Chinese Food in both Chinatown and Bushwick.  Wine lovers will want to reserve at Aldo Sohm’s tony Wine Bar in Midtown West. Master sommelier Sohm’s wine prowess at Le Bernardin is legendary.

Wayan

Mission Chinese Food

Aldo Sohm Wine Bar

I’m intrigued by the chance to try these restaurants’ experimental concepts and off-menu dishes. As usual with most NYC foodie-centric events, seats are very limited, so I suggest jumping on your computer to book now.  Don’t forget to read the fine print regarding cancellations so you won’t get charged if you can’t go.

Here’s the list of participants — click on the name below to make your reservation:

Aldo Sohm Wine Bar • Bar Beau • Tetsu • Grand Army • Celestine • Air’s Champagne Parlor • Loring Place • Estela • Shuko • Cafe Altro Paradiso • Di an Di • Wayan • Charlie Palmer Steak • Aureole • Ferris • Frankies Spuntino at Franks Wine Bar • Wayla • Chefs Club • Mission Chinese Food Chinatown • Mission Chinese Food Bushwick • SUGARCANE raw bar grill • Hanoi House • Chinese Tuxedo • Momofuku Nishi • Fedora • Simon & The Whale • Perry St • Miznon North

https://blog.resy.com/2019/08/resy-off-menu-week-ny-guide/?utm_campaign=Off-Menu-Week-Guide-NY&utm_source=simon&utm_medium=email

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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A New England Getaway from New York City: Newport, Rhode Island

Photo By: Gavin Ashworth

Newport, Rhode Island looms large in the lore of 19th-century society. It was where the wealthy vacationed, where they built their summer “cottages,” and where they entertained on a grand scale. The mansions lining Bellevue Avenue offer a taste of the Gilded Age, and they welcome you year-round to explore and imagine life as it was in what has been dubbed “America’s First Resort.”

For those of us who live more modestly, Newport (https://www.discovernewport.org/) holds much appeal beyond this fantasy life of the rich and famous of the 1880s. It’s also the playground of the sailing and yachting set and known for the America’s Cup.

Newport is a walkable town with quaint New England shops, beautiful flowers, stunning buildings, and oodles and oodles of history. It also remains a beacon to what is possible: having a port that early on rivaled that of New York and Boston, and serving as a haven for religious freedom from as early as 1639. And if the fresh ocean air doesn’t capture you with its salty perfume, the friendliness of the locals certainly will. Newport will always be a place to visit again and again.

I have returned to Newport many times, in different seasons, and have had a wonderfully enriching getaway each visit. The regatta and racing season may not begin until June, but spring is equally delightful in this elegant seaside town. Walking past the historic and architecturally significant International Tennis Hall of Fame (https://www.tennisfame.com/) or stopping at the quirky Audrain Automobile Museum (http://audrainautomuseum.org/) for more dreaming and drooling — this all add to the appeal of the city.

Newport is the home of the oldest synagogue in the United States. The 1763 Touro Synagogue welcomes visitors on a guided tour where you learn about the beginnings of the Sephardic community in the United States and George Washington’s inspirational letter to the Jews of Newport. The letter, written in 1790, is read annually to the congregation and visitors. The synagogue sits on Newport’s Historic Hill with the neighboring Seventh Day Baptist Meeting House dating from 1730 and the 1835 Levi Gale House.

Head back towards Bellevue Avenue for a look at the sprawling campus of Salve Regina College with its magnificent Gilded Age buildings and climb along the paths and rocks of the Cliff Walk for a privileged and intimate look at the back yards of the many mansions overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The Preservation Society of Newport (http://www.newportmansions.org/) will provide a list of the openings of the various cottages so you can also explore indoors, generally on a self-guided audio tour. The Breakers, Rosecliff, Château sur Mer, The Elms and Marble House are the only ones currently open, but all will be allowing tours by the end of May. (Insider’s note: the gift shops at the cottages offer some amazing “period” souvenirs that you may decide to keep for yourselves.)

Driving along historic Ocean Drive, one of the country’s most distinguished and beautiful residential roads, leads you to the premier destination for a Newport getaway, The Castle Hill Inn (www.castlehillinn.com/). Built in 1874 as a summer house, the landmark Victorian mansion delivers an experience that conjures up a stay among the society folks of the Gilded Age. With its sloping lawn and Adirondack chairs strategically placed for optimum bay breezes as well as views of neighboring Rose Island and Pell Bridge, Castle Hill Inn regally welcomes you for a classy, peaceful stay. The resort itself has many areas: the main inn rooms and their adjacent Harbor House and chalet accommodations; a main dining room, private dining area; two bars; a spa; a living room; and a line-up of individual beach cottages and houses where you walk across the sand to arrive at your own private house with fireplace and indoor and outdoor sitting areas.

For beach lovers, no matter the season, the Atlantic Ocean-facing cottages should be your choice of accommodation. The morning air and unblemished sand invite you to stroll along the shore while you search for sea glass that frequently washes up here. It’s a short drive up the hill to the main house where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the oceanview dining room, and where a reservation for Sunday’s jazz brunch is de rigueur. If you would prefer to stay in the main inn, the bi-level turret suite with its sweeping views of Narragansett Bay is pure Victorian bliss.

Last spring, I participated in the resort’s cooking school, let by Executive Chef Lou Rossi and Executive Pasty Chef Matthew Petersen. In the Inn’s lawn kitchen which serves guests outdoors during the warmer months, we learned how to make exquisite bakery items. My favorite was twirling the dough around my finger to create a somewhat round bagel. Others were more adept than I, but that was part of the fun. I had never tried anything like that before, and I loved it. I also loved making savory quiches and fruity crepes along with croissants with their many layers and pounds of butter. As we got more inventive, we made mini versions that replicated the larger croissants, just to see if we could. After a day of rolling, pounding and filling doughy, carb-filled creations, it was important to celebrate our successes with a Champagne toast and some wondrous cocktails. Beverage Director Anthony Boi showed us a number of variations on the Bloody Mary, to perfectly complement our brunch menu. The Inn’s specialty, and a riff on a New England standby, uses tomato-flavored vodka and adds clam juice to add a bit of salt-air intrigue.

Castle Hill Inn

Castle Hill Inn  is a shingle-style Relais & Châteaux situated on 40 acres just at the entrance of Narragansett Bay. The original 19th-century Agassiz Mansion has seven guest rooms and suites with stunning views. Outside of the main mansion, you’ll find 26 private, waterfront accommodations in the Harbor House, Chalet, Beach Houses and Beach Cottages. Activities at the inn vary by season, but there are always outdoor exploring, wellness and cooking weekends, spa treatments, champagne brunches, stargazing, bonfires, and beachcombing. The resort has hosted many famous guests over its long history, with perhaps the most celebrated being Grace Kelly who stayed while filming High Society in 1956. The resort’s secluded seaside cove bears her name. 590 Ocean Drive, Newport, RI 02840, 401-849-3800, or 888-466-1355. (http://www.castlehillinn.com/)

Executive Chef Lou oversees the curved oceanview dining room and crafts a changing menu of farm (or sea) to table international and regional choices. The Inn’s Sunday jazz brunch is popular among locals as well as guests and should be booked well in advance. Don’t miss the decadent lobster hash topped with poached eggs as well as any of the baked goods from Pasty Chef Petersen. In addition to offering the perfected Bloody Mary, the bar features a selection of more than 800 wines, acclaimed by Wine Spectator with the “Best of Award of Excellence” for the past 10 years.

To end winter, treat yourself to a “Retreat to Romance” weekend, filled with the indulgence of a couple’s massage at the Spa and Farmaesthetics Fine Herbal Skincare products along with the healthfulness of farm-to-table dining. Stay for two nights and toast the vernal equinox with a bottle of Champagne in your room adorned with flowers. The Inn’s decadently refined Afternoon Tea adds to the romance and rejuvenation.

Families aren’t forgotten either. Castle Hill’s popular Easter Weekend kicks off on Saturday morning April 15 with the annual Easter Egg Hunt on The Lawn and throughout the gardens. Proceeds from this event benefit the Child & Family of Newport County fund. Brunch on Easter Sunday celebrates the bounty of spring in the hotel’s oceanview dining room.  For reservations, call 401-840-3800.

I highly recommend the springtime Castle Hill Cooking Class which reprises this year from May 5-7. Chef Lou Rossi and Pastry Chef Matthew Petersen will again lead guests through a two days of culinary craftsmanship. Also part of this year’s Cooking Class, wine education sessions will be overseen by Beverage Director Anthony Boi. The theme may be different from last year’s brunch focus, but it’s sure to fill your head as well as your stomach with delicious treats. Be prepared to get your hands dirty and learn the secrets of great culinary cuisine. For reservations, dial 888-466-1355.  http://castlehillinn.com/about-castle-hill-inn/social-datebook/

More Events

If you can tear yourself away from the calm and indulgent setting of Castle Hill Inn, Newport beckons with a lively dining scene.  From March 27-April 7, it’s Newport’s Spring Restaurant Week https://www.discovernewport.org/newport-restaurant-week/), a great time to sample local dining at great prices. More than 50 restaurants will be offering a three-course prix fixe lunch for $16 or a three-course prix fixe dinner for only $35.

Two of my favorites are among those participating this year. The bi-level Midtown Oyster Bar (http://www.midtownoyster.com/) is always hopping with its sailing crowd (even in the off-season) and live music at the bar. The crudos, ceviches and oysters from the raw bar are top-notch. Scales and Shells Restaurant and Raw Bar (http://www.scalesandshells.com/) just down the street is another Newport favorite, an all-seafood experience in a comfortable setting. Be sure to order their New England clambake – there’s nothing like a grilled New England lobster, except perhaps a steamed or hot boiled one. The restaurant has an extensive oyster selection that changes daily and great artisanal beers.

Grab a yellow daffodil pin and join the locals and visitors who celebrate the end of winter and the birth of spring with The Newport Daffodil Days Festival (http://daffodillion.com/daffydays/) from April 15-23. This 10-day event coincides with the emergence of half a million daffodils throughout the city. A calendar of events shows parades, bike tours to view daffodil fields, garden visits and a back-in-time lawn party at the historic Bellevue House.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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