NYC dining ?

[nogohawk]

Me and Mrs. nogo are headed up to NYC later this week and staying at Bryant Park - any suggestions for a nice steakhouse.

 

Saw that Frankie & Johnnies was nearby - any one had any experience there?

 

Already ate at The Capital Grille last year.

 

TIA

[The Wolf]

I'm kinda swamped today so didn't have a lot of time to write up something for you Nogo, but I did come across this link:

 

http://www.10best.com/New_York,NY/Restaurants/Steakhouses/

[SheikYerbuti]

Frankie and Johnny's is OUTSTANDING.

[Rovers]

Get downtown to the 2nd Ave deli for the best Pastrami sammich in town.... the aforementioned is very good, but so is Peter Lugers just over the river in Brooklyn for steak. Haven't been to Chris Ruths lately, but it was also outstanding several years ago for steaks. For Italian, just go to little Italy... all the restaurants are good, pretty much. Don't leave town without a pastrami sandwich from the 2nd Ave deli....

[Seattle LawDawg]

Get downtown to the 2nd Ave deli for the best Pastrami sammich in town.... the aforementioned is very good, but so is Peter Lugers just over the river in Brooklyn for steak. Haven't been to Chris Ruths lately, but it was also outstanding several years ago for steaks. For Italian, just go to little Italy... all the restaurants are good, pretty much. Don't leave town without a pastrami sandwich from the 2nd Ave deli....

 

Better than Carnegie Deli? Thats a tall order.

 

Peter Luger is definitely good. The Strip House is good as well. Don't go to Ruth's Chris...you can go there in any city. There are certainly good steakhouses in NYC, but I think you can do better with other cuisines. Leave the steakhouses to Chicago and enjoy the wide range of restaurants that NYC offers. Obviously, you can try any of the celebrity chef spots (just as you would be able to in vegas though) but you just can't run out of small, here-today-gone-tomorrow, restaurants that serve very good meals. The hot spots seem to change every time I go, which is fairly often.

 

I tried Daniel last time in town; was definitely good, but it just didn't stand out as anything spectacular. I thought I could have gotten the same meal at any number of other places in other cities.

 

If you really want to go high end, Per Se was one of the best meals I've ever had top to bottom. If you want to taste Keller's food at something slightly less than French Laundry prices, Per Se is your chance. Eventually, I'll get to the French Laundry. Going to Per Se actually made me want to go to F.L. more. (It's just harder to find clients in Napa to justify the expense account).

[Furd]

I'm going to agree with the LawDawg on this one.

 

I recognize that there are good steakhouses and bad steakhouses. But, by and large, a steakhouse is a steakhouse. There is really only so much that you can do with a good steak. Buy a real nice cut - cook it the right way on the grill. This is particularly true if you enjoy the standard accompaniments like potatoes and asparagus. That really doesn't take any special skill or training.

 

If I'm going to New York and the like, I'm going to want to experience something different. If you've never been, try taking your wife to the River Cafe in Brooklyn. Good food. A great view. A memorable experience.

 

That being said, if you're set on a steakhouse, I'd try BLT Steak in Midtown.

[justin]

Manhattan (plenty of other great places in other boroughs - but list is just Manhattan):

 

Steak in/near midtown: Keen's, Wolfgangs, Ben & Jacks, F&J

 

Pastrami - Katz's

 

Seafood: Mermaid Inn

 

Asian/Fusion: Japonais

 

Sushi: Haru (big sushi/rolls), Sushi Yasuda (good authentic stuff).

 

Pizza: Patsy's, Angelo's

[Rovers]

Better than Carnegie Deli? Thats a tall order.

 

Peter Luger is definitely good. The Strip House is good as well. Don't go to Ruth's Chris...you can go there in any city. There are certainly good steakhouses in NYC, but I think you can do better with other cuisines. Leave the steakhouses to Chicago and enjoy the wide range of restaurants that NYC offers. Obviously, you can try any of the celebrity chef spots (just as you would be able to in vegas though) but you just can't run out of small, here-today-gone-tomorrow, restaurants that serve very good meals. The hot spots seem to change every time I go, which is fairly often.

 

I tried Daniel last time in town; was definitely good, but it just didn't stand out as anything spectacular. I thought I could have gotten the same meal at any number of other places in other cities.

 

If you really want to go high end, Per Se was one of the best meals I've ever had top to bottom. If you want to taste Keller's food at something slightly less than French Laundry prices, Per Se is your chance. Eventually, I'll get to the French Laundry. Going to Per Se actually made me want to go to F.L. more. (It's just harder to find clients in Napa to justify the expense account).

 

Yes, both Katz's and the 2nd avenue deli are better than the Carnegie for patrami. Not by a lot, but better. The 2nd Ave deli was the joint in the "Harry met Sally" movie... and is worth the trip downtown... last stop on the V train.

[FWmaker]

I'm getting f'n hungry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[justin]

Yes, both Katz's and the 2nd avenue deli are better than the Carnegie for patrami. Not by a lot, but better. The 2nd Ave deli was the joint in the "Harry met Sally" movie... and is worth the trip downtown... last stop on the V train.

 

Katz's was were Harry met Sally was - they have a sign over the table.

[bluedog]

in additional to the places mentioned above try craftsteak http://www.craftrestaurant.com/craftsteak_newyork.html

[Hugh B Tool]

A Steakhouse is a Steakhouse?

 

The most ignorant statement I've heard in awhile. And from people whom seem to know good food..

 

If your favorite meal is Steak, then it is even more ignorant to say this. The cuts and prep is what it is about and all do it a bit different. Dry aged beef is key and Lugers is top shelf for that.

 

But hey a Steakhouse is a Steakhouse, right?

[Furd]

A Steakhouse is a Steakhouse?

 

The most ignorant statement I've heard in awhile. And from people whom seem to know good food..

 

If your favorite meal is Steak, then it is even more ignorant to say this. The cuts and prep is what it is about and all do it a bit different. Dry aged beef is key and Lugers is top shelf for that.

 

But hey a Steakhouse is a Steakhouse, right?

 

 

You really know how to hurt a guy.

 

I love steak. I can whip up a hell of a great steak on my backyard grill, with some asparagus and a fat cab, and I'm eating mighty fine. Or I can go to our best local steakhouse, which is really good, and drop some serious cash on a steak that, admittedly, is better than mine. Is it 4x or 6x better than mine? Hell no.

 

I didn't fare so well the last time that I tried to prepare grilled Mediterranean sea bass with oregano potatoes, black olives and lemon verbena qastrique.

 

I eat out quite a bit. If I'm going to spend 3 bills or more on a dinner for 2, its rarely going to be on steak and pommes frites. Its going to be somewhere with a chef who has mad skillz who can make things that hardly anyone else can.

 

Maybe my palate isn't as refined as yours when is comes to all the subtle nuances inherent in the preparations and presentations of seared beef. A great steak is a great thing, but it ain't all that special homes.

[Hugh B Tool]

You really know how to hurt a guy.

 

I love steak. I can whip up a hell of a great steak on my backyard grill, with some asparagus and a fat cab, and I'm eating mighty fine. Or I can go to our best local steakhouse, which is really good, and drop some serious cash on a steak that, admittedly, is better than mine. Is it 4x or 6x better than mine? Hell no.

 

I didn't fare so well the last time that I tried to prepare grilled Mediterranean sea bass with oregano potatoes, black olives and lemon verbena qastrique.

 

I eat out quite a bit. If I'm going to spend 3 bills or more on a dinner for 2, its rarely going to be on steak and pommes frites. Its going to be somewhere with a chef who has mad skillz who can make things that hardly anyone else can.

 

Maybe my palate isn't as refined as yours when is comes to all the subtle nuances inherent in the preparations and presentations of seared beef. A great steak is a great thing, but it ain't all that special homes.

 

 

Have ate and cooked with the best. Grilled sea bass is easy, easier than steak or other meats. Oh and just because something has fancy named accoutrements does not make it better meal. Saying that you dined somewhere where you really didn't understand half the menus descriptions ain't all that it tries to stack up to be my skillet. 10 bucks or 300.

[twiley]

My wife was in NYC all this week but her boss has the palate of 6 year old so they ate at all crappy places. Even worse, the agency that they were visiting was paying for it all. She just shook her head when I asked her about the restaurants they went to.

[Seattle LawDawg]

A Steakhouse is a Steakhouse?

 

The most ignorant statement I've heard in awhile. And from people whom seem to know good food..

 

If your favorite meal is Steak, then it is even more ignorant to say this. The cuts and prep is what it is about and all do it a bit different. Dry aged beef is key and Lugers is top shelf for that.

 

But hey a Steakhouse is a Steakhouse, right?

 

I'm not saying that all steakhouses are the same. What I'm saying is that you can find a really good steakhouse in most US cities. New York doesn't bring anything special to the table. I've eaten at a few of the better NY steakhouses and IMO, quite a few chicago steakhouses have them beat.

[Hugh B Tool]

I'm not saying that all steakhouses are the same. What I'm saying is that you can find a really good steakhouse in most US cities. New York doesn't bring anything special to the table. I've eaten at a few of the better NY steakhouses and IMO, quite a few chicago steakhouses have them beat.

 

 

True dat

[nogohawk]

Follow-up :

Went to Frankie & Johnnies since it was close to the Bryant Park Hotel where we were staying.

 

I had a very good bone-in rib-eye and Mrs Nogo had grilled pork chops which were excellent

 

Waiter didn't know squat about wine and several of my selections from their list were out-of-stock :notahappycamper:

 

I'd be more adverturesome on the food - French, Seafood, itallian, etc - but the Mrs is not so inclined.

 

Overall I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10

 

However, the main event for the evening was f'n awesome ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neil Diamond live at MSG

[twiley]

Waiter didn't know squat about wine and several of my selections from their list were out-of-stock :notahappycamper:

That's a shame and really becoming more of an issue lately.

 

Not to hijack but....

 

I had a bartender a few weeks ago throw out some BS description on a wine. I just smiled and then took a drink knowing how it should taste. Her description was nowhere close and I think she was just trying to sound like she knew what she was talking about but that wasn't the real issue. The manager was sitting right next to me and when the bartender asked me how it was I told her that they really shouldn't leave their bottles uncorked and at room temp for more than 2 days and then try to serve flat wines to customers.

 

I went into that place this week and they had little small circular labels on their bottles with opened dates.