NYC: Take A Bite Out of the Big Apple

Before making a trip to New York City (NYC) make sure to plan your meals well in advance – restaurant reservations are often necessary, and you don’t want to waste any ‘lunches’ or ‘dinners’ while you are there. The street food will be tempting – pizza, hot dogs, and beef brisket – but rely on these options for afternoon or late night snacks.

Our last NYC trip in September included attending Andre Agassi's last U.S. Open, seeing a Broadway show, exploring the Metropolitan Museum of Art (a must see!), and taking advantage of the city’s expansive culinary experience. With so many food options, NYC can be overwhelming at times, with a number of restaurants on every block. We’ve successfully managed to navigate our way to some great places thanks to many of our foodie friends who make annual food & shopping pilgrimages.

My favorite restaurant in NYC is the Union Square Café. Offering classical American fare, both our lunch and dinner experiences have not disappointed. Freshly shucked oysters, pan seared salmon, scallops, steak, garlic potato chips, and the blueberry pie were fantastic. I also loved the great service provided by the wait staff who were extremely professional, not overbearing, and just really nice. The restaurant is casual, comfortable, and classy. Rated as the number two restaurant in the Zagat survey in NYC, it is number one in my book.

Last year, we tried the restaurant rated number one by Zagat– a few blocks away – Gramercy Tavern. We had a late sitting dinner – around 9:30 pm – and there was quite a crowd that was more upscale and dressy. We tried the tasting menu, and while it was creative, and pleasant dining experience, I wasn’t really overly impressed.

For brunch, try the popular NYU student hangout, the Coffee Shop - Union Square. The waitresses look like aspiring models, and its open 23 hours a day. Billed as a classic American diner with a Brazilian twist, breakfast is OK. We also enjoyed lunch/brunch at Balthazar, which looks like a classical French bistro. The steak and fries were great, and the massive cold seafood platter the next table ordered looked worth trying next time.

For lunch, after shopping in the SOHO district, stop off at Honmura An. This place is peaceful, and serves fresh soba noodles (hot and cold) – you can watch them make it. We also liked the huge tempura shrimp. The homemade green tea ice cream was a nice way to end the meal. Serenity and peace comes at a cost in NYC, but it was worth it.

On the Japanese theme, try the famous Nobu sushi restaurant, a New York City institution. We dined on the omakase lunch menu for $50 each… It was SO worth it. If you love Japanese, this is must visit. The marinated black cod was to die for. The sushi, sashimi, and noodles were also top notch. We had planned on going to Nobu Next Door (located next door to Nobu), but they weren’t open for lunch. Both restaurants have the same menu, with Nobu Next Door having a more casual, hipper crowd. The advantage with Nobu Next Door is they don’t take reservations, for those of you that don’t plan your meals like I do!

In little Italy, make sure to drop into Ferrara for a coffee and dessert. Considered a landmark, it is a nice place to rest your feet, eat pastries, and think about scenes from the Godfather that were/could have been filmed just outside the door.

For one of your dinners in NYC try the upscale Asia De Cuba, whose menu combines Asian and Latino fare. Tip: order a bunch of appetizers to share. We never did order a main course. The tuna tartare, dumplings, warm calamari salad, and duck, were all very original and filling. On the ground floor, a massive common table is available to dine with strangers if you choose – and we chose not to. We ate on the balcony; great for people watching. Parts of the restaurant are set up like a lounge, and if you’re not up for a meal, they have excellent cocktail menu; we both enjoyed the lychee and apple mojitos.

A more economical Latino alternative is the Xunta Tapas Bar, where the music is loud and vibrant, and whose menu offers an extensive assortment of tapas, and pitchers of sangria. If you are looking for a very casual (jeans) dining experience, and like different kinds of fried cheese and pork - this good stop.

Le Colonial is a restaurant that is perfect if you are in the mood for Vietnamese, with a little twist. The French influence on the décor and food is unmistakable. We enjoyed the lemon grass ribs, spring rolls wrapped in lettuce & dipped in fish sauce, fried rice, shrimp barbequed on sugar cane, and fish. Make sure to go for the bottomless ice tea, ignore the rushed service, and finish the meal off with a good coffee.

For a true Sex in the City dining/& drinks experience, try Tao. While the pan Asian fare is a tad over priced, the atmosphere makes up for it. The massive gold Buddha statue is impressive and breathtaking. Saturday night, the place was absolutely packed, and this may have explained why it was difficult to order drinks. Still, it was a fun time – sharing the dumplings (so so), miso glazed sea bass (the best thing we tried), filet mignon served on a hot iron plate, mushrooms, egg plant, and dragon tail spare ribs.