Every week without fail I get asked about my favorite places to eat and drink in NYC, so I’ve decided to post them for your future consideration. I’ve flicked through the interweb and found the best reviews on my faves, as I’m sure they’re far more eloquent and informative than I could ever write.
Enjoy my first edition of You Asked, I Answered!
Tree
(Featured in the Food Network show “The Best Meal I’ve Ever Ate”)
190 First Ave., New York, NY 10003
nr. 12th St. See Map | Subway Directions 
212-358-7171 Send to Phone
Price Range:$$
Cuisine: American Nouveau, Bistro, French
Profile
“It’s a real find,” our producer friend Dasha promises, inviting us to discover the no-airs bistro Tree in the East Village. And midway into a first-rate crock of onion soup and classically French lardon-studded frisée under a steaming poached egg, I have to agree. Dasha wandered in one night just before curtain at Theater for the New City down First Avenue and found chef-owner Andrew Robinson eating at the bar. “I’ll have what you’re having,” she said, “if I can eat and be out in twenty minutes.” Now she’s hooked on his crusty short ribs atop bow-tie pasta—a variation of the menu version with its wonderfully savory chorus of root vegetables. Tree may be only nine feet wide with clatter that bounces off brick walls, but come balmier nights, its bistro ambitions will extend into a sprawling secret garden out back. Tonight’s steak au poivre, with a side of first-rate fries, makes my meat-and-potato-loving guy very happy. Starters like beet-and-goat-cheese salad, white-bean soup with Swiss chard, and seared foie gras are predictable; it’s the gentle prices that surprise. For Gramercy Tavern veteran Robinson, this is a homecoming, steps from Grand Street, where he grew up and his mother taught him to cook. Already actors across the street have discovered they can linger after the show. Dinner and a glass of wine for less than $45, till 1 a.m. What more could the neighborhood ask? — Gael Greene : New Yorker Restaurant Guide.
Hours
Mon-Thu, 5pm-midnight; Fri-Sat, 5pm-1am; Sun, 11am-4pm and 5pm-midnight
Nearby Subway Stops
6 at Astor Pl.; L at First & Third Ave.
Prices
$18-$22
Payment Methods
American Express / Cash
Special Features
- Brunch
- Late-Night Dining
- Outdoor Dining
- Prix-Fixe
- Dine at Bar
Reservations
Recommended
Jane
(Featured in the Food Network show “The Best Meal I’ve Ever Ate”)
100 W. Houston St., New York, NY 10012
nr. Thompson St. See Map | Subway Directions
212-254-7000 Send to Phone
- Price Range: $$
- Cuisine: American Nouveau
Profile
Just what every neighborhood needs: a casual spot featuring smartly affordable, creatively conceived American fare like grilled hanger steak, and double-cut pork chops. Since entrees max out at $29, you might feel less guilty splurging on the banana brioche with chocolate brioche pudding. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld: New Yorker Restaurant Guide.
BrunchSun., 11 a.m.—4 p.m.;a la carte, with complimentary drink
$15 Sunday Nights
Choice of hanger steak, pork chop, salmon filet, or burger, with fries or greens
Recommended DishesJane burger, Ricotta Gnocchi, Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Reservations
Recommended
Hours
Mon-Thu, 11:30am-11pm; Fri-Sat, 11:30am-midnight; Sun, 10am-10pm
Nearby Subway Stops
B, D, F, V at Broadway-Lafayette St.; N, R, W at Prince St.; 1 at Houston St.
Prices
$16-$29
Payment Methods
American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Special Features
- Brunch – Weekend
- Business Lunch
- Delivery
- Good for Groups
- Lunch
- Outdoor Dining
- Private Dining/Party Space
- Take-Out
- Catering
Alcohol
- Full Bar
Reservations
Recommended
Cookshop
Critics’ Pick
156 Tenth Ave., New York, NY 10011
at 20th St. See Map | Subway Directions
212-924-4440 Send to Phone
- Price Range:$$$
- Cuisine: American Traditional
Profile
Noho’s popular Five Points is known for its rustic, Greenmarket-inspired menu and its casual hominess—both of which owners Vicki Freeman and her chef-husband Marc Meyer aim to reproduce at their Chelsea outpost, Cookshop. The glass-walled corner spot has an open kitchen equipped with a wood-burning oven, rotisserie, and grill—built, as they tend to be, by “a crazy old Italian,” according to Freeman. Meyer will use that central appliance to turn grass-fed meat, locally caught fish, and sustainably raised poultry into dishes like grilled Montauk squid with capers, lemon, and parsley, and rotisserie-roasted chicken with fire-charred fingerlings. Vegetables will be just as seasonal and local (if it’s late August, it must be heirloom tomatoes), and fish will be cured in-house. And in a canny bit of design, the bar faces the window, making for convenient West Chelsea people-watching. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld: New Yorker Restaurant Guide.
Hours
Mon-Fri, 11:30am-3pm and 5:30pm-midnight; Sat, 11am-3pm and 5:30pm-midnight; Sun, 11am-3pm and 5:30pm-10pm
Nearby Subway Stops
C, E at 23rd St.; 1 at 18th St.
Prices
$22-$38
Payment Methods
American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Special Features
- Brunch – Weekend
- Hot Spot
- Lunch
- Notable Chef
Alcohol
- Full Bar
Reservations
Recommended
Matsuri
Critics’ Pick
The Maritime Hotel
369 W. 16th St., New York, NY 10011
nr. Ninth Ave. See Map | Subway Directions
212-243-6400 Send to Phone
- Price Range:$$$$
- Cuisine: Japanese/Sushi
This is the most tasteful of the big new Japanese dining palaces that began their assault on the city a couple of years ago. The ceiling looks like the hull of an upturned samurai ship, and the bar is as long as a city block. You’d expect chef Tadashi Ono’s cooking to be elaborate and showy, but in fact it’s solid, sensible, and faithfully Japanese. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld: New Yorker Restaurant Guide.
Hours
Sun-Wed, 6pm-midnight; Thu-Sat, 6pm-1am
Nearby Subway Stops
L at Eighth Ave.; A, C, E at 14th St.
Prices
$19-$30
Payment Methods
American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Special Features
- Bar Scene
- Hot Spot
- Late-Night Dining
- Design Standout
- Teen Appeal
- Special Occasion
Alcohol
- Sake and Sojou
- Full Bar
Reservations
Recommended
Smith’s
(Greenwhich Village)
79 MacDougal St
(btwn Bleecker and W. Houston Sts)
New York , NY 10012
Phone: 212-260-0100
Website: www.smithsnyc.com
Food Features: Seasonal Menu
Restaurant Features: Bar Dining
Hours: Mon-Thu, 5:30p.m.-11p.m.; Fri-Sat, 5:30p.m.-11:30p.m.; Sun, 5p.m.-10p.m.
Public Transit and Parking: 1 to Houston St; A, B, C, D, R, F, V to W. 4th St Street parking – Hopstop
Reservations: Recommended
Payment Options: Discover, MasterCard, Visa, American Express
Dress: Stylish Casual
Noise: Moderate
Seats: 60
Less than a block away from the raucous, headache-inducing Macdougal Street bars of your youth lies Smith’s, a narrow oasis of calm, sophistication, and class. If you manage to snag a reservation, sit back in your black leather banquette and order up a grilled lobster with roasted butternut squash puree, courtesy of ex-Bouley chef Pablo Romero. Otherwise, bypass the glossy railroad car dining room and you’ll discover a tiny, concealed bar, tucked away like a velvet-walled haven—one filled with hidden treasures like Allagash ale and ruby-colored Tempranillo. Just keep in mind that the antique mirrored ceiling, bartop, and tables mean there’s no excuse to sit through your evening with food on your chin. Source-www.sheckys.com
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