PenCities

Dining Out

• Boqueria
  Chef Seamus Mullen and Suba owner Yann de Rochefort are the partners behind this modern take on Barcelona's famous tapas bars. The cuisine ranges from excellent traditional tapas and paellas, to lesser known regional dishes and features a wine list by Suba Sommelier Roger Kugler. The room is carefully coordinated in tones of toffee, beige, and sandy brown with a bar up front, a narrow, communal table in the middle and rows of clubby, bar-size tables lining the walls.
  
  53 W. 19th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, Flatiron District
  Tel: (1-347) 448 5729
• The Lion
  Chef Delucie left The Waverly Inn and holds court in the kitchen at this celebrity magnet hotspot. The room has a Parisian feel but the food is decidedly All-American. It has become so popular, there are many nights when one needs to be on the reservations list just to get past the doorman. Celebrity-sightings aside, the food is excellent.
  
  62 West Ninth Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, Greenwich Village
  Tel: (1-212) 353 8400
  www.thelionnyc.com
• Lincoln
  This Italian restaurant occupies a much needed spot at Lincoln Center. Chef Jonathan Benno, the former commander of the kitchen at Per Se, will be turning this new dining spot into a destination unto itself, which means it will service not just the well-heeled culture crowd from Lincoln Center but attract diners from all over the city.
  
  142 West 65th Street, Upper West Side
  Tel: (1-212) 359 6500
  
• ABC Kitchen
  If you want to experience the world-class genius of Jean George, then head down to his newest venture where the ingredients are either organic or sourced locally – all from within 100 miles of New York City. This is Jean George’s chic farm-to-table take on wholesome dining. The décor is pristine yet rustic.
  
  35 East 18th Street between Broadway and Park Avenue, Flatiron District
  Tel: (1-212) 475 5829
  www.abckitchennyc.com
• Buddakan
  Buddakan is the second wave of Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr’s well-orchestrated shock-and-awe campaign to take culinary Manhattan. French designer Christian Liaigre has turned the old cookie factory into a steroidal version of an ancient Chinese mansion. The centerpiece is the “Chinoiserie”, a great hall with oak-covered walls two storeys high, chandeliers as big as Volkswagens, and a banquet table seating 30. Buddakan’s non-Chinese chef Michael Schulson produces many dishes that are fresher and more lively than anything you’ll find in Chinatown.
  
  75 9th Avenue, Meatpacking District
  Tel: (1-888) 868 1895
• Locanda Verde
  Located in The Greenwich Hotel, this casual neighborhood Italian tavern serves Andrew Carmellini's Italian cooking. The dining room features shelves of wine and books, comfortable banquettes, wooden tables and a view of the wood-burning oven and open kitchen. The menu Includes Lamb Meatball Sliders with Caprino and Cucumber, Porchetta de la Casa with Black Kale and breads, pastries and desserts from one of the city's best pastry chefs, Karen DeMasco.
  
  379 Greenwich Street, between Franklin and North Moore Streets, TriBeCa
  Tel: (1-212) 925 3797
• Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House
  This is without question the most urbanely elegant steakhouse you will ever see, its meat locker filled with terrific beef. The menu offers a lineup of USDA prime steaks at higher-end prices paired with sides such as crab cakes, fried oysters and onion rings.
  
  1221 Sixth Avenue at 49th Street, Times Square
  Tel:  (1-212) 575 5129
• Daniel
  Lively yet elegant, Daniel Boulud’s sumptuous flagship remains one of the city’s worthiest fine dining destinations. Bursts of cherry blossoms wash the dining room in vibrant color while perfect handfuls of orchids make equally lovely impressions on tabletops. Every meal is a celebration, from an amuse bouche of warm gougers to oh-so-perfect, itty-bitty candies and chocolates which end the evening on a charming note.
  
  60 East 65th Street, Upper East Side
  Tel: (1-212) 288 0033
• La Esquina
  A sleekly restored diner car doubles as a taqueria and a front for one of the city’s most stylish dining destinations. Behind the door marked “Employees Only”, down the stairs and through the bowels of the kitchen, lies a gothic vault ornamented with wrought iron gates and dripping candelabras. Thankfully the unique space doesn’t outshine the food, influenced by consultant Richard Ampudia of nearby Cafe Habana. Every step pleases, from skillfully balanced ceviches to authentically styled tacos and the generously flavored main courses.
  
  106 Kenmare Street, SoHo
  Tel:  (1-212) 613 8858
• The Modern
  The Modern is a fine dining restaurant located at the Museum of Modern Art featuring the original French-American cuisine of Alsatian-born Chef Gabriel Kreuther, with desserts by Marc Aumont. The Modern offers two distinct dining experiences, The Dining Room and The Bar Room. The more refined dining room, which overlooks The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, features a multi-course prix-fixe menu of Chef Kreuther’s elegant, creative French cuisine. The Bar Room, a more casual dining and bar area, serves small plates of rustic, Alsatian cuisine.
  
  9 West 53rd Street, Midtown
  Tel:  (1-212) 333 1220
• Pastis
  Pastis is a French bistro located in the Meatpacking district opened by Keith McNally. Executive Chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson and Chef de Cuisine Pascal Le Seac’h prepare a menu that combines hearty Provençal dishes with moderately priced bistro fare. The bar serves a range of house cocktails, wines by the glass, carafe or bottle, and several varieties of pastis, an anise-flavored aperitif from the south of France. The restaurant features a communal table, a zinc bar, and an outdoor summer café.
  
  9 Ninth Avenue at Little W. 12th Street, Meatpacking District
  Tel:  (1-212) 929 4844
• Masa
  New York’s priciest prix fixe is an understated celebration of pristine and perfect fish that is worth every penny. Calming earth tones and an absence of decoration - with the exception of live bamboo posts in a shallow pool behind the sushi bar - put the focus on Chef Masa Takayama and his expert team of cooks. From the velvety toro tartare topped with an obscene amount of caviar, to the buttery foie gras and lobster shabu shabu, then finally to bite after bite of perfectly proportioned sushi, every piece of fish is the best of its kind.
  
  10 Columbus Circle, 4th Floor, Midtown
  Tel:  (1-212) 823 9800
• Eataly
  Eataly is Mario Batali and Joes Bastianich’s new 32,000 square foot eatery which features a variety of food “stations” that offer an amazing selection of Italian delicacies. The venue includes a pizza/pasta takeaway area, plus mini-food outlets arranged by food type, including pesce, carne and verdure. Other features include an espresso bar, a gelateria, a panino bar and a wine shop. Enjoy fresh mozzarella, salumi, formaggi and a rotisserie stand with an array of meat and poultry. The micro brewery on the top floor also offers a wonderful selection of beers.
  
  200 Fifth Avenue at 23rd Street, Flariton District
• The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English
  Todd English’s new concept was inspired by the dining halls and markets of Europe. Divided into separate stations, the handsomely designed 80-seat space features fresh seafood and a raw bar, burgers, sliders, gourmet salads, pizzas, a dumpling bar with Asian-inspired noodles, a sushi bar, a bakery, a cheese and charcuterie counter and a wine bar with tapas.
  
  The Plaza Hotel
  One West 58th Street (Concourse Level), Midtown
  Tel: (1-212) 986 9260
  www.theplazafoodhall.com
• Witchcraft
  Tom Colicchio, a top New York chef whose award-winning restaurants include Craft, Craftbar and Colicchio and Sons, has developed a chain of gourmet sandwich bars located all over the city. Witchcraft provides everyone with a chance to taste his genius at a more reasonable price point.
  Various Locations
  
  Tel: (1-212) 780 0577
  www.wichcraftnyc.com
  
• Shake Shack
  Danny Meyer is considered one of the kings of the culinary world, so what would make him open a chain of gourmet burger stands? Most likely he saw the need to take the “fast” out of this traditional food item and to replace it with his gourmet version of the ultimate burger.
  
  Various Locations: Madison Square Park, Upper West Side, Theater District and Upper East Side
  www.shakeshack.com