The List Part II

Room 4 Dessert—A sleek and tiny dessert Bar serving serious food. The desserts can be pricey but are worth the money if you value cutting edge food and different twists on dessert. Talking to chef Goldfarb and others working on creating these pleasant looking desserts is the added bonus of being in such a small space. I especially liked my tasting, a flight of traditional flavor combinations broken down and served on their own. If you want to eat light get a “dessert cocktail.”
Cost: $25-$45 17 Cleveland Place

Peking Duck House—Although the ambience (especially downstairs) leaves much to be desired, Peking Duck House has for years been a go to spot for really delicious, crispy skinned Peking duck. The house made noodles are also a wonderful side accompaniment to what is a consistently delicious and affordable meal. Make sure to go as part of a group ads a whole duck can be a lot of food for two people.
Cost: $20-$40 28 Mott Street

New Green Bo—This is my go to spot for amazing fried pork and soup dumplings and cheap Tsingtaos. Everything here is good and really cheap but be careful not to order too much as the portions are extremely large. The dumplings are not to be missed.
Cost: $10-$25

Zaytoon’s—Bargain Middle Eastern food in Carroll Gardens and you can BYOB. Go and share the appetizer platter and one of the assorted meats on the menu and drink I nice Mediterranean or Spanish wine from one of the several neighborhood wine shops. Good food and great value for a satisfying not too fussy meal.
Cost: $10-$20 283 Smith Street, Brooklyn

Blaue Gans—A nice neighborhood restaurant serving hearty, filling Austrain food. Stop by for their excellent 20 dollar prix fixe lunch or to eat some Schnitzel with a nice Austrian wine. Their kaiserschmarnn (I’m not going to say what it is, but it needs to be tried) is amazing as are the breakfast pastries.
Cost: $20-$65 139 Duane Street

Les Halles Downtown—A good place to go for a bistro like French meal. The service can be incredibly inconsistent and sometimes neglectful but I keep going back for the mussels served several different ways and the $15 dollar duck confit with truffled fried potatoes. The heaviness of the food probably makes it more of a winter destination than a spot to have a light summer meal.

Cost: $25-$50 15 John Street


Urena—Cutting edge Spanish food in a location whose appearance does no justice to the quality of the meal. You can sit at the bar and order Tapas, or if you are so inclined, grab a table and simply split several of well portioned appetizers. Everything I tried was rich and tasty and I especially loved the Pincho De Gambas Y Chorizo, a combination of duck confit, chorizo, foie gras and truffles—a celebration of everything good in life. The food is creative but not cheap.

Cost: $60-$100 37 East 28th Street

Poke—Some of the freshest, high quality sushi in the city in a lively and unassuming environment. Go and sample the delicious fresh fish or try one of the several creatively composed special rolls. Poke has food to compare with all of the city’s most revered sushi joints but at only a fraction of the cost. The fact that you can BYOB makes Poke a must go.

Cost: $20-$60 43 East 85th Street

Rosa Mexicano—We have been going to Rosa Mexicano for years and I have always enjoyed their food. The tableside Guacamole is a must have and I get a craving from time to time for the Filete Con Hongos, a buttery steak in a rich tequila mushroom sauce. They also have a bevy of Margaritas. The Upper East side location has the best food but can be very crowded, the Lincoln Center location is the most Romantic with a tall blue lit waterfall in the center of the restaurant and the Union square location has a younger, rowdier atmosphere.

Cost: $45-$80

61 Columbus Ave | At 62nd St
9 E 18th St | Btwn 5th Ave & Bway
1063 1st Ave | At 58th St

Gigino at Wagner Park—The pinnacle of outdoor dining locations in this city. If you can find your way down to Wagner Park on the south tip of Manhattan, you can sit outside in a sunny park, surrounded by grass, a picturesque restored ferry, and enjoy your view of the statue of liberty all whole eating above average Italian food. Gigino is pleasant during the day, but the time to go is really at dusk so you can enjoy a panoramic view of the sun setting as you sip your wine.

Cost: $40-$75

20 Battery Pl | At West St

Bistro Les Amis

A nice location for reasonably priced French Bistro fare. It’s fun to go with friends before a night out and people watch while sitting outdoors along Spring street or just as an excuse to eat outdoors. The food is solid but not spectacular.

Cost: $25-$50
180 Spring St | At Thompson St


Tribeca Grill—A longtime standout in Tribeca serving well prepared New American/Italianish food. The food is solid but I get the feeling that the menu is starting to become a little dated. The interior is lively and there is also outdoor seating and a truly amazing wine list. A great place to go when they are doing one of their promotions like
restaurant week or BYOB Mondays etc.

Cost: $50-$125
375 Greenwich St | At Franklin St

Aquavit Café--Aquavit café is an offshoot of Marcus Samuelsson’s very highly regarded Aquavit restaurant. The restaurant serves smaller portions of more elaborate food while the café has the ambience and menu of a typical Stockholm café. Go to enjoy the pickled herring or Swedish meatballs and definitely try one of the creative cocktails made with house made aquavit.

Cost: $50-$75
65 E 55th St | Btwn Park & Madison Ave


Devi—High end Indian food served in an Indo-chic setting. Devi serves a mix of traditional Indian plates with some twists and turns around the way. What makes Devi different from other Indian restaurants in the city is its focus on the aesthetic of food. Instead of steaming copper pots, the chefs at Devi make sure that every dish aesthetically pleasing on the plate. They even have a tasting menu with wine pairings. Is the food worth the price? I grew up eating Indian food and I’m just not sure. There is plenty of Indian food in the city that is negligibly worse at much cheaper prices (Pakistani Tea House.)

Cost: $60-$100