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Good To Know, Good To Go

Sometimes it the simple things that help you get the most out of a weekend. Where to get the morning paper, the best breakfast spot, where to have cocktails before dinner, what to do after dinner? We ask ourselves “what do you need to know? And then we go out and find the answers for you. "Good To Know" helps you experience the destination like a local.

Food & Drink

Breakfast/Brunch

Balthazar

is a little touch of Paris and our favorite all-around restaurant,  Norma’s, Parker Meridien Hotel, W. 57th St. is acknowledged by many as the best breakfast spot in the City.
Spring '07 brought a new player, Landmarc at the Time Warner Building on W. 60th and Broadway. This French bistro with Italian and American accents has a wonderful and very modestly priced breakfast ($3 bagels, $10 omelette's). Ask to sit in the "140's" seating section and you'll have great views of Central Park.


It's said that the chefs in town, head to Good Enough to Eat, 483 Amsterdam at 83rd Street for a great breakfast. Everything is fresh and homemade. Bakery stuff is legendary. Long lines on weekends, bring a newspaper.


Our brunch favorites are downtown in Soho. Aurora, on Broome Street gives you crusty bread, a salad, an entree and a mimosa or Bloody for $15!. Hundred Acres in the old Provence space has lots to choose from and lots of buzz going on.

Lunch

At the beginning of each review for our “Featured Restaurants” we have indicated which ones are open for lunch and on what days. Lunch is a great way to be able to fit in as many of our "Featured Restaurants" as possible in a 3 day weekend.
For something a little more casual, these are some of my favorite lunch spots or just great places for a late afternoon bottle of wine and some cheese or appetizers.

Artisanal, 2 Park Ave. 32nd St.
Incredible selection of cheeses. 160 wines by the glass. French bistro.

Balthazar. 80 Spring St.. 212-965-1414.
One of my favorite places in the City. Make their own breads. I like to go here in late afternoon after a day in Soho or Little Italy, sit at the bar, order the cheese plate and a glass of wine.

Boathouse, Central Park (E. 72nd St)
Whatever the season, this place right on a lake in the heart of Central Park, is magical. The food is not the best, but who cares with this view. If nothing else, go for a drink.

Landmarc, W 60th Street/Broadway.
Delightful French bistro with delicious food. Perfect for when you are shopping in the Time Warner complex, visiting Central Park or the uptown museums. Moderate pricing makes it ideal for families or groups.

Sea Grill. Rockefeller Center at 49th.
Great spot for a Friday only lunch during the colder months in Rockefeller Center. Enjoy delicious seafood while watching the skaters on the rink outside.

La Mangeoise. 1008 Second Ave. (53rd/54th).delightful French country restaurant. Colorful décor, huge flower bouquets, stucco walls, tile floors. Sidewalk dining. Provencal cooking. $17 3-course lunch.

Michael’s. 24 W. 55th. (5th/6th). “Power” spot in mid-town for media types and celebrities. Elegant, cheerful setting with striking modern art collection. Serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Expensive: Lunch appetizers; $14-$19, entrees $29-$45

Burger

burger joint, Parker Meridian Hotel, W19 West 56th Street. Hard to believe this great little “Joint” and joint it is, resides in the luxury Parker Meridian Hotel. You enter the lobby and are directed behind a curtain and down a dark hallway to a neon sign outside the little café. Juicy burgers served on soft rolls, with cheese if you want. Fries served in small brown bags. Great shakes and beer too! BLT Burger, 470 6th Ave. Greenwich Village. Walking through the Village and stopped in with the intention of eating 1/2 a burger (I was on my way to lunch) and couldn't do it. The beef is a mix of sirloin, short ribs, chuck and brisket. Oh my gosh....how good.

Hot Dog

Grey Papaya. Many locations, but one on W. 43rd Street. Can't leave the City without having one along with the papaya drink.

BBQ

BBQ has invaded the city in the last year and there are now a host of great spots. I haven't tried them all, but the brisket sandwich I had at Hill Country at 30 W. 26th Street was the best I ever had. Dry rubbed and cooked slow over post oak wood shipped from Texas. Lots of great stuff from brisket to ribs to chicken. Looks like a Texas roadhouse too. Live music Wednesday-Saturday.

Bloody Mary

Prune. 54 E. 1st Street. Lots of choices, but I like the Bloody Bull with beef bullion. Great place to get over a hangover.

Pubs

There are some wonderful pubs that have been around for a hundred years….literally. The best are:

P.J. Clarke’s, Third/55th Midtown. Around since the late 1800’s. Hang-out for Kennedy, Sinatra, Plimpton, Breslin and more. Great bar. Good pub food. Excellent burgers. Red checkered tablecloths. Check out the urinals…..No reservations necessary. McSorley’s, 15 E. 7th Street. Sawdust floors, swinging doors, choice of light or dark ale. This is old New York at its best. Newer favorites, not quite 100 years old include Langan’s, 150 W. 47th Street, hang-out for NY Post reporters and various Irish celebrities (pretty good food, too) and The Long Room (formerly St. Andrew’s) 120 W. 44th Street. Convenient to theatre district. Excellent selection of single malts and beers. Wonderful fireplace with couches around it. Great lunch spot, too

Wine Bars

There are so many great places to drink wine in the City from restaurants with great lists to small wine bars. Here's a few favorites; Veritas, (restaurant) 43 E. 20th Street, Cru, (restaurant) 24 Fifth Ave, Amour (restaurant), St Regis Hotel, Fifth Avenue, Xai Xai (wine bar, South African wines) 365 W. 51st Street, In Vino (wine bar, Italian wines) 215 E. Fourth Street.

Steakhouse

This is a city with probably the best collection of steakhouses you will find anywhere. Most people will tell you Peter Lugar's is the best steak...that may be true, but Brooklyn is a trek and I don't like the decor or attitude. Spark’s, E. 46th between 2nd/3rd.has always been a favorite and it's the quintessential NY institution. But the competition is heating up. Capital Grille, 155 E. 42nd St. Wolfgang's, 4 Park Ave.and Dylan Prime, Greenwich Street in Tribeca are all worthy competitors. Seems like every steakhouse that opens is owned by someone who worked at Lugar's.


If you assume all the steaks are pretty good, and they are, how to choose? I like steak houses that offer something different than the norm. At Quality Meats, every time they update their wine list and clean up the cellar, inevitably they find some odds and ends around. These are wines that normally sell for $150 or more. They put these wines in the Sommelier's Bin for $75. It's a roll of the dice because you don't know what your getting until it comes to the table. Great fun and I've never been disappointed. A new favorite is A.J. Maxwell's, 48th and 6th. Food is great and reasonably priced, the wine list carefully chosen, but best of all, other than Ben Benson, it may be the only NY steakhouse with real personality. Owners Lenny Passarelli and ToniAnn Albanese are always there, they always engage you and its a fun place to be. I even picked this place to have a recent "milestone" birthday with friends and family and it didn't disappoint.

Cocktails

COLD WEATHER/ANYTIME


Campbell Apartment, Grand Central Station, Vanderbilt/42nd St. Amazing décor. Former offices if 1920’s rail tycoon John Campbell. Midtown.

Boathouse in Central Park, 5th at 74th. Whatever the weather, a perfect place for drinks. Best view. Upper Eastside.





Hudson Hotel Library 356 W. 58th Between 8th/9th. Fireplace. Chic. Cool. Midtown

McSorley’s 15 E.Seventh St. Between 2nd/3rd. Old time New York. Been there forever. Sawdust floors, their own beer. Downtown.

Bemelmans Bar, Madison at 76th. Upper Eastside.
If you happen to be in downtown in the Flatiron district (Gramercy Tavern, Craft) here are some great places for a drink either before or after dinner; Flute, E. 20th Street, dark, couches, amazing champagne menu, Veritas, E. 20th Street, one of the best wine lists in the City, pipa, E. 19th Street, Spanish, wonderful tapas and sangria, tons of crystal chandeliers.

WARM WEATHER/OUTDOORS


Salon de Ning, Peninsula Hotel. Great view of the City. Midtown.

Boathouse in Central Park. See above.



230 Fifth. 230 Fifth Ave. (26/27th). Spectacular penthouse Lounge and Rooftop Garden. Amazing views of the City.

Ava Garden. Dream Hotel. 210 W. 55th. Uptown and up high. 15th Floor Garden with Times Square, central park views.