Eileen Asks:
“I am meeting one of my oldest friends who just moved to tribeca for dinner. He lives close to chambers & church, which isn’t the greatest part of the city for food at all. Do you have any suggestions for a restaurant in the area that is walking distance? I think the most important thing I’m looking for is a warm ambiance and a classic NY vibe.”
I’ll give you a few of my favorite options, not knowing what cuisine/price point you’re looking for…
My favorite ‘neighborhood’ place in the area is Max on Duane, near Greenwich. It’s great Italian food that’s really laid back yet warm and inviting. Kind of Tuscany meets downtown Manhattan… The pastas are great and there are usually some very good specials (look for the ravioli…mmm). The prices are surprisingly low for the area and quality.
Another great TriBeCa gem is Blaue Gans on Duane, near W. Broadway. I love the space - a lot more sleek and modern than Max. The food is German… great house-made sausage and also some really great, more inventive dishes on the menu. They should be doing some fun things for Oktoberfest, too!
My last suggestion feels like an old New York classic (even though it hasn’t been around all that long…). City Hall - actually right next to Blaue Gans on Duane. The food is very good… a fantastic raw bar and some good, straightforward steak and the like. There are certainly some better steakhouses in the city, but their space is quite stunning. It just oozes of old downtown NY and the tables are luxuriously far apart from each other. They have a great wine list, too… but it’s certainly not a steal.
I didn’t even plan on it but I ended up with three suggestions all on Duane st. I think they would all fit the bill… depending on what kind of NY vibe you’re looking for… City Hall is really classic, Blaue Gans is sleek and fun, and Max is very warm and friendly. Thanks for the question and please let me know what you choose and what you thought!
Melanie Asks:
“I live on 57th street and 8th avenue and have yet to find a good: sushi place, pizza place or bagel place in my area. I expected when I moved to NYC I could walk downstairs to my delicious morning coffee and bagel place. I expected every pizza and sushi place to have a New York superior stamp on it. Not so! What gives, Alex? Do you have any ideas?”
Well first of all, you live 10 blocks from my favorite sushi in NYC… Sushi of Gari (http://www.sushiofgari.com/) on 46th, between 8th and 9th is a surreal experience. The fish is so fresh and delicious and they put so much care into the presentation and execution of each and every piece of sushi that they put out. I always just get the omakase and let the chef choose for me.
You’re also not that far from Koi(http://www.koirestaurant.com/), on 40th between 5th and 6th… a little more fun — also a little more of a scene. Their signature dish, the Crispy Rice topped with spicy tuna may be a little played out by now, but it is still quite delicious. Worth a try.
Pizza… I’m a little fuzzier on for the area. There is an outpost of a village classic, John’s Pizzeria (http://www.johnspizzerianyc.com/) on 44th near 8th Ave (if you can bare to venture near the horror that is Times square…). It’s pretty classic brick-oven - I wouldn’t say my absolute favorite, but certainly a good option. Of course there’s also a Two Boots in Rock Center… but that’s another beast entirely.
For bagels, you’re best heading uptown a bit to the Upper West, one of the better concentration of Jews in Manhattan. There’s an H&H Bagles on Broadway and 80th. Fresh baked, hot bagels… I’m hungry now.
Mmmm lox…..
{mouth watering}
Art Asks:
“I need a nice, comfortable, romantic place to eat… Preferably in the West Village. It’s for a first date with a good friend, so it can’t be too extreme. Price doesn’t really matter… So far I’m thinking Extra Virgin, Otto, or maybe the rooftop of Sushi Samba.. But I’m totally open to suggestions!”
I personally don’t find either Sushi Samba or Otto terribly comfortable… I like them both, but they can both get really loud and the service can be a bit inconsistent. They can be fun.. personally I think they work better as second or third date destinations. Extra Virgin (http://www.extravirginrestaurant.com/) would be a better bet in my opinion. Food is great, the volume is turned down and I think it’s much more warm of an atmosphere.
Another thing to note is that I personally can’t stand the in-your-face, candlestick-and-rose kind of romantic restaurant. I feel like everyone around me is celebrating anniversaries and it feels forced. From the places you’ve mentioned, it seems like you agree… so another place you might want to look at is Pearl Oyster Bar (http://www.pearloysterbar.com/) on Cornelia Street. It’s pretty much all seafood — I think the best lobster roll in the city. It’s a cozy little place and the fish is awesome… plus I think there’s something inherently romantic about fish.
Another nice and simple spot is Snack Taverna (Menupages here…) on Bedford, right near 7th Ave. It’s modern Greek food with small plates, meant for sharing, which I think is nice on a first date. Again, it’s a pretty small place with some great staff. There’s some nice, affordable Greek wines on the menu which never hurt, either.
All of these places are also a pretty short walk to Grom, the new-ish gelato place that opened on Carmine and Bleecker. It’s great, authentically Roman gelato across the street from Father Demo square, a beautiful place to end the evening.
Those would be my suggestions for now if you want to stay within the West Village. I hope I was of some help… good luck!
