NYC Restaurants - 4 days/nights in Manhattan

Regional Dining Discussions New York City
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after I retired I went down the pizza rabbit hole, have been making pizza at home from scratch for about seven years and to some extent, I’m plugged into the nyc pizza scene. I interviewed for and was offered a job as a pizza tour guide but our travel schedule makes it tough.

john’s on bleecker was our favorite pizza during the 80s, most people feel it is a sad shadow of what it used to be. I’ve had uneven at best experiences at John’s in times square, much better choices even in time square.

my favorite neo right now in nyc is Song’ E Napule on houston, favorite slice in manhattan is scarr’s. we should probably start a separate pizza thread…

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Agree, let’s do it :pizza:

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Ahh yes, I invested in a wood fired pizza oven for the garden during lockdown, it’s had a lot of use in the last two years, but I’m still a novice and I know it’s a taken very seriously Stateside!

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If you are keeping to Manhattan -

Diner, only one place to go to experience a diner meal in place that looks like a diner. Empire Diner. This place has been through more deaths and rebirths than a phoenix. When our son was young we would go here on weekends and then head to the park across the street. The current version is fancier than what we went to regularly but you can’t beat the setting.

Italian American, go to Emilio’s Ballato for one of the few place around Little Italy that is worth eating at now that Forlini’s has closed. If you have room in the budget the high end option is Carbone. Sadly two of my favorite red sauces place have not survived Covid.

Hamburger, my favorite old school place would be Old Town Bar. The place screams out history. The more hip place would be the previously mentioned JG Melon. For what used to the very trendy place Minetta Tavern. My current favorite steakhouse style burger would be at Lugers but you can only get it at lunch.

There are so many steak houses. The old school classics include Keen, Old Homestead, Sparks, Smith & Wollensky, Palm, Gallagher’s. Newer additions would be Wolfgang’s, Strip House, Benjamin’s. My favorite is Sparks. If you are willing to head to Brooklyn again there is the infamous Lugers.

I will leave pizza to the future pizza thread.

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KimCardiffian, Aloha from Hawaii.
Like so many others here, I am not native to NYC, but I am an avid food tourist. I have many friends in NYC, and before the pandemic, went there yearly for an educational conference. This enabled me to be in NYC for a week just before Christmas, and to visit all of my favorite restaurants and try new ones. If you dont mind, I will share what my wife and I look forward to when we go to NYC, and find ourselves going to repeatedly. We also stay just a few blocks off of Times Square…adjacent to Bryant Park. So the distances are similar to your destination.

Grand Central Oyster Bar. This is one of our first stops, for lunch. Sit at the lunch counter or the oyster bar itself, have a glass of beer, and have lunch. I order a dozen oysters, and have an Oyster Pan Roast. The oyster stews and pan roasts are made to order. My wife has an order of steamed clams, fries, and an order of cole slaw. Hard to imagine that there is an oasis of sea food in Grand Central Station, but there it is.

Katz’s Deli… we sit at a table and order. You cant get a pastrami sandwich and an experience like this anywhere else in the world.

Taco Number 1. Best street tacos in NYC. There’s one in Times Square. Get in line, order your tacos, wait for them to be made, eat them there standing up or right out on the sidewalk. They are little bites of authentic tacos. You cant eat just one, and you WILL go back for more.

Hamburger…my all time favorite is the Black Label Burger at Minetta Tavern. It will take a subway ride for you to get there, but it’s one of the best, if not THE best burger I have ever had. Go for lunch, dinner is impossible to get reservations.

Steak. There is nothing more classic than a NYC steakhouse. My favorites are Keens and The Old Homestead. Both are older, not as flashy and well established. Easier to get reservations for. But both offer the quintessential NYC steakhouse offerings and experience.

Pizza… you can go down that rabbit hole as far as you want to. For me, Johns Pizza of Times Square is excellent. Crowded, loud, boisterous, and often a long wait to get into…but with good solid pizza.

Ramen…there is some of the best ramen outside of Tokyo in NYC. Do a little research, but there are many great ramen places within walking distance of your hotel.

This last entry doesnt really fit into any niche, but if you really like beef and really like Korean food…look into Cote. Had one of the best meals of my life there.

Enjoy your trip. NYC is a walking town, so you will be able to walk off those 3-4 meals a day you will be enjoying.

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Native NY’er here
For my 2cents try Bens Deli West 38 st off 7 th ave.
Great pastrami fabulous French Fries other classic NY deli favorites are the corned beef & classic Dr Browns soda.Avoid overpriced tourist traps not cheap but you can order half of a sandwich & probably not have room for desert.
Yes you can thank me later

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I’m a fan of Sarge’s on 3rd Ave.

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Sarge’s is our regular deli place as it’s very close to our apartment. While the pastrami’s style is different from Katz’s, we always order it “very fatty,” and it rivals Katz’s in succulent deliciousness.

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That’s a good spot but Bens is my hometown favorite for over 25 years.
I worked in the area for many years and it’s the epitome of a NYC Deli.
Table service & aside from special occasions you can always be promptly seated especially in the dog days of a nyc summer when us locals are either out east or at the nj shore.

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I lived a few blocks north of Sarge’s, and I often stay within 5 to 10 blocks of Sarge’s when I visit.

Absolutely understand having a favourite!

I like the servers at Sarge’s.

I admit, I’m not a big sandwich person- I get the blintzes, soup or other stuff. I like Sarge’s chopped liver better than the chopped liver in Toronto.

I haven’t tried Ben’s, hopefully I will be able to check it out next time I’m in town, maybe before my next Bway play.

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Diner near RowNYC: Westway Diner, 614 Ninth Avenue (between 43rd and 44th Street).

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Brooklyn Diner on West 57street has a real diner exterior great for your Instagram pictures

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If you happen to be on the Upper West Side for breakfast or lunch, Utopia Diner is a pretty solid old-school diner. I wouldn’t make a special trip for it, though.

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i always thought broadway diner was the place to go on the uws for a piece of old nyc. it’s been in a number of films…

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not to start a religious war but i worked 2 mins from bens, we brought in their sandwiches for a number of internal meetings and in imo, for pastrami, it’s katz>sarges->bens. i liked 2nd ave deli best but havdnt been since they noved so completely out of touch with their pastrami.

one of the joys of starting a company was choosing who to order from for internal events and having the company pay :grinning:

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Do you mean Broadway Restaurant at 101 and Bway? If so, it is definitely old school, but pretty far off the tourist path. Utopia is close to the Metropolitan Opera/Fairway/Zabars as well as the southern part of Central Park, so easier to work into a day of sightseeing. Neither is worth a special visit for the food, IMO, but if OP wants a diner… :wink:

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yes, broadway restaurant, completely agree, not worth a special trip but if in the area, there’s also mamas too and absolute bagels…

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How about Landmark Diner on Grand/Lafayette?

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All solid choices & no arguments on any of them.
I worked in the area of Ben’s so it was my default deli.
Too many tourists & recreaters of When Harry Met Sally at Katz’s but love his pastrami & would eat it 7 days a week if was more local to me.
Haven’t been to Sarge’s or 2nd Avenue Deli in ages so no religious wars from me.
Stuck in NJ today but tomorrow I will indulge in some of NYC’s pastrami for sure.

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Perhaps I should add that looks like a classic diner from the outside. Looking at Empire to Landmark, there is no comparison in my view. The streamline vision of an art deco diner that’s been there for decades versus what could be the storefront for any business.