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Café Loup Del Posto » Mediterranean » Portuguese Matsuri Safron Omai Charlie Mom Devi » Indonesian » Vegetarian
BLT Burger Grano Trattoria
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Reviews of Local Restaurants by Our Residents Please submit reviews of your favorite area restaurants! Please keep reviews to under 150 words. Please include the phone number and a web link for the restaurant, if available. Email it to news@54W16.com, or slip your copy under the door of 12-J. |
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Ellen Tittler, a 30 year resident in our building We give this restaurant 5 out of 5 stars! It is truly a delightful experience. More of an upscale restaurant, Del Posto's food is exquisite and the service stunning! If you are looking for the WOW factor, this is the place. The dining experience is wonderful and filled with warmth and lots of the Italian spirit. (10th Ave. at 16th St., 212.497.8090, www.delposto.com) (This review is from Trish Tomanelli and Kelly McConnach, new residents to our building. Kelly works for Guardian Life Ins. Co. and Trish has her own Graphic Design Company T-Squared Design. Posted June 2010).
ScarpettaTrish and Kelly also love Scarpetta: This is a great place. The pasta is wonderful and goes well with the fish and meat entrees. Lots of basil and Parmesan cheese! Scarpetta is rich with ambiance and certainly worth a try. It's a bit pricey, but as they say, cheap things are not good and good things are not cheap! (14th St. and 9th Ave., 212.691.0555, www.scarpettanyc.com) (June 2010)
CrispoGery Malino likes Crispo, an Italian-Mediterranean restaurant, with a garden in the back. Frank Crispo opened it in the summer of 2002, in what used to be Lou Siegal’s kosher catering. Geri describes “Crispo” as “pretty, lovely atmosphere, and oh, really delicious food, about $45 a person.” (240 W. 14th St. between 7th & 8th St.,212-229-1818, www.crisporestaurant.com). (Feb. 2009)
Heather MacDonald highly recommends Piadina – a piada is a thin Italian flatbread typically prepared in the Ravenna and Rimini region. Heather: “I went in by accident and had delicious pumpkin ravioli in a casual, cozy environment. I’ve been back often and always have had a good meal and friendly service. Once, when we were asked to move to accommodate a larger group, we were awarded complimentary desserts and drinks! That sealed my affection.” (cash only, 57 W.10th St. near 6th Ave., 212-460-8017, www.piadinanyc.com). (Feb. 2009) Judy and Gideon Rosen like Le Zie, a Venetian Trattoria, opened in 1999 by Claudio Bonotto, a Veneto native. It has patio, garden and galleria. Judy likes the atmosphere and the food, “and although it’s not cheap, you can share a dish.” A favorite neighborhood restaurant of residents is Basta Pasta just around the
corner on 17th Street between 5th & 6th.
Don't let the name fool you into thinking this is strictly an Italian
restaurant because it is not. In truth, I'd stay away from the pasta and
stick with the fish. It's light and delicate and delicious. They have a
great wine list, too. It's Italian meets Japanese. They're always packed, so
I suggest making reservations before you go. They are moderately priced
too. (37 W. 17, 212-366-0888; Basta Pasta or Menu Pages) Spring is here! Take a stroll to Ennio & Michael. Traditional Italian, with delicious veal dishes and a quiet, relaxing atmosphere. It has a nice patio for outdoor dining, moderate prices and lunch and dinner specials. (539 LaGuardia Place, between Bleecker & W. 3rd St., 212-677-8577; www.menupages.com/restaurants/ennio-michael-ristorante/)
This is a spectacular little gem. The food is amazing and reservations tough to come by (call 1 month in advance). They are small on the space but big on the taste! The meatball sliders are terrific and the branzino simply delicious! (90 Bedford Street , 212-741-4695 www.thelittleowlnyc.com) (Trish and Kelly, June 2010)
My new favorite restaurant happens to be right around the corner from us. Aldea serves wonderful Portuguese-American cuisine, and I think the chef is inventive and fantastic. The food is fresh, original and delicious, the decor is lovely and the staff is attentive. I recommmend the lobster gazpacho to start, followed by the duck or scallops. If you have room for dessert, try the Little Dreams. Whatever you choose, you can't go wrong. You will need reservations and a sizable budget, but it will be worth it. (31 W. 17th St., 212-675-7223; aldearestaurant.com) (Lois Zeiger August 2010)
Flora Hogman, 28 years in our building, and Naka, who certainly knows all about Japanese food, highly recommend Matsuri, at the Maritime Hotel. To quote Zagat, it is a “Japanese extravaganza.” Flora adds that “it’s a celebration of Japanese food; interesting décor. We go there when we have guests. But it’s expensive, expensive.” (363 West 16th St. near 9th Ave., 212-242-4300, www.themaritimehotel.com/matsuri.html). (Feb. 2009)
Judy and Gideon Rosen recommend Safran, a wonderful French-Vietnamese restaurant down the block. In 2009, Safran offers a 3-course prix fixe dinner for $35. A Vietnamese restaurant, Omai is highly recommended by Graca Clifford. Graca is originally from St. Paulo, Brazil, and “a person hard to please” as far as restaurants are concerned. “Omai is a little fancy with great great food. I love to go there, it’s small, and can be crowded but it is cozy, with a nice crowd and often with a celebrity or two. No signs on the building, but regulars know where to go. ” (158 9th Ave. near 19th St., 212-633-0550, www.omainyc.com). (Feb. 2009) We found a neighborhood jewel: L'Annam. It's a casual Vietnamese restaurant with delicious food. It is very reasonably priced, especially for lunch. We love the Grilled Pork Chopped & Vegetable Noodle Soup. We also love the Basil Chicken & Beef with brown rice. It also offers a lot of vegetarian dishes. The restaurant in at 121 University Place (13th Street) . Happy eating from Janet & Toby! (212-420-1179; www.menupages.com/restaurants/lannam-2/) (Sept. 2011)
Rebecca Rass often visits Charlie Mom, this old neighborhood Chinese restaurant, which is pleasant, friendly and especially quiet, a rarity in New York restaurants. One can even carry on a serious conversation there. And there one can always run into some familiar faces from our building. (464 6th Ave. at 11th St.,212-807-8585, www.menupages.com). (Feb. 2009)
During "Restaurant Week," Eileen and I tried Devi, a beautiful, upscale Indian restaurant on 18th between 5th and Broadway. The food was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. It is a great spot for a romantic dinner, or to go with friends. The regular menu is very interesting, but tends to be expensive. However, their $35 prix fixe “Restaurant Week" menu is now available all of the time, and is a great value. Instead of limiting choices, as most restaurants do for their prix fixe menus, you are able to select any appetizer and entree from the regular menu, and desert is also included. (8 E. 18th St., 212-691-1300, www.devinyc.com) (Jay Cohen, March 2009)
This is a great new restaurant. Tthe food is wonderful and the lunches are great. Spicy, sweet and all around tasteful. The satays are a great deal. Our kids love the corn fritters. The restaurant is very small, so I hope this review brings in some business for a little restaurant starting out.(www.satayjunction.com, 28 Greenwich Ave., 212-929-9400) (Laura Gellert, June 2010)
City's #1 favorite Vegetarian, New York Mag. The food is vegan (no eggs or dairy), but I'll bet your carnivore friends will quickly return to Gobo after you introduce them to its joys. The food is fresh and delicious, and there are many small plates, so you can order a tasty variety to share. I eat there often, and when friends visit and want to order in, they always request Gobo. My favorites are the lettuce wrap, scallion pancakes with mango salsa, and the soy cutlet platter with black bean sauce. It's a popular spot, so it can get noisy when it's full. In nice weather, take out a sack-full, and head to the Piers for a picnic on the grass – that's what I like to do. This is my new favorite neighborhood vegetarian/vegan spot. The prices are unbeatable, service friendly and the food is delicious and plentiful. The space is large and airy, with 2 walls of solid windows. My favorites are the lettuce wraps and the teriaki skewers. I think it's as good as Gobo, but it's less expensive, and far easier to have a conversation. Try it! (At the corner of 7th Ave. and Morton, 212-255-2848, www.soyandsake.com) (Review posted by Heather MacDonald, June 2010).
Seasonal American with focus on seafood. This is a great corner space with super delicious food! It can be tough to get a resi but it's totally worth the try. We've tried both fish and meat and all was quite tasty. Great salads and apps as well, from the same owner as Little Owl. (Carmine and Bedford, 212.255.2100, www.markettablenyc.com) (Trish and Kelly, 9E, June 2010).
If you are a fan of that all American stand-by, the burger or some variation of same, such as the veggie or the turkey, there is no place like BLT Burger. There are less expensive burger joints in Manhattan, but no burger can top BLT’s. Personally I’m a fan of the lamb burger with its special Mediterranean sauce, but a second favorite is the classic. Fries are extra, but definitely worth the price. Both the waffle fries and the regular fries are nicely seasoned and freshly crisp. Save room for dessert. I am a milk shake fanatic and BLT’s are thick and tasty. The ice cream cookie sandwiches are heavenly, and the brownie a la mode is all a sweet tooth could desire. Expect to spend $25/person and to experience noise at dinnertime. It’s definitely a child friendly place, and well-worth the extra bucks. I took my New Jersey cousin there last week and she says she can’t stop thinking about that burger. 6th Ave. bet. 11th & 12th, 212-243-8226, www.bltburger.com. (Review from Amy Khoudari (7B), Managing Partner of family’s 3rd-generation real estate business, see log-graphy.blogspot.com) (June 2010) This casual Belgian restaurant has dishes for children and a patio in the back. “The waffles and mussels are wonderful,” says Denise Bigo (14B) “and our 4 year old twins love to go there.” (44 W. 17th St. between 6th & 5th Ave., 212-727-2989, With excellent Italian fare, this restaurant is also “very friendly to children,” says Denise Bigo. “The chef, Maurizio, has twin girls, so children feel at home there.” Brunch is about $15.
(21 Greenwich Ave. at W. 10th St., 212-645-2121, www.granonyc.com). (Feb. 2009) |
