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Fat-Guy's Favorites |
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By Steven A. Shaw Published 04/26/2001 17:55 |
My favorite New York restaurants . . .OverviewStars and scores are a distraction from real restaurant reviewing, as evidenced by the public's preoccupation with the star ratings in the New York Times and the scores and rankings in the Zagat survey. Such rankings imply a level of objectivity that is unattainable when reviewing restaurants. I don't mean to say that restaurant discussions are completely subjective -- I'm not one of these people who believes test scores should be eliminated in the schools -- just that it is counterproductive to assign a score to a restaurant. Scores and stars make even less sense today than ever before, because we are currently faced with so many different species of restaurants, a phenomenon that makes for apples and oranges comparisons. (Michelin stars make a little more sense in part because, in France, most restaurants are French -- though increasing diversity threatens that rating system as well.) Instead, I provide these lists of favorites, subdivided by ethnicity (French, Italian, etc.) and style (formal, casual, or other as appropriate). It is within these categories that I find comparison most valuable. There is of course some difficulty in adhering to any set of categories. For example, seafood restaurants are often thought of as their own category, but most also belong to a particular ethnic/national genre. (Would you call Le Bernardin a French restaurant or a seafood restaurant? I've listed it as both.) Likewise, the formal/casual distinction doesn't hold up under particularly strict scrutiny, but it's useful as a rough guide. This page is constantly evolving. I want to make clear that I've not dined at every restaurant in New York City -- if the oft-stated 20,000 total figure is to be trusted, I've been to something like 3% of them (though of course I have made my choices carefully) -- and therefore an omission here may not mean anything other than that I haven't been to the place in question. Most of the restaurants listed here link to reviews, but a few don't -- this usually means the review is in my head but not yet in writing, but it may also be because my review appears in a print-only publication and is therefore not available online. Favorites by CategoryFavorite French Formal: The best in this category, and the best restaurant in New York (and North America) by most any measure, is Alain Ducasse New York (ADNY), which is simply in its own class. It is the only restaurant on this continent that consistently offers something tantamount to a Michelin three-star experience. After that, a small group of top tier places competes in a virtual tie: Lespinasse is a long-time favorite where the cuisine is somewhat traditional (not in the sense of old-school French but, rather, very much inspired by the French contemporary haute cuisine of the 1970s and 1980s). Jean Georges has improved tremendously since its overhyped opening (when it was inexcusably awarded critical praise based purely on its chef's reputation, even though it offered wildly inconsistent food) and is now legitimately one of the best restaurants anywhere. Bouley Bakery is capable of providing among the very finest dining experiences imaginable; I only wish I could say it does so consistently. Peacock Alley, sorely undervalued, is the most Ducasse-like restaurant outside Ducasse (the chef is a disciple). I actually like Café Boulud better than I like Daniel, but both represent the work of one of the top French chefs of our generation. Le Bernardin, which focuses on seafood, has been the steadiest performer over the past several years. And relative newcomer Cello serves what I consider to be even better -- or at least more highly evolved -- seafood. Casual: Though madly popular, the bistro/brasserie/café genre, as interpreted by New York restaurateurs, has failed to do much for me. The new Artisanal, which I'll call French for lack of a better category, is my favorite to date and should be utilized for the full range of its menu not just its inimitable cheese selection. Orsay comes closest to my ideal of the brasserie (sadly, it's priced almost in the luxe range), and I certainly prefer it to Balthazar and Pastis (though I love Pastis for breakfast). Favorite New American Formal: Gramercy Tavern for me defines this genre and makes me proud of American cuisine. I believe it to be the best American restaurant in America, and therefore the world. Veritas is a close competitor, serving food with a similar sensibility, and it is a delightful boutique restaurant with one of the best wine cellars on the planet. March is a top New American restaurant of a different stripe. The cuisine is inventive and the multi-course tasting experience is fabulous, but too many dishes are ill-conceived. Atlas is a love-it-or-hate-it proposition. I've had some astoundingly good food there, and a few awful dishes. It is highly recommended for those who enjoy cutting edge, experimental cuisine. Union Pacific offers a more grounded version of experimental cuisine, one that involves less risk (but still some). Town, which uses a still more conservative fusion palette, shows great promise. Other top New Americans -- here again in the straightforward/conservative genre -- are Gotham Bar & Grill and Park Avenue Café. (As an added bonus, at both, it's usually possible to get a reservation.) Casual: The rise of the high-quality neighborhood restaurant, spurred no doubt by ever-increasing numbers of well-trained ex-fancy-restaurant-sous-chefs being unleashed on the marketplace, has been one of the most impressive areas of improvement in New York City dining over the past couple of years. I'd point to Blue Hill, Tocqueville, The Tasting Room, and 71 Clinton Fresh Food as prime examples of this trend (though price creep, especially at Tocqueville, threatens to blur the categories). Etats-Unis, a precursor to those, is also well worthwhile. In the more traditional category, Blue Ribbon is definitive for its renditions of classic dishes. And even better, I think, is its more recent outpost: Blue Ribbon Bakery. Fast Food: F&B; demonstrates amply that fast food doesn't have to equal junk. Plus you can get Champagne there. Favorite Italian Formal: Mario Batali's Babbo has, since the day it opened, served the best contemporary Italian cuisine in New York, and recently the service has caught up. I now recommend it unequivocally. For a more traditional, old-world style of Italian-American cuisine, the foremost practitioner is Il Mulino, though it's scandalously overpriced -- and I strongly advise you to avoid the restaurant at dinnertime, when reservations are not honored in a timely manner and the scene is generally unpleasant. Outside Manhattan there are some excellent old-world Italian-Americans as well, my favorites being Manducatis (especially for its wine list), Roberto's (definitive fresh pasta) near Arthur Avenue, and Piccola Venezia (amazing sauces). Casual: Two others from Mario Batali dominate the casual Italian scene, and they are Esca (primarily seafood) and Lupa. Batali's partner in Babbo, Esca and Lupa is Joe Bastianich, and the Bastianich family operates another favorite casual Italian: Becco, which serves very good homemade pasta in limitless quantities for cheap. Two other favorites, which resemble the standard neighborhood trattoria in everything but the quality of their food (which is a cut above), are Luca and Gennaro, crosstown soulmates owned by best friends. Favorite Japanese For straight sushi and sashimi, my vote goes to Sushi Yasuda, closely followed by Kuruma Zushi (and Hatsuhana, while it offers less of a selection, deserves a nod for rock-solid reliability). In the more inventive category, Nobu has no challengers (except for its branch office, Next Door Nobu, which I prefer slightly). BondSt, however, does a very nice job. And my favorite Japanese hangout is the basement sake bar and jazz club (which also serves remarkably good tapas-like food), Saka Gura. Favorite Mediterranean Picholine entirely dominates this category. Favorite Seafood This category contains some overlap, since any seafood restaurant also falls into a specific ethnic/national genre. Le Bernardin and Cello are the best formal French seafood places. Oceana is an effective Le Bernardin imitator, but it's done in an American style. Sea Grill, in Rockefeller Center, is sorely underrated and serves some of the best New American seafood I've tried. Aquagrill is also terrific. Esca puts an Italian spin on seafood, with great success. And of course much of the best seafood comes in the form of sushi and sashimi -- those picks are listed separately. Favorite Chinese Formal: Grand Sichuan International Midtown. It's formal only in the sense that it is a bit more upscale than the standard neighborhood Chinese place. But the major distinction is the cuisine, which is orders of magnitude beyond the average. Casual/Fast-Food: Fried Dumpling, the hole-in-the-wall shop where five delicious fried dumplings cost a dollar. Favorite Indian I hesitate to categorize Tabla as Indian, since it is really a top New American restaurant with heavy Indian influences, but at the same time this seems the most appropriate category. And since there are so few decent Indian restaurants in New York, Tabla fills a void. Favorite Scandinavian Aquavit Favorite Wine Bar Morrell Wine Bar & Café Favorite Southwestern Arizona 206 Favorite Austrian/German Wallsé Favorite Thai Sripriphai Favorite Pizza Please see the Pizza Guide Favorite Deli Please see the Deli Guide Favorite Steakhouse Please see the Steakhouse Guide (and also the Rodizio Roundup) Favorite Rodizio Please see the Rodizio Roundup |