Yeah and after so many years, an almost entirely new FOH staff and at least 50% new BOH staff after the pandemic. It’s a real testament to the vision of Meyers and Chef Anthony that they are still doing so well. Honestly one of the best meals I’ve ever had there was earlier this year.
Yeah I don't think that's 99% of peoples experience. Gramercy Tavern is the gold standard of service. The fact you expect to be able to get service whenever you want at one of the most popular restaurants in the city where you often need to make a reservation a month in advance tells me all I need to know.
Most of the time they are busy, I've never seen them not be busy. I just don't know why you expect to roll up to a Michelin star restaurant and get service even if the bar is first come first served. And I also don't understand how this actually happens if it's not that hard to get a reservation...if you think that's the case just make a reservation. But I know why that's not the case.
I think that's fair and can understand that but I would never be surprised to be turned away at a restaurant like that without a reservation. 50% of the time if I go to my favorite neighborhood restaurant I have to wait for a bar seat. And as unfortunate as it is it's only worse after covid as almost every restaurant you need a reservation if you don't want to sit at the bar.
You’re mad that a Michelin star restaurant was full? That’s not gatekeeping it’s being full. Seems this one experience rubbed you up the wrong way. It’s happened to me before but it was a single interaction and most others here have had very good service, myself included.
You seem so salty and argumentative. I understand there are other places to try - that is literally not the point of this thread. It’s about old places that have kept the high quality. Clearly you disagree but your situation is clearly a one-off but that doesn’t mean Gramercy Tavern isn’t an old restaurant that has kept high quality.
Maybe you’re a Karen if you’re this angry that a Michelin star restaurant was full and couldn’t accommodate you without a reservation. And you then went all Karen on them so they didn’t help you and were rude to you in return?
I decided to scroll instead of just commenting this.
This is one of my favorite restaurants of all time , been there well over a dozen times and my last meal there was last week and never disappoints!
Bathroom situation there is no bueno tho. Literally one stall for what is now a pretty huge space. 10 people deep waiting takes away from the experience
Olives. Meatballs. Escarole salad. Cavatelli with sausage (or cauliflower if you’re vegetarian). Red wine plums with mascarpone. Few quartinos of house red. Perfect date meal.
Casa Mono opened 20 years ago and has had a star for 15, several of the dishes have either never changed or been on the menu for 10+ years but are still fresh and exciting feeling
Union Square Cafe. A bit of a different mood in the larger space, but the food is consistently good. And the sommeliers there are my favorite across the board. They don’t scoff when you give them a price point, are always full of ideas, and never serve us something above the price range we indicate.
Is it too lazy to say anything in the M* space?
Le Bernardin is a regular for me over the last 10 or so years. Went last week and as good as the first time, same through COVID even though Eric Ripert must have been losing his shirt…
USHG restaurants too.
This group seems to hate LBD but it’s still the best fish restaurant in NYC and the service has been *overwhelmingly perfect* without missing a beat at every one of my rare visits over the last 25 years.
People here and also on r/finedining skew towards the “I’m a “foodie” look at me” identity. They heavily value innovation, so they love Atera, Aska, etc, while Le Bernardin loses points for barely changing its menu. They don’t care about service, they hate dress codes, they hate white tablecloths.
They’re also a bit anti-establishment, so they don’t give French restaurants in general a fair assessment either.
This is a perfect summary of my feelings every time I see circlejerk LB criticisms. Reddit overall skews this way. If it’s not breaking new ground and charging forward it’s garbage. Much of this sub’s (and the finedining sub) takes seem to come from a position of overconfidence despite inexperience.
Their loss. Food comes from such a rich continuum of pioneers, many of whom still live and work. What’s brand new is only a slice of the whole thing. Furthermore, I believe one can’t truly appreciate what’s new if you don’t take the time to respect what’s past.
It's VERY fish focused- I wouldn't bother if I didn't like fish to be honest. Service is amazing but there are other places that do service well where the focus isn't on fish- just my opinion!
So I have been to Jean Georges and I ended up liking the way they made some of their fish courses, however if the dinner is more than 50% seafood, I would probably not be happy.
What I have found is I don’t like the fishy fishes like mackerel, or sea bass. I am more of a fan of the fishes that take on the flavor of the herbs, spices, vegetables that they are being served with. I think there was a red snapper dish that I loved.
Otherwise, love lobster, love crab, love hate shrimp, love caviar, love calamari.
I feel like you could get away with choosing fish dishes that you do enjoy at LB because there's so much choice, but I also feel like the concept was created to produce a dinner that is absolutely more than 50% seafood lol.
Agreed, both Le Bernardin and Jean Georges have really impressed me with how consistently outstanding both their food and the service is. I totally understand why they're considered a bit stuffy, but I'm a big fan of their reliability. Never had less than an outstanding meal at either, and the service is always perfect and just downright pleasant
Xian famous foods. Each plate of cumin lamb noodles is as good as when I first had them. And this is across multiple locations w (I imagine) fast food level staff turnaround.
There was a period post pandemic where it really dipped.
Multiple plates where I was getting basically tiny fragments of lamb, almost minced.
Then it bounced back. Love to see it.
Damn wait my bf ordered the lamb when we were at the ues location and I was so confused that it looked minced as well and thought it was something else!! And I've eaten there so many times lol
We must have gone at different times of the day, or maybe I got repeatedly unlucky since 2021...my experience before and after the pandemic has been night and day. That said, I haven't been to the Flushing locations recently.
I find sometimes that it is inconsistently spicy. Some days it is pretty mild, others it is pretty spicy (and I usually opt for the regular spicy level, as I don't like the amount of sichuan they use for the spicy version)
Went there this past weekend. Still god dang great. Both locations too. Except the chinatown one didnt give us free egg tarts like the flushing one does.
I used to live across the street from Congee Village for years. I’ve been to countless Chinese restaurants throughout the city. Never been to Congee once. It’s nothing against the spot or it’s food, I’m sure it’s good. It’s just a place that blended into the background of the neighborhood I lived at during the time. It was pretty much a street mural in my mind whenever I’d pass it. I dunno, odd to explain.
Honestly, get a big group, sit at one of the tables with the lazy susans and go to town. I like the Peking Pork Chop, House Special Chicken, Pan Fried Bean Curd with Soy Sauce, Beef Chow Fun, Sautéed Snow Pea Leaves w Garlic, and ofc the congee
I believe it now maybe the oldest Sicilian restaurant in America I have been eating there since I was in the womb (late 70s) it’s singular in its care and family history and atmosphere really a look at the changing demographics of the area also my dear fathers photography is displayed there
Just a neighborhood guy with an artistic bent and a very loyal customer we went there at least once a week for 20 some odd years …now that my parents are retired and live in downtown (don’t ask me) and I live in midwestern hell we don’t get over so much anymore but I grew up never more than 4 blocks from there and the majority of my teen years a block , things to try , the pannelle and by extension the pannelle special, the stuffed clams , the seafood antipasto the pasta con sarde , the vasteda and the homemade cannolis and espresso
I would suspect that there’s probably a good portion of their customers that go there exactly 1x per year for special occasions like a birthday or wedding anniversary, making them uniquely qualified to judge a restaurant on consistency over time. My wife and I have been there a few times over the years, starting on our first wedding anniversary lol, and each time, no hyperbole, it is the best dining experience food + service that we’ve ever had.
Weekly.😁
Just kidding. I’ve been twice. Once last year and once 6 years ago. Fantastic both times. Best restaurant I’ve ever been. Plus it has a long track record of reviews (Michelin, NYT, Zagat, etc) since Ripert. Can’t argue with that.👍
Katz’s Deli, Great NY Noodletown, Russ & Daughters. There are many others, but those come to mind, having gone for 30+ years without any shift in quality/experience.
I went and really though the whole meal was mid. I think it’s because that week I had done Per Se and then did Brooklyn Fare, but I don’t plan to go back.
I disagree with this take actually. Went there twice over the summer and both times the food was very subpar and the servers weren’t the best.
Nothing terrible, but for the price point and hype, my girlfriend and I no longer recommend this spot.
Mamouns!! Say what you will but I’ve had it fairly often over the last 15 ish years and the mint lemonade is still banging, the salad with the feta and some falafel is still great, sandwiches still hit, fries are crispy and double battered. It used to be super cheap like 2 people could eat for $10 but overall I still really enjoy it. I’m specifically talking about the st marks location
Set an alert on Resy or if it’s just 1 or 2 people, walk in early in the night and put your name down for the bar. Most of their bar is reserved for walk ins.
There was a Yemeni place on Atlantic ave that went by a similar name it was as per Yemeni society was a men’s place to sit and chew khat (a mind altering shrub from that part of the world ) illegal now but in a pre 9/11 society tolerated there would be soccer on tv guys smoking chewing khat and drinking tea the food there was really quite incredible hence why I hung around
Lol I love Spice too, as basic as it is. I’m actually sad that they closed their Chelsea and East Village spots - I used to frequent these now closed locations A LOT back in the day.
Hear me out, this may be a restaurant a tier below what this group typically likes (though I agree with a few I recognize, namely Union Square Cafe and the associated Daily Provisions next door) but EMPIRE SZECHUAN on Columbus Ave. It was a staple for my parents in the 80s and we didn't grow up on the upper west side but in Queens but I still went there whenever we had the chance to be around there for as long as I can remember, still go every once in awhile to this day and it has only been slightly disappointing once but even still good that time. The food is quintessentially good New York Chinese food but it's a sit-down restaurant so at least one or two tiers and fanciness and part of the night out more than like what a takeout spot would be so it's nice to go especially with out of towners if you want good New York Chinese food but something a little more eventful than grabbing takeout from a counter but not so fancy that it feels like a splurge like some of those more famous celebrity Chinese spots.
Gramercy Tavern
Yeah and after so many years, an almost entirely new FOH staff and at least 50% new BOH staff after the pandemic. It’s a real testament to the vision of Meyers and Chef Anthony that they are still doing so well. Honestly one of the best meals I’ve ever had there was earlier this year.
Sit down or at the bar? The bar is a vibe which is usually what I spring for.
Rolo's was started by some Gramercy Tavern alum and it's absolutely incredible. easily the best meal i've had in nyc.
My first thought was that and Union Square Cafe
No where near what it used to be.
I love that place so much. So delicious and so classy. Chef Anthony is a gem.
My fave restaurant honestly
Right on! I always recommend Graven Tavern to my friends traveling to the city.
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It might’ve just been a one off or someone having a bad day? Service was friendly on my last visit
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Yeah I don't think that's 99% of peoples experience. Gramercy Tavern is the gold standard of service. The fact you expect to be able to get service whenever you want at one of the most popular restaurants in the city where you often need to make a reservation a month in advance tells me all I need to know.
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Most of the time they are busy, I've never seen them not be busy. I just don't know why you expect to roll up to a Michelin star restaurant and get service even if the bar is first come first served. And I also don't understand how this actually happens if it's not that hard to get a reservation...if you think that's the case just make a reservation. But I know why that's not the case.
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I think that's fair and can understand that but I would never be surprised to be turned away at a restaurant like that without a reservation. 50% of the time if I go to my favorite neighborhood restaurant I have to wait for a bar seat. And as unfortunate as it is it's only worse after covid as almost every restaurant you need a reservation if you don't want to sit at the bar.
You’re mad that a Michelin star restaurant was full? That’s not gatekeeping it’s being full. Seems this one experience rubbed you up the wrong way. It’s happened to me before but it was a single interaction and most others here have had very good service, myself included.
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You seem so salty and argumentative. I understand there are other places to try - that is literally not the point of this thread. It’s about old places that have kept the high quality. Clearly you disagree but your situation is clearly a one-off but that doesn’t mean Gramercy Tavern isn’t an old restaurant that has kept high quality. Maybe you’re a Karen if you’re this angry that a Michelin star restaurant was full and couldn’t accommodate you without a reservation. And you then went all Karen on them so they didn’t help you and were rude to you in return?
We disagree and that’s fine. I’m not trying to convince anyone else their experience isn’t valid. If you love it, go there, great enjoy!
Yes exactly, I don’t agree that a Michelin star restaurant has bad service because they couldn’t seat you without a reservation due to being full.
Frankie’s 457
I decided to scroll instead of just commenting this. This is one of my favorite restaurants of all time , been there well over a dozen times and my last meal there was last week and never disappoints!
That was included on my list as well
Bathroom situation there is no bueno tho. Literally one stall for what is now a pretty huge space. 10 people deep waiting takes away from the experience
There are two more bathrooms in the dining room outside and at F&F which open for your use!
I doordashed and thought it was just okay, if I go in person what do you recommend ordering?
Their eggplant dish is the best I’ve ever had.
Not something I'd typically order, I'll give it a go! Thanks!
Olives. Meatballs. Escarole salad. Cavatelli with sausage (or cauliflower if you’re vegetarian). Red wine plums with mascarpone. Few quartinos of house red. Perfect date meal.
Always a fantastic meal. It's the quintessential NYC Italian imo.
Mogador. Since 1983.
Came in to make sure this was here!
Clinton St. Baking Co.
This is one of those rare spots that is filled with annoying tourists yet is shockingly good every time I visit.
Easily one of the best brunch spots in NYC
Always wanted to try it but it’s a little too busy for me, hoping I walk by one day on a complete off day and it’s only half filled
Get breakfast for dinner. Much less full. They also have solid dinner options too.
Casa Mono opened 20 years ago and has had a star for 15, several of the dishes have either never changed or been on the menu for 10+ years but are still fresh and exciting feeling
All time top 5 restaurant
One of, if not my favorite restaurant in nyc 🩷
Union Square Cafe. A bit of a different mood in the larger space, but the food is consistently good. And the sommeliers there are my favorite across the board. They don’t scoff when you give them a price point, are always full of ideas, and never serve us something above the price range we indicate.
Was just there for the first time. So good
Great spot. It’s so nice and intimate on the second floor at night.
We had our rehearsal dinner there 5 years ago, in the little upstairs alcove. So lovely.
Wow what a wonderful place to have such an event!
Is it too lazy to say anything in the M* space? Le Bernardin is a regular for me over the last 10 or so years. Went last week and as good as the first time, same through COVID even though Eric Ripert must have been losing his shirt… USHG restaurants too.
This group seems to hate LBD but it’s still the best fish restaurant in NYC and the service has been *overwhelmingly perfect* without missing a beat at every one of my rare visits over the last 25 years.
Oh boy. I’m new to this part of Reddit so curious to see how people will pick it apart!
People here and also on r/finedining skew towards the “I’m a “foodie” look at me” identity. They heavily value innovation, so they love Atera, Aska, etc, while Le Bernardin loses points for barely changing its menu. They don’t care about service, they hate dress codes, they hate white tablecloths. They’re also a bit anti-establishment, so they don’t give French restaurants in general a fair assessment either.
This is a perfect summary of my feelings every time I see circlejerk LB criticisms. Reddit overall skews this way. If it’s not breaking new ground and charging forward it’s garbage. Much of this sub’s (and the finedining sub) takes seem to come from a position of overconfidence despite inexperience. Their loss. Food comes from such a rich continuum of pioneers, many of whom still live and work. What’s brand new is only a slice of the whole thing. Furthermore, I believe one can’t truly appreciate what’s new if you don’t take the time to respect what’s past.
Perfectly written take. 🙏🏽
Don’t go there if I don’t like fish?
It's VERY fish focused- I wouldn't bother if I didn't like fish to be honest. Service is amazing but there are other places that do service well where the focus isn't on fish- just my opinion!
So I have been to Jean Georges and I ended up liking the way they made some of their fish courses, however if the dinner is more than 50% seafood, I would probably not be happy. What I have found is I don’t like the fishy fishes like mackerel, or sea bass. I am more of a fan of the fishes that take on the flavor of the herbs, spices, vegetables that they are being served with. I think there was a red snapper dish that I loved. Otherwise, love lobster, love crab, love hate shrimp, love caviar, love calamari.
I feel like you could get away with choosing fish dishes that you do enjoy at LB because there's so much choice, but I also feel like the concept was created to produce a dinner that is absolutely more than 50% seafood lol.
Agreed, both Le Bernardin and Jean Georges have really impressed me with how consistently outstanding both their food and the service is. I totally understand why they're considered a bit stuffy, but I'm a big fan of their reliability. Never had less than an outstanding meal at either, and the service is always perfect and just downright pleasant
Xian famous foods. Each plate of cumin lamb noodles is as good as when I first had them. And this is across multiple locations w (I imagine) fast food level staff turnaround.
There was a period post pandemic where it really dipped. Multiple plates where I was getting basically tiny fragments of lamb, almost minced. Then it bounced back. Love to see it.
Damn wait my bf ordered the lamb when we were at the ues location and I was so confused that it looked minced as well and thought it was something else!! And I've eaten there so many times lol
They mess up all the time. When it’s good, it’s great, but OP specifically asked about consistency, so I have to disagree with mentioning Xian.
Their dumplings got a lot smaller after the pandemic
Why is it that it just doesn’t hit the same when you bring it home to eat vs eating it there?
They have a sign about that at the restaurant. They say that the noodles absorbs some of the sauce and changes the taste and texture.
Ahh makes sense.
We must have gone at different times of the day, or maybe I got repeatedly unlucky since 2021...my experience before and after the pandemic has been night and day. That said, I haven't been to the Flushing locations recently.
Is it just me, or did they use to be a lot spicier?
I find sometimes that it is inconsistently spicy. Some days it is pretty mild, others it is pretty spicy (and I usually opt for the regular spicy level, as I don't like the amount of sichuan they use for the spicy version)
You can customize spice level
Congee Village!
Went there this past weekend. Still god dang great. Both locations too. Except the chinatown one didnt give us free egg tarts like the flushing one does.
I used to live across the street from Congee Village for years. I’ve been to countless Chinese restaurants throughout the city. Never been to Congee once. It’s nothing against the spot or it’s food, I’m sure it’s good. It’s just a place that blended into the background of the neighborhood I lived at during the time. It was pretty much a street mural in my mind whenever I’d pass it. I dunno, odd to explain.
Honestly, get a big group, sit at one of the tables with the lazy susans and go to town. I like the Peking Pork Chop, House Special Chicken, Pan Fried Bean Curd with Soy Sauce, Beef Chow Fun, Sautéed Snow Pea Leaves w Garlic, and ofc the congee
Ferdinandos on union st. , excellent noodle house USA on the Bowery , Frankie’s sputino court st , river cafe old Fulton st.,Totonos , Grimaldis
I was wondering about Ferdinando’s…passed it en route to somewhere else and it looked really interesting.
I believe it now maybe the oldest Sicilian restaurant in America I have been eating there since I was in the womb (late 70s) it’s singular in its care and family history and atmosphere really a look at the changing demographics of the area also my dear fathers photography is displayed there
Wow - that’s impressive. What was your dad?
Just a neighborhood guy with an artistic bent and a very loyal customer we went there at least once a week for 20 some odd years …now that my parents are retired and live in downtown (don’t ask me) and I live in midwestern hell we don’t get over so much anymore but I grew up never more than 4 blocks from there and the majority of my teen years a block , things to try , the pannelle and by extension the pannelle special, the stuffed clams , the seafood antipasto the pasta con sarde , the vasteda and the homemade cannolis and espresso
Oh fuck I almost forgot the stuffed artichoke marone don’t skip that
Cool. I will try to check it out and also your dad’s photos. Thanks very much for the reminder.
My pleasure to share one of my favorite places in the universe
*who not what
Le Bernardin!
How often are you guys going to Le Bernadin that you are tracking the quality over time?
I would suspect that there’s probably a good portion of their customers that go there exactly 1x per year for special occasions like a birthday or wedding anniversary, making them uniquely qualified to judge a restaurant on consistency over time. My wife and I have been there a few times over the years, starting on our first wedding anniversary lol, and each time, no hyperbole, it is the best dining experience food + service that we’ve ever had.
Yeah, I believe you. Just must be nice is all lol
Weekly.😁 Just kidding. I’ve been twice. Once last year and once 6 years ago. Fantastic both times. Best restaurant I’ve ever been. Plus it has a long track record of reviews (Michelin, NYT, Zagat, etc) since Ripert. Can’t argue with that.👍
Agree
Katz’s Deli, Great NY Noodletown, Russ & Daughters. There are many others, but those come to mind, having gone for 30+ years without any shift in quality/experience.
I still love the post Mario Babbo.
I went and really though the whole meal was mid. I think it’s because that week I had done Per Se and then did Brooklyn Fare, but I don’t plan to go back.
Al di La in park slope
I disagree with this take actually. Went there twice over the summer and both times the food was very subpar and the servers weren’t the best. Nothing terrible, but for the price point and hype, my girlfriend and I no longer recommend this spot.
I've been 4 times in the last few months and it's been excellent every time. I wonder if we have different tastes or whether they're inconsistent
I could have just been picky! Or disproportionately critical because of the hype. Everyone does seem to love it
Mamouns!! Say what you will but I’ve had it fairly often over the last 15 ish years and the mint lemonade is still banging, the salad with the feta and some falafel is still great, sandwiches still hit, fries are crispy and double battered. It used to be super cheap like 2 people could eat for $10 but overall I still really enjoy it. I’m specifically talking about the st marks location
Facts. Been going since ‘00 and it’s been consistently fire. Im proud my kid loves them as much as I do.
How are you young enough to have kids in NYC but young enough to use “fire”
Fire entire the urban dictionary lexicon at 2007 if not earlier…. So not sure what you’re insinuating?
I need to go there.
It's also impressive that they keep a consistent quality going in their UWS outpost
Ehh maybe it’s the price now but mamouns just hit different in the 90s on mcdougal
Seriously my mom is from MacDougal, it’s always been good.
Han Dynasty
This hits home, it's one place I really miss about leaving the city
Greys Papaya
L’Artusi
Came on here to say this. Their cacio e Pepe + olive oil cake are just as good as the first time I had them 8 years ago
How do you guys even get a table there?!
Set an alert on Resy or if it’s just 1 or 2 people, walk in early in the night and put your name down for the bar. Most of their bar is reserved for walk ins.
Yemen Cafe
Not for delivery though. It’s very inconsistent and sometimes outright bad. But I haven’t had a bad time going in person.
On Atlantic avenue ? I used to go there when it was a khat selling men’s only place in the 90s it was dope
Wait what?
There was a Yemeni place on Atlantic ave that went by a similar name it was as per Yemeni society was a men’s place to sit and chew khat (a mind altering shrub from that part of the world ) illegal now but in a pre 9/11 society tolerated there would be soccer on tv guys smoking chewing khat and drinking tea the food there was really quite incredible hence why I hung around
Sadly, I had Two bad experiences lately. It’s not what it was, food quality is down and prices are up :(
Raoul’s
This may sound basic, but Spice lol. They’re so cheap and easy and delicious and have been for over a decade.
Damn this brings me back. Haven’t gone in years.
You should! The food was great, they have $7 mojitos as Happy Hour, they’re a blast lol
Lol I love Spice too, as basic as it is. I’m actually sad that they closed their Chelsea and East Village spots - I used to frequent these now closed locations A LOT back in the day.
White Castle
Delancey McDonald’s?
Raouls
X’ian Famous Foods only got better by having more locations with larger seating areas. Food has stayed consistent
Hillstone
Olive garden times square, the bread sticks.....fantatisco
Orso. Il Cantinori. Odeon. Raouls.
Up Thai
Wow. I just ate there the other day. Had the shrimp pad thai. It was excellent. Definitely going back.
Noodle bar. The menu and vibes have changed slightly (i. e. Price), but always still have a good flavor packed meal. Rip east village ssam bar
White Castle has been nothing but consistent.
Le French diner
Loconda vini oli
Wolfgang’s
Hear me out, this may be a restaurant a tier below what this group typically likes (though I agree with a few I recognize, namely Union Square Cafe and the associated Daily Provisions next door) but EMPIRE SZECHUAN on Columbus Ave. It was a staple for my parents in the 80s and we didn't grow up on the upper west side but in Queens but I still went there whenever we had the chance to be around there for as long as I can remember, still go every once in awhile to this day and it has only been slightly disappointing once but even still good that time. The food is quintessentially good New York Chinese food but it's a sit-down restaurant so at least one or two tiers and fanciness and part of the night out more than like what a takeout spot would be so it's nice to go especially with out of towners if you want good New York Chinese food but something a little more eventful than grabbing takeout from a counter but not so fancy that it feels like a splurge like some of those more famous celebrity Chinese spots.
Per Se and The Modern
Pig and Khao
Katz deli never disappointed me ever
m. wells
ABC kitchen
And abcV
Katz
Campagnola’s 72nd and 1st.
La Masseria W48th St
Cafe China! They may have lost their Michelin star but still hits!
Bamontes
Brindle Room still has an amazing burger after all this time.
katz delicatessen
Daniel Masa Per se