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From the Supplement to the 123rd Annual Meeting |
One Local's Suggestions for Downtown Restaurants
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Here are one local’s suggestions to help meeting attendees narrow down their restaurant choices. All are a short subway or cab trip from the meeting hotels and offer good food and welcoming ambiance. Prices are “New York City” low moderate to high moderate. Make reservations whenever possible, and double-check cash and credit card policies. Online menus and/or reviews are available for most. Downtown restaurants tend to be small, so larger spaces for groups are noted. All are located in areas with many other restaurants to choose from.
Chelsea
Chelsea Market (75 9th Ave. between 15th and 16th St., www.chelseamarket.com). Food shops and market in a nicely reused Nabisco factory. Eat lunch where the locals eat.
Crema (111 W. 17th St. between 6th and 7th Ave., 212-691-4477, www.cremarestaurante.com). Gourmet Mexican. Lunch, dinner, brunch. Reservations.
Crispo (240 W. 14th St. between 7th and 8th Ave., 212-229-1818, www.crisporestaurant.com). Italian. Dinner only. Reservations.
Gavroche (212 W. 14th St. between 7th and 8th Ave., 212-647-8553, www.gavroche-ny.com). French country. Lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch. Closed Monday. Reservations.
La Luncheonette (130 10th Ave. at 18th St., 212-675-0342). French bistro. Lunch, dinner, weekend brunch. Reservations. (Located near Chelsea art galleries.)
La Nacional (239 W. 14th between 7th and 8th Ave., 212-243-9308, www.lanacionaltapas.com). Spanish tapas and paella in a restaurant that survives from the “Little Spain” district, established c. 1930 by the Sociedad Española de Socorros Mutuos. Lunch and dinner. Reservations.
Maroons (244 W. 16th St. between 7th and 8th Ave., 212-206-8640, www.maroonsnyc.com). Jamaican and American southern. Lunch (Tuesday–Saturday), dinner, Sunday jazz brunch. Reservations. Large space.
Safran (88 7th Ave. between 15th and 16th St., 212-929-1778, www.safran88.com). French Vietnamese. Lunch, dinner.
Greenwich Village
Cornelia Street Restaurant Row (between Bleecker and W. 4th St.)
Cornelia St. Café (29 Cornelia St., 212-989-9319, www.corneliastreetcafe.com). Cosmopolitan menu. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Bar, restaurant, cabaret, and downstairs performance space. Reservations only for dinner and for shows downstairs. Large space.
Home (20 Cornelia St., 212-243-9579, www.homerestaurantnyc.com). American traditional. Lunch, dinner, weekend brunch. Reservations.
Le Gigot (18 Cornelia St., 212-627-3737, www.legigotrestaurant.com). French bistro. Lunch, dinner, weekend brunch. Closed Monday. Reservations.
Pearl Oyster Bar (18 Cornelia St., 212-691-8211, www.pearloysterbar.com). Seafood. Lunch Monday–Friday, dinner Monday–Saturday, closed Sunday. No reservations. No American Express.
Po (31 Cornelia St., 212-645-2189, www.porestaurant.com). Italian. Lunch (Wednesday–Sunday) and dinner. Reservations. (On the site of Caffe Cino, the first off-off-Broadway venue.)
Gotham Bar and Grill (12 E. 12th St., 212-620-4020, www.gothambarandgrill.com). American contemporary. Weekday lunch and dinner, weekend dinner. Reservations. Large space, more formal.
Knickerbocker Bar and Grill (33 University Pl., 212-228-8490, www.knickerbockerbarandgrill.com). American contemporary. Live jazz on weekend nights begins 9:45 p.m. Lunch and dinner. Reservations. Large space.
Market Table (54 Carmine St., 212-255-2100, www.markettablenyc.com). American contemporary market/restaurant. Lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Reservations.
Marquet Patisserie (15 E. 12th St., 212-229-9313). French café and bakery (wine too). Lunch and dinner, but closes Sunday at 4 p.m. and Monday at 6 p.m. Reservations.
In the Village and in the mood for historical nightspots? Visit the Village Vanguard, the city’s longest-running jazz club (178 7th Ave. S., 212-255-4037, www.villagevanguard.com) reservations, no food. There are also two longstanding gay hangouts: Fedora’s bar and restaurant (239 W. 4th St. near Christopher), and Julius’ bar (men), 159 W. 10th St. (between Waverly and 7th Ave. S.). All three places offer a walk back in time.
East Village and the Lower East Side
Angelica Kitchen (300 E. 12th St., 212-228-2909, www.angelicakitchen.com). Vegan /macrobiotic. Lunch and dinner. No reservations.
Cafecito (185 Ave. C, 212-253-9966, www.cafecitonyc.com). Cuban. Cash only (inexpensive).
Café Orlin (41 St. Marks Pl., 212-777-1447). Cosmopolitan café fare. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. No reservations (except for large groups for weekday lunch). No American Express.
Café Mogodor (101 St. Marks Pl., 212-677-2226, www.cafemogador.com). Moroccan. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. No reservations for dinner Friday and Saturday.
Casa Adela (66 Ave. C, 212-473-1882). Puerto Rican. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Cash only (inexpensive).
Frank (88 2nd Ave., 212-420-0202, www.frankrestaurant.com). Italian. Lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Reservations for groups of eight or more. Also runs Lil’
Frankie’s Pizza (19 1st Ave., 212-420-4900, www.lilfrankies.com). Both cash only.
Grand Sichuan International (21 St. Marks Pl. at 8th St., 212-529-4805, www.thegrandsichuan.com). Chinese. Reservations. Large space. (On the site of Electric Circus, a rock concert hall in the 1960s.)
Katz’s (205 E. Houston, 212-254-2246, www.katzdeli.com). Jewish deli. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No reservations. (Worth a trip for the old-time interior.) For better food in a less interesting space, try the 2nd Ave. Deli, (162 E. 33rd St. between Lexington and 3rd Ave., 212-677-0606), recently moved from the East Village. Kosher. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No reservations.
LaVagna (545 E. 5th St., 212-979-1005, www.lavagnanyc.com). Italian. Dinner only. Reservations.
Pylos (128 E. 7th St., 212-473-0220, www.pylosrestaurant.com). Greek. Lunch (Wednesday–Sunday) and dinner. Reservations. To eat Greek food in a Greek neighborhood, try Uncle George’s (33-19 Broadway, Astoria, 718-626-0593, www.unclegeorges.us). Open 24 hours. Cash only.
E. 9th Street Japanese
Hasaki (210 E. 9th St., 212-473-3327, www.hasakinyc.com). Japanese sushi and more. Lunch and dinner. No reservations. (Note: sushi restaurant nearby is not same quality.)
Yakiniku West (218 E. 9th St., 212-979-9238). “Japanese rural steakhouse,” (tabletop cooking dishes recommended). Good for groups. No reservations.
Soba Ya (229 E. 9th St., 212-533-6966, www.sobaya-nyc.com). Japanese noodle house. Lunch and dinner. No reservations.
Cha An (230 E. 9th St., 212-228-8030). Japanese tea house. No Reservations.
There are many other restaurants south of Houston Street between Eldridge and Clinton Streets.
Noho
Five Points Restaurant (31 Great Jones St., 212-253-5700, www.fivepointsrestaurant.com) Seasonal/Mediterranean. Lunch, dinner, Saturday and Sunday brunch. Reservations. Large space.
Quartino Bottega Organica (11 Bleecker St., 212-529-5133). Italian. Lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Reservations.
Soho
Balthazar (80 Spring St., 212-965-1414, www.balthazarny.com). French bistro. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Reservations. Large space.
Cendrillon (45 Mercer St., 212-343-9012, www.cendrillon.com). Filipino/Pan Asian. Lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Closed Mondays. Reservations. (Proprietors and chef are students of the cuisine.)
Savoy (70 Prince St., 212-219-8570, www.savoynyc.com). Seasonal/American. Lunch and dinner. Reservations.
Tribeca
Bouley (120 Broadway, 212-964-2525, www.davidbouley.com). French. Higher than moderate, but to splurge at one of New York City’s best, consider the lunch tasting menu at $38. Reservations. More formal.
Capsouto Frères (451 Washington St., 212-966-4900, www.capsoutofreres.com). French bistro. Lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Reservations. Large space.
Landmarc (179 W. Broadway, 212 343-3883, www.landmarc-restaurant.com) French bistro. Lunch weekdays, dinner, and weekend brunch. Known for low mark-ups on great wines. Reservations for groups of six or more.
—Marci Reaven is a public historian and managing director of City Lore, where she directs the Place Matters project (www.placematters.net), and is a member of the Local Arrangements Committee. She is the co-author of Hidden New York: A Guide to Places that Matter (Rutgers University Press, 2006).
Last Updated: December 17, 2008 12:13 PM