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| SOHO/ TRIBECA (Houston to Canal; Layfayette and points west) Estancia 460: Argentinean. 460 Greenwich @ Desbrosses-Watts; 21/15/$40; 431-5093; Rustic setting with outside seating; Hearty menu with Italian inspired dishes as well – many pasta options; Seared meats on the grill stand out. Dylan Prime: Steakhouse. 62 Laight @ Greenwich; 24/23/$66; 334-4783; TriBeCa location; Date friendly; Stylish and far less pretentious than others; Cool bar scene; Superb food; Feel of a lounge as much as steakhouse. No attitude. Has lighter fare. Wolfgang’s Steakhouse: Steakhouse. 409 Greenwich @ Hubert; 25/20/$74; 889-3369; Like Lugar’s; Incredible Porterhouse; Wildly popular; Vaulted ceilings. Laid back, with old-school cool; Gorgeous décor and fish-friendly menu as well. Tribeca Grill: American. 375 Greenwich @ Franklin; 22/20/$58; 941-3900; DeNiro owned, classy New American restaurant. Spacious, reliable, great service, and an occasional celebrity. Seared sea scallops stand out; Extensive, pricy drink list. High end but quality. Flor de Sol: Spanish. 361 Greenwich @ Franklin; 22/21/$45; 366-1640; Excellent for Tapas served by an ultra sexy staff in a great date environment; Super strong Sangrias. Festive mood; Perfect, large selection of Tapas. Flamenco dancing. Mojito-downing at the wooden bar. The Harrison: American. 355 Greenwich @ Harrison; 24/21/$59; 274-9310; Upscale New American from chef Amanda Freitag; Limited menu of top prepared food; Like dining in the Hamptons; Great appetizers. Upscale casual. VietCafe: Vietnamese. 345 Greenwich @ Harrison-Jay; 22/17/$33; 431-5888; Amazing for lunch featuring unbelievable sandwiches; Trendy looking spot for dinner; Modern preparations of Viet classics; Almost a brasserie feel. Open kitchen. Nobu: Japanese. 105 Hudson @ Franklin; 27/23/$83; 219-0500; Celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa owned; Peruvian influence; Off the chart good. Ridiculously fresh sushi and fish/ seafood dishes; Fancy & Trendy; Celeb Hot Spot; Go to Nobu, Next Door for slightly cheaper / same food at same address. Zutto: Japanese. 77 Hudson @ Harrison; 21/17/$39; 233-3287; Perfect back up plan to Nobu in area; Truly delicious sushi selections; Unique specials; In business 28 years. TriBeCa favorite; No competition in this price range. Bouley, Upstairs: French, Eclectic; 130 W Boradway @ Duane; 25/17/$50; 608-5829; Next door to super expensive Bouley – get nearly same quality food for ½ the price; More elbow room as well; Cuisine-crossing menu including sushi & highest end French. Blaue Gans: Austrian. 139 Duane @ Church-W. BWay; 21/18/$47; 571-8880; Another Kurt Gutenbrunner owned Austrian restaurant; Cheaper than Wallse; The schnitzel stands out. Sausage city; Fresh: Seafood. 105 Reade St @ Church-WB-Way; 25/21/$59; Perfectly prepared seafood; Flopping off your plate fresh; Amazing service; Charred tuna tenderloin; Fancier place- date friendly. Prem-on Thai: Thai. 138 Houston @ MacDougal; 21/19/$33; 353-2338; New, undiscovered; Delicious; Striking Digs; Elegant & Cool; Young Crowd; Spicy food. All around worthy selection. Ushi Wakamaru: Japanese. 136 W Houston @ MacDougal-Sullivan; 27/15/$70; 228-4181; Very small, under the radar Sushi star; Ultra fresh fish, possibly still alive; A la carte & omakase options; Super tasty rolls; Near perfection with Tokyo level quality. Aquagrill: Seafood. 210 Spring @ 6th Av; 26/19/$58; 274-0505; Fish heaven; Raw bar- endless oyster selection; Popular and always packed; Seafood still fighting for life on your plate it’s so fresh; Two levels – date friendly; Extremely helpful staff to educate you on fish. Blue Ribbon: American. 97 Sullivan @ Prince-Spring; 25/17/$50; 274-0404; Late night dining specialists; Eclectic menu including Fried Chicken, Cheese Fondue, Oxtail, Burgers, Lobster...has it all! Fairly small in size; Tons of items to choose from. Blue Ribbon Sushi: Japanese. 119 Sullivan @ Prince-Spring; 26/19/$54; 343-0404; Fresh Sushi; Works of art; Mind blowingly good; So very fresh your order may swim to you. Cooked dishes outstanding as well. Make-it-yourself Miso soup. Jean Claude: French. 137 Sullivan @ Houston-Prince; 22/16/$41; 475-9232; A bistro so romantic you’ll think you are in Paris; Ideal date spot; Solid food- cash only. Affordable, rustic fare with big portions & tastes. Hanger steak. Mezzogiorno: Italian. 195 Spring @ Sullivan; 21/17/$44; 334-2112; Crispy beef carpaccio; Outdoor seating in nice weather; Pleasant dining experience; Tuscan classics that are always solid. Shorty’s.32: American. 199 Prince @ Sullivan; 25/15/$42; 375-8275; Gourmet Comfort food from a celebrity chef; Out of control tasty; High end Mac & Cheese; Short Ribs; Chicken; Fish. Comfortable setting; Raoul’s: French. 180 Prince @ Sullivan-Thompson; 24/20/$55; 966-3518; Truly authentic first-rate French fare in an authentic bistro setting; Been around since 1975; Always popular and just like dining in Paris; Romantic ambiance; Back garden; Can’t go wrong here; Steak au poivre; Duck breast are amazing. Il Corallo Trattoria: Italian. 176 Prince @ Sullivan-Thompson; 22/14/$27; 941-7119; Bargain basement cheap; Massive menu; Known for huge choice in brilliantly prepared pastas. Service/ setting is iffy. But food wows you. Aurora: Italian. 510 Broome @ Thompson-WB-Way; 25/21/$47; 334-9020; Italian; Incredibly fresh pasta and ingredients; Beautiful, relaxing décor; Top service; Top of the line. Sexy space- though slightly small – but worth the quarters for an amazing menu of standard and creatively new selections. Bistro Les Amis: French. 180 Spring @ Thompson; 22/17/$42; 226-8645; Charming Soho French bistro with the usual classics plus some special preparations; Romantic, smallish place; Fair pricing & great service; Steak Frites with herb butter. Kittichai: Thai. 60 Thompson @ Broome-Spring; 23/27/$57; 219-2000; Décor is exquisite; Eye candy; Incredible drink & food; Theatrical design; Overwhelmingly impressive to eat here; You will pay well above genre but worth it. Dos Caminos: Mexican. 475 W B-Way @ Houston; 21/21/$43; 277-4300; Great upscale Mexican; Sexy setting; Energetic scene perfect for dates; Margaritas will put you under; Guacamole is tremendous; Steve Hanson empire journeys on. Ideya: Caribbean. 349 W BWay @ Broome-Grand; 20/15/$33; 625-1441; Casual, fun vibe; Mojitos are top notch; Pan roasted Mahi mahi stands out; Truly a party vibe and a fun date place. Place to celebrate. Novecento: Argentinean. 343 WB-Way @ Broome-Grand; 22/17/$41; 925-4706; Delicious steaks; Trendy area. Not a typical steakhouse – this place is fun! Bistro digs. Nam: Vietnamese. 110 Reade @ W-BWay; 22/19/$39; 267-1777; Love this menu; Professional, spacious, mature setting; High end experience at fair prices; Traditional cuisine. Bamboo & faded photo ambience; Stir fried noodles amazing. Hip and lively. Papatzul: Mexican. 55 Grand @ W-BWay; 23/17/$38; 274-8225; Fusion of ultra gourmet and traditional classics at this rustic, yet lively space; Affordable pricing and super-strong drinks add to the experience. Name means: Mayan for “Food of the Gods”. Duane Park Café: American. 157 Duane @ Hudson-WBWay; 25/21/$54; 732-5555; Extremely good dishes in an upscale yet trendy location; Can’t go wrong; Affordable for genre. Stately décor; Limited menu. Pepolino: Italian. 281 W B-Way @ Canal; 25/17/$52; 966-9983; High end Northern Italian; Two levels- better upstairs & quieter; Cool, modern feel with excellent service; Tasty classics of highest caliber. Churrascaria TriBeCa: Brazilian. 221 WB-Way @ Franklin; 23/19/$65; Brazilian; All you can eat MEAT. Heaven. Skewers of Meat from friendly servers. Nicer, larger than other locations. Fun, though expensive experience. Mercer Kitchen: American. 99 Prince @ Mercer; 22/23/$56; 966-5454; American-French; Mercer Hotel Restaurant; Very sleek and cool; Celeb spot; Upscale professional crowd; Impeccable. Run by Jean-George Vongerichten; Delicious. Lure Fishbar: Seafood. 142 Mercer @ Prince; 23/23/$56; 431-7676; Go early to enjoy the hopping bar scene; Ultra fresh seafood including sushi; Cruise ship level service; Sexy patrons; Fish so fresh it will swim to your plate; Woo Lae Oak: Korean. 148 Mercer @ Houston-Prince; 23/22/$47; 925-8200; Sleek, sexy; New age Korean; Stylist; Trendy; Fashionable – yet still cook-it-yourself options. Great for groups and/or dates. Sexy vibe, decent drinks- try Soju; So much better than Korea town. Balthazar: French; 80 Spring @ B-Way-Crosby; 23/23/$54; 965-1414; French; Insanely popular; Brunch specialist; Dinner date spot; Epic good; Happening. Keith McNally owned; Absolute spot-on Paris brasserie; Models, celebs, and tourists in the crowd. L’Ecole: French. 462 Broadway @ Grand; 25/20/$52; 219-3300; Students trying hard to impress at the French Culinary Institute; Overall inexpensive for the service & quality; Breeding ground for chefs. Savoy: American-Med. 70 Prince @ Crosby; 24/20/$54; 219-8570; Amazing restaurant with ultra fresh ingredients used in imaginative dishes; Two levels, fireplaces; Romantic setting; Seasonal food & drink menu. Bun: Vietnamese. 143 Grand @ Crosby-Lafayette; 21/17/$31; 431-7999; Extremely innovative; Rice vermicelli appears in many forms; Noodles to die for; Menu is enormous & plenty of space to enjoy. Ed’s Lobster House: Seafood. 222 Lafayette @ Spring-Kenmore; 23/16/$42; 343-3236; You might as well be in Maine; Lobster Rolls & other Lobster classics; Very popular; Incredible Chowder. Same owner as Pearl Oyster Bar Pravda: Russian. 281 Lafayette @ Prince; 22/23/$48; 226-4944; Keith McNally managed; Incredible caviar list as well as a giant list of Vodkas- infused and straight; Great Martinis; Expert Russian, French influenced cuisine; Great for parties. | |
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