660 Madison Avenue
9th floor
New York, NY, 10021
212-833-2200
Just like the Flintstones, Fred's restaurant goes perfectly with Barney's department store – in this case both being sophisticated and very Manhattan.
The atmosphere is casual elegance, sort of country club goes to the big city. Many locals and regulars exchange kisses, hugs and conversation. The odd out-of-towner must feel somewhat awkward not having anyone to schmooze with during the meal.
The menu and food is interesting and darn good, the service is more than adequate, and the views of Madison Avenue are great as well as the views of your fellow diners. Enjoy.
Fred's - Recommended
15 January 2008
Cafe Boulud
20 E. 76th Street
New York, NY, 10021
212-772-2600
Cafe Boulud provides a stylish, quality dining experience, executed by the guidance of Daniel Boulud, who periodically stops by to oversee the operation.
The room and decor are reflective of the original Daniel and presents a conservative Manhattan dining experience. However, the total experience is compromised by the tight seating, in which you are as likely to participate in the conversation of the neighboring table as with your companions and guests. I assume the demand for tables has caused management to “double up” the tables, which presents a formidable challenge to the wait staff.
After getting comfortable with the tight quarters, the dining experience is a pleasure, great menus, quality ingredients and preparation. Service is professional and first class.
A recent lunch proved again that this is an outstanding dining place and the prix fix menu yields a real value meal.
The wine list has selections that match well with the menus. Prices tend to be high.
Overall this is elegant cafe dining on the Eastside.
Cafe Boulud - Recommended
New York, NY, 10021
212-772-2600
Cafe Boulud provides a stylish, quality dining experience, executed by the guidance of Daniel Boulud, who periodically stops by to oversee the operation.
The room and decor are reflective of the original Daniel and presents a conservative Manhattan dining experience. However, the total experience is compromised by the tight seating, in which you are as likely to participate in the conversation of the neighboring table as with your companions and guests. I assume the demand for tables has caused management to “double up” the tables, which presents a formidable challenge to the wait staff.
After getting comfortable with the tight quarters, the dining experience is a pleasure, great menus, quality ingredients and preparation. Service is professional and first class.
A recent lunch proved again that this is an outstanding dining place and the prix fix menu yields a real value meal.
The wine list has selections that match well with the menus. Prices tend to be high.
Overall this is elegant cafe dining on the Eastside.
Cafe Boulud - Recommended
14 January 2008
Town
15 W. 56th Street
New York, NY 10019
212-582-4445
We live in Midtown and have frequently dined and enjoyed the cuisine of Geoffrey Zakarian's Town restaurant inside the Chambers Hotel. While the initial buzz has been lowered the restaurant continues to be a top Manhattan dining spot.
Dining at Town during the week is a dining pleasure from start to finish. However, going to Town on a weekend night can still be a challenge. On a Saturday night we had not been prepared for a long wait. Due to either overbooking, poor timing by the kitchen or the staff, a reservation after 8:30 pm resulted in a lengthy delay at the cramped bar.
This was eventually compensated for when we are finally seated and served by a first class wait staff, sitting in the amazing David Rockwell decor and dining on very good to excellent food which actually lives up to the menu.
The wine list is comprehensive but priced at the high end of current Manhattan wine pricing scale.
Save room for the outstanding desserts.
Town - Recommended
New York, NY 10019
212-582-4445
We live in Midtown and have frequently dined and enjoyed the cuisine of Geoffrey Zakarian's Town restaurant inside the Chambers Hotel. While the initial buzz has been lowered the restaurant continues to be a top Manhattan dining spot.
Dining at Town during the week is a dining pleasure from start to finish. However, going to Town on a weekend night can still be a challenge. On a Saturday night we had not been prepared for a long wait. Due to either overbooking, poor timing by the kitchen or the staff, a reservation after 8:30 pm resulted in a lengthy delay at the cramped bar.
This was eventually compensated for when we are finally seated and served by a first class wait staff, sitting in the amazing David Rockwell decor and dining on very good to excellent food which actually lives up to the menu.
The wine list is comprehensive but priced at the high end of current Manhattan wine pricing scale.
Save room for the outstanding desserts.
Town - Recommended
Brasserie 8 1/2
9 W. 57th Street
New York, NY, 10019
212-829-0812
Brasseries are the mainstay of not only Parisians but also for Frenchman throughout the cities of France. New York has a few restaurants that serve as the American equivalent of these brasseries. Brasserie 8 1/2 is a real brasserie and a real New York restaurant.
This restaurant is all about NYC Class.
Walk in and be greeted, then walk down into a stylish subterranean décor and allow the professional staff to seat you and serve you promptly.
There is an excellent recently updated menu and the food prepared by an outstanding chef and his staff not only matches but also exceeds the promises.
The wine list is comprehensive and reasonably priced, and overall matches well with the menu.
Stop in the bar/lounge before or after to adjust your mood.
Exit up the spiral staircase and rejoin the real world of 57th Street and 5th Avenue with an improved attitude.
Brasserie 8 1/2 - Recommended
Brasserie
100 E. 53rd Street
New York, NY, 10022
212-751-4840
Brasserie is not a classic French brasserie in design or concept. And it is unlike any Manhattan restaurant that serves as an American version of a brasserie.
The interior design of Brasserie is a bit like a school cafeteria from the Jetsons' cartoons. It is large, bright with all hard surfaces which mean the noise level is always cranked up.
What fills the room is the quality food prepared by a talented kitchen. The limited menu has a variety of choices. And all are fantastic. Classics such as moules frites bring back fond memories of Paris or Brussels.
The wine list is limited, but adequate to match the food.
The service is uneven and can disappoint.
Brasserie - Acceptable
New York, NY, 10022
212-751-4840
Brasserie is not a classic French brasserie in design or concept. And it is unlike any Manhattan restaurant that serves as an American version of a brasserie.
The interior design of Brasserie is a bit like a school cafeteria from the Jetsons' cartoons. It is large, bright with all hard surfaces which mean the noise level is always cranked up.
What fills the room is the quality food prepared by a talented kitchen. The limited menu has a variety of choices. And all are fantastic. Classics such as moules frites bring back fond memories of Paris or Brussels.
The wine list is limited, but adequate to match the food.
The service is uneven and can disappoint.
Brasserie - Acceptable
Anthos
36 W. 52nd Street
New York, NY, 10019
212-582-6900
Anthos is Greek for blossom, like the cherry blossoms in sepia photos adorning the walls, which owner Donatella Arpaia has transformed her brother's former Acqua Pazza into an elegant Greek dining room.
The Michael Psilakis delicate food is the essence of Greek cuisine, not the robust fare one expects from a Greek restaurant.
We sampled Anthos in the first ten days after the opening and again over the last 9 months. The food and service is impeccable, including perfect wine service. We appreciated the elegant food, but continue to question if this very high priced cuisine will attract an appreciative audience.
Our initial complaints that were with the front of the house have been corrected over the past year. While when we arrived early in the year to an only one-third occupied restaurant, we were disappointed to be seated shoulder to shoulder with other diners in the rear of the restaurant. When we asked for an end table we were told it was assigned. When we again asked half way through the meal to move to this unoccupied table, the same response. The table was never occupied. However, on subsequent visits our table requests were always honored and every effort was made to accommodate our seating preferences.
The wine list is somewhat disappointing and now as extensive or comprehensive as one expects at a top restaurant. The Greek wines are an interesting approach to match with the modern Greek cuisine.
Anthos - Recommended
Daniel
60 E. 65th Street
New York, NY 10021
212-288-0033
Daniel Boulud is a New York institution.
And now with his popular television appearances (in particular his After Hours with Daniel series) he has become one of the iconic chefs of America, if not the world. And while he is undoubtedly spread very thin with multiple restaurants, books, television, etc., he maintains a close watch on his main restaurant - Daniel.
Every aspect of Daniel (other than the current renovation pedestrian bridge over the entrance of the restaurant) is refined, organized and near perfection. The Michelin Two Stars seem stingy and the Third Star is mandatory. And while one expects, perhaps fears, that snobbery and haughty attitude come with such high class restaurant, nothing could be further from the reality of Daniel. From your encounter with the first person to the last, you the customer are king at Daniel.
The entrance, bar area and mini dining area in the front of the house are beautiful, but only a prelude to the main dining room, an operatic stage of flowers and lighting for the dining tables. Managers, waiters and bus boys glide through the room. Daniel makes an appearance and dinners do their earnest to catch his eye and be honored by his appearance table side.
But one comes to Daniel to eat and not to worship the chef and decor. And the food is first class. The classic to contemporary French cuisine displays the finest of ingredients, excellent sauces, and knowledge of American/New York dining preference. Everything is excellent - period.
The wine list is long, excellent in selections and very high priced. Finding an enjoyable bottle of wine for less than the price of a meal is a challenge.
Yes the price for perfection and elegance and a bit of celebrity is high, which makes dining at Daniel more frequently than annual birthdays, anniversary and receipt of Wall Street bonuses unlikely. But those annual visits are well worth the wait.
Daniel - Highly Recommended
New York, NY 10021
212-288-0033
Daniel Boulud is a New York institution.
And now with his popular television appearances (in particular his After Hours with Daniel series) he has become one of the iconic chefs of America, if not the world. And while he is undoubtedly spread very thin with multiple restaurants, books, television, etc., he maintains a close watch on his main restaurant - Daniel.
Every aspect of Daniel (other than the current renovation pedestrian bridge over the entrance of the restaurant) is refined, organized and near perfection. The Michelin Two Stars seem stingy and the Third Star is mandatory. And while one expects, perhaps fears, that snobbery and haughty attitude come with such high class restaurant, nothing could be further from the reality of Daniel. From your encounter with the first person to the last, you the customer are king at Daniel.
The entrance, bar area and mini dining area in the front of the house are beautiful, but only a prelude to the main dining room, an operatic stage of flowers and lighting for the dining tables. Managers, waiters and bus boys glide through the room. Daniel makes an appearance and dinners do their earnest to catch his eye and be honored by his appearance table side.
But one comes to Daniel to eat and not to worship the chef and decor. And the food is first class. The classic to contemporary French cuisine displays the finest of ingredients, excellent sauces, and knowledge of American/New York dining preference. Everything is excellent - period.
The wine list is long, excellent in selections and very high priced. Finding an enjoyable bottle of wine for less than the price of a meal is a challenge.
Yes the price for perfection and elegance and a bit of celebrity is high, which makes dining at Daniel more frequently than annual birthdays, anniversary and receipt of Wall Street bonuses unlikely. But those annual visits are well worth the wait.
Daniel - Highly Recommended
Country
Carlton Hotel
90 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
212-889-7100
What continually impresses us about dining in Manhattan is going to a place that we know about but have not previously dined at for one reason or another, and then being blown away with the place on out first visit. These "why on earth have we not dinned here earlier?" shocks are always a pleasant surprise.
As we live in Midtown, we have frequently dined and enjoyed the cuisine of Geoffrey Zakarian's Town restaurant inside the Chambers Hotel. But we made our first visit to the sister restaurant Country at the Carlton Hotel in Gramercy only recently, and we were wowed.
First the elegance of the hotel, the bustling casual Cafe at Country on the lower level and then the refined elegance of Country on the second level. The David Rockwell designed space exudes refinement and a sophisticated elegance of dining at a fine house in England, France or perhaps dining in an earlier day in New York City.
Professional staff at every position provides the fine dining experience one expects at such an establishment. The Michelin one star is well deserved and an additional star (or two) is warranted.
The menu is composed of fixed price choices. In mid-winter it was a black truffle tasting menu and the ever changing Prix Fixed four course daily menus. We chose the four course menu and found we had ample options such that we selected different dishes for each course. Additionally the chef provided demi-tastings throughout the meal resulting in two eight course meals.
The ingredients and preparations were outstanding, providing bridges between classic French, Modern French and Contemporary American cuisines. The kitchen appears equally talented in the preparation of both meats and seafood. Of the eight selected course only one was less than outstanding, and upon notice of my lack of interest is a strangely soupy cod dish, the head waiter offered to immediately replace the course, and the resulting dish of veal confit and veal sweetbreads was a top notch dish.
The wine list was extensive with both European and New World wines. Given we had selected more seafood than red meats; we went with a 2004 Rully white burgundy that was excellent and reasonably priced. Wine service was knowledgeable, prompt, and overall excellent.
While one expects outstanding dining at well known places such as Daniel, Jean-George, Four Seasons, etc, it is a pleasant surprise to find equally outstanding food, wine, service and ambiance at a relatively under-promoted place such as Country. We are already planning our return.
Country - Highly recommended
90 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
212-889-7100
What continually impresses us about dining in Manhattan is going to a place that we know about but have not previously dined at for one reason or another, and then being blown away with the place on out first visit. These "why on earth have we not dinned here earlier?" shocks are always a pleasant surprise.
As we live in Midtown, we have frequently dined and enjoyed the cuisine of Geoffrey Zakarian's Town restaurant inside the Chambers Hotel. But we made our first visit to the sister restaurant Country at the Carlton Hotel in Gramercy only recently, and we were wowed.
First the elegance of the hotel, the bustling casual Cafe at Country on the lower level and then the refined elegance of Country on the second level. The David Rockwell designed space exudes refinement and a sophisticated elegance of dining at a fine house in England, France or perhaps dining in an earlier day in New York City.
Professional staff at every position provides the fine dining experience one expects at such an establishment. The Michelin one star is well deserved and an additional star (or two) is warranted.
The menu is composed of fixed price choices. In mid-winter it was a black truffle tasting menu and the ever changing Prix Fixed four course daily menus. We chose the four course menu and found we had ample options such that we selected different dishes for each course. Additionally the chef provided demi-tastings throughout the meal resulting in two eight course meals.
The ingredients and preparations were outstanding, providing bridges between classic French, Modern French and Contemporary American cuisines. The kitchen appears equally talented in the preparation of both meats and seafood. Of the eight selected course only one was less than outstanding, and upon notice of my lack of interest is a strangely soupy cod dish, the head waiter offered to immediately replace the course, and the resulting dish of veal confit and veal sweetbreads was a top notch dish.
The wine list was extensive with both European and New World wines. Given we had selected more seafood than red meats; we went with a 2004 Rully white burgundy that was excellent and reasonably priced. Wine service was knowledgeable, prompt, and overall excellent.
While one expects outstanding dining at well known places such as Daniel, Jean-George, Four Seasons, etc, it is a pleasant surprise to find equally outstanding food, wine, service and ambiance at a relatively under-promoted place such as Country. We are already planning our return.
Country - Highly recommended
Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway
New York, NY 10023
212-595-0303
Daniel Boulud's new dining spot opened the first full week in January. Located directly across the street from Lincoln Center, the location alone means it is and will be a popular place, particularly considering the lack of fine dining competition in the neighborhood.
This cafe/bistro is in fact not a wine bar as originally promoted. Currently the front desk will not permit guests to congregate around the so called wine bar - a strange edict if there ever was one. With the place overflowing with people wanting to taste Daniel's Lyon-style menu, the entrance area including the front seating area has become as crowded as a subway platform at 5:30 pm. And without a glass of wine in hand the waiting crowd became unruly rather rapidly. Clearly the front desk (while quite professional) is currently overwhelmed and quite frazzled. They need to find a quick fix, or it will fix itself as people tire of this inadequate arrangement.
Part of the current problem appears to be overbooking, waiters struggling with getting checks to customers and credit card receipts back to customers, and the slow clearing and re-setting of tables. Undoubtedly an opening week problem that is hopefully to improve.
The menu does not disappoint in providing a rather long list of traditional French cafe/bistro fare with a heavy Lyon regional focus. Prices are rather high for what is generally considered simple food and even with the Euro at 1.50 to the US Dollar, one could probably eat the same meal for less in France.
The food itself is fine - nothing spectacular as one has come to expect at Daniel's dining places. Nothing is really off, but then again nothing seemed to blow us away. The list of pates is interesting and the pates are quite well made. The classic escargots are fine, but nothing out of the ordinary. The "coq a vin" was also acceptable, but we have had better. The "boudin blanc" - a real test of the French Bistro- was moist and tasty, but the singular sausage on a large plate with minimal accompaniments looked lonesome and quite inadequate as a $27 main course.
The wine list is focused on French moderately priced and middle of the road wines. Like the food, nothing unpleasing but nothing spectacular in selection or pricing.
We passed on desert as the waiting customers began overwhelming the seating area in front assigned to "twos", and it became uncomfortable to remain seated while hungry people stood hovering over our table waiting to be seated.
Reviewing any dining place during the first week is always tricky. Even the best places struggle getting out of the starting blocks. However, a place with Boulud in its name that struggles as badly as Bar Boulud did on our first visit is unexpected.
Bar Boulud - Acceptable
New York, NY 10023
212-595-0303
Daniel Boulud's new dining spot opened the first full week in January. Located directly across the street from Lincoln Center, the location alone means it is and will be a popular place, particularly considering the lack of fine dining competition in the neighborhood.
This cafe/bistro is in fact not a wine bar as originally promoted. Currently the front desk will not permit guests to congregate around the so called wine bar - a strange edict if there ever was one. With the place overflowing with people wanting to taste Daniel's Lyon-style menu, the entrance area including the front seating area has become as crowded as a subway platform at 5:30 pm. And without a glass of wine in hand the waiting crowd became unruly rather rapidly. Clearly the front desk (while quite professional) is currently overwhelmed and quite frazzled. They need to find a quick fix, or it will fix itself as people tire of this inadequate arrangement.
Part of the current problem appears to be overbooking, waiters struggling with getting checks to customers and credit card receipts back to customers, and the slow clearing and re-setting of tables. Undoubtedly an opening week problem that is hopefully to improve.
The menu does not disappoint in providing a rather long list of traditional French cafe/bistro fare with a heavy Lyon regional focus. Prices are rather high for what is generally considered simple food and even with the Euro at 1.50 to the US Dollar, one could probably eat the same meal for less in France.
The food itself is fine - nothing spectacular as one has come to expect at Daniel's dining places. Nothing is really off, but then again nothing seemed to blow us away. The list of pates is interesting and the pates are quite well made. The classic escargots are fine, but nothing out of the ordinary. The "coq a vin" was also acceptable, but we have had better. The "boudin blanc" - a real test of the French Bistro- was moist and tasty, but the singular sausage on a large plate with minimal accompaniments looked lonesome and quite inadequate as a $27 main course.
The wine list is focused on French moderately priced and middle of the road wines. Like the food, nothing unpleasing but nothing spectacular in selection or pricing.
We passed on desert as the waiting customers began overwhelming the seating area in front assigned to "twos", and it became uncomfortable to remain seated while hungry people stood hovering over our table waiting to be seated.
Reviewing any dining place during the first week is always tricky. Even the best places struggle getting out of the starting blocks. However, a place with Boulud in its name that struggles as badly as Bar Boulud did on our first visit is unexpected.
Bar Boulud - Acceptable
Happy New Year
Happy New Year.
We look forward to 2008 and all the fine dining and wine tastings ahead.
We spend the holidays travelling in Costa Rica. More on an upcoming posting. While there are many acceptable simple places to eat throughout Costa Rica, fine dining is more of a challenge. We have one top recommendation - Grano de Oro in San Jose. The restaurant located in the hotel of the same name is heads and shoulders above any other place we tried in the greater San Jose area.
We are back in Manhattan and the prime winter dining scene is upon us in force, so we will be posting frequently.
All the best,
We look forward to 2008 and all the fine dining and wine tastings ahead.
We spend the holidays travelling in Costa Rica. More on an upcoming posting. While there are many acceptable simple places to eat throughout Costa Rica, fine dining is more of a challenge. We have one top recommendation - Grano de Oro in San Jose. The restaurant located in the hotel of the same name is heads and shoulders above any other place we tried in the greater San Jose area.
We are back in Manhattan and the prime winter dining scene is upon us in force, so we will be posting frequently.
All the best,
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