Get Ready for NYC Restaurant Week 2013
It’s that time of year again –the time to forget you recently vowed to eliminate carbs and saturated fats from your diet for the new year and indulge in every true foodie’s favorite past time, NYC Restaurant Week. Twice a year hundreds of eateries throughout the city open their doors to New Yorker’s with an insatiable appetite for fine food and wine to offer a week’s worth of deals and steals on prix fixe lunch and dinner menus. This winter’s restaurant week festivities kick off on January 14th and are offered until February 8th (ok, so it’s more than a bona fide week long but who’s complaining?) and the reservation lines for all participating restaurants are officially open. You can approach this time as the opportunity to try some of the new “buzz” restaurants you’ve been hearing about, or use it to score a reservation at age old classics.
With so many of our favorite places participating, our agent’s recommend the select few below as just their first-round picks, so stay tuned for our second-round draft picks coming soon.
Andrew Carmellini’s neighborhood mainstay, located inside the Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca is a welcomed participant to Winter Restaurant Week for more reasons than we can verbalize. For $25 a person, you get a full 3 course meal showcasing the best of Carmellini’s skills. Choose the Lamb Sausage Grinder from the second course offerings with spicy peperonate, broccoli rabe and the infamously delicious sheep’s milk ricotta.
379 Greenwich St., New York, NY 10013 (212-925-3797)
Forget curry row in the East Village, true flavor and heat connoisseurs know the best Indian food is found at this elegant Flatiron eatery. During restaurant week you have your choice of not one, but two entrees as part of your 3 course meal. Everyone lusts over their lamb sholley so we suggest the Hyderabadi Nizami Ghost, boneless lamb with coconut, yogurt, cashews and awakening spices.
41-43 E. 22nd St., New York, NY 10010 (212-674-7400 )
If you haven’t made it to this Harlem hot spot yet, now is your chance to experience firsthand why Marcus Samuelsson struck gold with the opening of this eatery. Offering a lunch time restaurant week menu only, their Hoagie Svenska offers a twist to everyday Swedish meatballs with “quick pickles” and lignonberry mayonnaise.
310 Lenox Ave., Harlem, NY 10027 (212-792-9001)
Brainchild of Danny Meyer, it’s one of his select few restaurants participating in the promotions this week. Offering a $35 3-course lunch menu, any item is a worthy candidate and presents authentic Roman Italian cuisine. We recommend the Collo d'Angello - Braised lamb, spinach and potato puree cooked to perfection and not smothered in sauces like too many chefs tend to do.
Located inside the Gramercy Park Hotel, 2 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10010 (212-777-2410)
Alex Stupak’s West Village taqueria has arguably the best Mexican food in the city. The critically acclaimed dessert king of the land knows a thing or two about how to cook a delicious soft-shell flour tortilla taco that is delicate yet robust with flavor. Try the mushroom bolognese, achiote, and crispy tamal taco from the special restaurant week menu.
30 W. 4th St., New York, NY 10014 (212-367-0999)
You’re immediately transported to old Hollywood in this Times Square gem. Despite the location, the ambiance and menu will make you feel royal, and they’re offering two restaurant week promotions so you can experience it all at a less than royal cost. There’s a normal pre-theater 3-course menu for $49 as well as a three-course tasting menu offered in the dining room for $72. Our top menu pick is the crispy skin duck rillette with caramelized endive, sesame, orange, broccolini, and ginger root.
Located inside the Chatwal Hotel, 132 W. 44th St., New York, NY 10036 (212-997-5262 )
Be sure to check back for our next round or recommendations!