New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [173]
Credit cards are widely accepted, but many restaurants (particularly smaller ones downtown) accept only cash. If you plan to use a credit card, it’s a good idea to confirm that it is acceptable when making reservations or before sitting down to eat.
Some restaurants are marked with a price range ($$–$$$, for example). This indicates one of two things: either the average cost straddles two categories, or if you order strategically, you can get out for less than most diners spend.
WHAT IT COSTS AT DINNER
RESTAURANTS
¢
under $10
$
$10–$17
$$
$18–$24
$$$
$25–$35
$$$$
over $35
Price per person for a median main course or equivalent combination of smaller dishes. Note: if a restaurant offers only prix-fixe (set-price) meals, it has been given the price category that reflects the full prix-fixe price.
CHECK BEFORE YOU GO
The nature of the restaurant industry means that places open and close in a New York minute. It’s always a good idea to phone ahead and make sure your restaurant is still turning tables.
FOOD COURT RENAISSANCE
Everywhere you turn, a new food court is opening. But these are not shopping-mall-style clusters of franchised eateries. Because we’re talking New York, you can expect high-quality dining, a boon for hungry pavement-pounders looking for food, fast—not fast food.
At the Plaza Food Hall (1 W. 59th St., at 5th Ave. | 212/986–9260) in the basement of the Plaza Hotel, celeb chef Todd English oversees a series of mini-restaurants, each with its own counter with seating ideal for a quick snack or a full-fledged meal. Entry is a little confusing; though the place is made up of individual food concepts, you’ll be seated by a hostess at any available counter. One you’re settled, get up and survey your choices, then sit down and place one order from your waiter. There’s a glistening raw bar, a burger joint, and a wood-burning pizza station where you can sample some of English’s iconic pies, such as fig and prosciutto. It’s one of the most varied and affordable daytime food options in an area of town that can still feel like a lunchtime wasteland.
The cavernous Eataly (200 5th Ave., at 23rd St. | 646/398–5100), from Mario Batali & Co., is a temple of all things Italian. Ignore the overpriced produce market by the front entrance and make a beeline for La Piazza for sandwiches made with meticulously sourced ingredients (you can eat them at the standup tables nearby); a full-service pizza and pasta restaurant; a raw bar and fish eatery; and a spot for quaffing wines by the glass and beers on tap. There’s also a corridor that’s a gourmand’s dream, with Italian chocolates, coffees, gelati, and pastries.
Adjacent to the new Eventi hotel sits FoodParc (851 6th Ave., at W. 30th St. | 646/600–7140), a high-design assemblage of food stations perfect for the lunchtime rush and an unhurried, casual dinner. At the 3Bs counter you can craft a custom burger, pair it with addictive snacks like bacon- and cheddar-stuffed hash browns—then top it off with a shake, malted, or egg cream. RedFarm Stand serves dumplings (try the shrimp, bacon, and watercress version) and other fare with a menu devised by Chinatown Brasserie dim sum master Joe Ng, and Fornetti (the weakest link in the bunch) offers Italian standards like subs, sandwiches, and pastas. In a boon to outdoor seating, summertime brings a huge outdoor plaza with room to spread out and watch a giant Jumbotron TV hanging above.
SPOTLIGHT ON LOWER MANHATTAN
A wave of development and attractive pricing have meant thousands of new residents in Lower Manhattan, fueling an up-and-coming—yet still slow-moving—neighborhood scene.
The most visible changes? Restaurants in and around the Financial District no longer adhere to banker’s hours, and formal dining rooms have been outnumbered by casual cafés and wine bars. On the pedestrian-only Stone Street, throngs of young professionals gather for after-work drinks and dinner at nearby bistros, oyster bars,