New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [184]
$$$ | CHINESE | This Chinatown institution is the place to go in New York for authentic Peking duck. Although the restaurant offers a full Chinese menu, everyone—and we mean everyone—orders the duck. Begin, as most tables do, with an order of Shanghai soup dumplings, then move on to the bird. It’s carved up table-side with plenty of fanfare—crisp burnished skin separated from moist flesh. Roll up the duck, with hoisin and scallions, in tender steamed pancakes. | 28 Mott St., at Mosco St., Chinatown | 10013-5036 | 212/227–1810 | www.pekingduckhousenyc.com | AE, MC, V | Subway: 6, J, M, N, Q, R, Z to Canal St.
Ping’s Seafood.
$$ | CHINESE | Although the original location in Queens still has the most elaborate menu with the most extensive selection of live seafood, the Manhattan location is more accessible both geographically and gastronomically. Helpful menus have pictures of most of the specialties. Among them are Dungeness crab in black-bean sauce, crisp fried tofu, silken braised e-fu noodles, and crisp Peking duck. Pricier than some other Chinatown haunts, Ping’s is thought by many to be a notch above in setting and service. | 22 Mott St., near Pell St., Chinatown | 10013-5033 | 212/602–9988 | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | Subway: 6, J, M, N, Q, R, Z to Canal St.
XO Kitchen.
¢ | CHINESE | Chinese students throng this Hong Kong–style eatery. The walls resemble bulletin boards—they’re tacked with dozens of sheets announcing a mind-boggling variety of foods, from dim sum to Thai (there is also a menu). Dishes emerge from the kitchen seemingly at the speed of light. The food, which ranges from the exotic (sautéed frog with ginger and scallion) to the comforting (delicate shrimp wonton soup), is some of Chinatown’s finest. | 148 Hester St., between Elizabeth St. and Bowery, Chinatown | 10013-4752 | 212/965–8645 | No credit cards | Subway: B, D to Grand St.; 6, J, M, Z to Canal St.
FINANCIAL DISTRICT
Post-9/11 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, and steak houses.
Delmonico’s.
$$$$ | STEAKHOUSE | As the oldest continually operating restaurant in New York City, opened in 1837, austere Delmonico’s is steeped in cultural, political, and culinary history. Lobster Newburg and Baked Alaska were invented here—and are still served. Inside the stately mahogany-panel dining room, tuck into the classic Delmonico’s steak, a 20-ounce boneless rib eye smothered with frizzled onions, and don’t forget to order creamed spinach on the side. Also worth trying: cheesy spaetzle with pancetta. The dining room gets busy early with an after-work Wall Street crowd, making reservations an essential component of the meal. | 56 Beaver St., at William St., Financial District | 10004-2436 | 212/509–1144 | www.delmonicosny.com | Reservations essential | AE, D, DC, MC, V | Closed Sun. No lunch weekends | Subway: 2, 3 to Wall St.; R to Whitehall St./South Ferry; 4, 5 to Bowling Green .
Financier Patisserie.
¢ | CAFÉ | On the cobblestone pedestrian street that has become the Financial District’s restaurant row, this charming patisserie serves excellent pastries and delicious savory foods, like truffle mushroom bisque and panini pressed with prosciutto, fig jam, mascarpone, and arugula. After lunch, relax with a cappuccino and afinancier (almond tea cake), or an elegant French pastry. In warm weather, perch at an outdoor table and watch Manhattanites buzz by. Another location is nearby at 35 Cedar Street, between Pearl and William streets. | 62 Stone St., between Mill La. and Hanover Sq., Financial District | 10004-2604 | 212/344–5600 | www.financierpastries.com | Reservations not accepted