New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [191]
Apiary.
$$$ | NEW AMERICAN | Set on a busy strip of the East Village, Apiary is a chic refuge for a mature dinner in a young neighborhood. The restaurant is partly owned by furniture design company Ligne Roset, and the contemporary space holds sleek furnishings by the brand. The à la carte menu, courtesy of talented Veritas alumnus Scott Bryan, isn’t huge, but is devoted to seasonal and—whenever possible—local food. Expect dishes like crispy sweetbreads with romesco sauce and chanterelle risotto with peas, lemon, and herbs. A cost-conscious $35 prix-fixe menu, offered Monday through Thursday, offers many menu standouts at a fraction of the price. The extensive wine list features many domestic picks, but also takes drinkers on an international oenological tour. Monday is no-corkage night. | 60 3rd Ave., at 11th St., East Village | 10003 | 212/254–0888 | www.apiarynyc.com | AE, D, DC, MC, V | No lunch weekdays | Subway: 6 to Astor Pl.; R to 8th St.; L to 3rd Ave.
Back Forty.
$ | AMERICAN | Pioneering chef Peter Hoffman, a longtime leader in promoting local, sustainable food, attracts a devoted crowd at this casual restaurant that feels like a neighborhood joint. Despite Hoffman’s pedigree, Back Forty displays plenty of humility. Prices on the short, rustic, greenmarket menu are low, and the homey decor features a pastoral mural behind the bar and rusty farm tools on the walls. Begin with bar snacks like chicken-liver mousse on toast washed down with a fine house cocktail like the rum-and-Concord grape Collins. The simple family-style dinner selections (for parties only) include a perfect grilled trout; a moist, shareable pan-roasted chicken; and a wide array of seasonal sides, including the roasted Brussels sprouts with maple-cider vinegar and lemon-thyme butter. A hearty and popular brunch is served on Saturday. | 190 Ave. B, at 12th St., East Village | 10009-3600 | 212/388–1990 | www.backfortynyc.com | AE, MC, V | No lunch Mon.–Sat. | Subway: L to 1st Ave.
Fodor’s Choice | Baoguette.
$ | VIETNAMESE | Vietnamese Banh Mi have taken New York by storm in the past couple of years, and Baoguette, a chainlet from restaurateur Michael Hunh, is a great place to try these spicy, multilayered baguette sandwiches. This is the flagship decorated with raffia walls and large photos of Vietnamese street scenes, and though there a few tables, the majority of customers get take-out sandwiches. Try the namesake sandwich, layered with savory pâté, flavorful pulled pork, and aromatic herbs, or the addictive Sloppy Bao, a sweet and savory sloppy joe with curried beef, mango, and lemongrass. | 37 St. Marks Pl., between 2nd and 3rd Aves., East Village | 10003 | 212/380–1487 | www.baoguette.com | Reservations not accepted | MC, V | Subway: R to 8th St./NYU; 6 to Astor Pl./4th Ave.
Chinatown Brasserie.
$$ | CHINESE | This large, bi-level 175-seat dining room is thrillingly vibrant, featuring dark cherry banquettes and eight stunning crimson pagoda silk lanterns suspended from two central columns. Chicken and pine nuts are wrapped in Bibb lettuce. Crispy Peking duck is roasted in a special barbecuing oven, then sliced and presented on a long platter with the crackling skin still attached to the succulent flesh. Fresh Mandarin pancakes, julienned scallions, and sweet, pungent hoisin sauce are on hand. Dark-chocolate fortune cookies contain salient quotes from Albert Einstein and Ronald Reagan. | 380 Lafayette St., at Great Jones St., East Village | 10003-6933 | 212/533–7000 | www.chinatownbrasserie.com | AE, MC, M | Subway: 6 to Bleecker St.; B, D, F, M to Broadway–Lafayette St.
Fodor’s Choice | DBGB Kitchen & Bar.
$$ | GASTROPUB | The latest addition to Daniel Boulud’s New York City restaurant fleet, DBGB forgoes the white tablecloths, formal service, and steep prices found at the famed chef’s fancier