New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [195]
Schiller’s Liquor Bar.
$ | BISTRO | It’s the kind of hip Lower East Side hangout where you’d be equally comfortable as a celebrity or a parent with a stroller. The folks at Schiller’s work hard to make it feel as if it’s decades old. Vintage mirrored panels, forever-in-style subway tiles, a tin ceiling, and a checkered floor lend a Parisian feel. Cuban sandwiches and steak frites reveal a steady hand in the kitchen. At lunch, dollar doughnuts with sweet or savory fillings are standouts. At dinner a standard bistro menu fills out the list. | 131 Rivington St., at Norfolk St., Lower East Side | 10002-2402 | 212/260–4555 | www.schillersny.com | AE, MC, V | Subway: F to Delancey St.; J, M, Z to Essex St.
Spitzer’s Corner.
$ | AMERICAN | In warm weather this sprawling Lower East Side gastropub throws open its windows and doors, and the party inside seems to consume the whole block. After you see the crowd at the bar tasting the 40 beers on tap, you’ll likely be tempted to pop in for a pint. Once inside, seated at one of the long wooden communal tables, you may be inclined to stick around for dinner or snacks. The upscale pub grub includes a full raw-bar selection (briny just-shucked oysters) and bar snacks like extra-sinful popcorn cooked in pork fat and topped off with bacon. | 101 Rivington St., at Ludlow St., Lower East Side | 10002-2203 | 212/228–0027 | www.spitzerscorner.com | MC, V | Subway: F to Delancey St.; J, M, Z to Essex St.
The Stanton Social.
$$ | ITALIAN | A perennial neighborhood favorite, this is the place to come for an expansive menu of tapas-style dining from talented chef Chris Santos, plus a perfectly calibrated cocktail menu. Come before 7 if you want to be able to hear your fellow diners speak, but the people-watching and shared dishes are good at any hour. Try the gooey, Gruyère-topped onion soup dumplings, juicy Kobe beef sliders, and wasabi-crusted salmon. Downstairs feels like a more traditional dining room, whereas the second level features a buzzy bar. The late-night lounge area, decorated with cherry-blossom wallpaper and red leather upholstery, turns into a quasi-nightclub the later it gets. The Stanton Social is also a great option for brunch—the spicy lobster Benedict is a must. | 99 Stanton St., between Ludlow and Orchard Sts., Lower East Side | 10002 | 212/995–0099 | www.thestantonsocial.com | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | No lunch | Subway: F to 2nd Ave.
wd~50.
$$$ | NEW AMERICAN | Chef Wylie Dufresne—the mad genius and early progenitor of the molecular gastronomy trend—mixes colors, flavors, and textures with a masterful hand here. His staff encourages people to feel at ease trying things like duck breast with apple, cheddar, and kimchi couscous or Iberico pork neck with smoked spaetzle, peach, and marcona almonds. Desserts follow suit: licorice custard with sake sorbet and pears, anyone?|50 Clinton St., between Rivington and Stanton Sts., Lower East Side | 10002-2401 | 212/477–2900 | www.wd-50.com | AE, D, DC, MC, V | No lunch Wed.–Sun. | Subway: F to Delancey St.; J, M, Z to Essex St.
CHELSEA
Chelsea is a calm neighborhood filled with art galleries and casual eateries. Subway stops are few and far between once you get west of 8th Avenue, so be prepared to walk or take a cab. One of the neighborhood’s main highlights is the High Line, an elevated park that towers over the neighborhood.
Buddakan.
$$$ | ASIAN | Few—if any—restaurants in Manhattan can rival the 16,000-square-foot Buddakan in terms of sheer magnitude and buoyant theatricality. And in a neighborhood whose eateries often get by on sizzle alone, the food here has real substance as well. Restaurateur Steven Starr created a New York edition of his Philadelphia original. Here the