New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [214]
Becco.
$$ | ITALIAN | An ingenious concept makes Becco a prime Restaurant Row choice for time-constrained theatergoers. There are two pricing scenarios: one includes an all-you-can-eat selection of antipasti and three pastas served hot out of pans that waiters circulate around the dining room; the other adds a generous entrée to the mix. The pasta selection changes daily, but often includes gnocchi, fresh ravioli, and fettuccine in a cream sauce. The entrées include braised veal shank, grilled double-cut pork chop, and rack of lamb, among other selections. | 355 W. 46th St., between 8th and 9th Aves., Midtown West | 10036-3810 | 212/397–7597 | www.becco-nyc.com | AE, D, DC, MC, V | Subway: A, C, E to 42nd St.
Ben Benson’s Steakhouse.
$$$$ | STEAKHOUSE | Among the most venerable steak houses around, Ben Benson’s feels like a clubby hunting lodge. The gracefully choreographed, intensely focused staff will bring you only the finest dry-aged prime meats and only the freshest seafood, all classically prepared, teeming with familiar and beloved flavors. The trimmings are ravishing, too: comforting creamed spinach, sizzling onion rings, and decadent hash browns are essential. Power lunches were practically invented here; just being in the place makes you feel important. | 123 W. 52nd St., between 6th and 7th Aves., Midtown West | 10019-6003 | 212/581–8888 | www.benbensons.com | Reservations essential | AE, D, DC, MC, V | No lunch weekends | Subway: B, D, E to 7th Ave.; 1 to 50th St.; N, R to 49th St.
Brasserie Ruhlmann.
$$$ | BRASSERIE | In a plush 120-seat dining room with just enough Art Deco touches to harmonize with its Rockefeller Center setting, the sublime French bistro cookery, courtesy of Laurent Tourondel, is on display. There is a decorous countenance to the room, but the staff is so friendly that the place could never be stuffy. Seventeen excellent wines are available by the glass, as well as 10 half bottles. A pristine raw bar, featuring a selection of pedigreed oysters, is a great way to begin, or opt for a blue crab salad over mache with a honey-lime vinaigrette. If it’s on the menu, order braised rabbit nestled in mustard cream on a bed of fresh pappardelle, sprinkled with pitted cherries. Desserts like Floating Island—delicately baked meringue floating on a pond of crème anglaise—are embellished by a tangled flurry of spun sugar. | 45 Rockefeller Plaza, 50th St. between 5th and 6th Aves., Midtown West | 10111-0100 | 212/974–2020 | www.brasserieruhlmann.com | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | Subway: B, D, F, M to 47th–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center .
Fodor’s Choice | Burger Joint.
¢ | BURGER | What’s a college burger bar, done up in particleboard and rec-room decor straight out of a Happy Days episode, doing hidden inside a five-star Midtown hotel? This tongue-in-cheek lunch spot, hidden behind a heavy red velvet curtain in the Parker Meridien hotel, does such boisterous midweek business that lines often snake through the lobby. Stepping behind the curtain, you can find baseball cap–wearing, grease-spattered cooks dispensing paper-wrapped cheeseburgers and crisp, thin fries. Forget Kobe beef or foie gras—these burgers are straightforward, cheap, and delicious. | 118 W. 57th St., between 6th and 7th Aves., Midtown West | 10019-3318 | 212/245–5000 | www.parkermeridien.com | No credit cards | Subway: F, N, Q, R to 57th St.
Carmine’s.
$$ | ITALIAN | Savvy New Yorkers line up early for the affordable family-style meals at this large, busy Midtown eatery. Family photos line the walls,