• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 1805 0

and there’s a convivial feeling amid all the Times Square hubbub. Don’t be fooled: Carmine’s may be huge, but it fills up with families carbo-loading for a day of sightseeing or a night of theater on Broadway. There are no reservations taken for parties of fewer than six people after 7 pm, but those who wait are rewarded with mountains of such popular, toothsome viands as fried calamari, linguine with white clam sauce, chicken parmigiana, and veal saltimbocca. | 200 W. 44th St., between Broadway and 8th Ave., Midtown West | 10036-3906 | 212/221–3800 | www.carminesnyc.com | AE, D, DC, MC, V | Subway: A, C, E, N, Q, R, S, 1, 2, 3, 7 to 42nd St./Times Sq.

Churrascaria Plataforma.

$$$$ | BRAZILIAN | This sprawling, boisterous shrine to meat, with its all-you-can-eat prix-fixe menu, is best experienced with a group of ravenous friends. A caipirinha, featuring cachaca sugarcane liquor, sugar, and lime, will kick things off nicely. Follow up with a trip to the salad bar piled with vegetables, meats, and cheeses. But restrain yourself—there’s a parade of all manner of grilled meats and poultry, from pork ribs to chicken hearts, delivered to the table on long skewers until you beg for mercy. | 316 W. 49th St., between 8th and 9th Aves., Midtown West | 10019-7391 | 212/245–0505 | www.plataformaonline.com | Reservations essential | AE, D, DC, MC, V | Subway: C, E to 50th St.

DB Bistro Moderne.

$$$ | FRENCH | Daniel Boulud’s “casual bistro” (it’s neither, actually) consists of two elegantly appointed dining rooms. The menu features classic dishes like Nantucket Bay scallops or hanger steak exquisitely prepared. Ever the trendsetter, Boulud’s $32 db hamburger, available at lunch and dinner, and stuffed with braised short ribs, foie gras, and black truffles, is the patty credited with kick-starting the whole gourmet burger trend. Yes, it’s worth every penny. | 55 W. 44th St., between 5th and 6th Aves., Midtown West | 10036-6609 | 212/391–2400 | www.danielnyc.com/dbbistro.html | Reservations essential | AE, DC, MC, V | No lunch Sun. | Subway: B, D, F, M to 42nd St./Bryant Park; 7 to 5th Ave./Bryant Park .

Esca.

$$$ | SEAFOOD | The name is Italian for “bait,” and this restaurant, courtesy of partners Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, and longtime chef David Pasternack, lures diners in with delectable raw preparations called crudo—such as tilefish with orange and Sardinian oil or pink snapper with a sprinkle of crunchy red clay salt—and hooks them with such entrées as whole, salt-crusted branzino, sea bass for two, or bucatini pasta with spicy baby octopus. The menu changes daily. Bastianich is in charge of the wine cellar, and you can expect an adventurous list of Italian bottles. | 402 W. 43rd St., at 9th Ave., Midtown West | 10036-6322 | 212/564–7272 | www.esca-nyc.com | Reservations essential | AE, DC, MC, V | No lunch Sun. | Subway: A, C, E to 42nd St.

Five Napkin Burger.

$ | AMERICAN | This perennially packed Hell’s Kitchen burger place/brasserie has been a magnet for burger lovers since day one. Bottles of Maker’s Mark line the sleek, alluringly lighted bar in the back, a collection of antique butcher’s scales hangs on a tile wall near the kitchen, and meat hooks dangle from the ceiling between the light fixtures. Though there are many menu distractions—deep-fried pickles, warm artichoke dip, to name a few—the main attractions are the juicy burgers, like the original 10-ounce chuck with a tangle of onions, Gruyère cheese, and rosemary aioli. There’s a patty variety for everyone, including a ground lamb kofta and an onion ring–topped ahi tuna burger. For dessert, have an über-thick black-and-white malted milkshake. | 630 9th Ave., between 44th and 45th Sts., Midtown West | 10036 | 212/757–2277 | www.fivenapkinburger.com | AE, D, MC, V | Subway: A, C, E to 42nd St./8th Ave.

Gordon Ramsay at The London and Maze.

$$–$$$$ | FRENCH | With more than a dozen restaurants around the world—and an ever-busy TV schedule—you’re not likely to find British chef Gordon Ramsay at his eponymous Midtown restaurant. What you will find, however,