New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [217]
Má Pêche.
$$$ | ASIAN | Any time chef David Chang opens a new property, it merits notice, but this one deserves attention for one extra, very important reason: it’s in Midtown. Starkly decorated and set in the basement of the Chambers Hotel on West 56th Street, Má Pêche is blocks from MoMA and is the largest restaurant in Chang’s empire, so you’ve got a better shot of nabbing a seat—either at one of the more conventional perches on the sides, or at the huge X-shape communal table at the center of the room. The menus here are a bit more refined (and expensive) than those at Momofuku Noodle Bar and Ssäm Bar, with elegantly composed plates like lamb shank accompanied by eggplant, raisins, and rice, or seared swordfish with black beans, braised celery, and crisped shallots. In the bar upstairs, try the lettuce-filled summer rolls with pork, shrimp or tofu; the beef tartare with soy, scallion, and mint; or the sticky Niman Ranch pork ribs. At lunchtime, order from the same upscale menu or opt for one of the $10 “Midtown Lunch” specials, like a tasty Banh Mi filled with pork and vegetables, or a beef sausage hero with cucumber and jalapeño. On the way out you can pick up sweets from the uptown offshoot of Momofuku Milk Bar, like the addictive, buttery Crack Pie or a cup of salted pistachio soft-serve. | 15 W. 56th St., between 5th and 6th Aves., Midtown West | 10019 | 212/757–5878 | www.momofuku.com/ma-peche | AE, D, MC, V | No lunch Sun.
Marseille.
$$ | MEDITERRANEAN | With great food and a convenient location near several Broadway theaters, Marseille is perpetually packed. Executive chef and partner Andy d’Amico’s Mediterranean creations are continually impressive. His bouillabaisse, the signature dish of the region for which the restaurant is named, is a mélange of mussels, shrimp, rouget, and bass swimming in a fragrant fish broth, topped with a garlicky crouton and served with rouille on the side. Leave room for the spongy beignets with chocolate and raspberry dipping sauces. | 630 9th Ave., at W. 44th St., Midtown West | 10036-3708 | 212/333–2323 | www.marseillenyc.com | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | Subway: A, C, E to 42nd St./Port Authority Bus Terminal .
Meskerem.
$ | ETHIOPIAN | The tasty Ethiopian delicacies offered in this Hell’s Kitchen storefront include kitfo, spiced ground steak, which you can order raw, rare, or well done, and yebeg alecha, tender pieces of lamb marinated in Ethiopian butter flavored with curry, rosemary, and an herb called kosart, and then sautéed with fresh ginger and more curry. The vegetarian combination, served on injera, a fermented and slightly porous flat bread used as a utensil to sop up the food, is a great deal. | 468 W. 47th St., near 10th Ave., Midtown West | 10036-2375 | 212/664–0520 | AE, D, DC, MC, V | Subway: C, E to 50th St.
The Modern and Bar Room.
$$$–$$$$ | FRENCH | Both spots competing for the title of the country’s best museum restaurant sit side by side on the ground floor of the New York MoMA. The Modern, run by restaurateur Danny Meyer, is two restaurants in one. Both offer the dazzling food of Alsatian chef Gabriel Kreuther. The formal dining room features a view of the museum’s sculpture garden and an ambitious, pricey, prix-fixe menu with standouts like chorizo-crusted codfish with white coco-bean puree. The far more accessible and popular Bar Room lies just beyond a partition. Here you can find a dizzying collection of shareable plates, like the refreshing arctic char tartare and oysters with leeks and caviar. Two or three make a fine if extravagant afternoon snack—double that number and you have a full meal. | 9 W. 53rd St., between 5th and 6th Aves., Midtown West | 10019-5401 | 212/333–1220 | www.themodernnyc.com | AE, D, DC, MC, V | Closed Sun. | Subway: E, M to 5th Ave./53rd St.
Oceana.
$$$$ | SEAFOOD | Entering the newly revamped Oceana is like walking into the dressy stateroom of