Suggestions for Restaurant w/ Jazz in New York

[cruzfvr]

Need suggestions of restaurants with good food, and great jazz! We are staying in New York pre-cruise, and our teens (19 & 16) will be with us, so need a restaurant that under 21 can get into. We are staying near Times Square. Thanks, Debbi

[Jane110]

The Blue Note in the Village is a great place. I was just there last week and saw brazillian singer, Virginia Rodrigues. Fabulous!

 

They do serve food there, though we ate beforehand a few blocks away at one of my favorite restaurants, North Square.

 

Go to www.Bluenotejazz.com for more info.

 

Enjoy you time here! (and on your cruise too, of course!)

 

Jane

[cruzfvr]

Thanks Jane, We used to have a Blue Note here in Vegas, but it closed. We will definitely check it out. Anymore suggestions?

~Debbi

[cruzfvr]

Jane, I just went to the Blue Note website and it looks like we will go there for sure now. Our 19 yr. old son is a sax player, and Joshua Redman Elastic Band will be playing on the nights we are there, and he would really like to see them. So, thanks so much for your suggestion! ~Debbi

[Jane110]

Hi Debbi,

 

Glad to help and happy to hear that an artist your son will want to hear is playing while you'll be here. That's great.

 

I looked to see when J. Redman is playing and see that it's in Dec. so I assume that's when you'll be here, right?

 

Don't forget to walk by Rockefeller Center to see the tree. You could also rent some skates and do a little skating there, or in Central Park where it's less expensive but probably more crowded.

 

You'll be here during high tourist season, so make sure to allow enough time for travel. Taxi's are very busy that time of year.

 

Jane

[Jane110]

Debbi,

 

I just reread your first post. I thought you asked for restaurants with jazz music. But now I'm not sure if you're also looking for restaurant suggestions, without jazz as well?

 

If so, I'd be happy to suggest some. Just give me an idea of what you want/don't want, like/hate, budget, etc.

 

Oh, just thought of another place. BlueSmoke on East 27th Street betw Lexington and Park Ave's. It's a BBQ place that also has live jazz at times. Very casual. www.bluesmoke.com

 

Jane

[cruzfvr]

Jane,

We would love to have suggestions for restaurants (without jazz) while in New York. A deli for lunch would be great, or an Italian restaurant, also your favorite restaurant that you said you ate at before going to the Blue Note (what type of food do they serve, and how far away from the Blue Note is it).

 

Our flight gets into New York real late on Thursday, 12/15, so we will want to make a day of looking around the sites on Friday, then go to the Blue Note that night (17th). We have tickets to see Wicked in the afternoon on Sat., so need a place to eat that night as well. Our cruise is on Sunday.

 

Do you think we should book the 10:30 show at Blue Note so we can have time to eat beforehand?

 

How long do you think a cab ride will be from Times Square area to where the Blue Note is? We want to allow plenty of time so we aren't late for the show.

 

As for the budget and type of food, we are open. Probably want something casual in the day since we will be running around. And at night, we are open to anything you recommend.

 

We are just as excited about going to New York as we are about taking this cruise!

[Jane110]

Debbi,

 

I know you're coming with two teenagers so I want to be considerate of the fact that there might be limitations in terms of budget or cuisine. So I'll give you some choices. BTW, do you have a Zagat Guide? I highly recommend buying it and looking through it now for some idea's. If you local bookstore doesn't have it, you can buy it from them on www.zagat.com

 

My favorite "upscale/ chic casual" restaurant is Tabla. (25th & Madison). It's american food w/ an indian twist. If you absolutely hate indian food, don't go here. Regular dining room is upstairs and downstairs is the casual breadbar where you can have drinks and appetizers. Upstairs dinner will run about $50-60. pp www.tablany.com

 

If you'd like suggestions of other nice, but less pricey indian places, let me know.

 

North Square - www.northsquareny.com is within a 5 minute walk to the Blue Note. It's american food, extremely well prepared and is a nice mellow place. It's in the middle of NYU territory so you get a lot of professor types there.

 

Lupa - also in the village within walking distance to the Blue Note. This is an italian place that specializes in Roman food. Very casual, trendy, great food, moderate prices. www.luparestaurant.com This is one of Mario Batali's places. See menu online, not your typical italian/american fare.

 

Ideya - in Soho. If weather is nice, about a 15-20 minute walk to Blue Note. Food is a mix of nuevo latino & carribbean. Good for lunch too. Excellent food, young & fun ambience. www.ideya.net

 

I would definitely book the 10:30 show at the Blue Note and have dinner at a different restaurant beforehand. A cab from Times Square to the village is about a half hour.

 

For Deli lunch, it depends on the neighborhood you'll be in. Not far from your hotel is the Carnegie Deli (7th Ave/55th St.) or if you're downtown, (east village) go to the 2nd Ave Deli on 11th St/2nd Ave. Both are excellent.

 

For an excellent italian dinner, try Crispo on 14th Street, between 7th & 8th Ave. (212-229-1818). Well priced (about $40.pp) excellent food, nice casual friendly place. If weather is not too cold, you could walk around the meat packing district a bit before or after dinner.

 

If you're early risers and want to go to a fun place for breakfast on Sunday morning, try Bubby's in Tribeca. (Hudson/N. Moore Sts) www.bubbys.com You might run into DeNiro there!

 

If you like french/belgium food, go to Markt in the meatpacking district. www.marktrestaurant.com Lunch or dinner. Casual, friendly, easy.

 

Another favorite of mine is Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill on 15th St. & 5th Ave. Upscale/casual southwestern food. http://www.mesagrill.com Dinner will run about $50+ pp

 

Last but not least, you can walk through Chinatown, follow your nose on Mott Street, eat and then walk to Little Italy for dessert. Or eat in Little Italy. Follow your nose on Mulberry Street.

 

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask questions about any specific place or additional choices.

 

Jane

[cruzfvr]

Jane,

You have been so helpful, thanks so much! I printed out your suggestions, and will visit all the web sites tomorrow. I did check out the North Square site earlier, and it looks great. Ideya sounds interesting too though. I will let my DH help with the decision. Our teens are like us, they are usually up for anything, and enjoy eating different food in new places. I am going to the bookstore for the Zagat guide this week.

Thanks again,

Debbi

[cruzfvr]

Jane, just wanted to let you know that your suggestion of North Square Restaurant near Blue Note was great! We really enjoyed it. Our daughter loved that area of NY so much that she is going to apply at NYU for college. The restaurant is just a short walk to the Blue Note.

 

We will be returning to NY in April. Any suggestions for a nice dinner for two around the Central Park area? Thanks, Debbi

[Jane110]

Debbi,

 

Thanks for the nice words. I'm glad you enjoyed North Square. I'm going back there again next week. Did you go to a performance at the Blue Note? Glad your daughter liked the area.....everyone does! :)

 

For a dining experience that'll knock your socks off near Central Park, try Per Se at the Time Warner Mall. Dinner will run your about $500-$600. per couple. It's the NY version of Thomas Keller's French Laundry in Napa Valley. www.perseny.com

 

On a more earthbound price level.......

 

Also in the Time Warner mall is Gary Kunz' Cafe Gray. www.cafegray.com

I've not been here yet but it gets rave reviews and I'm a fan of the chef's and have eaten in his former places. This place is asian infused french.

 

Also near the park is Picholine which is french-med and just wonderful. Lovely setting, wonderful food and an outrageous cheese course if you like.

 

Another NY favorite that's been around forever is Cafe des Artistes www.cafenyc.com It's a warm and romantic setting that serves french food. Nice bar too.

 

Not on the upper west side, but close to the park is Brasserie 8 1/2.

It's located on 57th St. betw. 5/6 Ave. www.restaurantassociates.com

It's very good french brasserie food and the setting is very modern sleek. The bar area is great for cocktails and may look familiar to you if you were a Sex in the City fan as they filmed alot of drink scenes at this bar. They also have the best Sun brunch, IMHO.

 

In my opinion, (and the opinion of many NYer's) the upper west side is a dining wasteland with very few decent choices so I think I picked the best, unless you want to go to Masa, which makes Pre Se, look reasonable! LOL! www.masanyc.com

 

I hope you have a Zagat so you can look up all these places. Feel free to ask questions.

 

Jane

[Jane110]

Just thought of three more places near Central Park

 

Petrossian - Corner 58th St. & 7th Ave. www.petrossian.com

This place specializes in caviar but is also a lovely french restaurant, whether you have caviar or not. It feels like you've walked back in time to a 1920's art deco dream. The food is wonderful and it's a very elegant place.

 

Trattoria Dell 'Arte - 7th Ave, 57th-58th St. www.redeyegrillgroup.com

Loud, upscale casual italian with wonderful food. Famous for the anti-pasta, though everything is excellent.

 

Molyvos - 7th Ave, 55th - 56th St. www.molyvos.com

IMHO, the best greek restaurant in NY. Upscale, casual. Taverna ambiance.

 

Jane

[cruzfvr]

Jane,

We have heard of Per Se, and I think we will try to get reservations there (which I heard is pretty hard), since it is just the two of us. We also heard of Cafe des Artistes, and we are planning on eating there too. I love escargot, so definitely want to try it here. Trattoria Dell 'Arte sounds good, too. So many restaurants, so little time! Our daughter will be with her school for a band trip (they are playing at Carnegie Hall), so we will have a little time to ourselves three of the four nights, and we love great food!

 

Yes, we purchased the Zagat book (per your suggestions last time), and it is very helpful. We found Blue Water Grill in it, and we really enjoyed our meal there (with jazz playing in the background).

 

We did go to the Blue Note for the Joshua Redman concert. Our son bought a cd, and Joshua Redman signed it for him. It was great.

 

We just love New York, and are looking forward to our April trip.

Thanks so much for all of your suggestions!

~Debbi

[Jane110]

Debbi,

 

If you want Per Se, try booking now! If you can't get dinner, then lunch is another option if it fits your schedule.

 

I like Blue Water Grill alot, though I'll recommend Aqua Grill too in Soho, which I sometimes like better. Just keep in mind for another trip. :)

 

For a french place that's "less serious" that your daughter might also enjoy, try Danal. Good food, moderate prices and a cute "shabby chic" decor.

 

If you and your husband want a great meal at an awesome place downtown, try Bouley or Chanterelle. Those are our two favorites for b'day, anniv., etc. Also love Bouley's other place Danube. We like to have a drink at Danube (the prettiest place in the universe) and then walk around the corner for dinner at Bouley.

 

Jane

[cruzfvr]

Jane, I wrote down all the restaurants you suggested. I am going to look them all up on the internet, and in the Zagat book, then pick a few for lunch and dinner. I'll let you know if we get into Per Se. Danal sounds like our daughter's kind of place. They will be on their own for meals, so maybe she can get a group of friends together and try it out.

Drinks at Danube sounds fun. I will also check out Bouley and Chanterelle for dinner after.

Thanks again for your input!

Debbi

[Jane110]

Debbi,

 

For your daughter and her group, another option besides, Danal, would be Villa Della Pace on second ave and 7th Street, in the hip & edgy east village. It's inexpensive italian food in a very hip/trendy environment. It's not in Zagat, but you can probably find it on a web search. After dinner, they could walk to Veneiro's for dessert on 11th Street.

 

 

Jane

[cruzfvr]

Jane, thanks again all your restaurant "picks!" We read some reviews on Per Se, and now we are not quite as sure we want to dine there. Does it really take 4-5 hours for dinner? I don't know if I really want to spend that much time dining. I know it is a "dining experience" but 4-5 hours? Please let me know what your thoughts on dining at this restaurant.

~Debbi

[Jane110]

Jane, thanks again all your restaurant "picks!" We read some reviews on Per Se, and now we are not quite as sure we want to dine there. Does it really take 4-5 hours for dinner? I don't know if I really want to spend that much time dining. I know it is a "dining experience" but 4-5 hours? Please let me know what your thoughts on dining at this restaurant.

~Debbi

 

 

Well, it's a 9 course prix fixed lunch or dinner (same menu), so it would have to take about 4 hours. If it's just the two of you, then maybe 3 hours - groups tend to take longer in any restaurant.

 

It's hard for me to try and sway you in either direction. IMO, it's a once in a lifetime experience (since we'll probably never get to French Laundry in Napa). Would I go back? No, not unless someone else was picking up the tab! <g> But we're glad we went. I guess you could say we're "foodies" or "gourmets" and enjoy experiencing something like this.

 

But for us, our most special experiences have been at Bouley and Chanterelle with Danube coming in at #3, - only in food, not in service or decor - because DH hates german/austrian style cuisine. So he'll go to Danube every couple of years because it's really a fusion of german/austrian w/ continental.

 

Other great "foodie" experiences which are more casual, are Mesa Grill, Aqua Grill, Union Square Cafe and my all around favorite, Tabla.

 

Jane

[cruzfvr]

Jane, My husband said the same thing, "It is a once in a lifetime experience," and I know he is leaning toward going there. He is a captain in a fine dining restaurant, and because of this he is more of a foodie than I. I'm up for anything, though! Thanks so much for all of your help!

We are going to try the Cafe des Artistes (which will be my pick) for sure.

[Jane110]

Jane, My husband said the same thing, "It is a once in a lifetime experience," and I know he is leaning toward going there. He is a captain in a fine dining restaurant, and because of this he is more of a foodie than I. I'm up for anything, though! Thanks so much for all of your help!

We are going to try the Cafe des Artistes (which will be my pick) for sure.

 

Debbi,

 

With your husband's professional connections, he may need to use them to get a resy at Per Se.

 

Since he's in the restaurant biz, he probably enjoys going to other restaurants even just to have a drink for "research purposes". <g> So, you might want to add Firebird to your list, even if just for a drink. Go to the upstairs bar for a really gorgeous room. It's in the theatre district on W. 46th Street. www.firebirdrestaurant.com

 

BTW, if your husband likes to follow the industry goings-on, read about what's going on at Del Posto - Mario Batali's new place. It just opened in Dec. and closed last week due to landord problems. We've eaten there twice (we know the head chef) and hope everything settles down and they re-open shortly. For the gossip go to eater.curbed.com

 

Let me know how your resy's go.

 

Jane

[cruzfvr]

Jane, my DH will enjoy the website. He does like to keep tabs on what is happening at different restaurants. Someone recommended River Cafe to him the other night. Do you know anything about this restaurant? I am off to check out Firebird! ~Debbi

[Jane110]

River Cafe is in Brooklyn, on the waterfront and has gorgeous view of the city.

If you go, DH will need a coat and tie.

 

I haven't been there in about 10 years, but it's lovely. We just tend to get nervous leaving the island of Manhattan, unless we're going at least 3000 miles away! LOL!:D

 

Jane

[cruzfvr]

I didn't know it was in Brooklyn, but it sounds nice. ~Debbi

[Jane110]

Yes, so we tend to not go. We don't own a car and having the hassle of a car service, taxi etc, just adds about $50. to the meal and we feel we have enough choices here in the city to not have to bother.

 

Ate at SAPA last night for the first time. Food was fantastic, decor is very modern and chic, but noise level is too high for my tastes. Check out for a drink if you're in the area. Nice bar.

 

Jane

[cruzfvr]

We have so many restaurants to choose from in Manhattan, wish we could go to all of them! Looks like we will go to a couple for drinks, and a few for lunch, and then a couple for dinner. It is different in Las Vegas, our fine dining rooms are not open for lunch, so this will be nice for us.

Debbi