Two places you must eat at:

1) http://www.peterluger.com/ As it even points out on their site, it's been the #1 steakhouse in NYC for as long as Zagat's has been doing those books. It's in Brooklyn right across the Williamsburg Bridge. Be warned that they only take cash or their own credit card.

2) Choose one of these: http://www.johnsofbleeckerstreet.com/ or http://www.grimaldis.com/ These are pizza places and they're easily the best. It's a toss-up for me as to which is better. I slightly prefer John's, but the view from Grimaldi's is stunning (it's in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge). Both places are tiny, don't server by the slice, and are crowded, so be warned.

Thanks guys. So, water dogs? Not familiar with them- got a nice visual of an underwater dog fetching starfish though :) No vegs here, just good ol' carnivours.

Thanks for the warning about the cash only thing. I don't like to carry cash, especially in places I am not familiar with, so that is a good piece of information. I will look these places up and see how close they are to where I will be.

By the way, any ideas on what cabs go for or how much is too much?

Thanks,

j razz

Cabs are regulated and prices fixed, you should be fine, subway is dirt cheap and all (most) locals ride them, no problem . If you like italian food you will be a very happy dude, not even going to name any, never had a bad pasta dinner in NY. No expert ,been there several times , wife lived there ,and you will know you are in a tourist trap when a pastrami sandwich is 25.00 . Prices at good joints are just about like anywhere else,,

I went there last fall and stayed at Time square -- it was a wonderful week. If you are at Central Park, then by all means visit the Metropolitan Museum. I could spend days there. Also don't miss MOMA - museum of modern art.

Patsy Grimaldi's? There's is one just down the street here in Arizona. Pretty good, but can't say as I've tried the on in NYC.

If you want to try a broadway show, then checkout TKTS booth in time square is a good deal. Count on waiting in line for about an hour or so, but you get a about 1/2 price ticket. Better deal is to take a laptop and check out broadwaybox.com No waits and about the same deal. Buy your tickets on line and do will call.

I had never been to NYC before, so I was expecting Fort Apache - the Bronx, but much to my delight, I was comfortable and safe everywhere I went. The subway is pretty neat way to get around, but probably not for the newbies - My BroInLaw guided us around. NYC cabs are good deal, and are everywhere.

Have a great time !!

Hi J Razz -

I've lived & worked here most of my life - There is much for everyone so what are your interests?

There is always the touristy stuff - Statue of Liberty, United Nations, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, lots more....

Personally I tihnk a Broadway show is a must (they are very expensive however - at least $75 per ticket for the cheap seats) - Go to TKTS in Times Square and you can save half off for same day performances.

Another of my favorites is the American Museum of Natural History (if you're by Central Park, it's real close) which also houses the newly rebuilt Hayden Planetarium. It's a great day if you like that stuff (which I do).

The Staten Island Ferry is a free ride and you can also get anywhere by subway or bus, so you can save on taxi fare if you're adventurous.

For food - there are more restauants than cockroaches in NY - What are your favorite foods and I'll point you towards the better and non-touristy ones. If you want good Chinese food, there's Chinatown (I like Hong Fat's) - For Indian, there's Baluchi's in several places. Gotta stop by a pastry shop (lots of em) in Little Italy for a canoli. Lots more so lemme know what you like and what your budget is (I know of a few places where you can plop down a couple hundred per person and other good places where you can eat for $5).

On the subject of food - "Dirty Water Dogs" are those hot dogs that boil away all day in a street vendors cart and are served up with mustard & saurkraut or onions. I prefer Sabrett but almost any are good (if that's your thing) - Don't forget the knish with the dogs.

Just bring lots of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and you'll be fine.

Bruce

j razz,

Dirty Water Dogs was answered in a previous post.

An economist's blog I follow has a section on Best Burgers in NYC. He lives on "Longiland", works in the city, so I think he knows what he's talking about:

http://bigpicture.typepad.com/writing/2005/09/best_burgers_in.html

You can get broadway show tickets reduced by 30-50% off on the day of a show at the TKTS theatre center in Times Square. Wicked, Spamalot, Chicago, Hairspray, Movin' Out, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are all good shows. Phantom of The Opera has been there for 15 years and is still worth seeing.

In Times Square, the following are good restaurants:

John's Pizzeria (44th and 7th ave)
Becco's (45th and 8th)
McHale's Pub (46th and 8th)

John

I will second some of the recommendations here.

E42nd Street means east of 5th Ave. W42 is west of 5th Ave. Be sure to check that on any place you are going. Broadway is crooked so it's on the West Side north of 23rd and East Side south of 23rd.

You should definitely try the subway. Most times it will be the quickest way around. Study a >subway map before you leave. Getting crosstown can be an issue sometimes in a cab. It's been safe since the late 80's. The credit Giuliani gets is actually due to two guys who started out working in the Transit Police.

Citysearch has a lot of info and is very good for finding things near each other.

Peter Luger's Steakhouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is fantastic. Often rated the best steak in America. Expensive and they don't take credit cards except for their own. It's right over the Williamsburg Bridge, so it's not far, however if you don't want to go there, some ex-employees just opened steakhouses in Manhattan. Also ask for a slice of bacon as an appetizer, it's unbelievable.
http://wolfgangssteakhouse.com/wolfgangs/html/index2.htm
http://www.benandjackssteakhouse.com/

I haven't been to either since I live near Lugers, but their menu and quality are said to come particularly close. Luger's decor is German Beerhaus with old scuffed wooden tables. Wolfgangs is in a famous old gorgeous hotel.

Remember B&H is owned by Orthodox Jews so they are closed Saturdays and open Sundays.

If you find yourself in or near Times Square, the food usually is not so good. John's Pizzeria which is a pie-only sit down joint is really great and a better value than most anything around. It's actually closer to 8th ave than 7th Ave. It's right next to the theater showing The Producers.

If you are going to the Theater, look at restuarants on 9th Ave, there tons of them, much better variety and quality than most in Times Square.
Places I think of when going to the theater are
The Delta Grill 48th and 9th. Good Cajun place. Big portions, you'll have leftovers.
and Baldoria on 49th and 8th is fabuous too. There's a famous Italian restaurant up in Harlem called Rao's that you can't a table at because everybody who has a table there goes there regularly. There's virtually no turnover. So his son opened a bigger place, Baldoria.

http://www.chowhound.com/ is a great message board for true foodies.

Danny Meyer is a restauranteur who is known for having excellent service in his restaurants. Union Square Cafe and Grammercy Tavern are really nice high-end places he runs. He also has a Barbecue place called Blue Smoke with a jazz club in the basement. All excellent.

Museums
The Metropolitan is amazing. The Museum of Modern Art is great (check their film schedules for some gems--I saw Chuck Jones talk about Bugs Bunny there once.) Museum of Natural History is great. As a video guy, the International Center of Photography is a good place to check out. icp.org/

If you just want a quick lunch somewhere, a lot of places in NYC which cater to the work lunch crowd have a custom salad counter where you pick up a container of lettuce and they mix in practically any ingredient you want for you.

If you are coming soon, it's probably too cold to take the Staten Island ferry, but if it's warm, it's one of the best views in NY. Alternately, the place I always take visitors is the Fulton Ferry Landing. Check out the view, it's right underneath the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn. Better yet it's near three great food destinations in NYC. Right on the landing is the the Brookln Ice Cream Factory, just down the block is Grimaldi's pizza. Also right nearby is Jacques Torres' chocolate factory. All three will be among the best you've ever eaten. If you're coming in the spring or warmer months, you can take a water taxi.

The burger list at that ecnomist's blog above is pretty accurate. Luger's only has burgers at lunch M-F. (PS. Do you also read Brad Delong's blog?) One of the best values in town.
I also like Baluchi's for Indian. Usually at lunch they have the same menu at 50% off.

If you want a one of kind meal and like Japanese food, try Sugiyama. It offers "tea ceremony" food, which is many courses of plates with small elegant little bites.

About Kaiseki

You should post what hotel it will be, folks may know the area, knowing if you are on East, West or South Sides of the park will make a difference.

By the way, one more thing about Peter Luger's: The current issue of GQ has an article called "The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die" and Luger's comes in at #2. I've never had it, but that's a pretty good recommendation. I'll have to try one the next time I'm there. :-) I can vouch for #6 and #15 though. Here's the list:

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_2526

PS: Don't let the fact that Peter Luger is in Brooklyn scare you off. It's really easy to get to, especially by cab. (It's literally right over the Williamsburg Bridge.) But call as far ahead as humanly possible for reservations. It's easier to get them for late lunch or early dinner.

PPS: D'oh! Just after I posted this I saw that Busterkeaton has pretty much said the same things! Oh well. Make sure you check out his link to the Fulton Ferry landing. It's a truly spectacular view, and it's even better right after having some Grimaldi's pizza. :-)

Patsy Grimaldi is related to the family that runs the place in Brooklyn.

The menus at Grimaldis tell this story. The Brooklyn place used to be called Patsy's, after Patsy Lancieri, Patsy Grimaldi's uncle who ran a famous pizzeria in East Harlem called Patsy's and where Patsy Grimaldi learned how to make pizza. However, shortly after Brooklyn Patsy's opened, the window Lancieri sold the place to a real estate company who then started licensing the name Patsy's to other pizza places. So Brooklyn Patsy's get sued by Harlem Patsy's the Brooklyn place becomes Patsy Grimaldi's for a while and finally just Grimaldi's. Patsy Grimaldi soon retired to Arizona and then soon after decided to unretire.

On a different topic Harlem Patsy's went to the pasta sauce business and they got sued by Patsy's restaurant on W56St who also sell their pasta sauce in supermarkets. I also recommned the W56th St Patsy's if you want an Italian meal in Frank Sinatra's favourite NY restaurant. If not, you can find just as good cheaper.

fwtep, the burger at Luger's is great and it's cheaper than some other burgers in that neighborhood. Again it's only lunchtime M-F though.

I once went there at about 3:15, time had gotten away from me that day and I ended up having to order from the dinner menu. It turned out to be an expensive lunch.


I think the burger at Donovan's out in Queens may even be better. We tried it out after Time Out NY rated it #1 and it's really good. But you don't have the same sense of getting an outrageous bargain like you do in Queens.

I just found this site NY Burger Club. They disagree and say Luger's is better.

Actually tonight I drove past Luger's with some out of town guests and I told them this story about the former ownerof Peter Luger's. He used to have a wholesale pots and pans store across the street and when the Lugers retired he bought the place. Because he was entertaining clients all the time, he always ate at Lugers, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day. The punchline is he died at 98! So either red meat ain't that bad for you or perhaps having the world's best steak everyday makes you happy and that keeps you healthy. My wife was a vegetarian for years and Luger's was the first red meat she had in a long time. (She was back to chicken already) and she thought, this is what I have been giving up?

Since you will probably end up around Times Square anyway let me add a few more to the ones I mentioned that are also good.

Barrymore's on 45th. Unless they raised their prices since the last time I went there they have delicious food at a great price. One of the best values in that area.

Virgils Barbeque - Across street from Millenium Hotel. Awesome ribs. Try their "Train Wreck Fries"

Near where you are staying there is The Firehouse Tavern at 522 Columbus Ave at the corner of 85th St. Friendly and not too expensive. The nachos are fantastic.

John

Dinner -- Cookshop on 10th Ave and 20th (if you can get in), The Red Cat on 10th at 23rd -- both semi casual atmospheres, smooth, laid-back service, etc. with fare-fantastic food. Prices are mid to high, but portions are decent. Cookshop specialises in locally grown/raised organic meats/fish/veg's, everything cured in house, smoked in house, etc. The food is simple American fare with a bit of NY pizzazz... get the suckling pig if it's there, and if not the pork with sausage, smoked pear mustard and pickled cabbage. Fried hominy snack is a must have!

Oooh... and Prune near 2nd and 2nd as well is simply wonderful -- similar to Cookshop above but a much smaller, more intimate casual atmosphere.

Italian food -- there's a tiny place called Celeste on the UWS, at Amsterdam between 84th and 85th, which feels like the restaurant in "Big Night" from both its size and the care given to its food. The owner flies between NY and Italy, has a restaurant there as well, and brings back cheeses he personally ages. So, if you can, get the cheese plate and he'll come over and -- with this great accent -- walk you through each hand made cheese and accompanying sauce. They do not take reservations, so get there early or be prepared to wait -- it's well worth it, though.

Cheap eats and fun drinks -- Oliva at 2nd and 2nd. $7 caphirinas and excellent rustic latin american/spanish food. Get the steak and fries, and the pinxtos to share. Also, check out Bistro Les Ami on Spring Street in SoHo -- they have an amazing $25 (I think) three course pri fix from 5-7pm weeknights -- great steak frite and crispy salmon entrees, good cheesecake.

Late night eats -- 'inoteca in the LES. I can't remember where exactly -- near Ludlow and Rivington -- citysearch it. Fantastic simple, rustic Italian "peasent fare" served until 4am. The best post bar-crawl remedy -- and the LES in general is a great bar crawling area. Great, and often cheap wines. Get the lasagnette if it's available, the mixed cured meat/veg's plate is great, also if they have a shaved fennel or beet salad they're wonderful. The pannini are served on some great bread. They have a VERY SMALL sister cafe/restaurant, ideal for quick small bites and coffees, near 8th ave. and W4th stop (via the A line) -- it's on a little side street off of a tiny park, so you'll need to citysearch it as well.

Brunch -- again, if you can get in, or call ahead and put your name on the list and then are prepared to wait, Clinton Street Baking Company. Simply the best pancakes EVER. Wait, let me explain -- the pancakes are better than just about any kind of food, period. You'll leave craving them for weeks. Well worth the likely 30-45 min wait for your table (trust me). You'll be better off going on a weekday close to 10:30-11am if you don't want to wait. Someone should get the country breakfast if you go -- eggs with cornmeal fried green tomatos, cheddar grits, and honey cured bacon :P Mmmmm....grits.

Personally I've lived in Brooklyn for about 2.5 years now and have never heard of Luger's, so I suspect it's an "out of towner" kind of tourist spot. Sort of like Pat's and Geno's in Philly -- both "world renowned" but the locals generally go elsewhere. I guess it just depends on what kind of experience you want...

My other advice to you is to avoid the 42nd street/Broadway area with a passion :) It's like the eyesore every New Yorker hates... but it's crammed daily with old ladies getting their picture taken with The Naked Cowboy...

If you're looking for "something to do" other than just wine'n'dine, get a copy of The Village Voice and Time Out NY and sift through them on your first night.

- jim

Jim,

Your recommnedations are on target for a younger person with downtown vibe. Not knowing jrazz's age or musical tastes or sensibilities, I would not recommend the neighborhoods you mention. Soho and the Upper West Side are probably fine for first-time visitors, but Lower East Side and East Village are probably a bit much for folks who are wary of the subway. Here's my test, if you know what Matador Records is, feel free to go to the EV or the LES.

Cookshop is a great restaurant. I went there on Valentine's Day and it was great. However, 10th and 20th is somewhat out of the way for visitors to NY. The sister restaurant by the same owners Five Points, is also excellent. I had dinner there, but I heard the Brunch is unbelievable. Apparently they have a best-selling Brunch cookbook. You definitely need reservations for brunch.

You are off target on your comment about Luger's. I am a lifelong Brooklynite and when I moved to this neighborhood, the only way relatives knew to get to my house was to tell them, it's near Peter Luger's.

My wife just recommended the Tavern at Grammercy Tavern, which is a bit cheaper and you don't need reservations.

Ok - More restaurant stuff -

I've known about Peter Luger's for years but have never gone (I'm not a steak kinda guy) but there's also The Old Homestead (which I have been to) and it's good. That said, everyone I know who's been there raves about Lugers.

For Pizza - Down in Little Italy there's a place called Lombardi's - It's a brick oven pie (not like regular NY pizza) but it has the distinction of being (this is disputed) the first pizzaria in America. I've been there - I don't like brick oven pizza as a rule but their's is great - Ask for the clam pie (yes CLAM pizza). There are also about a gazillion variations of "Rays" pizza's - None of them are all that great any more (I used to like the one on 6th Ave and West 11th St - but they are nowhere near as good as they used to be).

For Italian there's also Rao's uptown - never been there but I've heard it's very good (and very expensive).

If you are really interested in the more trendy spots, I'll ask my sis-in law (she works for a major woman's designer clothing house) and she loves that kind of place.

Jim,
Peter Luger doesn't advertise, so that might be why you've never heard of the place. It's just a known thing to people. As for the customers, I'd say it's a pretty good mix of locals and tourists. The tourists are to be expected, because the place ranks so highly in national surveys (I think it's been the #1 steakhouse in the U.S. for a great many years in those Zagat's Guides).

For anyone who goes there, the Porterhouse is their specialty and it's all I've ever had, but I've heard raves about the pork, the fish, and as has been mentioned above, the burger for lunch. The creamed spinach is a great side dish, and for desert, the apple struedel "mit schlag." And don't forget their steak sauce, which is not at all what people expect (it's not the "A1" type). It's even great with their bread. And luckily for us west coasters, it's available in some stores.

It's an expensive place, but worth it at least once. Expect to pay $50 to $60 per person.

The place has been there for 119 years, and you'd swear they still have the original waiters.

Pizza is the priority. John's of Bleeker St, as mentioned above is 1st class. There's also one just one or two blocks north of Ground zero, but I don't recall the exact street. Remember, though, that exploring pizza in NYC is a harsh science. You must eat at essentially every street joint you pass.

East 6th street in the east village is a block lined with cheap, fantastic indian and Pakistani restaurants. Not to be missed. If things haven't changed, you have to BYO wine or beer. I've never found hotter vindaloo anywhere, but there are plenty of non-spicy dishes. Also gives you the opportunity to explore "bohemian" noo ywak (the east Village).

If it's still open, try to find Dubrovnik, an amazing Yugoslavian place somewhere on the east side. Increcible hearty eastern european fare.

If you you favor taverns and poetry, visit the White Horse tavern

http://www.thevillager.com/villager_82/tavernthatputpoet.html

the place in the West Village where Dylan Thomas drank himself to death.

Regarding Italian pastries: a cannoli is good, but for a treat I've never seen outside of NY, get to a real bakery in Little Italy or brooklyn and have a sphagliatelle (pronounced "Sfoo'-ya-del"). Unbelievable.

Staten Island ferry's the cheapest thrill in town and a must. Do it at twilight and get a spot at the stern railing to watch the lights come on in Manhattan as you pull away.

The Cloisters.

The USS intrepid at the west end of 46th street. Stroll around a real airctft Carrier, climb on and in real jet fighters.

On Sunday morning have coffee and brunch at an upper west side Columbus Ave cafe, then go to the park to watch people.

Empire State Bldg.

get a cheap SRO ticket to the opera and watch from the back row.

Wall street and the old Trinity church.

Take comfortable, broken in shoes. You'll do way more and faster walking than you'd expect, and it's a great way to see the city up close.

Do NOT play 3-card monte.

Whew. and that's just the tip of the 'berg.

The hotel we are staying at is the Belleclaire Hotel at 250 W 77th St. We will be there from June 5th through June 9th- we wanted to avoid the weekend shuffle and be able to get home with a couple of days to spare before heading back to work.

You guys have been great. We are going to have to stay for a couple of weeks to eat at all those places! As for our ages and likes, we are in our mid-twenties and we like Pasta (I'm kind of weird though as I like alfredo sauce and things of that nature but I don't like red sauces). I like wine on occassion but I don't know the difference between one or the other and couldn't spell them if my life depended on it. Oh, as for Indian food, I spend a month in India and had chicken and curry every day for lunch... yeah, that will do me for a lifetime :( Any type of meat is good, pizza is good as well as vegges.

We will definitely have to look up these places and visit as many as we can while we are there. I really like to take pictures and we are bringing our good camera to snap some shots, so if there are any good places to take cityscape, landscape, or sunset pictures, feel free to share.

I as for museums, pretty much anything goes- I love to learn. Aquariums are great too!

As for plays: we have seen Oklahoma, The Lion King, and the Phantom of the Opera in Memphis and Nashville and we walked out on the Producers; too much vulgarity for me (and my wife).

We are not much on the night scene (bars, etc.) but anything that has a neat atmosphere that we shouldn't miss out on, we are up for.

I hope this gives a little more incite into where we will be and what we like to do and what we don't like. Regardless, I appreciate all the information that has been given and I assure you, none of it will go to waste.

j razz

edit: what are matador records?

If you are going in June, definitely try the Water Taxi or the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry is free. Most folks who are doing it just for the ride, just wait at the ferry terminal for the next one back to Manhattan. But if you're adventurous Denino's pizza is really good. Get the "garbage" pie with many toppings. It's the only one I've ever eaten there.

Lombardi's mentioned above IS the first pizzeria in America. It's still great. Definitely worth a trip to Little Italy. Go at off hours because it's usually a wait.

As you can tell NYer's are serious about their pizza. You can even go to SliceNY.com and check out their pizza map and reviews by neighborhood. There is also tons of bad pizza in NY. Overladen with cheese and undercooked. A well-cooked pizza is not suppossed to look white unless it's a white pie. The sauce and the cheese should interact at high temperatures and the pie should look reddish orange with well done spots of brown.

Your hotel is very Close to the Musuem of Natural History. You could also check out the Central Park Zoo. The Aquarium is out in Coney Island which way on the other side of Brooklyn at the last subway stop, but it's a good acquarium and you could also get a hot dog at Nathan's and ride the Cyclone. All of which are great ways to spend a day. Similarly the Bronx Zoo is one of the three best in the country, again, you will have to get out of Manhattan to go there.

You're telling us that people STILL play 3 Card Monte in NYC? Surely only the tourists do? :)

that's a good quesion. I haven't lived there since before the Giuliani clean-up, so I really don't know if 3-card Monte is still alive. Though I'm sure they have thought up plenty of new scams to separate the suckas from their money.

It's the New York Way.

I met j razz in Sacramento a few weeks ago...I would say he's a younger person with a downtown vibe...who's doing the smart thing by asking advice of the plugged-in bunch here.

I envy you J! I would love to spend several days in NY. Would also love to plow through the 20 Burger List...

Have fun.