# NYC Trip



## Iceman91

Hey guys, I am heading out to NYC in a week and wanted to get some opinions on your favorite restaurants and knife shops etc. Korin is the only nice knife shop there that i know of, any others I'm missing? Thanks!!

Mike


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## Noodle Soup

Knife shops are few and far between in NYC these days. You might want to try Broadway Pan Handler but Korin is still the one true knife destination. The selection will dazzle you but just don't expect to find a bunch of discounted bargains there.


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## Iceman91

Yea i have been to Korin a few times, one of those places where i love to look but haven't made a purchase yet. Anyone know if the Korin brand knives are any good?

Mike


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## Noodle Soup

If you are interested in high end customs you might try Mastersmiths at 403 East 58th. I don't remember if they had any custom kitchen cutlery or not but it wouldn't surprise me these days.


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## Line cooked

The shops to visit in NYC for cooks/chefs

Korin is a cool place to visit and definitely worth checking out if your looking for Japanese knives and table top items
JB Prince has little of everything for the pro chef in terms of equimpent: Cutley, utensils, cookware, molds, etc
Kitchen Arts and Letters is the place to go if you wanto shop for hard to find cook books 
Kalustyans is a cool Indain spice shop and worth checking out if your interested in spices and ingriedients

Broadway panhandelr is a nice shop but has a stonger emphasis on the home cook IMHO

Restuarants abound in NYC ...do you have a cusine in mind? ....price point?


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## Andrew H

Korin is obviously the main knife destination, and my favorite restaurant (by far) in NYC is http://www.elevenmadisonpark.com/ 
The lunch is quite reasonable, and still exquisite.


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## AnxiousCowboy

Line cooked it spot on. Where are you staying and how much do you wanna spend?


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## apicius9

I haven't been there for a while, but what about Zabar's, are they still around?

Stefan


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## Salty dog

At korin ask them to show you the Shiki locked in the drawer. That's if they still have it.


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## Iceman91

Salty dog said:


> At korin ask them to show you the Shiki locked in the drawer. That's if they still have it.


This sounds really interesting, so i will have to check it out. I am staying with my brother in Brooklyn, but will be spending an equal amount of time in Brooklyn and Manhattan. I am wide open to any interesting restaurants. I really enjoy asian cuisine, BBQ, steakhouses etc but like i said i am open to anything thats worth stopping at. Price really doesn't matter. Probably go out for one or two expensive meals and keep the rest in the mid range. Thanks guys

Mike


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## Line cooked

Now we have a start point

Steak house: Peter Lugers in Brooklyn, but it is tough to get a resi....It is the old school steak house in NYC
Asian: Kuma Inn is Filipino Thai inspired Tapas...some what hidden location in lower east side of manhattan
Ramen: RAI RAI KEN...one of the first all Ramen spots in NYC. It has been overshadowed a bit by the RAMEN onslaught in NYC, but still one of my favs. 
BBQ: Since your in Brooklyn Fete Sau it is cool location with a nice Bourbon selection...Hill Country in Manhattan. Both Good places, but pricey for BBQ
Diner: In Williamsburg....it is a bit of a hipster hang out, but he food is solid, the place is funky and the market driven menu changes daily....I love the burgers there
Vinegar Hill House: also in Brooklyn in the Dumbo/ Vinegar Hill Section great American dishes with french flare
Momofuku Ssam:A menu inspired by what the chefs there like...i respect the ideal and like the food

Fine Dining:
11 Madison
Corton if you have a pension for the unusual
Ai Fiore 


Thats what comes to me quickly....I will see what else my stomach remembers and post it


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## mattrud

Line cooked said:


> Now we have a start point
> 
> 
> Momofuku Ssam:A menu inspired by what the chefs there like...i respect the ideal and like the food


 
What? Really?:razz:


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## sachem allison

You should try these guys. they have a pretty good selection of knives. I think Morimoto is a partner here.



Japanese Culinary Center

711 Third Ave. NYC, NY 10017
(Entrance on 45th St. between Second and Third avenues)

Tel. 212.661.3333

Fax. 212.661.3335


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## mr drinky

There is Cut Brooklyn (in Brooklyn of course). Their knives come up once in a while, but it seems that few have actually held them. Also, Brooklyn Butcher Blocks has cutting boards that might be nice to check out. Again, I don't know if anyone on this forum has one of those boards. I've also thought of taking some butchering courses/demos from Fleisher's. I just need to find time to get there and hang with friends.

k.


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## Iceman91

Thanks guys, lot of good tips. I am going to stop by Cut Brooklyn to check it out, i am curious to see what the shop is like. @ Line Cooked, I looked up some of those places and they sound cool, will be stopping by Fette Sau for sure.

Mike


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## Line cooked

Iceman91 said:


> Thanks guys, lot of good tips. I am going to stop by Cut Brooklyn to check it out, i am curious to see what the shop is like. @ Line Cooked, I looked up some of those places and they sound cool, will be stopping by Fette Sau for sure.
> 
> Mike


 
Very Welcome!


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## Line cooked

mattrud said:


> What? Really?:razz:


 

Am I that off :slaphead:


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## AnxiousCowboy

coincidentally i just went to hill country for the first time. It was decent. I heard fatty cue is decent too, from the people of fatty crab, but haven't tried it first hand. It's a tad pricey but Takitori toto is really fun and good. And i'm still going to preach Robertas, I love that ****. If you're going to do some meat shopping, check out Meat hook, I just cooked some pork belly from there last night, good, and a cool shop as well. I'm going away for about a week this next week, but maybe we should have another meet depending on when you're coming and who's around; still pissed i missed the last one....


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## AnxiousCowboy

oh, and as for Chinatown check out Great NY Noodletown (get the Singapore chow fun and shrimp dumpling soup) for really really good cheap Chinese food in a shotty restaurant. Also Joe Shanghai's for soup dumplings.

And my favorite restaurant in the city; Cafe Katja. Get the liverwurst, a pretzel, the sausage sampler, and a stein of Gosser.


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## dreamsignals

i second the fatty cue suggestion, if you like smoked everything. the sliders at fatty crab are very nice and it's a little cheaper than the cue. i've been using this website called savored in which you pay $10 to make a reservation and get 30% off of your bill. no printouts, just make the reservation, show up and give your name. i've used it in both fatty cue and crab.

i've also heard great things about fete sau.


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## Iceman91

I think Fete Sau is a must, i love good BBQ. The other suggestions sound great too and i will look forward to checking them out. Do you guys know of any great beer bars in the area? I am a beer enthusiast and if you had some suggestions that would be great. Thanks again

Mike


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## dreamsignals

keeping with the brooklyn theme, not too far from fatty cue and fete sau is Radegast Hall & Biergarten.

again, a few blocks away is Berry Park with a cool rooftop and nice selection of tap and bottle.


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## jmforge

I am not a chef, so please don't bludgeon me for this suggestion, but I finally did the oh-so-touristy thing and went to "21" a couple of years ago. Lots of old fashioned fun and not too pricey if you do the pre-show menu.


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## Iceman91

dreamsignals said:


> keeping with the brooklyn theme, not too far from fatty cue and fete sau is Radegast Hall & Biergarten.
> 
> again, a few blocks away is Berry Park with a cool rooftop and nice selection of tap and bottle.



I can't wait for this, I love a good Biergarten! These suggestions have been awesome.


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## dehory

Don't miss Spuyten Duyvil if you're in Williamsburg and interested in beer. This list is worth taking a look at.

Barbecue in NY leaves me underwhelmed. None of the usual suspects (Fette Sau included) could be considered a destination, nor are any of them among NY's best restaurants. They're good if you have a craving, but if I was visiting NY, I wouldn't fritter away a meal on any of them.

My favorite steakhouse in the city by a mile is Keens. Peter Luger is undoubtedly good too, but lacks Keens's wonderful atmosphere (and mutton chop). I like eating in the bar room. Two hot recent openings (The Dutch and Minetta Tavern) have highly regarded steaks also.

I usually send out-of-towners to Shopsins for a diner-on-crack breakfast or lunch, and the tavern room at Gramercy Tavern for a lovely, very NY dinner.

For a fancy meal, my two picks would be lunch at Per Se's lounge/salon (get there when they open and take the window seat overlooking Central Park, menu at the bottom of this PDF) or Jean-Georges (for the price of one of Per Se's entrees, you get a full 3-star experience). Eleven Madison Park and Momofuku Ko would be my runners up. Ko is slightly redundant if you're going to Ssam Bar (which you should).

I highly recommend Kyo Ya if you're into Japanese food. Ippudo serves the best ramen in NY, followed by Totto.


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## jmforge

Can anyone on this forum actually afford to eat at Per Se? if so, I would love to know what line of work they are in.:lol2:


dehory said:


> Don't miss Spuyten Duyvil if you're in Williamsburg and interested in beer. This list is worth taking a look at.
> 
> Barbecue in NY leaves me underwhelmed. None of the usual suspects (Fette Sau included) could be considered a destination, nor are any of them among NY's best restaurants. They're good if you have a craving, but if I was visiting NY, I wouldn't fritter away a meal on any of them.
> 
> My favorite steakhouse in the city by a mile is Keens. Peter Luger is undoubtedly good too, but lacks Keens's wonderful atmosphere (and mutton chop). I like eating in the bar room. Two hot recent openings (The Dutch and Minetta Tavern) have highly regarded steaks also.
> 
> I usually send out-of-towners to Shopsins for a diner-on-crack breakfast or lunch, and the tavern room at Gramercy Tavern for a lovely, very NY dinner.
> 
> For a fancy meal, my two picks would be lunch at Per Se's lounge/salon (get there when they open and take the window seat overlooking Central Park, menu at the bottom of this PDF) or Jean-Georges (for the price of one of Per Se's entrees, you get a full 3-star experience). Eleven Madison Park and Momofuku Ko would be my runners up. Ko is slightly redundant if you're going to Ssam Bar (which you should).
> 
> I highly recommend Kyo Ya if you're into Japanese food. Ippudo serves the best ramen in NY, followed by Totto.


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## Iceman91

Lots of cool suggestions dehory, thanks for all the links as well. I will for sure look into your suggestions. @*******, no i can't afford to eat at Per Se haha


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## jmforge

I would have freaked at those prices even when I could afford to eat there before the crash. With that said, I guess you have to do things like that at least once in your life if you have the means.


Iceman91 said:


> Lots of cool suggestions dehory, thanks for all the links as well. I will for sure look into your suggestions. @*******, no i can't afford to eat at Per Se haha


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## Iceman91

******* said:


> I would have freaked at those prices even when I could afford to eat there before the crash. With that said, I guess you have to do things like that at least once in your life if you have the means.



I agree, I went to Vegas with a few friends once and we ate at some of the nicest places on the strip. Amazing food but it hurt the wallet for sure. 

Mike


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## jmforge

That's true. I finally went to Vegas for the first time back in 2008 and discovered very quickly that you don't need to sit at a blackjack table to get crazy and lose all of your money in that town. LOL On the subject of NYC, the one relatively overpriced splurgy thing that I did last time I was there was to have a couple of cocktails in the Peacock Alley lounge at the Waldorf. I actually ordered a mojito with upgraded rum which was not the typical New York cocktail. Around $15 per drink, IIRC, but they nailed it big time and you couldn't beat the vibe. I also had dinner in the little 10 or so table dining room that sits behind the bar there and was rather impressed not only by the food, but by the prices. Not really outrageous at all. My date had a fish dish that used a lightly smoked fish, sturgeon IIRC, and she raves about it to this day and this from a who grew up in Sarasota, Florida and has eaten a decent piece of fish or two. This was March of 2007 and I seem to recall that they had just hired a new young chef for Peacock Alley and were really trying to promote it. That may be why I didn't walk out broke.


Iceman91 said:


> I agree, I went to Vegas with a few friends once and we ate at some of the nicest places on the strip. Amazing food but it hurt the wallet for sure.
> 
> Mike


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## Andrew H

Per Se puts a dent in your wallet for sure, but EMP lunch is something that shouldn't be missed


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## Iceman91

I will have to stop by Peacock Alley, i have been to The Bull and Bear in The Waldorf a few times, they have killer french onion soup that i cant pass up on.


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## JohnnyChance

Line cooked said:


> Momofuku Ssam:A menu inspired by what the chefs there like...i respect the ideal and like the food


 


mattrud said:


> What? Really?:razz:





Line cooked said:


> Am I that off :slaphead:



Line cooked, you are not off at all. Ssam bar is great, I went this past memorial day and it was amazing. One of the best meals I have had in a restaurant. 

Mattrud was just joking around, he actually works there.


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## AnxiousCowboy

Matt is saying that because he's a chef there, yeah, I havent heard anything bad about any of chang's places.


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## AnxiousCowboy

Andrew H said:


> Per Se puts a dent in your wallet for sure, but EMP lunch is something that shouldn't be missed


 
I'm going to have to check this out, especially since I just found out an old friend of mine left Corton to work lunch service there...


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## dehory

Per Se's tasting menu puts a hefty dent in the wallet for sure. But while it's no bargain like JG's lunch menu*, the a la carte salon menu with most dishes around $30-40 isn't _too_ bad, especially considering service (which is exceptional) is included and you still get amuses and mignardises even if you just order a couple of courses. 

For my money (hah), the kitchen at Per Se is the best in the city -- a class above JG, EMP, Le Bernadin, and Daniel.

* Speaking of bargains, you might want to check out Del Posto's excellent prix-fixe lunch. The room's a bit stuffy and the service isn't that warm, but for three courses at $29, it's the best high-end dining deal in the city. The desserts there are terrific.


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## jmforge

That's pretty stiff. $40 will still get you a 10 oz fillet, strip or Delmonico with either a salad or onion soup and a side dish at Bern's Steak House in Tampa.


dehory said:


> Per Se's tasting menu puts a hefty dent in the wallet for sure. But while it's no bargain like JG's lunch menu*, the a la carte salon menu with most dishes around $30-40 isn't _too_ bad, especially considering service (which is exceptional) is included and you still get amuses and mignardises even if you just order a couple of courses.
> 
> For my money (hah), the kitchen at Per Se is the best in the city -- a class above JG, EMP, Le Bernadin, and Daniel.
> 
> * Speaking of bargains, you might want to check out Del Posto's excellent prix-fixe lunch. The room's a bit stuffy and the service isn't that warm, but for three courses at $29, it's the best high-end dining deal in the city. The desserts there are terrific.


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## Andrew H

dehory said:


> Per Se's tasting menu puts a hefty dent in the wallet for sure. But while it's no bargain like JG's lunch menu*, the a la carte salon menu with most dishes around $30-40 isn't _too_ bad, especially considering service (which is exceptional) is included and you still get amuses and mignardises even if you just order a couple of courses.
> 
> For my money (hah), the kitchen at Per Se is the best in the city -- a class above JG, EMP, Le Bernadin, and Daniel.
> 
> * Speaking of bargains, you might want to check out Del Posto's excellent prix-fixe lunch. The room's a bit stuffy and the service isn't that warm, but for three courses at $29, it's the best high-end dining deal in the city. The desserts there are terrific.


 
I don't know about you but I was pretty surprised when Sifton gave Del Posto such a great review. Obviously restaurants are entirely based on personal preference, but I haven't met anyone who thought Per Se was the best out of the five you mentioned.


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## dehory

Andrew H said:


> I don't know about you but I was pretty surprised when Sifton gave Del Posto such a great review. Obviously restaurants are entirely based on personal preference, but I haven't met anyone who thought Per Se was the best out of the five you mentioned.



Even though Del Posto isn't even my favorite Batali/Bastianich restaurant, much less one of my favorites in the city, Ladner is unquestionably one of the city's great chefs and I think the lunch prix-fixe is a pittance to pay to eat his food.

Funny you should say that about PS because I haven't heard anyone say anything to the contrary before.  What would your pick be for a NY restaurant in its class?


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## Andrew H

I think EMP is the best in New York right now, I also think both Daniel and Le Bernardin are better than Per Se. The most interesting food is probably at wd-50.


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## eto

Besides the big guys here in the city, I went here not to long ago. http://hechoendumbo.com/index.html solid meal and was a lot of fun sitting in the back at the Chefs table.


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## geezr

Last time I planned to go to NYC was to watch the Yankees play their last season in the old stadium - never got there :sad0:
Now this thread has me wanting to go there for food :cool2:


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## dehory

Andrew H said:


> I think EMP is the best in New York right now, I also think both Daniel and Le Bernardin are better than Per Se. The most interesting food is probably at wd-50.



Many people adore EMP and I have a lot of goodwill towards the place, but the last time I ate there, I was disappointed by how safe (even slightly boring) the food was. I was excited by the new (well, not so new anymore) menu system, thinking it would really give the kitchen a chance to show off what it could do, but even though I specifically gave them free reign and said that I liked adventurous flavor pairings, I ended up with dishes like a plate of tagliatelle with crab and meyer lemon. Le Bernardin is good (though on the evidence of my last meal there, only their pastry chef seems to be really pushing himself). I find Daniel to be appallingly mediocre in both the conception and execution of their dishes. And while I very much enjoy modernist cooking at its best (and think Alinea is the best restaurant in the country), I've never had a great meal at wd-50.

When it comes down to it, I guess it can be very difficult to compare opinions about high-end restaurants. Only very few people make the rounds frequently enough to gauge an accurate average of good/bad nights and good/bad dishes. Even somewhere like JG where so many dishes never change, the same dish has totally wowed me one time, but the next time has been slightly less amazing enough that I wouldn't have ordered it again had I not had the other experience.

What shouldn't change at all, though, is the service, and PS is the only restaurant in the city where every single time I've been there, it's felt like a special experience because the service was so impeccably and telepathically excellent.



eto said:


> Besides the big guys here in the city, I went here not to long ago. http://hechoendumbo.com/index.html solid meal and was a lot of fun sitting in the back at the Chefs table.


 
I really like Hecho en Dumbo too. Their "comida corrida" is great (though it was better when it was $10).


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## Iceman91

I ate at a place in Chelsea called Nuela. It was recommended by a friend of mine and i was blown away. We tried quite a few different dishes and all of them were fantastic. 

Mike


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## jmforge

So how much weight did you gain on your trip?:biggrin:


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