Kitt's Picks: Restaurants

The food here is wonderful if you can take the noise level. Try to book a table on Sunday or Monday evening when things are a bit quieter.
The bread basket is filled with freshly baked mini-size breads so that you can have multiple choices. The pasta with fresh ricotta is lovely and the chocolate soufflé with banana cream Anglaise is a must order.

Singles can sit at the bar and enjoy dinner and feel very comfortable. Danny Meyer's staff aims to please. The Salmon Burger is only available at lunch.

Danny Meyer does it again with warm welcoming service and Chef Kerry Park's contemporary cuisine. $25.00 prix fixe lunch is a value.

This Power Scene restaurant has a tendency to look a bit futuristic. The private room at the rear of the restaurant will seat 22 maximum. Book early if you wish to be able to hear your dinner partner because by 9:00 PM, the room noise is significant. Three booths in the rear of the restaurant allow for quiet conversation. The white tuna tartar and the lobster tempura are worth the trip!

Danny Meyer’s comfortable two section restaurant allows you to choose the rear room with a full menu or a more casual atmosphere in the front bar room. The meatballs are fabulous.

Alfred Portale's "towering" New American creations have been delighting diners for 20 years. The noise level is loud, so try to go early or late.

Two floors of beautiful surroundings including a sushi bar on the ground floor. The sushi is fabulous and the small plates are all delicious. The cod skewers are fabulous. The rooms are dimmer than I prefer, and tend to have to ask for another candle to read the menu.

Voted New York's Best Jazz Club, the Jazz Standard is downstairs. Hot jazz is downstairs and for serious aficionados. Basic Barbecue and hot jazz make this a Gramercy Park favorite. If you want to talk stay upstairs and enjoy dinner without the jazz.

Located in Dumbo, and easily accessible walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, or by water taxi, this is pizza worth the long lines. Cash only -- whole pies, no slices here.

There is an elevator, so it does have wheelchair access. Small, intimate, private and elegant. Perfect for a romantic occasion. Small insulated bags will let you take home additional caviar and blini for a snack in the middle of the night.

This is a beautiful upscale Chinese restaurant that specializes in Peking Duck, beautiful service. Perfect place for a special occasion.

Philip Johnson designed this fabulous setting for the ultimate power lunch in the Grill Room and the Pool Room for the celebrations that make life special. Menu changes with the seasons. Good Pre-theater dinner options keep prices attainable.

Reservations a must at this East Side landmark stop for heavenly desserts and long lines. Crowded and noisy, the frozen hot chocolate is a must order.

I lived in Hong Kong from 1988 - 1990, and this would be the most authentic restaurant that is good for a group with the dim sum carts. If you want "pretty" this is not it, but the selection is excellent so there is something for everyone. They are members of the Chaine des Rotisseur.

Small restaurant, so don't go with a group. Everything is fresh and the owner wants to please.

The winning combination of David Burke from Park Avenue Café and Donatella Arpaia (from Bellini) have created a wonderful spot for New American cuisine. Avoid the center room with the fireplace if you want to hear one another. The noise level is deafening. Leave room for dessert.

Best French bistro for moules and frites with a perfectly dressed salad and apple tart. Absolutely delicious from beginning to end. Go early or late to avoid the noise since the tables are too close to feel private.

Daniel Boulud's East Side flagship is New French cooking with flawless service due to cameras above each table. The chefs will make sure that each course is timed perfectly. A perfect special occasion place for the over 40 set.

Close your eyes and try to forget that you are about to pay these prices and just enjoy dinner. With just 20 seats at the pearwood counter – considered the most desirable, with their view of the kitchen – and only 26 more at individual tables, this is a small and intimate space with wonderful service. Try the Crispy Langoustine Papillote with Basil Pesto, Pan-Sautéed Amadai in a Yuzu Citrus Broth with Lily Bulbs Free-Range Caramelised Quail Stuffed with Foie Gras, Served with Potato Purée and Summer Truffle L’Atelier offers an atmosphere that is both intimate and dynamic.

Try the Tomato Gazpacho with Croûtons and Ricotta Cheese

Beautiful Thai-Malaysian food and de'cor make this Jean-George Vongerichten another winner in the Meatpacking District. This is a good restaurant to share small plates of food so come with a group.

Batali-Bastianich hold court over high end pizza and 14 flavors of extraordinary homemade gelato.

Really delicious, beautiful restaurant, although noisy when busy. Lots of great appetizers and small plates allow you to enjoy a variety of dishes.

This is Greek at its best. The Sampling of Traditional Greek Spreads, Eggplant Salad, "Caviar" Mousse & Cucumber Yogurt with Garlic is a must try! Great for pre-theater.

Adam Tihany's de'cor and food from Venice create a perfect pre-theater dinner even for children who love beautiful spaces.

Simply darling, romantic, charming and delicious!! This townhouse has a long bar at the entrance and double story main dining room with a balcony that can become noisy. Opt for one of the upstairs small dining rooms and feel as though you have stepped back into the 1800's and are dining in someone's home. The inventive Tapas range from small portions to larger ones, but all are meant to be shared. At around $8.00 per plate, if three people shared 10 plates, that's $80.00 plus beverages, tax and gratuity.

Paper plates, plastic forks, this is really casual pub food, cash only. Avoid the long lines at prime time.

Great pub food, cash only, avoid the long lines at prime time.

Wonderful service and elegant surroundings with great French cuisine. The gorgeous floral arrangements make this a spectacular special occasion event.

Dating from 1885, this Midtown steakhouse-saloon is home to one of the largest collections of antique clay pipes in the world. A serious scotch selection is perfect for the man in your life. Their steak salad for lunch is terrific.

Jean Georges Vongerichten's New French cuisine is beautiful and delicious. Adam Tihany's sophisticated design allows just 65 diners to enjoy the experience at one time. If you can't snag dinner in the dining room, try for room service when you stay at the hotel, or take the less formal Nougatine Room or on the terrace.

This is just fabulous. The selection of dishes comes from both southern and northern India. This is the only restaurant that serves Pani Poori on their weekend buffet. It is available by special order in the evening on the a la carte menu. The coconut sauce for the dosi is wonderful. For $17.95 for the lunch choices, it’s a steal given the hours and work to make the dishes.

Puffy pita and wonderful baba ghanoush, delicious, is expensive and worth the wait on line. Cash only. The pizzetta are flatbread pizzas. The lamb and onion is delicious. The Tabouli is so fresh it is a must order dish.

The food is really good, the décor is basic and the noise level is a challenge. Decide what's more important and your wallet will determine that this is probably the best bang for the buck in the neighborhood. The grilled eggplant, chicken sate, watercress salad, and the chicken and lemongrass soup are all delicious. You'd be hard pressed to eat more than $20.00 worth of food including tax and tip per person. Ideal spot for NYU students and shoppers exhausted from cruising around ABC Home Furnishings store on Broadway and 19th Street.

Beautifully renovated space that allows for gracious dining without being overly stuffy. High ceilings and nicely spaced tables allow for adult conversation. The menu changes, but the food is beautifully presented using fresh ingredients. A good idea is to split the Seafood Combination of scallops, lobster, languistines. The warm fig pudding at $15.00 perp portion is among the most expensive dessert menu in NYC, and yes it is delicious. One portion for two is ample. A rolling silver cart of small pastries is presented at the end of the meal and the choices are wonderful.

An institution for New Yorker’s and visitors alike. The food is fresh and the prices are high. Reservations are always a challenge. Nobu, Next Door, (212) 334-4445, walk in no reservations. This celebrity scene is expensive with month long waits for reservations. Nobu Next Door does not take reservations, so you need to decide if you feel it's worth the wait. For me, Aja is prettier, moe convenient and better sushi with other interesting dishes.

Since 1905 this "Little Italy" landmark has been delighting families with whole pies from their coal-fired oven. Cash only.

A beautiful trendy space that can be noisy when crowded. Try early for a delicious and quiet dinner. The food is really delicious. Try an assortment of Mezzes, spreads and flatbreads. The skewers are delicious and healthy and everything is reasonably priced.

The "gold standard" for upscale Mexican with made at the table guacamole and good Chicken Mole. Bring your wallet.

Not the best physical space in town, but its midtown location and great lunch buffet is available 7 days a week. It's the first buffet where each dish actually tastes as if mother was in the kitchen grinding the spices just prior to serving the dish. The variety of flavors is exceptional.
One of the best Indian meals that I have ever eaten. Enjoy the Halibut mole sautéed with ginger and coconut sauce, incredibly tender and flavorful Chicken chettinad cooked in chettinad sauce, lemon rice and great breads. Go with friends so that you can share the dishes. The garden in the back of the restaurant is quieter and heated in the winter. Try the wines from India to round out a wonderful evening

All-you-can-eat pasta and $25.00 wines make this a great pre-theater dinner choice especially with children and teens.

There are two sections to the restaurant. The more casual space is the Bar Room , where you can order the Tarte Flambee with a glass of wine and feel fabulous at the bar area or sit at tables, first come first, serve in the adjacent section. The whole area is a casual restaurant. The noise level can be deafening in the evening as it is a real "bar scene". However, the main restaurant, simply called The Modern, overlooks the sculpture garden and is quiet and understated elegance. The pre-fix menu is $85.00 per person plus a cheese course at $18.00 per person. The Seasonal Tasting Menu starts at $138.00 per person. It's for those of you who want to spend the entire evening eating. Dinner was four hours.

Beautiful and sexy, this setting was designed by the Rockwell Group and has large booths situated around a reflecting pool. The Thai marinated beef salad, chocolate back barbeque ribs marinated in Thai spices are amazing. Save room for the chocolate cake.

The spareribs are amazing. The steak salad is great.

Owners of Pampano and Maya have interesting twists on traditional Mexican cuisine. Both have great guacamole. Pampano, 209 East 49th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues), (212) 751-4545. It's an interesting take on Mexican cuisine.

This wonderful new addition to Time Warner Center allows guests to sit at the bar area and order a hamburger or a steak. Guests can sit at tables well spaced for good conversation in a beautiful room with friendly service and delicious American cuisine. for business dinners requiring privacy, two round tables are surrounded by walls to provide extra quiet. Try the roasted marrow bones with onion marmalade and grilled country bread, the grilled skirt steak salad watercress, roasted peppers, gorgonzola and chimichurri vinaigrette, and the salmon tartar with red onion, parsley, lemon Confit and Dijon. They are all fabulous. Their wines are so reasonably priced that you can order half bottles rather than wines by the glass. A very good value

This French bistro fare knows how to get you on your way to the theater on time. Paper tablecloths and crayons keep the little ones entertained while parents can dine on real food.

Fabulous risotto, great short ribs, friendly service and smart contemporary decor, makes this a lovely evening. Bring your credit cards, because this is not your neighborhood Italian restaurant. The noise level is higher than I prefer, but that tends to be the case with most of Steve Hanson's restaurants. Reservations necessary.

Perfect for pre-theater fussy eaters. There is something for everyone, including waiters scurrying about with skewers of grilled meats. A long buffet is perfect for the vegetarians among the group.

Considered the city's top dog, these stand-up corner shacks are where true New Yorker's get their hot dog fix. Cash.

The view is amazing, the florals are glorious, the staff is wonderful and the choices are a wide range under an umbrella of $78.00 for three courses. The food is very good; what more could anyone ask for? Well, transportation for one thing. It's not easy to get a taxi back to Manhattan from the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. Ask us for a car and driver.

Feel like royalty from the moment you step into David Bouley's TriBeCa Viennese setting with understated elegance. The "Wiener schnitzel" is the dish to order.

The ultimate power scene, with fabulous a wine cellar and toys on the ceiling in the main dining room. The Salvation Army arrives with sheet music in hand to sing Christmas Carols after 8:00 PM and then passes the hat. It's a lovely tradition over the past 37 years.