Just ate at The Lion in the West Village. My friend works at their sister restaurant so we got a bit hooked up with random apps and deserts. Black truffle gnocchi was pretty awesome. I had the burger (Pat La Frieda meat) with caramelized onions, cheese and pork belly. All in all it was good albeit pricy if we had paid full price. Cool space.

For sushi I recommend Cube 63 on Clinton btw Rivington and Stanton I think. Tiny place but great sushi and very reasonably priced and BYOB.

Soul food. Any suggestion?

blue smoke on 27th street

thank me later

I wouldn't call Blue Smoke soul food, but it is a solid place nonetheless.

Few random tidbits as I'm starving and thinking about food.

I'm 3 for 3 in awesome meals at Cookshop, menu changes, but I think this is like a Fix/Bellagio type situation where you are better off just ordering a **** load of small plates and sharing as the main courses are really good but the apps/snacks and small plates blow them away.

I'm not a huge proponent of BRGuests line of restaurants, but was bored and did a restaurant week lunch at the Atlantic Grill by me and it was all sorts of awesome. The Shrimp Burger was something completely unexpectedly awesome.

Also, if you are ever on the UES, and feel like a slightly over priced tasting menu that just crushes, (overpriced because the service/decor/vibe is meh) I'd reccomend Spigolo to everyone. It makes no sense how a place this good survives on 83rd and 2nd, but it does

went to BLT bar and grill for lunch today down near WTC memorial. overpriced, but good. for some weird reason (saturn aligned with mars?) i wasn't in the mood for a burger, so i got the ravioli. it wasn't enough, but they were good and the cheese in them was awesome. my coworkers all got burgers, they liked them. got the pumpkin sundae for dessert..was pumpkin ice cream and sour cream ice cream. both were really good, and i have no idea wtf sour cream ice cream is even doing being a thing..but it wasnt bad. pumpkin ftw though obv. service was very good. so a bit pricey, but it seems that if youre willing to pay for a gourmet burger, its a good place to go. the burgers looked good sized and cooked to order. i immediately regretted getting ravioli.

lol dont come to see city island.

matt i'll have to check out spigolo

I think anyone who appreciates New York City in a historical sense would love this video. I highly recommend it. (though of course I don't recommend going to any of the places that this guy goes to).

Video (long)

Rack and soul is really good

going to south african restaurant Braii tomorrow.
http://www.braainyc.com/website/about1.html
anyone been?
recommendations?

then looking for a brunch place on sunday. i want reasonably cheap, west side, non-fancy, but delicious, non ****ty food.
edit: if we decide drinking is in order, i think we are going to sunburnt calf.
if not, maybe kitchenette?

melbas in harlem or mamas food shop in les

Yes, hear you completely on Sushi Samba, I was there probably almost 10 years ago when it was newer and trendier and it was ok, think part of the reason I liked it was bc I drank 2-3 caiprinhas before we sat down (this is the old one that was down in the village, was a big place) then had a beer before we started eating so pretty much anything would have been half decent at that point. Well, at least the Caiprinhas were good, and there were a lot of hot women there on dates or on girls night out back in the day.

G*D I miss NYC sometimes...would never want to go back and work given the crappy work/life balance but it's such and incredible city to go out and wine & dine, and the amount of new and incredible restaurants is just amazing. To the poster who mentioned Cookshop I wholeheartedly agree - have been there 2-3 times and it's been excellent every time.

Also, Wallse is an amazing restaurant (at least it was 3 years ago) - incredible Austrian food and a beautifully decorated restaurant that's quite classily run - sort of a Viennese Coffehouse/restaurant in the Village.

Odeon? Or the place across the street (er, not really West side in Tribeca though). How about Cafe Habana or any of the little brunch places around there? Mnnnnnn corn on the cob with parmesan cheese - plenty of brunch food there too......or Friend of a Farmer in Gramercy.....

thumbs up for asiate, mandarin oriental hotel. outstanding service and beautiful view. food was 8/10.

I've been. Had the ostrich steak. It was very good.

Do it, but make sure to get the tasting menu. And ask for some breadsticks they keep on the bar (that they don't give out to the table) So under the radar, almost went there today.

Two other favorites on the UES now, are Danny Meyer's place at the Whitney museum, Untitled,super reasonably priced, best pancakes evar, and a croque madam that kills the one at Bouchon in Vegas. Also on the weekends he has a 3 course prixe fixe for 49$ looks pretty good.

Also, best cupcake in the city is Two Little Red Hens on 86th and 2nd, slightly beating Mollys Cupcakes down on Bleeker (also in Chicago). Visitors to NYC should know that Magnolia Cupcakes are garbage.

Anyone here ever eaten at Ouest?

A long time ago. I remember it being good, but I haven't felt the need to go back nor do I remember what I had, so I guess that says something.

Same here, was a great restaurant several years ago, you don't hear much about it any more.

It's solid, but I would much more highly recommend Telepan or Dovetail if you're looking for a nice spot in the UWS. Both are places I can eat at over and over again.

That's exactly how I feel. When I lived up there it was a good place to go with my parents but never wowed me.

I love Telepan; Dovetail I've never been to after one night when I called asking when they close, was told 10, showed up the same day at 9:15 and they said "oh, it's slow so the kitchen closed already."

+1 on both Dovetail and Telepan. Telepan lunch prixe fix is great, one of the city's best burgers.

Posted previously about staying in borough but also interested in maybe getting an apartment with a friend for 3-4 weeks in august in manhattan. price range would on be about $60-70 each per night (limiting I know but we both are students). any locations people suggest? east or west village or better up toward the park? or in that price range is it worth going somewhere in brooklyn? most likely do it through airbnb

At $120-$140 a night you should be able to find something that is either a small 2-bedroom or a one-bedroom converted to two. Not sure how easy it is to get short-term rentals in NYC, but as students you are much better off in the Village than near the park. West Village will be too expensive but there are likely places south of Washington Square park or especially in Alphabet City you can find (Avenue A, B & C in the East Village).

braii was really good. unlimited mimosas for 12 dollars, either pomegranate or passion fruit.
i had the safari sandwich- egg, caramelized oninon, spinach, feta (?) cheese, and something else- had unreal awesome flavor. everyone was happy with their food. service was good as well. only negative was it was rather warm in there. def go though, its a cool place with a cool menu.