thx for the tip

Did you have to do stand-by for both shows?

What time did you have to get there and how long do you think you sat in line?

Its tough to kill a day standing in line on a 3 or 4 day trip but it sounds like if I ever want to see it in person, that's what I'm going to have to do. I'd LOVE to get tickets to Eddie Murphy's show coming up but I bet thats an impossible ticket

Ever seen Jimmy Fallon?

I was fortunate to know people who worked at NBC and were able to get me tix both times. I'm not too knowledgeable about the standby line/procedure other than remember having seen the line both during times I went and other times at 30 Rock on Saturdays.

I haven't seen Fallon but assume it's a much easier ticket to get. Just likely a long advance time to get them. I've been to Daily Show, Letterman, and a few others, and it always felt like months in advance (again, aside from standby).

nice hookups, thx for the 411

If you're in that neighborhood and looking for another NYC classic, maybe try Russ & Daughters. (Selfishly, I hope you go and post a review of it, because I've somehow never been there!)

I did go there after Katz's but I was too full to eat so I cant comment on the food. I did take a lot of photos I can pass along, I love how charming & cool that little place is. New York is full of places like this I wish I could recreate in Dallas

Key to Russ & Daughters is to go on a weekday. If you go on the weekend, it is imperative that you go early -- like 8 am early. If you roll up at 10:30 am on a Sunday, you very easily can be facing a 30 minute wait.

Next time walk down to Manhatta and get a drink (or dinner!). Also check out The Fulton, new jean georges restaurant in the seaport. Lunch is better value there imo but obv can't go wrong with dinner. My best recs after living in that area for a couple years.

Will do, thank you for the tip

Good to know thanks, I'll try early text time. I have tried to go twice, both around 1 PM on a weekday, and faced long waits both times.

Went to Union Square Cafe for brunch. First time I’ve been to the new location, and the first time I’ve been in the building since it was City Crab.

Overall - meh. I don’t know if it’s related to the no tipping policy, but the service was awful. Everyone was happy with their food, but the menu was average. Out of 5 people 3 ordered cheeseburgers because nothing else really jumped out at you.

Contrast that with an Xmas brunch at Gotham last year that was a 10/10, and pretty similar overall cost.

I don’t need to go back.

fwiw i had dinner there a month ago and service was top notch.

Does anyone have any opinions on Nice Matin? Are there better spots at that pricepoint?

Been to Nice Matin twice, and really enjoyed it. Good choice


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Any opinions on restaraunt week offerings? Going to be in town and am exploring weeknight dinner options, curious if there's anything on there that stands out.

I'm in the same boat and going to do some research this weekend, will report back. I already booked Quality Eats, seems like a decent use of $42.

OK I had a lot less time to research than I thought I would, but here's where my head's at for this weekend agenda.

Friday: get in 8:30 AM, lunch @ Nick and Stef's (Restaurant week), dinner @ Red Hook Tavern (not restaurant week but my friend raves about it, apparently the burger is supposed to be elite), beers at Other Half before or after dinner.

Saturday: taking train out to Hoboken or Jersey City to place Super Bowl bets (taking recommendations on any delis with good breakfast sandwiches out there). Early dinner at Quality Eats (restaurant week). Barhopping in West Village (Johnny's! Blind Tiger!).

Sunday: Brunch @ Feast in East Village (restaurant week), friend's place for Super Bowl and probably getting takeout from Dan & John's (EDIT: looks like we're going to want to order in advance for this, will plan accordingly).

Monday: Lunch @ Cafe d'Alsace (restaurant week)

This was all hastily put together, so please let me know if any of these ideas suck and I should revise. For Friday/Monday lunches I'm going solo and eating at the bar so I'm not worried about ability to get in -- for Saturday/Sunday I already made reservations.

Honestly, I would not prioritize Restaurant Week restaurants at all. I find that as the years have gone on, the values get worse and worse (less/worse options, supp costs for + dishes, etc)

Particularly on the lunch side, restaurants often normally have a weekday pre fixe that’s roughly the same value. Even when you do find a place that offers value, you’re often paying for a savings of about $5-10 in exchange for having a more limited menu and a busier dining room. I see that both your Friday and Monday lunch choices normally offer a $29 pre fixe those days, so really no reason to prioritize those simply for restaurant week.

The best “value” is generally steakhouses, but unless budget is a big concern, I’d simply seek out the best restaurants. Nick and Stef’s for instance, is a very solid steakhouse and I have business meals there quite a bit. However, it wouldn’t be in my top 200 places I’d bring a buddy in from out of town to in Manhattan. It’s a bit stuffy/businessy there. Quality Eats is a more modern, better scene and a better menu/slightly better overall food.

Red Hook Tavern I have not been to, but it has extreme hype and is supposed to be very good, so that seems like a solid choice. The guy behind it has a BBQ place also in Red Hook, that IMO is the best in the city, so I can’t imagine you can go wrong with that.

Never been to any of the other places you listed but they all look pretty good. Just wanted to share my opinion on the NYC restaurant week scene.

Thanks Mullen! I don't live in NYC but I'm there at least 5 times/year, so agree that ditching places that aren't doing anything special for restaurant week is a good move.

I'll plan to look at steakhouses for lunch restaurant week deals, and if nothing jumps out, could just scrap that plan and get lunch at a non-RW place (Keens, Peter Luger, etc etc).

After some quick steakhouse research--

Maloney & Porcelli looks good for RW lunch. They don't usually have a lunch prix fixe but you can get Cacio e Pepe cavatelli + 10 oz filet for $26, or upgrade the entree to surf & turf for a total of $41.

Mark Joseph's RW deal also has some value -- you can get a 10 oz filet as your entree, which is usually not part of their lunch prix fixe.

Looking for food/drink/hotel recs within walking distance to MSG. Heading that way in Aug. Please and thank you!

If you're into beer, I like Haymaker. Good but not amazing beer list, very close to MSG (great for if you happen to get to Penn Station with time to kill before train). Has good happy hour deals.

Also you may want to define "walking distance", if you get below 23rd there are tons of nice spots in Chelsea. I'll defer to others on whats best around there these days.

I am very much into good beer, thanks!

Let's say within a couple of miles.

Lil Frankies, Its a long walk but worth it

WOW, that menu looks ridiculous. TY!

I don't know if it was a combination of the euphoria from being in NYC (I love that city) &/or walking around all day that made me extra hungry but its the best Italian food I've ever had.

Be sure to give us a trip report with pics if you go (or wherever you end up going)

PS...they have three restaurants: Lil Frankies, Franks and Supper. I haven't been to the latter 2 but I hear they're all great