Great suggestions from all. here's a couple that i haven't seen yet and a couple that i'm repeating because they're just too damned good:

Wolfgangs: D, thank you, thank you, thank you. I think i'll trust anything you say since you turned me on to this place. the steak for two is really enough for three, and i'm simply amazed at how they can get a three inch porterhouse charred on the outside and perfectly medium rare on the inside.

Katz's (and carnegie): they just don't do kosher style deli's right in the bay area. pastrami done well (main thing is heated on wet heat) is amazing and pastrami done wrong (microwave, grill, etc) is just salty overcooked meat.

street fairs: the gyros and corn and whatever they're selling is amazing. especially when eaten while strolling on a nice fall day. plus, lots of hot chicks to look at when the weather's nice.

italian bakeries: grab a cannoli and munch. years ago, i found a little italian bakery somewhere around the village (not sure of the name or exactly where it is). it was the first time i saw a prosciutto loaf, so i grabbed it and followed my wife as she shopped. it was, basically, very good bread with bits of chopped up prosciutto baked in. kind of a wonderful ham sandwich ready to go in one neat package.

pearl's oyster bar: kind of pricey/trendy and there's no reservations, but the lobster rolls are good and the fried oysters are amazing.

chelsea market: if you like the above, the lobster rolls at the seafood market in here are cheaper, just as good, and probably fresher.

surprised no one's mentioned tkts for show tickets. they don't really have the newest or hottest shows, but many of the older runs are there and the prices are discounted up to half.

my favorite pass time, though, is standing on the street while my wife hops from shop to shop, and watching as the street merchants pull the unsuspecting tourists in to their piles of hidden frauda, louie vitton, gukki, and others that are hidden under garbage bags. even better is when they get busted by the cops and they all go running in every direction.

Manhattan:
oyster bar in grand central, great oyster selection in a classic setting. I like old school spots, and this is one of them. also, stand outside and talk into opposite corners of the arched "room" that connects the halls. There's no way that makes sense, but watch for other people doing something
strange and imitate them. Plus you get to check out grand central, which is worth a visit.

rooftop bar at the la quinta inn on 32 st. You get to sit right under the Empire St. Building. It's just a regular bar..except you get to sit right under the Empire St. Building (have I mentioned that I think it's the second most beautiful building in the world--have you seen the chrysler building?!)

forbes galleries (http://www.forbesgalleries.com/) the early monopoly boards are enough for me

Vaselka in the east village for perogi and other great ukranian food

deitch galleries in soho. rockstars of today's art (underground) world. there are often interesting shows going on. if you want to see a scene, go to an opening

Chumley's in the west village. Old speakeasy. Try to figure out how to enter via the apartment building's courtyard to get the feel of how it used to be. Dinner isn't bad and the brits I've brought feel like it's the first real beer joint they feel comfortable getting drunky in. Warning: the west village is confusing to new yorkers, so be prepared for a tough time finding it

I love Otto--for a celebrity chef he really gets it right and I don't think his higher end restaurants are worth the $$ in comparison to what you get here.

Magnolia bakery. Get red velvet cupcakes. I know there are tons of great bakeries now, but I still like their's. I love their German Chocolate cake, as well.

That NY Times review of Red Velvet cake was right, though..the best in the city is at Bake My Cake in Harlem. St. John's the divine is a great cathedral to check out. That's coming from an atheist. If I was going to frequent a church, this would be it. More impressive than St. Patricks

Brooklyn:
peter lugers, i'm veg now, but this is how i used to do it:
tomato/onion salad
1 bacon app for each person (a must)
steak for 1 or 2 fewer people than you have (get it black and blue. it was the only place that I really ever trusted for that kind of steak)
potatoes
creamed spinach
shlag for dessert with fresh fruit, if they have the fruit
lots and lots of booze throughout the whole meal

transit museum in brooklyn--you get to walk all kinds of old cars and see the history of the subway system

walk back to manhattan via the brooklyn bridge

soccer tacos in red hook--during the spring-fall right off of the soccer fields there are tons of stands selling all kinds of central american deliciousness.

sonny's in red hook. it's one of the best bars ever. it was a little better pre-liquor license, when it was a "social club" and you marked your drinks down on a slip of paper
and gave a donation at the end of the night. it's an authentic long shoreman spot that's been in sonny's family for years.

coney island
this is probably going to be the last summer of coney as we know it, so go enjoy the craziness while you can.
The original Totonnos pizza--one of my favorite pizza joints. http://www.totonnos.com/
the side show in the summer has tons of great burlesque shows on friday and saturday nights.
the cyclone and wonder wheel and all of the carnival is worth checking out
Nathans, get a hot dog or three for me, since i don't eat meat anymore. they are really, really good.
Get a beer and walk the boardwalk during the day. i guarantee you will see something insane.
Go drinking at ruby's. just do it

Queens:
For some reason I only really get to Queens in the summer. Here's what I do when I get up there:
Bohemian Beer Garden (http://bohemianhall.com/).
Water Taxi Beach (http://www.watertaxibeach.com/). Enjoy one of the best views of the city and hop a boat back in. The food is really great and you get to sit on a beach!
PS1 in the summer.
The naguchi museum is cool.

I consider myself a fairly seasoned Peter Luger veteran and I've never heard of anyone doing this. Just tell the waiter you all want steak, any deviation from that plan will lead to confusion on the waiter's part and a ******ed mistake on your own.

Ok, Les Halles.

Sorry, I had to.

I was going to say: "Do your meals usually include the bacon app? I bet the waiters are downsizing for you, as they always understand when we tell them what we're doing. I've been to Lugers more times than I can count, but I also might not eat as much meat as you. All I know is that no one has gone home wanting more."

On second thought. If you're visiting from out of town, just go nuts. Order extra of everything, because you won't eat it again soon.

Stay home, call a primo weed delivery service.

vincents is amazing.

brett,

"I bet the waiters are downsizing for you"

You are completely wrong here. The waiters are most definitely not downsizing and bringing steak for 3 even if Evan has a bunch of apps and then orders steak for 4 people. Like Evan and ND, I've never heard of people who are all eating steak ordering a smaller order. When I've been we always get a couple of slices of bacon for each person, some apps/salads, then steak for x (x being how many people we have) people + sides. As I said, I've never heard of people ordering a smaller order of steak than the number in their party. It's definitely not an excessive amount of food and is completely standard to order Steak for 4 for 4 people. Frankly, what you're saying is sorta bizarre.

Why does every discussion about Peter Luger's (HAHA, suck it I said Luger's instead of Luger) on here always turn into a debate about what is the correct or standard order? If someone thinks steak for 3 is enough for their group of 4 people, who cares? Enough of this dick waving about who has been to Luger's more and knows what the best order is.

I don't care if he thinks steak for 3 is enough for 4, I don't even care if he orders spaghetti instead of steak. He suggested other people order "steak for [less people than they have]" which is (1) completely non-standard (2) going to make your meal less enjoyable in the opinion of everyone I know that's ever eaten there. I'm not trying to brag about how many times I've been there, I'm sure it's nowhere near the most of anyone in this thread. Knowing the "best order" there is a lot different than at a standard restaurant because there are only like 8 possible combinations of orders that make any sense at all.

That being said, I know these things turn into stupid pissing matches so I will make this my last post on the "how to eat at Peter Luger" subject and hopefully redeem myself a bit by suggesting 'wichcraft. It's a gourmet sandwich shop owned by Tom Colicchio of Top Chef fame. There's 5 or 6 of them around the city but the one in Bryant Park is great for people unfamiliar with the city because it's centrally located to a lot of touristy stuff and you also get to eat in a beautiful setting. Obviously this is more of a warm weather activity. Get the roast beef.

Also, Yuka is a great all you can eat sushi place on the UES. The all you can eat menu is like $25 with tax and tip for a very decent selection of rolls, hand rolls and nigiri. There's some fun bars up and down that block too.

slick: "If someone thinks steak for 3 is enough for their group of 4 people, who cares?" Completely agree. However, when someone recommends something as an optimal order and even implies that waiters will even downsize others to that order, it's worth commenting on. You're right, though, no more discussion on this topic.

All: Hudson Hotel bars are pretty sweet, swanky bar vibe.

The drop dead gorgeous girl sitting at the end of the bar by herself is a hooker. She will always be a hooker.

There also used to be a very fun club in Manhattan called the Bulgarian, somewhere around 6th Ave. & Canal if I remember right. Lots of authentic Bulgarians and crazy dancing.

This made me think of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer imports the Dominicans.

But this is EVEN HOTTER

Its official name is "Mehanata". Great place.

Another weird annual event that just happened is "Union square pillow fight". Bring your own pillows. I never went, but those who did say it's quite a lot of fun.

Best Fries in the City

POMMES FRITES!

www.pommesfrites.ws
123 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003

1 - Wo-Hop: 15 Mott Street, 24hr. Westernized Chinese at its finest. Had roast duck, general tso's and scallion/ginger lo mein last night for 25 bucks, and it was amongst the best meals I've ever had.

2 - MO Bar - after picking up a tourist or 2 in Times Square, 1 drink here for a little stop-and-go, and, well, you get the picture. Creative drinks, great view. The Stone Rose next door in the Time Warner building is chill too.

3 - Cellar Bar - "Soft and sexy," great beats, international flavors...

4 - Caravan of Dreams - for healthy, remarkably tasty eats in the East Village, this is a great spot. Eclectic live music (folk) complements the hot yoga bods well.

5 - Bowery Ballroom - if its live, hot, and touring the country, it'll stop through here if it hasn't blown up yet. Head upstairs for the elevated view, chill at the bar, and nestle up in the closed curtain velvet couches at both corners of the upstairs. Good luck on getting a seat up there at the few tables tho...

7 - Rubin Museum of Art - dedicated to the art, culture, and history of deep mysticism from the region of the Himalayas.

8 - Chapel of Sacred Mirrors - the museum like brain-child of Alex Grey. Fun on mushrooms or not.

A hell of a day if you can run 'em all.

I recommend a membership to MoMA to everyone interested that sort of thing. The exhibits are worth it alone but to also get free admission to their film exhibitions paid for itself inside of like a month for me. You're not going to find standard cineplex fare here. And hey, tax deductable.

Also Arthur's Tavern around 7th and W 4th in the Village is a pretty chill dive jazz bar to hang out at after you've done most of your drinking on the weekends. Live music until like 4am or so. Good stuff.

Also Bowery Ballroom pretty much rules if you're seeing a decent show. Saw Clap Your Hands Say Yeah there last month.

I hope so...I'm seeing Bright Eyes there Friday night.

I'm going to put some NYC simple pleasures that I love.

Central Park in the summer for a walk with a joint or 2, I know not all you smoke but I srsly have spent just hours walking. Central park is MASSIVE. There's a lake, a zoo, a garden, a castle a carousel... I've only tipped the iceberg.You obv. don't need teh weed for this.

Being a bronx boy I will give you 2 things to do there.

Hunts Point - market in the way way early AM.let alone the good cheap fruit you can get but the spectical of it all is fun to to watch too.

Arthur Avenue - Ok so Little Italy is POS tourist trap next to this place. Its really one the last Italian sections in the Bronx [Belmont] (the other being morris park where I live) the food is unreal the area is nice too (think of "A Bronx tale") On the weekend the shops are always full of fresh baked breads and pasta's. Espresso drinking on the streets in little cafe's etc.

Pommes Frites are middle of the road IMO. B. Frites, formerly in midtown and now closed was substantially better. Les Halles, however, is the gold standard. Perfect size and when they are good the center is slightly steamed and fluffy like cotton. In 3-5 minutes they go from hot and ethereal to very good, and the difference is stark.

One place I like to go is the cart on 53rd and 6th. If anybody likes street meat, he is the best in the city. The line can get long, but its well worth the wait. For $5 you can't really go wrong. Only catch is that he isn't around until after 7PM most nights.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/xEnNFXtMLDF5kZDxfaCJgA

NY Magazine released their "Best of NY 2007" a few days. Some good suggestions in there ....

http://nymag.com/bestofny/