American Cuisines
BAMN Automat
BAMN 37 St. Mark’s Place (btwn. 2nd & 3rd Aves.) (212)358-7685 TYPE: Asian-style fast food VIBE: Bright lights, big city, fast food OCCASION: Late night pit stop DON’T MISS DISH: Roasted pork buns DON’T BOTHER DISH: Grilled cheese PRICE: $1-$2.50 per dish, $6 for two orders & a drink. HOURS: 25 hours (whatever that means), seven days a week. RESERVATIONS: No reservations INSIDE SCOOP: It’s standing room only. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 6 (for fast food) FINAL WORD: Eat & run at America’s only automat – the food’s not half bad. BAMN reinvents the concept of the Automat with self-serve fast food, amidst the nocturnal bustle of St. Mark’s Place. Owners David Leong, Nobu X and Robert Kwak, enlisted Chef Kevin Reilly (The Water Club) to consult on the on the menu after he answered a Craig’s List ad...
Read MoreDevin Tavern
Devin Tavern 363 Greenwich St. (btwn. Harrison & Franklin Sts.) (212)334-7337 The Menu CODE.TV at Devin Tavern (with Restaurant Girl) Savory NY video TYPE: Rustic American/Continental VIBE: Tavern elegance OCCASION: After-work drinks, a business dinner, or date DON’T MISS DISH: Sweet corn souffle with lobster bisque DON’T BOTHER DISH: Tribeca clam chowder DRINK SPECIALTY: Old fashioned cocktails and homemade liqueurs PRICE: $40 & up HOURS: Lunch, Monday through Friday, 12 PM – 3 PM; Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 5:30 PM- 11 PM, Friday & Saturday, 5:30 PM – 12 PM, Sunday 5 PM – 10 PM. RESERVATIONS: Recommended, especially on Thursdays & weekends. INSIDE SCOOP: Ode to the Bloody Mary when Sunday brunch begins September 10th. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 7 (8 for hospitality) FINAL WORD: Pretend Manhattan’s one giant neighborhood and make this your local go to spot....
Read MoreTrestle on Tenth
Trestle on Tenth 242 Tenth Ave., at 24th St. (212)645-5659 The Menu Savory NY video TYPE: Contemporary American, heavy on the Swiss influences VIBE: Noveau tavern OCCASION: Post-gallery opening dinner GO WITH: An artsy crowd or friends DON’T MISS DISH: Pork shoulder crepinette DON’T BOTHER DISH: Stuffed veal breast PRICE: $35 & up HOURS: Dinner, Tuesday-Thursday, 5:30 PM-10:30 PM; Friday & Saturday, 5:30 PM-11 PM; Sunday, 5:30- 10 PM. Closed Mondays. RESERVATIONS: Recommended, but there are walk-in tables. INSIDE SCOOP: Request the outdoor walled garden. FINAL WORD: Eat outside your comfort zone. CHEAT SHEET: DRINK: Cabana flush START WITH: Pork Shoulder Crepinette ORDER: Sauteed veal kidneys FINISH WITH: Walnut caramel nusstorte Warmly accented with exposed brick walls, wood furnishings & an unusually serene walled garden, this quaint gastropub is the newest addition to the gallery-populated Chelsea. Though the surrounding galleries...
Read MoreGin Lane
355 West 14th Street at Ninth Ave. (212)691-0555 www.ginlanenyc.com Savory NY video TYPE: Continental/Raw bar VIBE: 30’s supper club OCCASION: Let them lure you to linger over dinner or stumble in for a late-night bite GO WITH: A date or a posse of prepsters DON’T MISS DISH: The French fry tasting DON’T BOTHER DISH: Heirloom tomato salad PRICE: $40 & up HOURS: Dinner & drinks, Monday-Saturday, 5 PM-4 AM, the main dining room stops food service at 12 AM. The bar menu’s served until 2 AM. Closed on Sundays. Look for lunch hours in the upcoming weeks. RESERVATIONS: Recommended, especially on Thursdays & weekends. INSIDE SCOOP: Snag the chairs next to the fireplace in the back. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 6 FINAL WORD: Speak easy, drink heavily. CHEAT SHEET: DRINK: Strawberry Nirvana NIBBLE ON: The french fry flight...
Read MoreBondi Road
153 Rivington St. (btwn. Suffolk & Clinton Sts.) (212)253-5311 Bondi Road website TYPE: Seafood shack VIBE: Surfer chic OCCASION: Endless summer GO WITH: Friends or make a couple at the bar DON’T MISS DISH: Rock shrimp cocktail & Tasmanian ocean trout DON’T BOTHER DISH: Lobster lettuce wraps PRICE: $30 (the current tasting menu) HOURS: Dinner, Monday-Thursday, 6 PM-2 AM, Friday-Sunday, 6 PM-4 AM. INSIDE SCOOP: All the fish is flown in from down under twice a week RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 7 FINAL WORD: Catch this wave (or the F train) to the LES for an Aussie fish fest QUICK CHEAT SHEET: Drink – John Boag’s beer or a Tamaramaglamma cocktail (it’s a mouthful) Start with – Rock shrimp cocktail or crab lettuce wraps Eat – Tasmanian ocean trout or grilled barramundi (Snatch up the John Dory when it’s...
Read MoreThe Laundry
341 Pantiago Road East Hampton, NY 631-324-3199 TYPE: Contemporary American VIBE: The city takes the Hamptons. OCCASION: A family outing. GO WITH: Grownups (parents or family). DON’T MISS DISH: BBQ baby back ribs DON’T BOTHER DISH: Laundry chowder PRICE: $45 & up RESERVATIONS: Recommended (It’s the Hamptons). HOURS: Dinner, Monday-Sunday, 5:30-11 PM. INSIDE SCOOP: Walk-in dining at the bar. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 5 FINAL WORD: New & not-so improved Losing its lease after twenty-five years, The Laundry, practically a Hamptons restaurant insitution, has moved into the former home of the Farmhouse (an alluring country chic space). What could’ve been a potential blessing in disguise, has been sadly undone by the recent renovations. The newly modern Laundry lacks all of the charm of not only the old Laundry, but also the now defunct Farmhouse. It’s been transformed into a...
Read MoreThe Little Owl
90 Bedford St. (at Grove) (212)741-4695 TYPE: American-Mediterranean VIBE: Quaint quarters OCCASION: Scene-scape GO WITH: It’s got date place written all over it. DON’T MISS DISH: Broiled tile fish DON’T BOTHER DISH: Hamachi appetizer PRICE: $35 & up RESERVATIONS: Recommended (A week in advance). HOURS: Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday, 5:30-11 PM, Closed Mondays. Lunch/brunch, Saturday & Sunday, 11:00-3:00 PM (starts this Sunday). INSIDE SCOOP: Brunch starts this Sunday, 11-3. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 7 FINAL WORD: Perfect summer block party QUICK CHEAT SHEET: Start with – Ricotta cavatelli Eat – Broiled tile fish Side – Butter beans and escarole Finish with – Sorbet trio Amidst the continuous barrage of elephantine-sized restaurants, The Little Owl has quietly moved onto the restaurant scene, modestly emerging as an overnight neighborhood success. After helming the kitchen at The Harrison and now defunct Pace (currently home...
Read MoreBurgers & Cupcakes
458 Ninth Ave. (btwn. 35th & 36th Sts.) (212)643-1200 VIBE: Cafeteria cool OCCASION: Breakfast or your lunch break GO WITH: Co-workers or go it alone DON’T MISS DISH: Beef Burger DON’T BOTHER DISH: Fresh squeezed lemon Fizz PRICE: under $ 10 INSIDE SCOOP: Will deliver anywhere in the city if you pay the cab fare HOURS: Monday-Saturday, 8-9 PM, Sat. & Sun. 10-9 PM RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 6 FINAL WORD: What could be better? You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven at Burgers & Cupcakes if only it weren’t in Hell’s Kitchen with a window view of Lincoln Tunnel traffic. This simple, but perky cafeteria-style luncheonette with pink & brown painted walls invites you to rediscover your inner child, bringing you back to a time of blissful naivete when calories and carbs didn’t matter. I took the...
Read MoreDavid Burke at Bloomingdale's
DAVID BURKE AT BLOOMINGDALE’S? The grand dame of department stores is getting a modern makeover as celebrity chef, David Burke, opens a 2500-square-foot restaurant within its doors—with its own separate entrance and hours to boot. Having already mastered upscale Modern American Fare at davidburke&donatella, he aims to reinvent lunch at his dual-concept eatery. While the restaurant serves imaginative fare to ladies who lunch, those who run in a fast crowd can order gourmet to go from the Burke in the Box take-out counter or grab a drink after work at the sleek coffee and wine bar. Of course, the whimsical world of David Burke wouldn’t be complete without an innovative creation: calorie-free flavor spray, a guilt-free condiment to complement any one of his edible works of art. So if you crave “parmesan” on the risotto of the day,...
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