Last week, I wrote about the wonderful shows we enjoyed on our trip to New York. But New York is also known for its great variety in dining options. It’s on par with San Francisco, notably the highest ranked city for dining in the country (primarily by me and a few experts). So, I understood that this was going to be fun. I mentioned that my daughter left me in charge of our dining arrangements because of my self-imposed eating restrictions. For this trip, I did ease up on my restrictions on the consumption of animal products, opting for chicken and fish, while also maintaining my intermittent fasting schedule.
That said, I began my research on the internet where I selected top ranked restaurants in Manhattan from a variety of categories that were close to the theater district. I purposely left a few slots open for on the ground recommendations from locals and that strategy didn’t disappoint.
Our food journey began with a recommendation from the door man who stored our bags at the hotel prior to check-in. It was 11am and I was ready to eat. My daughter craved a hamburger, and I craved a relaxed atmosphere post train ride to enjoy a tasty meal. He directed us to one of his favorite spots that is frequented by locals called the Red Flame Diner on West 44th Street, just a few short blocks away. My daughter ordered a burger and onion rings as well as country fries (just to try them). I was happy to see that they had an Impossible burger with French fries on the menu. So, I ordered that. This was a bustling diner with decent service and an extensive menu. We’re not drinkers of soda nor alcohol, so throughout the trip, we only asked for water. The burger was average, but the onion rings and French fries were outstanding. The country potatoes went largely untouched. The pre-tip total for the meal was $45.80. That’s quite a bit for hamburgers. So, on a scale of 1 – 5 stars, I give the Red Flame Diner 3.5 stars.
For dinner, I had made a reservation online through Open Table at Carmines, a highly recommended Italian restaurant, also on W. 44th Street. I didn’t know about the family style portions when I made the reservation. Thankfully, we were seated next to two other couples who, like us, were visitors to the city and were unaware of the huge portions that were to come. The young couple beside us were on an anniversary trip from Virginia and ordered the House salad to start their meal. What came out was a shock to the six of us. They offered to share the salad with us and the other couple who were visiting from Puerto Rico. We gladly accepted. There was more salad than the six of us could consume. We ordered Chicken Lemon over angel pasta for our meal and ended up offering the untouched leftovers to the hotel clerk who was happy for a nice meal from Carmines. Both the salad and chicken entree were delicious. The service was exceptional. The price was reasonable at $50.57 pre-tip. Granted we did have free salad as a starter. I give Carmines 4.5 stars only because I wish they offered a meal option for two. Having to select the same main course was limiting.
The following day, we had reservations at a tiny Chinese Restuarant called Kung Fu Kitchen on 8th Avenue (in Hell’s Kitchen) that I found during my internet search. This place specializes in dumplings and buns and didn’t disappoint. We had guests join us for this meal and we seemed to order nearly everything on the menu because my daughter is really into sampling. My favorites were the green onion pancakes, the chicken and vegetable dumplings, and the noodle stir fry. The restaurant was busy and had a booming take out business. The food easily earns 5 stars, but the ambiance gets only 3 stars as there was nothing pleasing to the eyes about this little hole in the wall.
The opposite is true of the fine dining experience I booked for that evening at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse on Avenue of the Americas. The service was excellent, the ambiance was outstanding, and the food was worth the high cost of every bite. At least that was true for me. We agreed that the dinner salads we ordered were the best we’d ever had. I had a Ceasar, and my daughter had a wedge. But we had divergent experiences with our main courses. My daughter ordered a steak (well-done) and au gratin potatoes. Neither met her expectations. I ordered crab cakes and a baked potato. Both were so delicious that I forced myself to continue eating past being full. (Note to self: listen to the server when she suggests that one crab cake might be adequate.) The blue crab cakes are huge and honestly far better tasting than all the crab cakes I’ve consumed in Maryland. The price tag on this meal was well over $120 each before tip and we only drank tab water. Thankfully, being the frugal person I am, I only scheduled one expensive meal for the trip. Not surprisingly, I give this restaurant the full 5 stars, although my daughter might only give it 4 since she didn’t enjoy her entre as much.
We ate cheese pizza slices from a busy hole in the wall pizza joint that operated like a well-oiled machine and loved it. I enjoyed an almond milk hot chocolate from Starbucks in Times Square while chatting with a Brazilian tourist. We ate with Nicole’s actor clients at Junior’s, a famous diner that has two locations in Manhattan and is extremely busy. The food was unremarkable, but plentiful, earning it 3 stars from me. I think it was bit overpriced as well.
We also ate at Serafina’s on West 49th Street, an Italian restaurant frequented by two of her New York agents. The restaurant was located on the ground level of the Time New York Hotel, just steps away from the theater where the “The Book of Mormon” was showing and where one of the agents had just finished performing when he joined us. I had an incredible mushroom pizza at 9pm. This was the only time I ate past my allowed eating window because I felt it was worth trying a pizza made from ingredients all imported from Italy. My daughter boasted that her simple pasta dish was the best she ever tasted. I give that unknown restaurant 5 stars for great food, great ambiance, beautiful decor, and excellent service.
And finally, we had reservations at Virgil’s Real BBQ in Times Square on West 44th Street. The southern soul food menu and the black wait staff was a refreshing change. I had fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, collard greens, and corn bread. Nicole had ribs and a bunch of sides she wanted to sample. This meal was exceptionally satisfying and priced just right. The ambiance was relaxing, and our server was friendly, honest, and knowledgeable, steering us in the right direction. He was so charismatic that my agent daughter had a private conversation with him afterwards. (Agents are always looking for new talent.) Anyway, it turns out that Vigil’s is a sister restaurant of Carmine’s without the required family sized portions. So, I give Vigil’s Real BBQ the full 5 stars and a promise to return if I’m ever in New York City again.
If and when I do return to New York City, I will also revisit Kung Fu Kitchen and order my favorites. I would spend the money and return to Del Frisco’s and order their Cesar salad and just one crab cake. And I would buy a slice of pizza from any one of the many pizza vendors in the city. Dining in New York City is worth the time, money, and effort to travel there.