NYC Restaurants

Eleven Madison Park New American | Flatiron

11 Madison Avenue (24th St)

212.889.0900

http://elevenmadisonpark.com/

Notes: We had savored some of the most extraordinary meals here in this stunning room before former owner Danny Meyer sold the restaurant to the longtime chef and general manager. Since then, they’ve transitioned the sophisticated, elegant food to gimmicky, experimental dishes that are largely flash over flavor and sensibility. We recount in detail our disappointing experience in our video dining review Date Night: Eleven Madison Park. 

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Craft New American | Flatiron

43 E 19th St (bet B’way & Park)

212.780.0800

www.craftrestaurantsinc.com/craft-new-york/

Notes: Given that founder Tom Colicchio is the discerning, critical head judge on Top Chef, we and our dining companions expected a whole lot more from his flagship restaurant. Instead the unanimous consensus was that the food was decidedly uneven, combined with excruciatingly long delays between courses and less-than-helpful service. It’s possible we hit Craft on an off night, but with so many other stellar dining choices at this price point in the city, we haven’t yet been compelled to return. Read my full review at Restaurant Review: Craft.

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Sushi of Gari 46 Japanese – Sushi | Theatre District

347 W 46th St (bet 8th & 9th)

212.957.0046

http://www.sushiofgari.com/46.html

Notes: We’ve only been to the Theatre District outpost of this multi-location restaurant, but we found the fish to be less than fresh, and although we’re admittedly very picky about fish, we weren’t impressed with the quality like we are at our favorite sushi place in the city, Sushi Yasuda.

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Michael’s American | Midtown West

24 W 55th St (bet 5th & 6th)

212.767.0555

www.michaelsnewyork.com

Notes: I really wanted to like this place, with its perfect location and swanky, devoted lunch crowd. It’s an institution. Instead, I felt like I was eating at the clubhouse of a chintzy South Florida retirement village back in the 1980s. Snotty, inattentive service paired with sub-mediocre food and nauseating decor and furnishings make this a place I can’t recommend. 

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Peking Duck House Chinese | Chinatown

28 Mott Street

212.227.1810

www.pekingduckhousenyc.com

Notes: The decor is dated and dingy and the room smells musty. And perhaps we were there on an off night, but the duck was fatty and flabby rather than crispy, and the pancakes were dry. While the service was friendly, it’s not anyplace I’d return when I can get my favorite Peking duck nice and crispy in a pretty room uptown at Shun Lee Palace. 

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North End Grill New American | Battery Park City

104 North End Ave

646.747.1600

http://northendgrillnyc.com

Notes: I adore the chef, Top Chef Master Floyd Cardoz. I adore the beverage director. The food is imaginative and mostly—though not exclusively—very tasty. The wines and spirits are lovely. I like the feel of the dining room, where the diners and the food serve as the accent colors. So why can’t I recommend North End Grill at this time? A couple of extremely disappointing experiences with service. Ridiculously long waits between courses. More than once. Or twice. After a splendid first visit when we met Chef and enjoyed a phenomenal meal (including the scrumptious clam pizza with truffles), subsequent visits were long and drawn-out…

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