NYC Occasion Meal

I am taking my wife to NYC for her 40th birthday. I have been to NY numerous times but my wife has never been.

In addition to the sight seeing and Broadway show, I want to take her out for a very special meal.

We enjoy on the rare occasion the finer restaurants in Chicago like Trotter and Carlos but the gluttony of the rich foods usually gets the better of us.

We both love Chinese food and I am wondering if there are some high end Chinese restaurants in New York. Italian is also a favorite so is it worth the effort to get into one of Mario Batali's restaurants?

Our trip is at the end of September and I would welcome any recommendations.

Thanks,

John

I would absolutely recommend you try to get into Babbo if getting to the Washington Square neighborhood isn't prohibitive for you.
Last July, Mrs. Davooda and I and the couple we were traveling with dined there and it was a wonderful experience. We had a 9:30 pm seating and it took me more than an hour on the phone to get through to make the reservation (hang up, speed dial, hang up, speed dial, etc) but it was worth it.
The food is simply delicious and the service jsut perfect - they're there when you need them and not hovering when you don't. Since we ordered many different apps and entrees, we left it to the sommelier to choose our wines and they were spot on. And the really great thing about the experience is we were in NYC and not a snooty person in the place. We felt comfortable and welcome and left wishing we could return the next night.
Our bill was more than $500 but we each had a cocktail, had two bottles of wine, two apps to share, four entrees and two desserts. I didn't think it was overly expensive for the quality of the food, wine and service.
If you're looking for a pre-theater dinner I can also recommend Rene Pujol (www.renepujol.com) which has been doing prix fixe pre-theater seatings for like 50 years and is very reliable. It is not top-of-the-game French cuisine but excellent value and they will get you out in time to make your show.
Davooda

It sounds to me like Shun Lee Palace in midtown might be the place for you. The room is quite formal and beautiful. It really rivals the rooms at places like Le Grenouille for aesthetics.

The food is good there in my opinion. It is more along the lines of what you might find at really nice hotel in Hong Kong catering to tourists seeking fancy Chinese than it is along the lines of what you might find at Lao Sze Chuan here in Chicago.

Probably my two favorite dishes on the menu there are a Chicken that they stuff with vegetables and pork and roast in Lotus leaves and a clay casing and a sauteed gingery lobster served over deep fried thin pasta. You have to call a day ahead for the chicken.

There is an outpost of the restaurant on the westside near Columbus Circle. However, it doesn't have the benefit of the gorgeous room that the 55th Street location does.

Shun Lee Palace
155 E 55th St.

http://shunleepalace.lanteck.net

Another place that I'm somewhat hesitant to recommend, only because I haven't eaten there in over ten years, is Chiam on East 48th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues. At one time, the kitchen there was cranking out some very creative Chinese American in a sleek and interesting dining room. One of the better dishes I remember eating there was a stirfried chicken with black walnuts that just burst with flavors of each of its ingredients. They also serve a nice version of the ubiquitous Grand Marnier Shrimp dish that you see at so many Cantonese restaurants in Manhattan.

If I had to choose between the two, my choice would be Shun Lee: better, more elegant room and my own personal more recent experiences there.

Okay...this suggestion really has nothing to do with your query about high end Chinese -- but I would say this. If your wife has never been to NY before and it's her 40th birthday and you want an amazing experience, i'd do something like take her to the Rainbow Room. Something elegant and quintessentially NY. I know it would delight me.

I believe the Rainbow Room is at 30 Rock...


s

I think Babbo is where we will try to get in. After speaking more with my wife, she seems to want really good food in a casual atmosphere. I think Babbo should fit that description.

Thanks for the help.

John

Mario Batali famously does not like bloggers, and it is possible - although unlikely, given my low profitle - that I am the reason. Here is my evaluation of Babbo:



Babbling Babbo

If you want a better, contemporary Italian restaurant, try A Voce, but I would consider 11 Madison Park, Annisa, Craft, or The Tasting Room. And, of course, Per Se.

I'll add a vote for Blue Hill, which is also in the Washington Square Park area, around the corner from babbo. We had an amazing dinner there last July. small restaurant; very intimate; attentive service

food focuses on local ingredients - similar to North Pond here