Message: | Advanced welcomes! I recently made a glorious chowhound trip to NYC and the Manhattan Board was incredibly helpful. Here are a few suggestions:
THE IVY: Lovely atmosphere, with almost always a celeb/star sighting. Don't let them put you in the room with the dessert counter. My favorite dishes are the Corn Chowder (excellent), any grilled fish, and the Pecan Tart with Homemade Praline Ice Cream covered with chocolate sauce is one of my favorite all time desserts.
WATER GRILL: The best seafood you can get anywhere. Both the Chowder and the Lobster Bisque are outstanding, and every fish (especially the Tuna) are cooked and sauced perfectly.
LUCQUES: My favorite LA restaurant at present. The service is professional and friendly, and the chef, Suzanne Goin, uses fresh ingredients simply and superbly cooked. Favorites there: The short ribs are fall off the bone tender and perfect, and the Steak for two is one of the best pieces of meat to be had in the city.
MUSSO AND FRANKS: Try this place if you want to experience an LA institution and step back many years. You also will get to have the best Martini in LA. Be sure to sit on the side with all the booths and the lunch counter, not on the side with the bar (though the Bar is a wonderful place to have a drink). There are some land mines on the menu, but the salads and all the grilled meats are excellent. TAYLOR'S STEAKS in Koreatown is along these same lines. Both remind me of old Hollywood or Raymond Chandler's LA.
EL CHOLO: Another LA Institution. Great Margaritas, good solid Mexican food, and the green corn tamales, which are in season only from Mid May to September, are sweet and succulent. If you go to El Cholo, you must at least order one of these tamales a la carte.
IL PASTAIO: I have never seen this wonderful little Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills discussed on the LA list, but for my taste it has some of the best Italian in the city. The mushroom risotto, the risotto cakes (an appetizer), and any of the pastas are terrific. It is not on the menu, but sometimes they serve a warm seafood salad that is a must.
TRAXX: Great food in an incredible setting: Union Station. Dining here, for lunch or dinner, is a great experience because many of the tables are set inside one of the most beautiful buildings in LA. If you go, try the crab cakes: excellent!
I am not a big fan of SPAGO BEVERLY HILLS, but many people on the list seem to love it. I have only eaten there once, for lunch, and though it was fine, I did not feel it was worth the price.
Enjoy! Let us know what you try. |