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Suggest a birthday dinner restaurant in NYC

post #1 of 33
4/4/08 at 6:53pm
Thread Starter 
Gentleman, my lady's birthday is coming up soon and I want to take her to a nice restaurant in NYC. I initially had Daniel in mind but after calculations the dinner + wine + gratuity would cost around $400. That is a bit steep for me and I want to stay around $300 for the grand total. Can you guys suggest a place? I was looking at places like Babbo, Cafe Bouloud, etc. I am not too familiar with these places. The other restaurants that come highly recommended from peers are Per Se and Le Bernardin but I am afraid those two are also in the same price range as Daniel.
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post #2 of 33
4/4/08 at 7:03pm
Eleven Madison Park. Three star chef that's not (yet) priced as three star.
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post #3 of 33
4/4/08 at 8:07pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by gdl203 View Post
Eleven Madison Park. Three star chef that's not (yet) priced as three star.

That is a nice restaurant but it is in the same price range as Daniel.
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post #4 of 33
4/4/08 at 8:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GuP View Post
That is a nice restaurant but it is in the same price range as Daniel.
That's not my recollection (probably 20% cheaper than Daniel overall).

What price range are you looking for? $80 for 3 courses seemed like a bargain for the quality of the cuisine at EMP but YMMV

Cafe Boulud is very nice but the crowd is a little meh (it is the UES after all) and it's pretty much the same prices as EMP. I wouldn't go to Babbo for a special occasion.

One other recommendation if you're looking for great cuisine at a lower price point is to go to the "next door" rooms of some great restaurants. One that immediately comes to mind is Nougatine (the less formal room at Jean-Georges). Gramercy Tavern also has a more affordable menu in the front section of the restaurant
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post #5 of 33
4/4/08 at 9:52pm
Yeah, EMP is much less expensive than Daniel.
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post #6 of 33
4/4/08 at 10:57pm
You could probably go to WD-50... with pairings it would be difficult though.

Grammercy Tavern... if you want to sit in the loungy area... but that's probably not for a birthday type situation.
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post #7 of 33
4/5/08 at 3:03pm
Thread Starter 
Ahh you guys are right about EMP. I quickly glanced through the menu and thought the price was 145/person but it is indeed 102/person for a 4 course meal. I am guessing 102 + 102 + 50 (wine bottle) = 254 + 20% = ~300. Do you think there is a bottle around 50 or is everything over a 100?

Gramercy Tavern has a dinner tasting menu for 110. I am guessing the total will be about the same as EMP.

Another restaurant I considered was Bouley. The tasting menu is 95/person. They also have a wine pairing but it is expensive. Can I just get the tasting menu and order a bottle of wine?

Out of the above three, which one would you guys pick? TIA
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post #8 of 33
4/5/08 at 6:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GuP View Post
Ahh you guys are right about EMP. I quickly glanced through the menu and thought the price was 145/person but it is indeed 102/person for a 4 course meal. I am guessing 102 + 102 + 50 (wine bottle) = 254 + 20% = ~300. Do you think there is a bottle around 50 or is everything over a 100?

Gramercy Tavern has a dinner tasting menu for 110. I am guessing the total will be about the same as EMP.

Another restaurant I considered was Bouley. The tasting menu is 95/person. They also have a wine pairing but it is expensive. Can I just get the tasting menu and order a bottle of wine?

Out of the above three, which one would you guys pick? TIA

For me, it would be either EMP or GT. I'm just not a huge fan of Bouley's decor (neither the red or white room) so it's a turn-off for me. If you've never been to GT, I'd say go for it. It's a lovely place and the food doesn't disappoint. If you're more interested in trying a slightly more inventive cuisine (but that still tastes good, unlike wd50), give EMP a try. The art deco dining room is a little less romantic than Gramercy Tavern but service and food are wonderful.

I'd say: have a look at the menus online and pick one which you think fits your tastes and mood better. Both are great choices
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post #9 of 33
4/5/08 at 8:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gdl203 View Post
For me, it would be either EMP or GT. I'm just not a huge fan of Bouley's decor (neither the red or white room) so it's a turn-off for me. If you've never been to GT, I'd say go for it. It's a lovely place and the food doesn't disappoint. If you're more interested in trying a slightly more inventive cuisine (but that still tastes good, unlike wd50), give EMP a try. The art deco dining room is a little less romantic than Gramercy Tavern but service and food are wonderful.

I'd say: have a look at the menus online and pick one which you think fits your tastes and mood better. Both are great choices

You don't like WD-50?
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post #10 of 33
4/5/08 at 8:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Violinist View Post
You don't like WD-50?
I only went there once and I didn't enjoy the food. Service was unacceptable (1 hour wait at the bar for a reserved table??) and the cooking, although very interesting and amusing, was just not that good. I don't mind inventive cooking and "molecular" cuisine, but it has to taste great for that price. I completely understand why it is stuck at the one star Michelin level and cannot really seem to take off from there
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post #11 of 33
4/5/08 at 8:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gdl203 View Post
I only went there once and I didn't enjoy the food. Service was unacceptable (1 hour wait at the bar for a reserved table??) and the cooking, although very interesting and amusing, was just not that good. I don't mind inventive cooking and "molecular" cuisine, but it has to taste great for that price. I completely understand why it is stuck at the one star Michelin level and cannot really seem to take off from there

Dufresne is a bit too much of a foodie... I don't think he knows how to really run things, and he's also a bit repulsive, I don't know why.
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post #12 of 33
4/5/08 at 10:15pm
Thread Starter 
Excellent! Just made reservations at GT and will cancel Daniel's on Monday. The dress code is business casual. Does that mean jeans and button down shirt? Or trousers w/ belt and a shirt tucked in? BTW, can you gentleman recommend a bottle of wine? I am not too up on this stuff and would rather ask here than the waiter. Price range ~50ish.
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post #13 of 33
4/5/08 at 10:17pm
I'm taking my bf to Annisa for his birthday next week.
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post #14 of 33
4/5/08 at 10:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC View Post
I'm taking my bf to Annisa for his birthday next week.
Are you going to give him his present when you guys make it to your bed?
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post #15 of 33
4/5/08 at 11:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Violinist View Post
You don't like WD-50?

What an awful name--I can't help but think of that industrial lubricant.
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