A Comprehensive Guide to New York City

EAT

Fine dining

• Per Se - The mecca of fine dining in the U.S.
• Jean Georges- The sauces and desserts are the standout winners here.
• Gramercy Tavern - Impeccable food & service in a cozy, comfortable place. Classic NYC.
• Eleven Madison Park - Always tops the lists for best food in NYC by Daniel Humm.
• Tao - Trendy fine dining.  Amazing food in a club atmosphere. Must try the sea bass!
• Lavo - Great food for brunch or dinner; can’t pass up the meatball!

Middle of the road

• Balthazar- This restaurant has been around for years and is still one of my favs…
• Little Owl - trendy, small fresh Italian food
• Stanton Social- I used to love the small plates menu. The last couple of times it might have fallen off a bit. Used to be the best comfort food around! (mini grilled cheese, sliders, meatballs). Or visit the same owners’ uber hip Beauty & Essex.
• STK - Still one of my bi-coastal favorites. Go for the scene, the drinks, lobster mac n cheese, creamed corn & desserts.
• The Spotted Pig- for their famous burger.
• La Esquina- Apparently serves the best Mexican fare in New York.
• Family-friendly: The Meatball Shop, Ellen’s stardust Diner, Shake Shack, Max Brenner, Carmine’s.

Cheap eats

• Shake Shack - The East Coast version of In and Out.
• Marmoun’s - The best falafel and shwarma EVER

PLAY

• Ride the subway.*
• See the Statue of Liberty.*
• Have a drink in the middle of Central Park at The Boathouse.*
• See a play on Broadway.*
• Aimlessly wander the streets and explore the culture of city life.*
• Empire State Building*
• Have an authentic hot dog from a corner vendor.*
• Grab a drink from the rotating restaurant - The View.*
• Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art.*
• Times Square.*
• Time Warner Center.*
• Rockefeller Center.*
• Stroll through the West Village.*
• Coal-fired Grimaldi’s Pizzeria by the Brooklyn Bridge.
• Try a pizza cone.*
• Ippudo for boutique ramen noodles and THE BEST pork buns.*
• Apple picking in Duchess County.
• Ellis Island.
• Have a macaroon at Bouchon Bakery or Ladaree.*
• Central Park Zoo.*
• Marmoun’s falafel, for the cheapest (and best!) falafel that has been around since the 70′s.*
• Have a drink at The Monkey Bar like Tennessee Williams, Marlon Brando, Ava Gardner and Joe DiMaggio once did. The posh spot is now owned by Vanity Fair Editor, Graydon Carter.*
• Museum of Natural History.*
• Museum of Sex.*
• Try authentic eats in Chinatown, especially soup dumplings from Joe’s Shanghai. Other favorites include Jing Fong and well-hidden Golden Unicorn.*
• Little Italy.*
• Explore Mario Batalli’s 50,000 square foot Eataly. Made up of 7 different restaurants, wine store, kitchenware department and cookbook section.* (200 Fifth Ave. @ W. 23rd St. 212-229-2560)
• The Bronx Zoo*
• Check out 8 floors of art at MOMA.*
• Grab lunch at a Michelin starred restaurant.*
• Dylan’s Candy Bar for over 5,000 kinds of candy and sweet treats.*
• Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
• Momofuko for cereal flavored ice cream.*
• Pretend you are in Europe with a champagne brunch at Bagatelle.*
• Wine tasting.
• Listen to jazz at The Blue Note Jazz Club.
• Watch the New York Knicks score at Madison Square Garden.
• Admire the Manhattan Skyline on a cruise.
• Meet a Rockette during the Radio City Stage Door Tour.
• Check out M & M World.
• Perfect your triple axel at The Rink at Rockefeller Center.
• Have tea infused with Vodka at The Russian Tea Room.
• Check out the multilingual tour of the United Nations.
• Chill in High Line Park.*
• Brunch and 140 kinds of tea at Alice’s Tea Cup.*
• People-watch in one of many NYC parks; Central Park, Union Square Park, Madison Square Park.*
• No stop in New York is complete without a visit to Henri Bendel for high-end accessories.*
• Visit one of the largest booksellers ever, The Strand.*
• Lincoln Center for plays, movies and special events*
• Have a musical-filled night at historical Greenwich club Cafe Wha?*