A few more notes before Restaurant Week

Last updated on August 28, 2015

Today kick starts the 2 weeks long New York Winter Restaurant Week. Don’t have a reservation yet? Still don’t know where you want to go? I have been to a few more places, and hope what I post here might help.

The Library at the Public
The Public as in the Public Theater near Astor Place, not the Australia restaurant on Elizabeth street. The Library is a great place to grab a bit or a few drinks before or after shows. Comfortable dinning room severing up american snacks/ pub food. We went there for RW last summer, and I checked, the menu is exactly the same. The Library offers some good choices, great varieties, and the portions are decent. We were full before desserts hit the table, and we ended up bringing one of them home untouched. [gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”true” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”fadeIn” album_title=”true” album_id=”14″]

Boulud Sud
Michelin Started chef Daniel Boulud has a few restaurants participating in RW. His “newest” addition to the empire, Boulud Sud, opened in 2011 right next to Bar Boulud. Unlike other Boulud brandname places, Boulud Sud serves Mediterranean cuisine, with seafood as the main focus. We went there in Summer 2013. And we chose there because of its value. At first glance, I found there were quite a few supplement items. But when I researched a little more, I found out that the RW menu is very close to the pre-theatre pre fixe, which is a lot more $$$. It is a clean, white space, with high ceiling. The semi-open kitchen let you take a peek, and keep you guessing. With the RW menu offerings, it does gave me a real taste of what Boulud Sud is capable of. Although the portion is not huge, everything is beautiful. And I wouldn’t mind coming back at regular price.[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”false” desc=”false” responsive=”true” special_effect=”overlay_fade-white” animation_effect=”fadeIn” album_title=”true” album_id=”15″]

Lure fishbar and Park Ave Winter are two other places I would recommended.
I would choose to go to Lure in Soho at lunch time simply because their lunch and dinner menu are the same, so why would I pay more for the same thing? Lure has some very good choices. With $25 for lunch, I could get half a dozen oysters for appetizer! Entrees are decent portions too.
I really like my brunch at Park Ave Winter, so naturally I would recommend it for lunch/dinner. 5 different choices for appetizer and main course, and four desserts to choose from. I haven’t been there for dinner yet, but I am looking forward to. Dinner has a couple more items than lunch, otherwise is the same. So take a look and see which fit your craving.

As much as we enjoy restaurant week for its values, plenty of RW haters out there have said “it’s not worth it”; “totally waste of time”, and I can definitely see the reason. There was a time that we totally gave up trying places out or almost avoid dinning out during RW. We had some “not so great” experience, or the portions were ridiculous small, or the dishes just not up to the restaurant’s fame which become a total disappointment. After these leaning experience, I came up with a few guidelines I follow when choosing where to go during restaurant week if possible:

1. Have 3 app choice, and 1 of them not a soup /salad
2. Have more than 3 main course, and 1 of them being not a salmon/ chicken/ veggie
3. If I can get the same thing at lunch, do go at dinner (why pay more?)
4. If the restaurant offer similar pre-fixe regularly (since I can go some other time during NOT restaurant week)
5. No sushi place (I love sushi too much that 5 pieces and a roll is not going to satisfy me.)

It’s chow time, so dine out! Eat up! Enjoy!