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Categories: American (Traditional), American (New), Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhood: Hell's Kitchen8th Ave-42nd St (A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, S, 7, N, Q, R, W)
"This was by far my favorite restaurants I went to while visiting NYC. We stopped in for dinner one night and our waiter was pretty glad we…" read more »
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I really want to hate this place. I really, really do.
When I first look at the decor, I think it's nice but it reeks of one of those restaurants that tries to be too trendy for its own good. The wait staff is good looking and flirty - just the type you would expect poor service from. The menu is comprehensive and ambitious and I would doubt that they could consistently pull it off.
But, alas, I was completely wrong. This is a serious restaurant with a fun, casual atmosphere that, unexpectedly, delivers.
Ridiculous, over-the-top cocktail names aside, the list is inventive, satisfying and a good way to start the night. The menu is comprehensive and covers fish to pasta to meat with few things left simple. For starters, the pistachio-crusted Goat Cheese "Souffle" with endive and balsamic reduction was tasty and didn't have the heaviness associated with a typical cheese course. The Mac and Cheese, which is on the menu as a main course, also makes for a good sharing starter among 4 or 5 people. Some people have described this as "best mac and cheese in the city", but I wouldn't go that far. I will say, though, that the use of very sharp cheddar in this version was a very nice change and I would certainly consider ordering it as an entree if I was in the mood for simple, comfort food fare one evening.
The mains were varied and, overall, very good. The fried chicken and waffles with a maple red wine reduction was a good take on the classic soul food dish. Although it did lack a bit of crispiness when it arrived at the table, it was, nonetheless, delicious. Braised short ribs can be superb if done correctly or a stringy mess, if not. These were sweet, salty, tender, fell off the bone and left me wanting more. Crusted rack of lamb with risotto cakes was tender and tasty. A lobster tail and linguini special was also very enjoyable.
It was too much food and we were on our way out for the night, so we asked to skip dessert. The waiter was nice enough to bring out a molten chocolate cake, compliments of the house. I've had much better at many other places. but, hey, it was free, so no real complaints.
Breakdown of cost was $220 before tip, which included 2 starters, 5 mains and 10 or so cocktails. Good value, in my book. If you booze it up a bit less, you should be able to get out significantly cheaper.
I've been to 44 & X twice for brunch.
First visit: waited at bar though we called an hour before for table, friendly bartender, great bellini, table outside (weeks ago, obv.), cute basket of mini-muffins, another great bellini, eggs florentine was good but nothing spectacular, service was very friendly and, other than brief wait when arriving, very prompt.
Second visit: earlier reservation, seated inside on arrival, excellent bellini, amazing coffee, maryland crab cake with poached eggs (crab cake was phenomenal and I dare say the poached eggs bordered on gorgeous) though potatoes were slightly oily, service was again excellent.
It's being included in the rotation.
44 & X - you FINALLY got me to eat your food! A certain NYC mayor walking out of your establishment while I was eating next door couldn't get me to try a meal with you. Even a roommate saying, 'Hey - if you want to see Rosie O'Donnell she's eating at 44 and X right now' and then me walking by and peeking through the windows so inconspicuously to get a peek couldn't lure me inside. (Rosie's pretty small in person!) The only thing that could finally get me to dine with you is my lazy ass wanting brunch but not wanting to walk more than 10 feet from my apartment.
We put our name in with the friendliest little hostess I have ever seen. She was warm and gave us her full attention and... she smiled. Half an hour later our name was called and the hostess exclaimed, 'Oh! I'm so glad you decided to wait!'. A hostess that's actually happy to see customers?! Geddowwwwdahere.
Unfortunately our table was smack dab in front of the door but we weren't about to give it up for someone less starving than us. I got the $14 brioche french toast and $3 pot o'hot tea but forced the bf to order a Bloody Mary. Can you believe in all my years of drinking before noon I've never had a Bloody Mary?!
Now, I hate to make assumptions but every time I've walked by 44 & X I can't help but notice the plethora of hot gay waiters and think, 'There must be a catfight flying a minute'. I was so wrong; our waiter dazzled me with his blue eyes and genuine smile, and all the waiters were extremely professional and efficient.
The food didn't make me gasp for breath but it was simple and solid. Eggs cooked perfectly, toast was toasty, and the Bloody Mary?! Loved it. Oh, and we sat down to 'Poker Face' and they played Beyonce AND old school Britney?! You need to run a club 44 & X. But if only I had a celebrity sighting. I wore my special celebrity spotting glasses and everything.
I too finally got here after hearing so much about it. Fabulouso !!
We started with the entree of Mac and Cheese as our appetizer. Dam, we all agreed that was the best M & C !!!
I had the Sea Bass, even though the waiter messed up the order ( I wanted the muscle reduction on the side), it didn't matter as it blended in perfectly. I was afraid it would be too muscley, but there were just small chunks.
One of my guests had the turkey meat loaf and loved it, the other had the duck and it was great.
Another new favorite place in the Hood !!
Dinner at 44 & X provided me with an evening full of spectacular food, very good service and an all around good time. Here's the deal...
- Ambiance is cool. Cozy and somewhat trendy at the same time. The WCs are BEAUTIFUL (especially the one upstairs). It can be a tight squeeze and very loud at times but fitting for the type of place this is.
- Service was great. Every waiter was super nice, not to mention cute, and we received plenty of attention. I could have done without the constance touchy/feely stuff from our waiter but it was sort of endearing, especially since he was harmless and probably more interesting in my bf than me.
- Outstanding food. I'm still thinking about the lobster taco appetizer. It was incredible...Huge chunks of lobster meat (including claws), fresh avocado, and a bunch of other subtle flavors and amazing textures. For my entree, I ended up with the best mac and cheese I've ever had. HUGE portion that could probably feed three decent eaters. It's baked with all sorts of cheese and has a hint of truffle oil which makes the taste much more complex and awesome than regular mac and cheese. And only $14! I also tried the tilapia which was pretty darn tasty.
- Price was high. For four of us (three cocktails, one cheap bottle of wine, 2 appetizers, 4 entrees - two of which were the $14 mac and cheese) it came to $270. Pretty darn pricey if you ask me.
I would absolutely come back to 44 & X and am looking forward to the brunch. Oh and make reservations...it's almost always packed.
Great place. great menu. great service. great spirit. (and eye candy servers were not bad either.)
Came in for a meal on Halloween to discover the whole restaurant staff dressed as Alice in Wonderland.
Dinner was pitch perfect from start to finish. Our server (the white rabbit) was great, but we got attention from most of the cast as the Cheshire cat, Tweedledee, or dum would drop by with bread or water.
The short ribs were perfect, and--though I was skeptical of the basil mashed potatoes when ordering--they were delicious. Friends had the pork tenderloin and the mahi, both fantastic.
There is really nothing I would have changed about that meal, even though Alice and the Red Queen's giant hoop skirts kept smacking the backside of my head as they hustled around!
I went here recently for brunch. Although smaller than it looks, the space is nice, with high ceilings and white walls. It gave the place a very clean look. Between ambiance, service and food, ambiance is the least important to me.
Before I went, I called ahead to see if I could put my name down. The host said no problem, and that there was about a 15-20 minute wait. When we arrived about 15 minutes later, we wound up waiting for about 20-25 minutes for a table, so you can take that for what its worth. My wife and I waited at the bar and had a bloody mary - in my estimation, it could have been a little spicier. The bartender was very friendly though.
The brunch menu looks really good, but I found the food to be average. I had the huevos rancheros, which I felt could have used some sour cream. The guacamole tasted like it was from a jar and the eggs were on the cold side. My wife ordered the crabcake and poached eggs. That was far superior to the huevos rancheros - I think the highlight being the poached eggs, which were done perfectly. The small muffins that were brought in lieu of bread were also quite good.
There were some decent things about this meal and some not so good things about this meal - too many though for a price of $25/person. Given the plethora of brunch establishments around town, I'd probably pass on this place again.
I loved everything about this restaurant. I loved the ambience, the service and the food. I loved, loved, loved their salad.
Okay, I ordered their arugula salad with shaved parmesan and it was the best tasting salad of all time. It had this crunchy vegetable which I think was fennel and the seasoning was perfect. It had the right amount of saltiness and crunch. I never thought I'd thoroughly enjoy eating a salad. Before, it seemed so much like a chore to eat but not at 44 & X.
I then had the meatloaf with mash as an entree. When you see the meatloaf it almost looked like a baked potato. I was wondering how they got it to that shape and then I realized the bacon was neatly wrapped around the meatloaf to create this skin. I didn't realize it until a quarter way into eating the thing because the bacon was wrapped so finely onto the meatloaf.
The service was very attentive but not annoying. Loved the windows all around but I wish I had a better view to look at than the gas station across the street. This restaurant is a must try for those who haven't visited this place. I'm curious to check out their brunch as well. A bit pricey but definitely worth it.
I love the ambience and the service. Went here with a group of my girlfriends. We sat at the bar waiting for our table and the bartender was really friendly. He felt bad that we were waiting so he made us a round a shots.
The food was great! We order a bunch of appetizers and drinks. I forgot what we ordered but i remember it was good. For entree i had parmesan crusted tilapia and that was yummy!
Wow. Just wow.
Great location and completely unexpected decor that is simple, comfortable, and feels fairly spacious. The open feeling and high ceilings are great visually but also allow for a lot of sound to travel around the restaurant so it was a bit on the loud side. But the noise level was the only minor drawback in our delicious night.
Our server was very friendly (and I might add very cute in his tight little pants and shirt). He was attentive but not overbearing and took very good care of us the entire time, making sure we had everything we needed. We started with the spinach and wild mushroom raviolo. Fantastic, really. They could have cut back on the plethora of mushrooms but they weren't too overwhelming and the flavor combo was perfect. There were also a great chopped salad and the squash bisque. The bisque was on the sweeter side but smooth and creamy besides. Entrees were the halibut, the parm crusted tilapia, and the ancho rubbed pork tenderloin. Dinner got strangely quiet at the arrival of our entrees and I'm convinced it was because we were all enjoying every bite. Everything had been so great up until this point that we had to continue on to dessert even though we were mostly stuffed. Fallen chocolate souffle was warm and VERY chocolatey... a bit too much for me. Luckily I had ordered the peanut butter mousse tart which was amazing. Unfortunately I had to share it with my bf when really I wanted to devour that thing entirely by myself.
My bf had been to 44 & X on a previous trip but I had never been before and neither had my friends we were visiting on this trip. Everyone loved it. I definitely recommend dinner here before a night out. You won't be disappointed.
Having some free time (finally) to myself and the ability to wind down, I looked for a nice place to have me some brunch in the Hell's Kitchen area. I suppose the area is big, but I really didn't feel like traveling very far because I was lazy and hungry. Luckily, this place was relatively close, and, as I soon discovered had some pretty tasty food!
The interior was crisp and clean, decorated in shades of white and ivory with pretty peach edged white roses on the table. The patio area, though on the street, was nicely done with a good distance between each table so you're not rubbing elbows with your table neighbor (hate that!).
The service was attentive, but a bit irritating, since I ate slow and was asked 3x if I was done - cool it buddy! There's no line! Anyways, the service was done with a smile and decent. I'm sure though, most of the waiters were batting for the other team, which was fine by me since I enjoyed them singing along with the ABBA that was playing in the background! :)
The bacon wrapped meatloaf with mushrooms and creamy mashed potatoes were FABULOUS. I know - heavy for brunch, but I was hungry! Thin bacon wrapped meatloaf with soft and tender (not mushy) mushrooms with a vinagrette sauce that was just yummy! A touch of fresh ground pepper gave it a good spice and I was happy I made a good choice. The ice tea was not so great though - a little watery. I made do though, and ended up pretty happy with my meal.
$24 and a full tummy later, I lumbered to my next eating location - but not before a nice nappy! :)
After 3 dinners here I am a total fan. LOVE the New American menu. Cute White Picket Fence porch dining too. Not sure what that says about me, but it's quaint in the summer. You know, for Tenth Avenue and all.
The Ancho Chili Rubbed Pork... Really Good
Braised Short Ribs in Black Truffle Port Reduction... REALLY Good
Sauteed Duck with Poached Mission Figs.... REALLY GOOD
The Garlic Mustard and Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb.... REALLY OMFG GOOD
Also, great dessert menu.
I expect to drop 50 here on a dinner, drink and dessert. It's a good value though, and a great restaurant near midtown. If you are feeling budgety, they have a fantastic Vermont Chedder Mac and Cheese clocking in at 16.
Have devoured every meal so far, will definitely repeat.
Getting people to come to dinner near me can be a struggle. First you have to walk through Times Square, then you realize you're 3/4 of the way to the Hudson. But, when a friend who works in the hellish midtown area was up for something on the west side, I jumped to try 44 & X.
Good thing I did.
This place is adorable. Inside the venue is air conditioned, white, crisp, clean looking with a small bar---not too good to sit at but you totally could. outside offers a view of the Hess station across the street under an awning that makes you forget that.
Meals are comfort food. Bacon wrapped meatloaf, fried and battered is all over the menu plus mac and cheese that looks like it could feed an entire family for 4.
We chose to split 3 apps:
-Spinach And Wild Mushroom Raviolo maryland crabmeat, gruyère cheese, coconut poblano emulsion
-Maine Lobster Taco charred tomato salsa, avocado relish, cilantro and herb salad
-Spicy Salmon Tartar daikon radish, wakame seaweed salad, soy serrano dressing
All amazing.
For dessert we decided to get two (we were celebrating and catching up after 6 months, plus it's tradition. Shush)
Peanut butter mousse and chocolate heaven something or another.
We left with full tummies and smiles on our faces. Best way to end a dinner.
I have been trying to check this place out for ages as it has very cute outdoor seating in summertime, but I never seem to get myself over there. So, I finally dragged some people out for dinner all the way over on 10th avenue and it delivered a consistently decent experience. The service was eager, the food was tasty and the ambiance was upbeat, with good lighting (a girl's best friend!). I had a mediterranean salad that was a good portion size and very refreshing. Then, I had a rack of lamb entree that was grilled to my liking but was inexplicably...breaded (why add breading to a perfectly good cut of meat? so unnecessary). Both the other people I was eating with had Mahi Mahi, which they seemed to enjoy since they both cleaned their plates. The waiter said this restaurant is known for their comfort foods (fried chicken, mac & cheese etc). Maybe I should have tried some of that instead.
All said, we had an enjoyable meal, though there was nothing that stood out so much that I will rush back. Other than to visit the great Irish pub, Landsdowne Road, across the street.
I went here the last time I was in NYC, and it was amazing! To start out with I was impressed simply by the decor of the place. Everything is pristine and white without being cold. The designer clearly thought everything through and put great care into the planning; needless to say, all this wasn't lost on me.
After brunch around 3 at Good Stuff on 14th, then a walk to Macy's at Harold Square stopping into Mustang Sally's for drinks on the way, then walking from Harold Square to Hell's Kitchen; it's probably clear that when I arrived at 830 ish I was some kind of hungry.
I browsed over the menu and decided to have a drink while I contemplated. I really with I could....oh wait, now I remember; that's just how good it was. It was something with Blood Orange, Vodka, Champagne, and bitters I believe. It was damned good! May sound frilly, but it is indeed a pretty stiff drink. I downed it while debating over all the superb sounding starters and entrées.
For my starter, I ended up ordering the Spinach and Wild Mushroom Raviolo. It's a pretty sizable ravioli (don't look at me that way, yes I know what raviolo means) that's accompanied by huge hunks of Crab meat, Gruyère, and an otherworldly Poblano Coconut Emulsion that provided a gentle sweetness and heat that complimented the dish extraordinarily; frighteningly good. I have been craving this dish ever since I finished it...I did say frighteningly.
Then for my main course I had the Grilled Braised Short ribs with Basil Mashed Potatoes and a Truffle Port Reduction, it was nothing short of outstanding. The short ribs were so tender that I didn't even need a knife, the potatoes came out a bright green color that made them awesome for presentation, and the reduction...I'm at a lost for words. It can probably go without saying that I cleaned my plate in round II also.
Next up I had the Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler, which actually turned out to be Blueberry; yet very good. The bartender was kind of shocked at no one telling him about the change and the couple down the bar who had it minutes before not speaking up about it. Me being a worry wort just thought "Oh hell, what if someone allergic to strawberries got mine and I got their blueberry?!?!" aloud. It was great, everything turned out fine. I was content so I hopped down from my stool, the stools are rather interesting, and dragged back to my hotel on 38th. I will surely return, and take people with me when I go the next time I'm in the city. Maybe next time I go I'll choose to sit on the sidewalk, they have quite a big outdoor area.
44 & X is one of those places that, whenever the bf and I walk by, we always consider trying. And while we always find some reason or another to pass on dinner, recently we decided we'd come in for their very reasonably priced brunch.
Their brunch menu averages at about $15 per dish and offers slightly fancier versions of the usual contenders. Think "scrambled eggs with wild mushrooms, smokehouse bacon and herb toast", Vermont cheddar grits, a Maryland crab cake, or hazelnut brioche french toast. My boyfriend had the eggs royal (eggs florentine with smoked salmon and salmon roe while I had the scrambled eggs. The latter could have used a little salt, but I'll admit that I'm the type of girl who likes cheese and salt and lots of it. Ultimately, dishes sound better on the menu than in execution but everything was solid. Presentation was also pretty with garnishes of strawberries, fresh mint, and blackberries. They also serve a complimentary basket of yummy mini blueberry and cranberry walnut muffins and two types of jam at the start.
The service, however, was pretty subpar. Our waiter was not really attentive and was very perfunctory in his tasks. It was almost as if he had a timer set for when to swing by our table: two minutes- take drink orders; five minutes- take order; thirty minutes- check progress; etc. Our coffee was never refilled until we asked at the end of our meal, and he basically just plopped our basket of muffins onto the table. When he asked us how everything was halfway through our meal, we had not even completed our "yes, everythi--" before he had turned on his heel and marched away into the non-busy restaurant (we were eating at the tail end of the service). Still, even though his service was brusque and borderline-rude, I wasn't completely turned off. It was not like he was rolling his eyes at any of our requests; he was just doing the bare minimum but with a yummy brunch and a sunny room, we didn't mind as much.
A few more things I appreciated. The music. At the beginning of our meal, it was upbeat and all 80's hits. By the end of our meal, it was pop/hiphop. You don't really expect a place like 44 & X to play such fun music.
I also loved the flowers that were everywhere. Roses on our tables, tulips in the bathroom, flowerboxes outside, and a few flower arrangements here and there really put me in a cheery mood. The entire restaurant is decorated very tastefully, with striped canopies, white chairs, wooden tables, high ceilings, and huge patio doors -- definitely a place you can bring the 'rents.
Last, 44 & X is a pretty large restaurant. Sometimes, after sitting elbow-to-elbow, back-to-back, at almost every restaurant in the city, I forget how nice the extra space feels! When did room to stretch become such a luxury?
I would definitely return for brunch. Altogether it was about $50 for two entrees and two coffees, tax and tip included.
Goat cheese and pistachio souffle and the honey cheesecake are just divine. I was told to get the chicken and waffles, but it was mediocre compared to the appetizer and dessert.
The restaurant is very cute, and the service was even cuter. All the wait staff are men! We had great service, everyone was very attentitive and friendly.
We were on our way to 44 and 1/2 until we stopped and chose 44 & X...heh. Although both places looked equally as delicious. We both had eggs benedict: mine with salmon and the other with ham. Both were delicious. The brunch comes with muffins and cute little jars of marmalade and jam...something I completely stuffed myself with because I'm always starving on Saturday mornings. My salmon eggs benedict was delicious, although I'll probably think twice about having something so fishy so early in the day. The homefries are worth mentioning as well. All in all, a reasonably well priced brunch meal with very attentive service, even though we were outside...and yes...the entire staff is gay, all with very fashionable glasses.
My parents and I went for brunch on Sunday. As many people have noted, the decor was very impressive. Especially it was a sunny Sunday, the dining room was filled with natural light and generally made for a pleasant dining mood. And the prices weren't too bad because the portions were generous and we were able to much on the tasty mini muffins in lieu of bread.
My dad ordered the stacks of silver dollar pancakes, blueberry butter, breakfast sausage, and Vermont maple syrup. I had a bite of his pancakes and they were well made and the combination of the blueberry butter and maple syrup were a nice touch. My mom got the roast chicken quesadillas, pico de gallo, and avocado relish. We weren't as impressed with actual quesadillas--a little bit dry. I ordered the scrambled eggs, wild mushrooms, smokehouse bacon and herb toast. They were very generous with the mushrooms, which was a huge plus in my book. The bacon was done very nicely, but the herb toast wasn't anything special. That all being said, while I didn't find any of the individual components that impressive, they certainly formed to create 3 tasty dishes.
I would definitely go again for brunch.
I have been severely let down my fellow Yelpers! I had such high hopes for this being my new brunch spot as I live a block away. My nearby brunch dreams have been crushed due to awful service and mediocre food.
The restaurant has a relaxing, bright and airy feel to it - almost like you aren't in New York. It's especially nice on a sunny Saturday morning with the warm sun beaming on to you while you enjoy brunch. Unfortunately the food and service didn't live up to the great expectations that have been set for this place.
When a restaurant is busy I understand there are space limitations and the general need to turn over tables quickly. The restaurant was half empty by the time we sat down so imagine my surprise when the server returned two minutes after handing us menus to see if we were ready. Of course we weren't, but the server did fail to notice our nearly-empty coffee cups. Real cute. He returned again for order again shortly, got turned down, then eventually came back again to take our orders. At this point I'm mildly annoyed.
The bread basket of mini-muffins and preserves was a nice prelude to brunch, but my coffee cup was still raging like a crack whore needing to be filled up with something hot. I NEED my morning (okay 2pm) coffee so I finally beseeched douchebag server for coffee refills. Asking for refills at a not-busy restaurant is a major turn off for me. Ugh.
Our food finally comes and looks appetizing enough. Much to my chagrin, my herb scrambled egg whites were bland and not particularly palatable. The cheese grits that accompanied them however were delicious and I could have eaten a whole bowl of them. The major offense here were the sweet sausages that came with the dish. Similar to "that smell" coming from New Jersey these sweet sausage links were extremely nauseating. My palate has not been offended like this in a very long time.
My roommate's dish looked less than exciting as well. His southwestern egg dish actually came with a tortilla filled with guacamole. What the hell is that?! I'm calling foul on that one. That is just the most uninspired idea - a fresh-from-the-package tortilla filled with mushed avocado??? Culinary genius.
Beyond our mediocre food, our server was curt, unfriendly and most offensively was wearing ill-fitted cargo pants. Tsk tsk 44 & X. I had heard so many good things about you...
Stumbled upon 44 & 10 via Urbanspoon and verified by the Ink48 hotel concierge that it would be good. I knew when I sat down and smelled truffle oil, I'd be in for a treat. And when I found out it was truffle mac and cheese, I knew I was going to Heaven or Hell, depending on which side of the oh so sculpted waiters (plural) t-shirt I was reading. The duck with sweet potatoes was delicious and the halibut tasted like we were sitting right on Pike's Peak in Seattle. The lime ginger sauce was delicios. Follow it all up with caramel ice cream and fall apple pie and you can't go wrong. Even the ladies room was great. Candles and orchids galore. Loved it.....and I'm one picky customer!
A decent brunch place.
Inside looks nice, though on closer inspection there's a bit of a worn look to the interior corners. Outdoor seating was nice, though the awning has sections that it doesn't cover properly. Bright, and spacious interior, though, and opens to the outside quite well.
Food's rich, with a tasty set of small mini muffins (cranberry was good, cornbread required jam) to start, and the eggs benedict was creamy and warm. Although they don't have traditional ham, at least they had a slightly salty version of Canadian bacon.
And agree with Elaine.. seems like most of the wait staff that I saw gave off the feeling of being homosexual, but they are very polite, and swift with the order and service. Though water took a while to refill, mostly since I think they were busy taking orders and bringing food.
Dinner will have to be tried at some point to compete for a 4-star rating, but a solid brunch here. No drink included with the brunch other than water, though.
Great neighborhood eatery. The courtyard in the back is great for brunch or dinner. Great atmosphere and the waitstaff is phenomenal.
CUTE restaurant! Beautifully decorated... very bright and airy. The food is good, but a bit overpriced for its quality! I have nothing bad to say about the service.. they were very pleasant with us!
This place boasts the cities cutest waiters! Most are probably gay though (sorry ladies), but they are so pretty to look at.
We waited almost an hour for our table even though we arrived early for our reservations. The 14 people occupying our table needed to have their check split 14 ways and apparently the restaurant doesn't have a computerized system that can do it simply, so it was a bit time consuming. This is the part where things could have turned really bad and 4 stars could have gave way to 1 star. BUT our insanely cute bartender boozed us up with like 4 different rounds of shots on the house. And free alcohol = good reviews!
The staff here are not only hot, but they are attentive and super nice. They kept checking on us and updating us with the situation. When we finally sat down, the restaurant was about an hour from closing hours. They kept the restaurant open for us so that we can finish our meal. We never felt rushed. They even pulled a chair up and chatted and took pictures with us.
The food is also really good. The chicken quesadillas are amazing. The salmon tartare was delicious and we also had this mac and cheese dish that was out of the world and this is coming from a person who finds cheese disgusting.
All in all, the place is cute and airy. The staff is warm and friendly. The food speaks for itself. The place is a bit out of the way for me, but it's worth the trek. I'd love to visit this place for lunch or something in the day time.
Cards on the table: 7 people. 7 orders, 6 entrees delivered. He shouldn't have ordered the chicken anyway. On a menu this diverse, that has to be the least interesting item. Huge well-prepared filet mignon with a delicious layered potato au gratin and crisp fingerling carrots. Also tried uber rich mac-n-cheese that was ordered for the table. Others had duck and tuna and seemed pleased.
They sent out a few desserts to make up for my entree-less friend (who was obliterated by this point from a dinner of Stoli and more Stoli.) These desserts were B+/A-. Good enough but not worth recommending.
The attractive hostess, coat guy, bartender and server all had ace personalities. The room is warm, welcoming, white. It seems like a great neighborhood joint, worth a special trip if you need a reliable American menu with some breadth in a room with a cool vibe. It may not all go smoothly but at least it will be tasty, friendly and pretty.
Great great dinner place in town before heading out to Broadway. The food was excellent (mahi mahi - great! and halibut (day's special) - yummy as well!), nice selection of wines, and the waiter actually seemed to like his job! All in all- great dinner experience.
Only reason for not giving 5 stars: We were put at a tiny table in the corner of the restaurant where we could hardly sit at, and the AC blew so cold from below the seating area that we felt like our legs were put in a freezer.
i really wanted to love this place but overall it was just ok. My brothers food was mediocre, mine was pretty good...not bad but not gonna rush to go back either
the food we had was very good, but nothing that would differentiate it from many other restaurants in Hell's Kitchen.
The waiters just seemed too pretentious to make dining their comfortable.
If you are hungry and near this restaurant and hungry, give it a try. However, i wouldn't go out of my way to make it there.
I'm a simple guy. I don't need parsley with my eggs. I don't want sauce with my steak. If these things appeal to you, then by all means go to 44 & X.
I've tried 44 & X for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sure, the space is nice. Sure the waiters are toned (like I care). But for me, admittedly a guy more at home in a good diner than a frou-frou place like this, it all misses the point which is; bring me good, simple food. Technically, the food is prepared well. But, there's way too much going on. Its like they don't trust the meat enough to let its real flavor come through so, they drown their beef in a thick wine sauce. If I wanted sauce on everything, I'd have taken a cruise. The breakfasts are fine and you always get that basket of bread with the Baskin-Robbins 31 flavors butter but, for the prices they charge, it really is not worth it. And they charge you for add ons up the wazoo. We got a side of cucumber once and were charged $5.00.
Another thing, and I want to bring this up in as gentle a manner as possible. The staff has the tendency to not be very professional, in as much as I've left there having heard them bitch about each other to our table and to tables around me. Also, speaking as a straight guy (anytime I go here it is always with some of my gay friends - I know it reads kind of weird but, that is the trend) I've never been so openly ignored by the waitstaff. Without exaggeration, they will spend the majority of the meal talking with my friends who, by the way, I came to speak with. So, I usually find myself being shut out of the conversations I intended to have in the first place, while the waiter complains to my friends about the drama happening in the restaurant.
Let me be absolutely clear; this is not a gay or straight thing. This is about simple service. The waiter can be friendly but, the waiter should not dominate the discussions at my table, become a focal point in any way or chose to exclude me from my own dining experiences.
Apparently, drama is the only side dish they don't charge you extra for at 44 & X.
I came here for a pre-theater dinner and was thoroughly impressed! Our waiter was super cute and sweet and not overly attentive. The food was just wonderful and so were our cocktails. I had the goat cheese souffle - AMAZING. I know I'm a big sucker for anything involving goat cheese, but this was really nice and well presented. I had the roasted chicken for an entree and it was so juicy and flavorful. The dessert we had was also yummy - the bread pudding with malted milk ball ice cream. (I do really want to try the creamcicle creme brulee though!)
The decor was very nice and classy - nice and clean with lots of white. I will definitely be back here as I wanted to try everything on the menu.
The restaurant is beautifully clean with eye catching coral rose accents. The food is delicious and very well presented. It's a great place for expensive food and a relaxed atmosphere.
I've been to 44 & X so many times over the past few years (including last night) that I had to give it some more love. When I want to impress anyone with the how awesome my hood is, I bring them here. I've come for brunch and dinner with out of town guests, dates, friends, family and they've all been duly wowed. It's just such a perfectly emblematic neighborhood bistro.
Some menu favorites include the Crispy Sea bass, and the Filet. The staff is some of HK's finest, and prices are totally reasonable. Perfect for pre-theater. Perfect for anything. I just love this place.
"Heaven in Hell" is right! You couldn't really ask for a better adorable, nice restaurant.… Read more »
Clean, crisp looking restaurant (men included). But I think most of them were gay. Just my luck. Haha. The food highly recommended to me by my waiter was the mac and cheese. It wasn't very impressive. I ordered the beef ribs (on the salty side) and my sister had the lobster salad (very good). They had a great wine list. I'd come back.
I had a brunch here, and I was happy with the food and atmosphere.
stacks of small pancakes with raspberry butter was so soft and smooth in taste and so cute to look at.
My huevos rancheros was not up to the expectation, but overall I had a good experience and everybody seemed to have a good time.
will definitely go back.
It's totally overdone but I love restaurants that go with all-white decor. The decor and atmosphere was the best part about 44 & X. The service and the hosts were super nice too. They were very understanding and accommodating when our group of 8 was 30 minutes late for our reservation.
The food is just okay. I had the macaroni and cheese. It was one massive plate of elbow macaroni baked in Vermont cheddar. They sprinkled garlic powder all over the top and I didn't much care for that.
We had a birthday girl in our midst so they brought over a chocolate mousse cake. It was divine. Dinner was capped off by a round of lemon drop shots at the bar before heading out for the evening. I venture to say that this place is better for a drink than dinner.
We had a great little brunch here with a friend from out of town. I don't have much to add that has not been said below!
Prices were reasonable... not either end of the spectrum. I really enjoyed the stark decor and the server was nice.
I was a bit surprised to have to explain how to make an Iced Mocha... but hey, I'm not in Kansas anymore. And by Kansas, I mean Seattle.
It's worth checking out.
Nice setting, glad I made a reservation for dinner on a weeknight as the place was packed (always a good sign in NYC!). I had the goat cheese soufle and really enjoyed. The fish was very fresh and flavorful. Very good wine selection. Somewhat romantic setting, nice interior design.
I love when my waiter provides more than just food. Eye-Candy people, is a pertinent plus when dining.
Scott, the owner of 44&X does a very good job in hiring his staff. Every boy who sports the company T-shirt could land a modeling career. The shirts all say "HEAVEN" on the front and "in HELL" on the back. BINGO.
I must be honest, I was in a very tired mood when I came here the other night. I was not in the mood to be out, but I had a dinner date with friends. Talk about the perfect place for a low-key meal. My friend knows the owner of the restaurant, and the waitstaff all seemed to know my friend. They were super friendly and very helpful. When I left, I wasn't tired, I was satisfied.
Don't come here if you are a sucker for consistency. Apparently the way the meals are prepared change every so often. The chefs like to experiment, so don't expect to always get the same dish twice!
I have yet to try 44 & 1/2. Owned by the same person, I'm sure dining at both in the same two or three days would make an excellent experience.
The bathroom made me feel as if I had entered Heaven's waiting room.
So back in March, my boyfriend and I were taking a cruise out of NY on the West Side. After finding out that the ship was 3 hours late to get into the Port, and with no food in sight, we grabbed our carry-on luggage and set out in Hell's Kitchen. Not the most fun way to start our first day of "vacation" before boarding a wonderful 11 day cruise, especially since it was quite rainy and we were quite cranky.
After walking for about 20 minutes we almost gave up hope trying to find ANY decent looking restaurant in the area, when we came across 44 & X. The helpful host immediately took our luggage and sat us at a table while I proceeded to order Ketel 1 on the rocks (which I later traded w/ said boyfriend for his beer).
After calming down with some rolls w/ sweet butter (my FAVE), I ordered the Turkey And Wild Mushroom Meat Loaf wrapped in bacon, old fashioned tomato sauce, creamy mashed potatoes. DAMN what a treat for the tastebuds!!!! Absolutely delicious and highly recommended by our adorable waiter. Boyfriend had the hanger steak and loved it as well.
It's always a lovely experience to stumble onto something by chance and absolutely LOVE it. Yes, a bit pricey for lunch but we were on vacation, after all. Our trip was smooth sailing (no pun intended) after our meal at 44 & X :)
Free coffee or tea!
Neighborhood: Fashion District
Free Pizza for Yelpers!
Neighborhood: Battery Park
Neighborhood: Hell's Kitchen
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Hell's Kitchen
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: Hell's Kitchen
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Theater District
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Theater District
Category: French
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