Winter Restaurant Week 2009! Whats the deal dude ?!!

1/5/2009 Becca "the thinking man's crumpet" S. says:

Lexy, this has everything you need!!

http://nycgo.com/resta...

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

So I just checked out http://nycgo.com/resta... but they don't tell me how much with all of them or WHAT the dishes offered or selection is?...

Lame :(

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Am I reading the site wrong? I am known to be a tad air headed... (at least i admit it) lol

I went to it Becca and it gave me just prices for some of the dinner or lunch..but it just says Dinner or Lunch..nothing else. What does just Dinner/Lunch mean? It could be just a steak with no sides or sandwich for all i know!

1/5/2009 Chun "Tennis Guru" L. says:

Save Money...

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Piggy bank is full Chun, needs a little explodin ;)

1/5/2009 Becca "the thinking man's crumpet" S. says:

The deal with RW is that all participating restaurants will offer 3-course lunch for $24 and/or 3-course dinner for $35.  So the lunch/dinner thing is telling you whether they're participating for one or the other (or both).  Some of them have links to the menu, but otherwise you may have to look at the restaurants' websites to find out what the dishes are--or just be surprised!

1/5/2009 R "Meat baby" P. says:

For dinner, all the restaurants offer a three course meal that is "specially designed" for RW.  Translation:  No fucking way are we offering our regular menu to you cheap asses for that price.

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

So all of them are 3 courses but you just might not be able to see what the courses are?... Tricky... but they still have my attention :)

Anyone else thinking of doing this? Or enjoyed this in the past?

I guess I better get my tush moving and make a reservation!

1/5/2009 Eugene B. says:

hmmm...i see the links. i can see all the menus and prices.

all the menus are .pdf

http://nycgo.com/?even...

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Thanks Becca for the info!

LOL Rocky... sounds pretty honest

So I'm guessing the known steak houses that are apart of this ... I am going to get a slab of not so exciting meat? (Sounds like my ex)

1/5/2009 Steven "Snarky™" V. says:

It's Restaurant Weak

1/5/2009 Becca "the thinking man's crumpet" S. says:

It's just very hit or miss, Lexy.  Sometimes you get dishes that are on the regular menu, sometimes, like Rocky said, they create a new menu that can be very disappointing.  Some places where I've had good RW experiences are Lure and Zoe, both on Prince st in SoHo.  Zoe allowed you to choose any three things from their regular menu, and Lure had a separate menu, but everything on it came from the original menu.  

I'd do a "restaurant week" search here, and see where people were happy with their meals.

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Good Idea Becca, hopefully i can find some places that people have truly enjoyed and got decent normal sized meals at during Restaurant Week in NYC.

Shout it out people! I know your out there foodies !

1/5/2009 Chris "Film by Uwe Boll" H. says:

I've always found that you'll get a much better meal and experience going to RW restaurants that weren't that pricey to begin with, versus going to a super expensive restaurant, who will have a tendency to skimp out a bit.  I had fantastic meals at Centrico and August for RW, both of which aren't super expensive during non-RW.

1/5/2009 Chun "Tennis Guru" L. says:

I went to Delmonico's during restaurant week this past summer.  This is what I got for $35.

1) Tuna Carpaccio with a Side of Baby Argula
2) 8oz Filet Mignon with a Side of Potato Puree
3) Flan

1/5/2009 karen "vanilla bean" c. says:

Lure can be an inexpensive, yet delicious meal even not during RW if you go during happy hour. I usually skip restaurant week and splurge on tasting menus on a regular day.

1/5/2009 Steven "Snarky™" V. says:

NEED!

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Chun... for some reason that meal you had at Delmonico's doesn't excite me, was it good though?
So everyone who ate at Delmonico's when you went was offered the same exact thing?

Your a smart Bean Karen ;o)

1/5/2009 Kevin "We're not in a big rush. Pause, reflect." K. says:

Becca "the thinking man's crumpet" S. says:

It's just very hit or miss, Lexy.  Sometimes you get dishes that are on the regular menu, sometimes, like Rocky said, they create a new menu that can be very disappointing.  Some places where I've had good RW experiences are Lure and Zoe, both on Prince st in SoHo.
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------
Well said.  Often the restos place the RW menu online, which is great because then you shouldnt be disappointed, but many restos do not provide such a resource.   It would probably be usefull if people listed (as you have) their "good" and "bad" RW menu experiences based on the above.  I have limited RW experience, but a few of my "goods" would be One if by Land, Two if by Sea and TOTG and a few of my "bads" would be Bobby Vans and The Water Club.

1/5/2009 R "Meat baby" P. says:

Lexy, you're not excited by an 8 oz. filet mignon?  

Oh that's right, you're not a 12 year old child.

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Or am I...

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Thanks Kevin... Bobby Vans and The Water Club are now on my bad list

1/5/2009 Chun "Tennis Guru" L. says:

Lexy, you're right now to be excited, the Filet Mignon @ Delmonico's wasn't the most spectacular thing in the world.

But I concur with everyone above, restaurant week is really for the ambiance of the restaurant. The food is generally sub par.

Save Money...

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Save Money is always my thang as well as BYOB spots...
I guess I'm sick of being the only RW virgin.. I want to give it a shot and see how it tastes.

I figure i'm the super cheap type to begin with and many of these fancy pancy places I would never even bother going to with out this deal so .. why not I guess.

Your RW reviews are helping me!

1/5/2009 Chris "Film by Uwe Boll" H. says:

Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Thanks Kevin... Bobby Vans and The Water Club are now on my bad list
********

Add Asia de Cuba and Butter to that list as well

1/5/2009 J T. says:

I never did a restaurant week. I find it too much of an amateur hour and very inconvenient.

1/5/2009 Katie Z. says:

I agree with a lot of what has already been posted.  Restaurant Week can be a little hit or miss.  I'd advise you do a search for people's restaurant week experiences here and on Chowhound and see the places that people were impressed by.  I typically choose a place that I otherwise wouldn't go but have wanted to and go with the understanding that my experience is not going to be equal to dining there off the normal menu.  Go to get a sense of their style, the ambiance and decor of the place.  Really, restaurant week is an opportunity to test a restaurant for $35 and see if it's worth the more expensive splurge later.  It helps avoid the disappointment of going to a fancy pants place, blowing a lot of money and deeming the whole thing not worth it.  
With that in mind, I don't think Restaurant Week at places where you could generally eat a la carte for close to $35 is worth it.  The menu will be substandard and you won't really have saved any money.  Go to the places where $35 really will be a steal, and which you'd like to consider for a splurge another time.

1/5/2009 Chun "Tennis Guru" L. says:

8 minutes ago Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

I guess I'm sick of being the only RW virgin.. I want to give it a shot and see how it tastes.
---

If you're going for taste, definitely save your money. Generally, chefs during restaurant week will throw anything on a plate and the average RW patron will think it's the greatest dish ever tasted.

Granted, there is variety and complexity in what's presented during restaurant week.  But the taste and execution is definitely lacking.

Being an RW virgin is actually a good thing. For example, I really enjoyed regular dining @ Morimoto but their RW menu was appalling!

If you could, fork over a total of $50 and select various items from the regular meal at a places like Wolfgang's Steakhouse, Morimoto, Sushi Samba, etc...  You won't be disappointed.

1/5/2009 J T. says:

Is it ever really just $35. You figure with the beverage,tax, additional items ordered to round out the meal and tip you are pushing well past $35 for a meal.
Almost makes more sense to go during normal orders and try the signature dishes no offered during RW.

1/5/2009 jeff "walking.Yelp.com" c. says:

Here's my bookings..all confirmed bitches

DINNER - WEEK ONE
Jan18 mesa grill
Jan19 peacock alley
Jan20 olana
Jan21 mercer kitchen
Jan22 devi
Jan23 le cirque

DINNER - WEEK TWO
Jan25 nougatine
Jan26 one if by land, two if by sea
Jan27 icon
Jan28 convivio
Jan29 megu tribeca
Jan30 perry st

LUNCH - WEEK ONE
Jan18 payard
Jan19 peter luger's (non resty wk)
Jan20 union square café
Jan21 del posto
Jan22 morimoto
Jan23 eleven madison park

LUNCH - WEEK TWO
Jan25 blue water grill
Jan26 fleur de sel
Jan27 gotham
Jan28 eleven madison park
Jan29 gramercy tavern
Jan30 union square cafe

1/5/2009 J T. says:

Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Even though I consider myself a foodie. . .

*********

if u wasn't as cute as a button and on my future 'To Lovingly Bend Over" list I would have stopped reading at that line.

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Ok, you have all convinced me! lol  RW is a dirty dirty low scam!

I am going to save my money and splurge on a real meal at a regular time.

I get what RW is tryign to do but after your honest opinions and being a bit more realistic... your damn right!

After beverage, tax and tip..i'd end up spending maybe 60 bucks...

Well... maybe i'll just save RW for a date, at least i'm not waisting anything then ;)  *Ahem*

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Hey, no more bullies J.T. i already got gang banged by the best of them when I first started talking on the Yelp threads.. lol they even managed to scare me away for awhile.

Sad huh? ;)

1/5/2009 J T. says:

Jeff C ur fanaticism is adorable.

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Jeff are you a baller or something? ...

Well at least you can tell me what places are good or not, enjoy hun.

I'm thinking "KA CHING" :)

1/5/2009 J T. says:

Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Hey, no more bullies J.T. i already got gang banged by the best of them when I first started talking on the Yelp threads.. lol they even managed to scare me away for awhile.

Sad huh? ;)
****

U should have mentioned something to me. I would have protected u from the bullies. Have u actually looked at my pic?

1/5/2009 jeff "walking.Yelp.com" c. says:

JT, fanaticism is an understatement. When the clock struck midnight, I couldn't stop refreshing the list =)

Lexy, I see you joined my meetup. Too bad you haven't attended any events =P

1/5/2009 Chun "Tennis Guru" L. says:

You'll have to excuse our resident Jeff...  He's just a natural born "rainmaker".

Lexy...  Scam a date into take you out for restaurant week.

As for pricing, you're right about beverage / tax / tip.  It ends up working out to about $60 - $70.

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

I'm thinking of making "special" cupcakes for the bullies to share with them at the Ball....

Think that will get me in? ;)

F*C it

1/5/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

Chun, I'm on it!

Jeff - I'm a busy girl, what can I say... give me time ... just adding a few more ka ching to that chubby piggy bank  :)

1/5/2009 Becca "the thinking man's crumpet" S. says:

Jeff, I just went to Nougatine....not impressed.  I'd switch your resy if I were you.

1/5/2009 Laurissa Y. says:

I went to Nougatine last year for dinner and I thought it was worth it, though not spectacular. They gave us a LOT of food (amuse, app, two half-entrees, dessert, petit fours) and I thought the amuse, app, and dessert was great while the entrees were a mixed bag. Still worth it, imo. :)

Had an awesome dinner at japonica last year... not typically a destination spot for RW, but the app was monkfish liver, a giant chirashi and green tea for dessert. Really would recommend A Voce for lunch too, but I went when Andrew Carmellini was still head chef... now it's some other dude so I have no idea how quality has changed.

Fleur de Sel was eh. Add Osteria del Circo and Butter to the bad list though. Just blahness.

Wow Jeff, if I lived in the city and had a week off, that would pretty much be my dream list. Ah well, next year.

1/5/2009 jeff "walking.Yelp.com" c. says:

Becca, last yr Nougatine gave 2 entrees and 2 desserts for restaurant week. Who do you know that does that, riddle me that? I enjoyed Perry St more, but Nougatine is no bastard child by any means.

Laurissa, Japonica is where I get my default sushi fix (Chirashi Deluxe - dlx incl scallop, unagi, ikura)...the salmon skin over the rice is to die for!!!  now I want sushi..I hate you!!!

1/5/2009 Chris "Film by Uwe Boll" H. says:

Jeff, I booked Convivio and Gotham as well, we'll have to compare notes.  Also booked Tocqueville and Centovini

1/5/2009 jeff "walking.Yelp.com" c. says:

Chris, I got an email from Centovini that they are doing 3 courses for $38 everyday, so you can go anytime. It's also on their website. We shall compare notes!!!

"Three courses for $38 everyday! Start 2009 in style with a three-course prix-fixe dinner at Centovini! Beginning January 2, you'll be able to choose any appetizer, entree and dessert from our full dinner menu, and all for just $38! "

1/5/2009 Chris "Film by Uwe Boll" H. says:

Ah, didn't know that about Centovini.  Thanks for the heads up.  Isn't Perry Street running a similar deal for non-RW week?

1/5/2009 Laurissa Y. says:

Ahh, I'm craving sushi now as well. :( I am soo excited to finally get to try Gramercy Tavern though...!!!

@ Chris: Yeah, about 5 or 6 of JG's restaurants are running a "Winter Promotion" that will probably last for another 1-2 months... so Nougatine, Perry Street, Matsugen, etc, are all running RW-type deals.

Here's to hoping all of our RW meals this year go well!

1/5/2009 norm "brave" g. says:

rw is like buying ralph lauren at  woodbury commons. they make lesser quality under the premium label specifically to sell only at outlets at lower prices. people buy the label. the threads are like gap.

once i was having full price dinner at db bistro during rw and we could tell by looking at what people were eating who was 'on the plan' and who wasn't. my advice would be to skip two rw's and have one full price instead. one moment of heaven is better than a dozen looks through the glass.

1/5/2009 Yosh H. says:

Brave, I would have to partially disagree.  I've had some FANTASTIC meals during RW (i.e. One if by Land, Two if by Sea & Fig & Olives) but I would admit, going for a full price dinner in a location where they aren't trying to flip tables faster than normal is always preferable.

But more important than anything else, please treat your server with respect (and tip properly!!!)!!!

Oh, and I've made reservations for Convivio, Vong, and Anthos.

1/5/2009 Michele G. says:

im also a newbie to the RW experience. so i have 2 questions:

1- is this mostly manhattan-centric and

2. are there ever any actual events aside from just dining?

1/5/2009 Chris "Film by Uwe Boll" H. says:

Michele G. says:
1- is this mostly manhattan-centric and

2. are there ever any actual events aside from just dining?
**********
1 - yes
2 - no

1/5/2009 jeff "walking.Yelp.com" c. says:

Chris, Perry St always has dinner specials for $35 as well, but ltime sensitive (usually til 6:30pm and after 9pm)

1/5/2009 Chris C. says:

Hey Lexy, We had a great meal at Fig and Olive last time.  Sure, the portions run smallish but, I recall Fig and Olive being pretty satisfying.  Delmonico's did give us a nice snack for way too much money one time.  And they had a chocolate dessert to die for.

Jeff, you are a food ninja!

1/5/2009 Becca "the thinking man's crumpet" S. says:

Chinatown Brasserie also was doing 4 courses for the last restaurant week.  And re: Nougatine, an extra course isn't worth it to me if the overall experience isn't great.  I'll take 3 well-timed courses over 4 that I'm being forced to rush through.

1/5/2009 Laurissa Y. says:

Becca, did you have lunch or dinner at Nougatine? I never felt rushed during dinner -- I even thought it was a tad mite slow because the restaurant was busy! Service was good though, even though they definitely knew we were penny pincers (tap water please!)

1/6/2009 lora c. says:

aw jeff, i'll keep missing you during restaurant week! i'll miss you by a day at del posto.. im having lunch there on the 22nd, and then i'll miss you again at perry st when i have dinner resvys for the 28th!

im excited to go to the modern for dinner too... but i wonder if i should cancel and just wait for a special occasion/splurge for the dining room one day...

i used to get so excited for RW but not so much anymore. i think i went to one restaurant last summer and maybe three last winter, whereas i used to do like five. RW meals are very hit-miss and im tired of the same salmon/artic char or porkloin options.... hopefully the food will really shine for themselves at this seasons choices! i wish restaurants would take RW more seriously and realize that if i do have a stellar experience, its more likely that ill come back for their regular menu. regardless, im super excited for del posto since ive never been!

1/6/2009 b t. says:

hate to say this but i feel like most of you will be disappointed with Del Posto... everything is great there except for one thing, the portion sizes are soo small you cant really enjoy the meal. I went last year and ordered of the reg menu, the portions they brought out on the plate were so small i couldn't help but laugh out loud (I was little embarrassing but it was funny). RW  is very hit or miss, i also went to Mesa grill last year and i was very disappointed, my friend went a week later and ordered of the reg menu and loved it... Tabla was great for RW (i did lunch) also prob one of my fav RW experiences was Calle Ocho. Calle Ocho was so good I came back a week later for their reg menu with my gf ...

1/6/2009 Chi "Chi-PS Radar" N. says:

i thought outta all the places i've dined so far for rw in the past here are my recommendations:

- the modern : tons of options at least 10 diff types for appetizers, 10 diff entrees... that was my best experience
- aquavit was pretty dang good
- one if by land: eh i ended up ordering from the reg menu cuz the prefix sucked
- megu midtown: NOT FRESH
- megu downtown: much better but we did order some extra sashimi off the regular menu
- mercer kitchen: again ordered from reg menu instead but rw menu didn't look so bad
- eleven madison... um so not worth it
- butter: huge portions... sauce too overwhelming but best bang for the buck
- le cirque: um again also SO NOT worth it

gosh i don't remember the others...

1/6/2009 George "Georgie boo boo" L. says:

Hey Lexy is alive!

1/6/2009 jeff "walking.Yelp.com" c. says:

Chris C, howz about some Resty Wk food then falling asleep in a food coma @ Salon de Tokyo after =)

1/6/2009 Chun "Tennis Guru" L. says:

Not that this is by any means restaurant week material...

I went to Sushi Yasuda last night.  Best money I've spent on sushi thus far!!!  =)

1/6/2009 Joyce B. says:

I made reservations for Butter last night.  Has anyone been there?

1/6/2009 J T. says:

I always equate RW as going to a sushi joint and ordering the maki combo which is nothing special.  You really want to order a la carte  and get the special rolls but you don't feel like spending the money, so u settlefor the maki combo in order to satisfy your sushi craving

1/6/2009 jeff "walking.Yelp.com" c. says:

Burke chain of restaurants has been sending me 3 courses for $20.09 emails recently. Cheaper than resty wk lunch :)

1/6/2009 J T. says:

Joyce "Your Effin Daddy" B. says:

I made reservations for Butter last night.  Has anyone been there?

*******
It's a scene type of place, pretty people, nice layout. Mixed drinks are mediocre, food is decent but unmemorable, wine list ok.  Service is actually pretty good.

1/6/2009 Katie Z. says:

@ Joyce "Your Effin Daddy" B. -- I've actually been pretty disappointed by Butter the three times I've been there.

1/6/2009 Chris "Film by Uwe Boll" H. says:

I've been to Butter twice, loved the atmosphere but hated the food both times

1/6/2009 jeff "walking.Yelp.com" c. says:

Isn't Butter one of those 'see and be seen' places like Mr Chow, Tao, etc?

1/6/2009 Becca "the thinking man's crumpet" S. says:

There was a whole Gossip Girl episode LAST season that revolved around Butter.  Does that help?

1/6/2009 Chun "Tennis Guru" L. says:

Jeff...  You are absolutely correct.

1/6/2009 Oriana "C'mon...this beat cost a lot of money!" J. says:

Been to Butter twice - the food is good, the service is shitty...which makes me angry.

1/6/2009 jeff "walking.Yelp.com" c. says:

I have substituted Blue Water Grill w/ Matsugen instead

1/6/2009 lora c. says:

Mmm.. should I skip Del Posto then? The bf is taking another long lunch, which means wherever we go should be on the west side near midtown west. I just made a reservation for a lunch at Nougatine... perhaps thats a better a choice? Then again, nothing on the menu looks that great... ahh, decisions! Maybe I'll skip RW and just opt for katsu curry...  or maybe Union Square Cafe?

Aquavit was one of my favorite experiences... and I enjoyed Asia de Cuba too even though it had a more "trendy" vibe. I don't know, I'm a sucker for China Grill Mgmt restaurants... I know they're gimmicky but the menus are tasty and far more interesting than other options. Butter was downright unmemorable (go for the atmosphere) and I think steakhouses are a waste of time during RW (Bobby Vans, mehh). I'm glad I had the chance to go to Asiate during RW just to enjoy the view.. my entree was a little bit of a let down though. Trying to remember where else I've been...  Kittichai, I ordered a la carte and loved it... I've been to a handful of the non-destination restaurants like Vice Versa and Brasserie 8 1/2 all for solid if unmemorable meals... all in all, I think I've been to most of the RW places I wanted to go. I would never think about doing RW at any of the japanese places, I prefer to pay for the sushi/sashmi I want to eat (or whatever the chef chooses for me), and I prefer cozier restaurants anyway. All that's left for me are local/neighborhood joints and the big boys (per se, jg, le bernadin, etc hahaha...)

1/6/2009 Preethi "Sweet P." C. says:

I like RW, haven't done it in a while, it is hit or miss but sometimes a great way to try a restaurant I normally can't afford.  I'm thinking of trying Perry Street - Lexi are u down?

1/6/2009 Daniel "I Love Budgies" K. says:

don't do it they make you feel bad

1/6/2009 Chris C. says:

Jeff, that sounds like a hell of a plan!

1/6/2009 Joyce B. says:

Geez, Butter seems to be getting a lot of mixed reviews.  I'll try it and write a review on the experience.  Pics on the website look gorgeous...

1/6/2009 jeff "walking.Yelp.com" c. says:

Joyce, say hi to Diddy for me. Tell him I AM KING.

1/6/2009 Lexy "The Taste Bud Diva" M. says:

I'm always down baby! :)

1/6/2009 Caitlin P. says:

for my two cents, I had a tasty RW dinner at Spice Market (didn't overthink it, just stumbled in with a friend and happened to get in without a reservation).  From what I've heard, anything owned by Danny Mayer (especially Gramercy Tavern, but also 11 Madison Park and the others), tend to actually do RW up right (the goal being to give you a taste of their quality and superior service, thus luring/welcoming you back for their 'full' menu experience eventually).  I think a couple of his restaurants even give out coupons to be used after RW is over (though someone who's actually been would have to confirm - this is all what I've heard from friends).  
My general strategy from RW is to go someplace I wouldnt usually wind up in, that I know will be dripping with ambiance - because that's what you're going to be paying for.  Their food will be solid, but since they're operating on a limited budget they aren't often going to be able to dazzle you too much.

1/6/2009 Caitlin P. says:

also, jeff c...  im impressed, jeez.  i couldn't even remember the names of that many restaurants at once.

1/6/2009 Jamie S. says:

Park avenue Summer was worth it for Summer Restaurant week. I assume Park Avenue Winter would be a good choice. And Bar Bouloud was pretty good during OpenTable's restaurant week. I booked Convivio for dinner, it was one of Bruni's top 10 of the year and my parents are paying, yay.

1/6/2009 Katie Z. says:

Recently had lunch at Park Avenue Winter, albeit from the normal menu, and the food was uniformly spectacular.  I had the butternut squash soup with lobster crouton and it was insanely delicious followed by the carrot and calamari salad which was interesting and really tasty.  The others I ate with were also really pleased with their food.  It's cool to look at, too.