New York State Restaurants $$$

    Craft, New York City

  43 E. 19th Street - (Park Ave. South-Broad-Way) - New York, NY            
Tom Colicchio's Craft received the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant nationwide in 2002, and has since spawned a host of imitators for its unique marriage of the finest ingredients, haute cuisine and family-style service.
Against the award-winning architectural design of Bentel and Bentel, and under the glow of filament bulbs, diners share from dishes that celebrate 'single' ingredients, expertly and simply prepared. "Simple doesn't mean simplistic," Tom says in his book, Think Like a Chef, and the food at Craft - under the execution of Chef Damon Wise - serves as proof. Favorites include Pan Roasted Day boat Scallops, Roasted Foie Gras, Braised Short Ribs of Beef, the famous Hen-of-the-Woods Mushrooms, and what many diners describe as the finest Porterhouse Steak in New York City.
    Lea, New York City
  230 Park Ave - New York, NY           
Lea, a 60 seat wine bar, reataurant-lounge adds an opulent quality of romance to Grand Central's typically professional ambiance. Behind dark wooden slats, nestled in the hollowed granite halls of the Helmsley building, Invoking a 19th century writer’s den of the romantic period, Lea is a seductive and secluded wine bar and lounge located near Grand Central.
    Riverdale Garden, The, New York City
  4576 Manhattan College Parkway - Bronx, NY            
The Riverdale Garden welcomes you with a comfortable fine dining experience in the tree-lined Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, New York. The restaurant features no-nonsense seasonal cuisine in a casual and elegant atmosphere, including a flower garden (for dining al fresco), terrace and a wood burning stove.
    Levana, New York City
  141 West 69th Street - New York, NY           
Levana, the premiere Kosher restaurant in New York City...and the country. This Home Page will serve as a guide to a huge array of information, not only about Levana, but about the world of quality kosher cuisine.
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    Eleven Madison Park, New York City
  11 Madison Ave. - New York, NY            
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Eleven Madison Park expresses the spirit of grand New York dining with a contemporary accent. Designed by architects Bentel & Bentel, with soaring 30-foot ceilings and windows overlooking beautiful Madison Square Park, the restaurant embodies an urbane sophistication that is at once relaxed and bustling. And the cuisine smartly follows suit. Executive chef Kerry Heffernan masterfully prepares French-inspired seasonal American food. Among his updated classics are Sweet Pea Flan, Tuna Cru, Prime-Aged Roast Beef for Two, Maine Lobster Pot au Feu, Terrine of Beef Shank and Foie Gras, Artic Char with Pea Shoots and Vinaigrette, and Seared Loin and Almond Crusted Shank of Lamb with Basquaise Peppers. Pastry chef Nicole Kaplan provides a sumptuous end to the meal with irresistible desserts such as her signature chocolate soufflé, chocolate dome, and an exquisite selection of cookies and confections. The award-winning, eclectic wine list offers 36 wines by the glass, available at your table or in the cozy wine bar set beneath a gold-leaded Art Deco ceiling. The bar also boasts a world-class selection of Calvados and an extensive array of cocktails. Opened in October 1998, the restaurant promptly earned a James Beard nomination as Best New Restaurant in America, and won a coveted spot in Esquire magazine's Best New Restaurants. More recently, Eleven Madison Park won the 2004 James Beard Award for Outstanding Service in America.
    Brasserie 8 1/2, New York City
  9 W. 57th Street - (5th-6th Aves.) - New York, NY           
Nestled in Skidmore, Owings' celebrated "Bell-bottom" building on 9 W.57th Street, in Midtown Manhattan, Brasserie 8½ offers notable "nouvelle" French cuisine in a super-plush atmosphere. Accessed by a spectacular sweeping staircase, the restaurant is accented by original works by Henri Matisse and a one-of-a-kind glass sculpture by Fernand Leger.
    Pigalle, New York City
  790 Eighth Ave. - (48th Street) - New York, NY           
Gastronomically, you are in an area where goose and duck dominate, often cooked over wood smoke, where fresh river salmon and trout grace the tables of the open air café culture. Dishes from South West France that make use of ingredients which the region has in abundance, such as wild mushrooms, truffles, duck, foie gras, walnuts, chestnuts, hams, cheeses and wines and armagnac. These delicious meals are complemented by a wide range of excellent wines, from the famous Bordeaux reds to the less celebrated wines such as Côtes de Duras from the Lot et Garonne or from the vineyards around Cahors and Gaillac. If all this sounds too good to be missed head to Pigalle and head for dishes such as "Cassoulet" and "Duck Confit.
    The River Cafe, New York City
  1 Water Street - (under the Brooklyn Bridge) - Brooklyn, NY            
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What began as the singular vision of Mr. O’Keeffe for an elegant waterfront restaurant took many years of lengthy negotiation with The City of New York before permission was granted to start construction. At the time, the notion of building a restaurant amid what was such an isolated and neglected part of New York seemed like a great risk. Since opening in May of 1977, however, The River Café has been the recipient of numerous awards including selection as one of the five best restaurants in New York by the French culinary guide “Gault Millau”. The restaurant will forever hold the distinction of being at the forefront of what has become the re-birth of the Brooklyn waterfront.
    Austin's Steakhouse, New York City
  8915 5th Ave - Brooklyn, NY           
Brooklyn's premier eclectic fine dining steakhouse, specializes in classic hearty fare of generous USDA Prime 21 day aged beef as well as fish, lobster, veal chops, lamb chops, pork chops, chicken and a 42 ounce porterhouse which is the house specialty for two people. The Menu is complemented by a wine list of 130 selections from California, Italy and Australia. We are "Professionals serving Professionals" with a commitment to excellence.
    Water Club, The, New York City
  East River - Between 28th and 32nd Street - New York, NY            
The Water Club serves wonderful classic American cuisine in a beautiful waterside setting against sweeping river views. The restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, lunch Tuesday through Saturday and an exceptional brunch on Sunday. A seasonal rooftop bar, The Crow’s Nest, sits atop the main dining room and features a moderately priced menu and refreshing drinks from mid-May through late September. The Water Club also has three private party rooms, a lounge with a wood burning fireplace, and piano music nightly in the dining room. The restaurant has complimentary valet parking in the private lot and the first floor is handicapped accessible.
    Ocean Grill, New York City
  384 Columbus Avenue - New York, NY           
Directly across from the Museum of Natural History, Ocean Grill has been exciting Upper West Side seafood lovers for many years. Sample our titanic daily selection of oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp and lobster cocktails and our new sushi menu. Rest your sea legs in our candle-lit bar lounge. Enjoy one of our featured wines or specialty cocktails such as the Passion Fruit Cosmo along with a Crunchy Calamari, Avocado and Spicy Tuna Roll or the Salmon and Tuna Tartare with Avocado, Lemon-Ginger and a Sesame Crisp.
    Le Colonial, New York City
  149 East 57th Street - (3rd-Lexington Aves.) - New York, NY           
NYC's noted upscale Vietnamese restaurant. Beauty, romance and spirit of French colonial Southeast.
    Blue Hill Restaurant, New York City
  75 Washington Place - New York, NY           
Blue Hill restaurant opened at the end of April 2000. Blue Hill is dedicated to creating a new category of neighborhood restaurant that maintains the classic attributes of warmth and affordability, while delivering superior food and service.
    Ruth's Chris Steak House, New York City
  148 West 51st Street - New York, NY           
What to expect at Ruth's Chris Steak House? First and foremost, an enthusiastic welcome. Then, the distinctive sizzle of tender, custom-aged U.S. prime beef, broiled to a turn and presented at your table with a flourish. You can expect to take your time and be perfectly pampered. After an unforgettable Ruth's Chris experience, the word "sizzle" will take on a new and delectable meaning.
    Riverview Restaurant, New York City
  2-01 50th Avenue - Long Island City, NY           
Riverview Restaurant commands the most spectacular views of New York City's skyline. Directly facing the United Nation with Citicorp Center, Trumps International Hotel and the Queensboro Bridge to the north and the Chrysler and Empire State Building to the south, Riverview is unmistakably, " A Room with a View".
    Le Perigord, New York City
  405 East 52nd Street - (1st Ave.) - New York, NY           
Le Périgord's fine appetizer display has lost none of its zip. A splendid plateful holds tangy terrines, various fish and shellfish and small salads--almost a meal.
The new kitchen team is as consistent as a Swiss watch, deft in meats as in seafood, and quickly developing a new dessert identity with pastry chef Serge Decrauzat. His light but lingering fruit-based specials augment Le Périgord's familiar and friendly trolley of tarts, mousses and floating islands. - Crain's New York