Per Frommer's (from msnbc.com)
Best Italian: Beppe, 45 E. 22nd St. (tel. 212/982-8422). Restaurant critics don't give Beppe enough credit, but the mobs that pour into the place nightly know better. This is as close to true Tuscan cuisine as you'll find outside of the Italy region.
Best Jewish Deli: Katz's Delicatessen, 205 E. Houston St. (tel. 212/254-2246). This is the choice among those who know their kreplach, knishes, and pastrami. No cutesy sandwiches named for celebrities here -- just top-notch Jewish classics.
Best Burger: Burger Joint, at Le Parker Meridien hotel, 118 W. 57th St. (tel. 212/708-7460). Who woulda thunk that a fancy hotel like Le Parker Meridien would be the home to a "joint" that serves great burgers at great prices?
Best Decadent Burger: db Bistro Moderne, 55 W. 44th St. (tel. 212/391-2400). Daniel Boulud's creation is made with braised short ribs, foie gras, preserved black truffles, and minced sirloin and goes for a whopping $29.
Best Pizza: Patsy's Pizzeria, 2287 First Ave. (tel. 212/534-9783). This great East Harlem pizzeria has been cranking out coal-oven pizza since 1932. You can also order by the slice here, but only do so if the pie is fresh out of the oven.
Best Seafood: Oceana, 55 E. 54th St. (tel. 212/759-5941). You won't believe what chef Cornelius Gallagher can do with fish. His culinary creations look so good on the plate that they are worthy of museum status. What's really remarkable is that the food tastes as good as it looks.
Best Steak: Strip House, 13 E. 12th St. (tel. 212/328-0000). Forget the cute play on words and the dizzying number of photos and artwork of old strippers and burlesque performers on the walls and concentrate on the red meat in front of you. Believe me, after a few bites, strippers and burlesque will be the last thing on your mind.
Best for Families: Virgil's Real BBQ, 152 W. 44th St. (tel. 212/921-9494). Located in kid-friendly Times Square, Virgil's, in a sense, is a theme restaurant, the theme being barbecue, but they do an excellent job smoking their meats. It's loud, colorful, and has great options for the children.
Best Cheap Meal: Gray's Papaya, 2090 Broadway (tel. 212/799-0243). Though the $2.45 "recession special" -- two hot dogs and a fruit drink -- is almost a $1 increase from the previous recession, it's still a bargain. But is it any good? Witness the lines out the door every day for lunch.
Best Ice Cream: Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, Fulton Ferry Landing Pier, Brooklyn (tel. 718/246-3963). The perfect reward after a brisk walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Rich homemade ice cream with a view of the Manhattan skyline, a tough combination to beat.
Best Bagel: Absolute Bagels, 2788 Broadway (tel. 212/932-2105). They're not huge like some bagels these days, but they are always hot and cooked to perfection.
Best Soul Food: Charles' Southern Style Kitchen, 2841 Eighth Ave. (tel. 877/813-2920 or 212/926-4313). Not only is this tiny Harlem restaurant the best soul food in the city, it's also the best buffet. For $9.95 on weekdays and $12 on weekends, the down-home offerings will tempt you to make an obscene amount of visits to the buffet line.
Best Restaurant Restroom: Sapa, 43 W. 24th St. (tel. 212/929-1800). You can tell a lot about a restaurant by its restrooms and Sapa's, with its bubbling pool, candles, and Chinese screens, are so immaculate and beautifully designed you might want to linger a little longer than you should. But then the very good grub prepared by chef Patricia Yeo might get cold and you wouldn't want that.
For a complete listing of Frommer's-reviewed restaurants, visit our online dining index.
Frommer’s is America’s bestselling travel guide series. Visit Frommers.com to find great deals, get information on over 3,500 destinations, and book your trip. © 2006 Wiley Publishing, Inc. Republication or redistribution of Frommer's content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Wiley.
Best Italian: Beppe, 45 E. 22nd St. (tel. 212/982-8422). Restaurant critics don't give Beppe enough credit, but the mobs that pour into the place nightly know better. This is as close to true Tuscan cuisine as you'll find outside of the Italy region.
Best Jewish Deli: Katz's Delicatessen, 205 E. Houston St. (tel. 212/254-2246). This is the choice among those who know their kreplach, knishes, and pastrami. No cutesy sandwiches named for celebrities here -- just top-notch Jewish classics.
Best Burger: Burger Joint, at Le Parker Meridien hotel, 118 W. 57th St. (tel. 212/708-7460). Who woulda thunk that a fancy hotel like Le Parker Meridien would be the home to a "joint" that serves great burgers at great prices?
Best Decadent Burger: db Bistro Moderne, 55 W. 44th St. (tel. 212/391-2400). Daniel Boulud's creation is made with braised short ribs, foie gras, preserved black truffles, and minced sirloin and goes for a whopping $29.
Best Pizza: Patsy's Pizzeria, 2287 First Ave. (tel. 212/534-9783). This great East Harlem pizzeria has been cranking out coal-oven pizza since 1932. You can also order by the slice here, but only do so if the pie is fresh out of the oven.
Best Seafood: Oceana, 55 E. 54th St. (tel. 212/759-5941). You won't believe what chef Cornelius Gallagher can do with fish. His culinary creations look so good on the plate that they are worthy of museum status. What's really remarkable is that the food tastes as good as it looks.
Best Steak: Strip House, 13 E. 12th St. (tel. 212/328-0000). Forget the cute play on words and the dizzying number of photos and artwork of old strippers and burlesque performers on the walls and concentrate on the red meat in front of you. Believe me, after a few bites, strippers and burlesque will be the last thing on your mind.
Best for Families: Virgil's Real BBQ, 152 W. 44th St. (tel. 212/921-9494). Located in kid-friendly Times Square, Virgil's, in a sense, is a theme restaurant, the theme being barbecue, but they do an excellent job smoking their meats. It's loud, colorful, and has great options for the children.
Best Cheap Meal: Gray's Papaya, 2090 Broadway (tel. 212/799-0243). Though the $2.45 "recession special" -- two hot dogs and a fruit drink -- is almost a $1 increase from the previous recession, it's still a bargain. But is it any good? Witness the lines out the door every day for lunch.
Best Ice Cream: Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, Fulton Ferry Landing Pier, Brooklyn (tel. 718/246-3963). The perfect reward after a brisk walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Rich homemade ice cream with a view of the Manhattan skyline, a tough combination to beat.
Best Bagel: Absolute Bagels, 2788 Broadway (tel. 212/932-2105). They're not huge like some bagels these days, but they are always hot and cooked to perfection.
Best Soul Food: Charles' Southern Style Kitchen, 2841 Eighth Ave. (tel. 877/813-2920 or 212/926-4313). Not only is this tiny Harlem restaurant the best soul food in the city, it's also the best buffet. For $9.95 on weekdays and $12 on weekends, the down-home offerings will tempt you to make an obscene amount of visits to the buffet line.
Best Restaurant Restroom: Sapa, 43 W. 24th St. (tel. 212/929-1800). You can tell a lot about a restaurant by its restrooms and Sapa's, with its bubbling pool, candles, and Chinese screens, are so immaculate and beautifully designed you might want to linger a little longer than you should. But then the very good grub prepared by chef Patricia Yeo might get cold and you wouldn't want that.
For a complete listing of Frommer's-reviewed restaurants, visit our online dining index.
Frommer’s is America’s bestselling travel guide series. Visit Frommers.com to find great deals, get information on over 3,500 destinations, and book your trip. © 2006 Wiley Publishing, Inc. Republication or redistribution of Frommer's content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Wiley.