Lunch Restaurant in NYC?

March 8, 2007 7:16 PM

NYCFilter: Where can I take a group of 8-10 people to lunch in New York City?

Seven of us are on a pleasure trip to the city; the other is an award-winning author who is meeting us for the first time. (We are working on staging one of her books.) So I'd like a place that could seat us all comfortably, allow conversation, and have good-to-great food that's not too trendy. A place that takes reservations would be nice.

posted by ancientgower to food & drink (23 comments total)

Price range?
posted by lalex at 7:20 PM on March 8, 2007

Also, what area? Midtown? Village?
posted by Mach5 at 7:28 PM on March 8, 2007

The good thing about NYC: lots of restaurants.
The downside: lots of restaurants.

You are going to need to be a bit more specific to get good advice. Where in NYC? And, if in Manhattan, where in Manhattan?

Do you want something ethnic? Comfort food? Haute cusine? Something challenging?

...help us help you...
posted by blahblahblah at 7:29 PM on March 8, 2007

I'll take a shot with little information: try Five Points, on Great Jones Street in the East Village / NoLIta area. Great food, ask for the big table in the back under the skylight. Easy to get to, just walk south a few blocks from the Astor Place station on the Lexington Avenue subway.
posted by nicwolff at 7:36 PM on March 8, 2007

Of course you are all right and I should have provided that kind of info to begin with.

Price: Midrange--although what does that mean? Is $30/person (with drinks) reasonable? We could go higher if necessary.

Location: not important as far as I know. Our author has not expressed any preference. Her agent's on the upper East. We'll be staying in the Times Square area. The Village/lower Manhattan would be fine as well.

Cuisine: It's going to be challenging enough remembering to breathe while meeting our famous friend; let's not make the meal part of the challenge. :) Haute cuisine is probably out of our price range. I don't want to close us off to something fun, though.

Is that less vague enough?
posted by ancientgower at 7:40 PM on March 8, 2007

I have a possibility: though the food isn't stellar (its simply good), the view and location are wonderful, and it would match your literary theme and price range, if you had lunch at the Bryant Park Grill, in the back of the Public Library overlooking the Park.

I also happen to love Lupa (one of Mario Batali's first restaurants), wonderful Italian food in the village, for lunch.
posted by blahblahblah at 7:56 PM on March 8, 2007

Lupa's an excellent recommendation! Definitely make a reservation, it's very popular.
posted by nicwolff at 8:16 PM on March 8, 2007

Go to Aquagrill.
posted by nj_subgenius at 8:21 PM on March 8, 2007

I'd aim for quiet over almost everything else. It would be a horrid shame to see such an opportunity lessened by the presence of noisy neighbors, or a generally loud room.

I'd book a private dining room someplace, so that everybody can enjoy the conversation, instead of just the two or three people who happen to be nearest.
posted by PEAK OIL at 8:35 PM on March 8, 2007

(oh, and if it was really my favorite author, I'd bump the price above $30. not to get better food, but to get a restaurant with more leisurely service, and no pressure to get you to clear the table.)
posted by PEAK OIL at 8:48 PM on March 8, 2007

Try Rodeo Bar (3rd and 27th) if you are up for southwestern food. Good prices and great food. Also, its VERY quiet anytime before happy hour, so lunch should be easy - I don't know if they take reservations, but I've never had to even wait for a table (even with a group).
posted by blaneyphoto at 8:53 PM on March 8, 2007

Is that less vague enough?

Well... not really. But if you want to go somewhere in the vicinity of Times Square, Zuni is nicer than the average tourist trap you'll find around there. Also, I'll second Five Points.

But there are just so many good restaurants fitting your criteria--following up on what PEAK OIL said, I would call some places and see if they can give you a big round table as opposed to a long table where it's hard to hold a full-table conversation, and read some reviews online to try to get an idea of the noise level.
posted by staggernation at 8:58 PM on March 8, 2007

Aquagrill is fantastic, although the menu is limited to seafood and possibly more expensive than you'd like. Worth every single penny, though.

I'll suggest Danal for its market-fresh menu and overall coziness.
posted by lalex at 9:04 PM on March 8, 2007

Pizzeria Otto has a group dining program for groups of 12 or more starting at $40 a head, and I am sure they could accomodate a smaller group as I saw groups of 8-10 dining there on my visit. The food is great. It's in Greenwich Village, right next to Washington Square Park. The gelato is to die for.
posted by padraigin at 9:27 PM on March 8, 2007

My absolute favorite place to bring out-of-town friends for lunch is Eleven Madison Park. The food is fancy without being fussy, no pretension, and the wait-staff personify hospitality. I have always been made to feel completely welcome.

I believe they have a prix-fixe lunch for $36, before tax, tip, and beverages.
posted by Samantha at 9:34 PM on March 8, 2007

I've never been there, but lunch in the Round Table Room at the Algonquin (in Midtown), is certainly writerly.
posted by xo at 10:13 PM on March 8, 2007

Try Korean food on 32nd St btwn Broadway and Fifth. I suggest a restaurant called Kum Gang San (it has a waterfall). Order the special kalbi, 1 order per 1.5 persons.
posted by paulinsanjuan at 12:33 AM on March 9, 2007

Thanks, everyone! My problem was that there are too many wonderful restaurants in Manhattan. Y'all have given me a list to start combing through, and that's what I needed, a place to start.
posted by ancientgower at 3:46 AM on March 9, 2007

There was an article in the NYTimes this week about Colors, a place started by the staff of Windows on the World, the restaurant that was on the top of the World Trade Center. I noted it not only because it'd be nice to help these people out, but also (me! me! me!) because it seems like a good place to go with a crowd and get a table-- not always the easiest prospect in NYC. It's near the Public Theater on Lafayette, so a positive theater vibe may bless the meal. See if they're open for lunch.
posted by eve harrington at 6:31 AM on March 9, 2007

Is Katz's Deli too casual? I'm thinking fun, casual, great food, and the place itself is a good topic of conversation.
posted by SampleSize at 8:37 AM on March 9, 2007

Hmm, I wouldn't recommend Katz's for this. The process of ordering and receiving your food (deli-style) is not only a little intimidating if you haven't done it before, but (for 8-10 people) time-consuming, when you probably want to maximize the time you spend sitting down with your guest.
posted by staggernation at 9:00 AM on March 9, 2007

In addition to my suggestions, above, some thoughts on some of the other ideas, YMMV:

Skip Katz's - too loud, too rushed, too messy. But grab some pastrami there late night if you are still in the city. And a knish from Yona Shimmels. And a pickle from Russ and Daughters.

The Round Table Room is pretty, but, if I remember correctly, relatively expensive, and the food wasn't very good. It may have a new chef, however.

Eleven Madison Park (or any Danny Meyer restaurant, like Union Square Cafe) is an excellent choice, but they can be a bit pricey, though the food, atmosphere, and service are wonderful. You can't go wrong with them, if the price is right.

Bluewater Grill in Union Square is also a very nice restaurant, specializing in seafood, and is reasonable, and quite elegant. It used to be my favorite first date location, back in the day.
posted by blahblahblah at 9:25 AM on March 9, 2007

I'm partial to Bond 45, and just had lunch there yesterday. It's totally misleading from outside which looks like a weird diner, but inside it's a lush northern italian / french-inspired restaurant. The Theater district has some real dogs of restaurants, but I love this place and often bring clients there.
posted by eatdonuts at 10:12 AM on March 9, 2007