How good are Upper West Side restaurants? Good, abundant, and public-spirited enough to support a three-evening annual food festival, New Taste of the Upper West Side, which opened with a soirée Wednesday night at the Museum of Natural History.
Run by the Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District, New Taste is also a fundraiser—the soirée donates its proceeds to Theodore Roosevelt Park and the three evenings support the BID’s sustainable landscaping of West Side streets, as well as Wellness in the Schools, Greenhouse Classroom, and CityMeals-on-Wheels. Participating restaurants and chefs donate their time, food, wine, cocktails, and beverages.
Here, we’ve highlighted of a few of our local restaurants and chefs participating in New Taste of the Upper West Side, starting at the BID’s southern boundary, Columbus Circle.
Time Warner Center
Despite the New York love of eating on the street, Time Warner’s restaurants (which it likes to call its Restaurant and Bar Collection) have become among the most popular in the city. Only two participate in New Taste, but they are two of the best: Landmarc (3rd floor) and Porter House New York (4th floor).
1. Landmarc
Landmarc’s chef and owner, Marc Murphy, who is a judge on Food Network’s Chopped, will host Saturday’s Best of the West, guaranteeing amusing commentary as well as good food. Landmarc’s menu is French-tinged (Murphy has dual-citizenship with France) with a well-priced wine list and fun offerings like goat-cheese profiteroles, sweetbreads, roasted marrow bones, and adorable tiny ice cream cones for dessert. Landmarc is welcoming to everyone—from exhausted shoppers to little kids, who are nicely treated and given cotton candy as an entertainment.
Landmarc, 10 Columbus Circle, 3rd floor, 212-823-6123; 7:00 AM-2:00 AM daily
2. Porter House New York
Porter House New York has an updated, clubby Mad-Men feel—huge, fabulous steaks cooked to perfection, just as Roger Sterling would expect. It seems churlish not to order martinis, and many people do. The crowd is not as hard-drinking as in the old Madison Avenue days, but this is a place to enjoy excellent wine and cocktails, while staring out at Central Park in all its glory. Almost every table has a skyline view, says Chef Michael Lomonaco. He says his intent is to host a classic New York restaurant that takes care of its guests, and that is still here in twenty years.
Porter House New York, 10 Columbus Circle, 4th floor, 212-823-9500; 11:30 AM-10:00 PM Sun-Wed; 11:30 AM-11:00 PM Thurs-Sat
Lincoln Center
You can’t really go wrong with any of the Boulud restaurants, a restaurant group (now called Dinex) that was born on the Upper East but has long been happily ensconced on the Upper West. Daniel Boulud is a pro who knows good food and whose people understand how to be gracious.
3. Boulud Sud
Boulud Sud itself is expensive, beautifully turned out and serene like a grande dame. Yet even the ways around the high expense are expensive. The pre-theatre prix fixe, a three-course dinner served from 5:00-7:00 PM Monday through Saturday, is $60. The tapas menu, served at the Bar & Lounge from 3:00 PM, is $6 each or 5 for $24. We recommend trying the tapas to assess whether you want to venture to the main dining room.
Boulud Sud 20 West 64th St (Broadway & Central Park West), 212-595-1313
4. Bar Boulud
Bar Boulud is Café Boulud’s younger, slightly rambunctious sibling. It sits right on Broadway across from Lincoln Center, with all the foot and vehicle traffic that implies. But Bar Boulud serves simple, delicious, nicely presented food at moderate prices. It takes special pride in its “charcuterie case of terrines and patés rarely found outside Paris,” and notes that it has been hailed as a pork mecca since opening in 2008. It features a prix-fixe lunch, three courses at $29, and dinner, three courses at $45.
BarBoulud, 1900 Broadway (63rd & 64th Streets), 212-595-0303
Central Park West-ish
5. Alice’s Tea Cup
You might think (but you would be wrong) that Alice’s Tea Cup (which calls itself NYC’s most whimsical tea house) is too cute to serve superb tea. It turns out that whimsy and superb tea and scones (glorious pumpkin, and excellent buttermilk, apple blueberry, vegan cranberry, ham and cheese) go together. Also great omelets and sandwiches. You can eat in (they give you cookies) or take out. If you get tea to go you’ll see that it’s in a clever double cup that works effectively. They’ve partnered with both Groupon and Living Social to offer take-out tea parties for two, and 6-month memberships at bargain rates.
Alice’s Tea Cup, 102 West 73rd St (Columbus Ave), 212-799-3006; 8:00 AM-8:00 PM, daily
6. Caffè Storico
Caffè Storico, sitting smartly across from the American Museum of Natural History on one side and Central Park on the other, is directly on the path to Shakespeare in the Park. If you (or an elegant companion) don’t feel like picnicking on the lawns, prepare for Shakespeare calmly and historically (stork is Italian for historic). Indeed, the Italian items are best, including ricotta coverlet and gnocchi in a truffle fonduta. Storico has few bargain, but does participate regularly in Restaurant Week.
Caffè Storico, 170 Central Park West (77th St), 212-873-3400; Sat & Sun brunch; 11:00 AM- 10:00 PM daily with some modifications; check web site
7. Calle Ocho
The stunning and stylish Calle Ocho may be a surprise to most West Siders, although it’s been in the neighborhood (first on Columbus Avenue) for sixteen years. Now located in the Excelsior Hotel, which is surrounded by scaffolding, you might pass it without noticing it. Yet it may be the best Latin restaurant in the neighborhood, serving what New York Magazine describes as “flash fires of ceviches and soothing arepas and tamales that the kitchen has devised to enthrall the neighborhood” plus Yucca fries. Mondays are $5 Mojito Madness days.
Calle Ocho, 45 West 81st St, 212-873-5025; Sat & Sun brunch, Mon-Thurs 6:00 PM-10:30 PM, weekends open until 11:30 PM but check web site.
Amsterdam Avenue
To the astonishment of old timers, Amsterdam Avenue has become a stroller’s paradise, with good restaurants much of its length.
8. Jacob’s Pickles
One stand-out favorite that always seems packed is Jacob’s Pickles, where pickles find their way into most dishes. And most of the dishes are, not surprisingly, comfort food. Beer. Biscuits. Pickles. That’s Jacob’s list and it works. Inspired the artisanal craft movement, he starts from scratch and delivers good food, what he calls southern with a twist.
Jacob’s Pickles, 509 Amsterdam (85th St), 212-470-5566; 10:00 AM-2:00 AM daily
Schedule for remaining events of New Taste of the Upper West Side (Please visit web site for complete list of restaurants):
Soirée in the Park
Where: Theodore Roosevelt Park
When: Wednesday, May 27th, 2015 at 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM (Rain Date: Thursday, May 28th, 2015 at 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM)
Cost: $150 per person
Comfort Classics presented by Sysco
Where: Columbus Avenue between West 76th and 77th Streets
When: Friday, May 29th, 2015 at 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Cost: $105 per person or 2 for $185
Best of the West
Where: Columbus Avenue between West 76th and 77th Streets
When: Saturday, May 30th, 2015 at 7:30 PM – 10 PM
Cost: $135 per person or 2 for $250
Best of the West VIP
Where: Columbus Avenue between West 76th and 77th Streets
When: Saturday, May 30th, 2015 at 6:30 PM – 10 PM
Cost: $225 per person
Next, check out our guide to 7 must-try Upper West Side restaurants. Julia Vitullo-Martin is a senior fellow at the Regional Plan Association. You can reach her @JuliaManhattan.