1) Gramercy Tavern: You can argue the top few food spots in the city but no place makes you feel better from start to finish. Everyone who works there wants to be there and wants you to feel the same. Chances are you’ll tell someone about it after.
2) Otto: On a good night, you float in on quartinos and float out on house grappa. Lardo pizza is provocative comfort. All the joy of your high school pizza hangout with mindblowingly better food, plus you’ll probably catch a view of Mario’s calves coming in or out of the kitchen.
3) Cafe D’Alsace: Food is excellent region-specific (Alsatian) bistro fare. Wine list covers Alsatian style whites (French, German, Austrian) better than most anyone and beer list is best in city for a French restaurant. Still, it’s the feeling that plan and place have perfectly fused, that a huge need has been filled, the gratitude of people (T-shirts and tweed coexist comfortably) tired of taking taxis for Tuesday dinner when the neighborhood could and should have offered so much more. Here it is.
4) Daniel: Of the top French temples (Le Bernardin, Jean-Georges, Ducasse, Daniel) this is the one in which you’re most likely to smile. Yes, they’re all stunning in their ways, but this one makes you feel good, hugged, umami of the body, mouth and soul. Especially wonderful on a quieter night like Sunday.
5) Joe’s Shanghai: Fast, impersonal and crowded, but filled with people getting exactly what they want. Prices are low, servers don’t upsell and a soup dumpling gives more joy per penny and per ounce than most anything.
Gray and Grizzled Food Fan 