"The best restaurants in New York are not the places that cater to foodie tourists and billionaire gastronomes - not necessarily and certainly not exclusively. They're the ones that balance quality, utility, and ambience in a way that makes them places to go once or go often with an acknowledgment that sometimes it's your anniversary and you need to ball out, and sometimes it's just another Wednesday."
"These are places that insist upon culinary excellence, but not at the expense of diminishing the scene. They respect, admire, and exalt the work of the chef without trapping diners in the stultifying thrall of a "vision." They are restaurants where someone can actually, usually, get in (which is why some otherwise-excellent places, love them as I may, are not present here). These aren't museums or mausoleums. They have a real attachment to the diner; they're doing everything for you."
The list selects restaurants that balance quality, utility, and ambience, making them suitable for special occasions and ordinary weeknights. Restaurants prioritize culinary excellence while avoiding restrictive chef-driven 'visions' that alienate diners. Accessibility and the realistic ability to obtain a table are key criteria, excluding otherwise excellent but inaccessible spots. The recommended places respect and exalt the chef's work without diminishing the broader dining scene. Practicality and service matter: these venues function as welcoming, not museum-like, establishments with a real attachment to the diner. New openings are evaluated separately and may be added after sustained performance.
Read at Grub Street
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