New York Dining

We usually spend a week in New York during US Open in September every year (my husband is a tennis freak). Going to New York there's a myriad of fantastic restaurant to try. It's hard to decide which ones to go to when there are only so many nights before you have to leave again.
This year we arrived a night earlier than planned and asked the concierge at our hotel (Ritz Carlton for the first night) to suggest a casual but great place. He got us a table just around the corner at Quality Meats. Great decor with a mix of contemporary and old butcher shop. The Green Goddess salad made a great start, fresh and light. We both choose the Filet for the main course and had Corn Creme Brulee with that. All very delicious. For desert a decandent Chocolate Hazelnut Tart. Highly recommended with great food and ambiance! www.qualitymeatsnyc.com
The second night we went to the signature restaurant Fives at the hotel we stayed at the rest of the trip, The Peninsula. Good food (the White Asparagus-Morel Risotto with Poached Egg and Sweet Pea Foam was the highlight of the meal) and service but nothing memorable.
The night after we went to BLT Steak, www.bltsteak.com. Dinner started of with a delicious pop over, still warm from the oven. Then we had Tuna Tartar, Chopped Vegetable Salad, Rib Eye, Braised Short Rib in a red wine sauce, Sauteed Mushrooms and Corn Souffle. All very tasty and definitely a place to return to. We had a outrageously good wine with all of this. The 2002 Merus. Rated 95 by Robert Parker and 96 by Wine Spectator this wine is a fruit power house. This was not the first time I had this wine and certainly not the last. This is the best wine out there right now in it's price range. Find it at www.wine-searcher.com from $194. Not an inexpensive bottle but worth every penny.
After dinner we went for a drink at David Burke and Donatella, www.dbdrestaurant.com, one of our favorite restaurants from last years trip. We did not intend to return for dinner this year because we have the policy that we need to try new places every year. But after a drink with the manager we were convinced we needed to come back the next night, and I am glad we did. This was by far the best dining experience we've had in New York and even better than last years dinner there. We started of with a nice little salad and a fantastic asparagus risotto. After that my husband had a fantastic Rib Eye, perfectly done and juicy with tons of flavor. I had THE best dish I have ever had, period. An amazing dish of home made pasta in a wild mushroom cream sauce, topped with a pile of the most tender, flavorful short rib. Heaven on a plate! Bravo David! Although we were stuffed after this, there was of course still room to share a molten chocolate cake. Yummy.
On the way out we stopped to thank the manager when David Burkes cookbook caught my eye behind him. I got a copy and the manager informed us that David Burke himself was sitting right behind us, in the bar. We got introduced and to my thrill he signed my new book. He invited us to sit down for an after dinner drink and we had a great time with him and his friends. After this we all headed to the next door bar Lollipop, where you get a lollipop with your drink, and danced the night away. In all an amazing night for a foodie like me with excellent food and the privilege to meet and spend time with a genius chef, David Burke.
The last night we went to The Modern, a restaurant with a sleek, contemporary design. The food followed that theme as well, small plates, artisticly pleasing to the eye. We had a great meal (I loved my chorizo crusted cod) and highly recommend it. www.themodernnyc.com
Four pounds heavier we left a couple of days later after a fantastic food and tennis week.
I am already starting to plan where to go next year...