NYC Restaurant Week Top Picks and $10 Off with Mastercard

NYC Restaurant Week 2020 from January 21-February 9 Will Offer $10 Off Each $65 Check to Registered Mastercard Holders.

Go to the NYC Restaurant Week Mastercard Registration Page to register your card, and be sure to pay with the card you registered. Note that only transactions of $65 or more in a single transaction made at one of the participating NYCRW restaurants between January 21-February 9, 2020 will qualify, and only one statement credit may be received per meal. You don't have to order from the Restaurant Week menu however; you could order from the regular menu, or even a meal where there's no Restaurant Week menu offered, as long as it's a Restaurant Week participating restaurant and your card is charged at least $65 in a single transaction between 1/21/20-2/9/20.

Participating restaurants are offering a 2 course lunch for $26 and/or $42 for a 3 course dinner. While not inexpensive, particularly for dinner, it can represent decent value at some of the more acclaimed restaurant participants. Here are our picks for where to go for NYC Restaurant Week 2020. Note that most restaurants that are part of Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group are non-tipping, hence the amount is $31 for lunch and $50 for dinner, as this includes tip.

1. The Bar Room at the Modern ($31 Restaurant Week lunch and Sunday brunch, $50 Restaurant Week dinner, since tip is included)

The Bar Room at the Modern is the more informal sister restaurant to the 2-Michelin star The Modern.

Appetizers

Baby gem lettuce, puffed grains & dill dressing
Shaved brussels sprouts, green apples, & pecorino romano
Soup & Sandwich: tomato & mozzarella grilled cheese

Mains

Butternut squash polenta, maitake mushrooms & a poached egg
Charred black bass, caramelized sunchokes & shaved fennel
Herb stuffed chicken, celery root remoulade & Meyer lemon

Desserts

Pavlova, Mascarpone cream & roasted chestnut
Chocolate decadence cake, creme fraiche & vanilla ice cream

2. Riverpark by Tom Colicchio ($26 Restaurant Week lunch weekdays, $42 Restaurant Week dinner except Saturday)

Riverpark tends to have more appetizer and main course choices for its Restaurant Week menu than most other NYC restaurants. This also gives you a better sense of the restaurant's offerings, over the only-for-NYC-Restaurant-Week-dishes that many other NYRW restaurants put together. The following is Riverpark's lunch menu for NYC Restaurant Week, although there are a few more options offered for dinner.

Appetizers

East & West Coast oysters, 1/2 dozen, on the half shell ($4 supplement per person)
Roasted butternut squash & apple soup with pepitas, sage and paprika
Maple Brook Farm burratini with spiced pears, radicchio, candied hazelnuts
Baby lettuces and herbs with heirloom radish, roasted cauliflower, baby carrots, lemon vinaigrette

Mains

Zucca with pumpkin ragu, delicata squash, spiced pumpkin seeds, brown butter ricotta, basil
Cavatelli with cauliflower, parmesan, rosemary, bread crumbs
Farrotto with roasted mushrooms, thyme, parmesan
Roasted Branzino with roasted mushrooms, daikon radish, watercress, cashews, brown rice
Roasted Salmon with celery root, apples, trevisano, couscous, spiced pecans
Smoked Brisket with broccoli rabe puree, garlic confit, smashed potatoes, au poivre
Braised Chicken Leg with mustard greens, carrots, spaetzle

2. Cafe Boulud ($26 Restaurant Week lunch weekdays and Sunday brunch; option to add dessert to make it a 3-course meal for $31)

Cafe Boulud, on the UES, is also an excellent choice, with high quality dishes although more limited choices.

Appetizers

Arugula Salad with charred red onion, toasted almonds, whipped ricotta, sherry vinaigrette
Pate de Campagne with whole grain mustard, pickled vegetables
Mushroom Veloute with brioche croutons, madeira cream, watercress

Mains

Passion fruit tart with toasted meringue ice cream
istachio entremet with pistachio cremeaux, raspberry sorbet
Chocolate mousse with rocher, confit hibiscus, red fruit coulis

4. Wild Ink ($26 Restaurant Week lunch weekdays, $42 Restaurant Week dinner weekdays only)

Wild Ink has received mixed reviews since its opening in March 2019, but it generally gets good marks for the views from its window tables, and for its ambition, if not always its execution. It does offer a similar 2 course set lunch menu for $29, not much more than the $26 Restaurant Week price, but the Mastercard statement credit helps as well, for lunch for two.

Appetizers