NYC Summer Restaurant Week 2014: Where to Go

NYC Restaurant Week for Summer 2014 is July 21 – August 15 (3 weeks). A 3-course lunch is $25, and 3-course dinner is $38. You can register your AMEX card to get $5 off each time you dine and spend $25 or more, so if you and your spouse or dining partner each register your American Express card and split the bill, so you can get $10 off for the two of you for each Restaurant Week meal (or even for a la carte items, as long as you spend at least $25 each at a participating Restaurant Week restaurant).

AMEX NYC Restaurant Week Credit Details:

Corporate and prepaid AMEX cards not eligible

Use the registered card for a dining purchase of $25 or more at any of the participating NYC Restaurant Week restaurants July 21 – August 15, 2014

Statement credit will appear on your billing statement within 90 days after the offer end date

Register AMEX Card for NYC Restaurant Week

As usual, most of the best NYC restaurants don't participate in Restaurant Week. I was recently speaking with relatives in Florida who sometimes in past years timed their NYC visits to coincide with NYC Restaurant Week, and they seemed surprised when I told them it's really not worth it, since the very best NYC has to offer foodies is *not* served during Restaurant Week. I also recommend a weekday lunch over dinner, since in my view $38 can get a great dinner at many places that don't participate in NYC Restaurant Week, vs. the mediocre food served at many of the places that do participate in NYC Restaurant Week.

If you do want to sample some of the best high end food in NYC, I recommend saving up for Eleven Madison Park and Bouley. For a more moderately priced meal, albeit without a reservation, try Gramercy Tavern (the Tavern part of the restaurant, not the Dining Room) or book The Clam for great seafood in Tribeca. And for some great inexpensive ethnic eats, try Som Tum Der for Isan / Northern Thai food; Oda House for khachapuri and Georgian cuisine; Tsushima for Japanese; Oriental Garden for dim sum; Ninh Kieu for Vietnamese; and Num Pang for Cambodian banh mi sandwiches.

That said, here are my top picks and recommendations on where to go for NYC Restaurant Week and what to order:

1. Dovetail (Weekday Lunch)

I really enjoyed my Restaurant Week lunch at Dovetail during Winter Restaurant Week–service was excellent, the mini cheese cornbreads were so delicious I took a couple home for my husband and the munchkin, and the food was unfussy and delicious, yet beautifully presented. Dovetail isn't normally open for weekday lunch, so this is a great chance to try it before committing to a more pricey dinner.

Dovetail Address: 103 West 77th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus

Appetizer: Sauteed Foie Gras with Huckleberries ($12 supplement) or Steak Tartare

Entree: Barbecued Pork Shoulder with Summer Squash and Cherries or Long Island Hake with Sweet Corn, Turnips and Coconut Nage

Dessert: Chocolate Mille Feuille with Banana and Hazelnuts or Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Ice Cream

Dovetail Restaurant - Foie Gras with Huckleberries

2. Riverpark (Weekday Lunch)

I've been to Riverpark a number of times for Restaurant Week, and it offers some of the most choices for a Restaurant Week menu. This year Riverpark is only participating in weekday lunch, which could make it difficult to get to for some, given its location right on the East River (well, unless you happen to work for one of the pharma companies in the same Alexandria Center building that Riverpark is located in).

Appetizer: East & West Coast Oysters or House-Cured Atlantic Salmon

Entree: Berkshire Pork Loin with Grilled Peaches ($5 supplement) or Long Island Sea Bream or Merluza

Dessert: Basil Cream Puff with Strawberry Sorbet or Peach-Blueberry Cobbler with Lemon Verbena Ice Cream

NYC Summer Restaurant Week 2014-Where to Go - Riverpark

3. Nobu (Weekday Lunch)

Nobu is a favorite for Restaurant Week, so at this point it may not be possible to get a lunch reservation, but check for cancellations. If you can't get in or are looking for a midtown Japanese restaurant, try Tsushima, which recently relocated to 210 East 44th Street.

Nobu Address: 105 Hudson Street

Appetizer: Black Cod Miso or Fresh Softshell Crab with Roasted Beet Salad

Entree: Assorted Sushi

Dessert: (not specified)

Nobu Black Cod Miso, NYC Restaurant Week

4. Maialino (Weekday Lunch)

Maialino offers two Restaurant Week lunch menus–one at the Restaurant Week price of $25, and a higher priced one for $35. Of course, if you're set on having the Malfatti (braised suckling pig) you'll need to plump for the more expensive $35 menu. If you're with a dining companion, one of you might want to try the $25 menu and the other the $35 menu and share and compare notes. My recommendations below are for the $25 menu. Even if you don't come here for Restaurant Week, Maialino is a great spot for an espresso and dessert–the desserts here are very strong.

Maialino Address: Gramercy Park Hotel, at 2 Lexington Avenue

Appetizer: Trippa alla Trasteverina (Spicy Tripe & Pecorino) or Zuppa Fredda (Chilled Corn Soup & Cherry Tomatoes)

Entree: Saltimbocca di Pollo (Chicken Leg Cutlet, Sage, Prosciutto) or Brodetto (Seafood Stew)

Dessert: Torta di Cioccolato (Chocolate Cake & Sour Cherries) or Torta di Olio d'Oliva (Olive Oil Cake & Vanilla Bean Mascarpone)

NYC Restaurant Week - Maialino Torta di Cioccolato

5. Fulton (Weekday Lunch)

Fulton Restaurant is owned by the same owners as Citarella, the upscale Manhattan grocer known for its fresh fish, so seafood is the way to go here. While a bit of a sleeper, Fulton is one of the better spots on the Upper East Side, an area of NYC not exactly known for its culinary prowess.

Fulton Address: 205 East 75th Street at 3rd Avenue

Appetizer: Grilled Octopus with Potato, Chermoula and Cured Lemon

Entree: Skate Wing with Chick Pea Puree and Roasted Vegetables

Dessert: Tiramisu