Local eateries made the best of a bad situation back in the cold, cold winter months with an excuse to try out all the first-rate dining rooms with the generous deals found during Restaurant Week: Two- and three-course prix fixe meals ranging from $29 to $39 to $59.
The promotion begins Tuesday, January 18, through Sunday, February 13 and, per NYCGo, the deals run Monday through Friday (not Saturdays) and it’s up to each restaurant whether they honor the rates on Sundays. You can read more details at the Restaurant Week site but for your convenience, the following are the participating restaurants below Chambers Street:
Anassa Taverna (104 North End Avenue)
Bareburger (155 William Street)
Batard (239 West Broadway)
Blue Smoke (255 Vesey Street)
Capital Grille (120 Broadway)
Felice (15 Gold Street)
Front & Wall Street (110 Wall Street)
The Fulton (89 South Street)
Gran Morsi (22 Warren Street)
Industry Kitchen (70 South Street)
La Pizza & La Pasta A Colori (101 Liberty Street)
Mad Dog & Beans (83 Pearl Street)
Malibu Farm (89 South Street)
MarkJoseph Steakhouse (261 Water Street)
Merchants River House (375 South End Avenue)
Morton’s The Steakhouse (136 Washington Street)
Route 66 Smokehouse (46 Stone Street)
Sant Ambroeus (200 Vesey Street)
Schilling (109 Washington Street)
Treadwell Park (301 South End Avenue)
Vino e Grano (101 Liberty Street, Eataly NYC Downtown)
The announcement comes with a list of restrictions and rules intended to prevent further spread of COVID-19. Restaurants will start at 25% capacity. If the citywide infection rate stays low, restaurants can increase their indoor capacity to 50% on November 1.
But if the infection rate goes back up, restaurants may be forced to shut down again.
Still, the announcement is good news for local restaurants. For months, establishments have been pleading with the mayor and governor to release a plan for a return to operating indoors, particularly since the infection rate has remained below 1% for the past month.
The service and hospitality industry has suffered considerably due to COVID-19, and the push for indoor dining was a push for its continued survival. The pandemic has been especially tough on bars and restaurants, an industry that recently employed more than 315,000 New Yorkers but has been operating at a fraction of its usual business since the city reopened. Thousands of establishments, including some of New York’s most storied diners and watering holes, have shuttered for good or shouldered a huge financial burden since the pandemic started.
—All patrons must get their temperature checked at the door
—At least one member of each party must leave contact information for potential contact tracing if an infected person is linked to the establishment
—Service must end at midnight
—No bar service will be allowed; table service only
—Masks must be worn by diners at all times except when seated
—Tables must be 6 feet apart
—Establishments must adhere to enhanced air filtration, ventilation, and purification standards, though specific details on these standards are not yet available
It’s unclear how many bars and restaurants closed so far, but a New York Times report in August said as many as one-third of small businesses may have been lost for good. Expanded outdoor dining, which was introduced in June, is currently slated to last through October — it has been a hit with patrons, and some hope it will get extended indefinitely. Still, industry leaders have complained, the governor’s restrictions and enforcement have been too severe, causing even more financial problems.
If you’re planning to do some indoor dining, remember to wear your mask when talking to your server and tip generously. It’s going to be a long recovery.
After feasting and partying with friends on Christmas Eve, many want to go out for a nice meal on Christmas Day, whether it be prior to opening presents or after. Downtown Manhattan contains some of the best restaurants that’ll give your palette the merriest Christmas ever.
This Downtown New York City staple will be opened on Christmas Day which is such a delight because what better place to be at with your family on this special holiday? Both the Meatpacking and Tribeca locations will offer their brunch menu. Of course, their fluffy pancakes, finger-licking good fried chicken, as well as some holiday goodies such as Swedish pancakes with lingonberry, eggnog pie, and roasted duck cranberry hash will be served from 8 AM to 4 PM.
Photo Credit: Cititournyc.com
73 Gansevoort Street, 212-219-0666 and 120 Hudson Street, 212-219-0666
Strut over to this quaint Michelin-starred East Village restaurant. A one of a kind three-course Christmas menu will be offered and is priced at $82 per person. You’ll have the opportunity to order dishes such as persimmon with scallop, amaranth, calamansi, the “Pig Out” with Berkshire pork and spicy peanut noodles as well as beignets with goat’s milk caramel on Christmas Day!
This steakhouse brought to you by the prominent butchers at Smith & Wollensky and Quality Meats will be opened on Christmas Day and will showcase a Chinese family-style dinner for $48 a person. Come on down and have some Dim Sum, Mott Street “Hot” Chicken, Beef Short Rib Char Siu, some Crab Cake Fried Rice, and so much more.
A fantastic fact about Harold’s is that it’ll be offering an A La Carte menu on Christmas Day. The most amazing part is that there is no need for a hotel reservation to take advantage of this! This special Christmas menu will feature a tortellini stew with squash, kale, and beans, a roast Christmas duck à l’orange, prime rib, Parker House rolls, and a delectable Gingerbread Cake.
This LES hot-spot is offering a prix fixe for $125 a person. The Christmas Day menu will feature dishes such as the Bourguignon, grilled oysters with garlic and parsley, Tuna Tartare, the restaurant’s prestigious Chicken with dijon and chanterelles, Steak Au Poivre with green peppercorns, and so much more. Make it one of the finest Christmases ever by dining at Dirty French!
This Jean-Georges seafood locale is doing it up by offering the typical three-course prix-fixe for $108 per person. This menu is featuring some favorites from the regular menu, such as the Faroe Island salmon, longevity noodles, warm octopus and mozzarella. Seasonal desserts such as the special buche de noel will be offered as well. Of course, you cannot go wrong with some of the best views in the house!
Tom Colicchio does it again this holiday season at Temple Court. Located in The Beekman, Temple Court will offer a three-course prix fixe menu for $125 a person. This glamorous menu will give you the option to choose holiday favorites such as the Waldorf salad, potato gnocchi, and seared foie gras to begin your feast. Main dishes such as the Strip Loing and Duck a l’Orange will be offered. As for dessert, a Honey Custard Tart and Gingerbread Yule Log are two out of the four options that’ll provide you with that sweet ending.
