Chef Daniel Humm is a Swiss chef who is most well known for the restaurant Eleven Madison Park. I had visited this restaurant in the mid 2010s, when it served proteins such as duck, clams, and fish on their tasting menus. In 2021, the restaurant converted from an omnivore tasting into a plant-based restaurant, a first of its kind to also receive 3 Michelin Stars for it as well. This was extremely controversial because they were charging high prices for a sole plant-based meal. In October 2025, the restaurant pivoted from a plant-based only menu and offered seafood and animal protein choices for a few of its courses. This shift encouraged me to try this restaurant again to see how it’s evolved. We were able to make a reservation for 2 for 5:30 PM on a Monday evening without any issues in advance.

Four Twenty Five is a contemporary, elevated restaurant from Chef Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. This restaurant was open on Christmas Day, and it was on our list for a while. They offered a tasting menu which mostly resembled items off their normal menu. The day prior, I was very easily able to book reservations without any issues for 2 at 4 PM. We arrived about 15 minutes early, and they had us wait in the bar area while they prepared our table.

The Arden is decently close to the Brooklyn Museum. We were down here with a visiting friend, who really wanted to see the museum. For a Sunday early afternoon, we looked for something that was affordable and not too expensive. Most of the good spots around this area seemed to open closer to the evening, and there were some places I was interested in that were also closed on Sundays for some reason. The Arden would have to do. When we arrived, were seated at the counter top immediately.

One White Street is located in a 19th century townhouse, that was a downtown hangout for John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Much of their produce is source from Rigor Hill Farm, located in the Hudson Valley. They practice sustainability, and much of their menu revolves around showcasing these ingredients. Originally opened in 2021 by chef Austin Johnson, this restaurant has 1 Michelin Star, and reservations are very easy to come by. We booked a pair for 5:30 PM on a Friday evening just a few days in advanced.

Since we’re out in the Tarrytown area, just outside of NYC, we decided to also try out their lunch tray to see how it goes. A few nights ago, we went to a very fantastic, memorable tasting dinner at Blue Hill. For this lunch, we were expecting the ingredients to be very crispy, fresh, and delicious to commemorate everything we learned about the Blue Hill farm experience. I made a reservation for 2 for 1:00 PM on a Sunday without issues a few weeks back. We arrived early, and they accommodated us without issues.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns has been on our hit list for over 4 years now. Every year, my partner attempted to book the reservation online, but they would always be unsuccessful. This year, I decided to take a shot at it, and I scored a June 19th, Thursday, reservation for 5 PM. This restaurant has 2 Michelin Stars, and it is located near Tarrytown in Westchester County. It’s possible to do a train ride up from the city and take an uber, but we opted to make a weekend trip out of it.

Bridges opened in the late fall last year, and is headed by chef Sam Lawrence who came from Estela, which is on our list to hit. Lately, this restaurant has been getting some notoriety for having good food and a good ambiance. It’s a bit difficult to get to since you have to walk a bit from the subway entrance. I was able to book a reservation for 2 for the bar about a few days in advance for 5:45 PM.

Today was another Broadway showing that we had to attend. Our theater district restaurant pool is thinning a bit, so this one was somewhat difficult to locate. It reminds me of a Midtown staple type of restaurant that is very friendly to the theater crowd, and it’s not hard to get in. We were able to walk in on a Saturday evening around 5 PM without any issues.

The View was New York City’s iconic revolving restaurant, bar, and lounge, and recently reopened after a 5-year hiatus. It’s located in the New York Marriott Marquis hotel, and it was recently taken over by the Union Square Hospitality Group (known for places like Gramercy Tavern, Manhatta, and The Modern. Reservations were fairly easy to get, and since I was craving for prime rib, I snagged one just to see how it was like. Previously when this was opened, it was a buffet with not-so-great rated food.

SAGA is a Michelin 2-star restaurant run by the Kent Hospitality Group. The late Chef James Kent received a lot of good reviews for his restaurants, and this one was on my list to try, especially after trying Crown Shy. This restaurant is located in the same landmark Art Deco tower as Crown Shy. Crown Shy is located at the first floor, whereas this one is located on the 63rd floor.