La Tête d’Or by Daniel is a tribute to timeless flavors and traditions with infusion of French flavors. What attracted me with this restaurant was that chef Daniel Boulud has a pretty decent track record of delivering good refined flavors. We went to Le Gratin previously, and we were very impressed by the taste of everything. As usual because he also holds some type of celebrity status, this restaurant is located in a posh area very close to Eleven Madison. I was able to book a reservation about a week out for 5:30 PM on a Friday night.

Raon is a new Korean tasting restaurant from Chef Soogil Lim and his wife, Sasook Youn. Their other restaurant, Soogil, is located in the East Village, and they’ve wanted to open a more intimate fine dining type of restaurant. One of the key features that attracted me to this was that they would a tasting menu centered around kimchi. When we went to Meju, we simply adored it. So we wanted to see how this would compare because both restaurants emphasize that kimchi is a key part of the experience. I was able to book a 5:00 PM reservation for a Saturday without much issue. I’m assuming it’s because the restaurant is still fairly new. The restaurant is very close to the N/W train off of Lexington and Bloomingdales.

Roscioli has been on my list for a while since the original location of this restaurant is in Rome. This New York City alternative offers a pasta tasting menu, which looked quite interesting and affordable. I was able to book a reservation about a few weeks out for a 6 PM dinner. Keep in mind that the tasting is located downstairs, whereas the normal restaurant is located street level.

Smithereens opened pretty recently in last November, and is from chef Nick Tamburo (Claud) and beverage director Nikita Malhotra (Momofuku Ko). This is a New England-style restaurant focused on fresh seafood and some different types of cocktails. Their wine list is pretty extensive, and they also have some pretty interesting glasses of white wines as well. I was able to book a reservation for 5:30 PM for 2 on a Friday evening about a week in advance. The restaurant is located in the East Village off 9th Ave, and it’s located in half floor basement of a building.

We had won another theater tickets for this Sunday, so we looked for a place nearby. My partner desired Peruvian food again, specifically lomo saltado. The best lomo saltado place we’ve ever had was actually Mario’s in Los Angeles, and we’ve been struggling to find a comparable place, especially in New York City. We walked in on a late Sunday afternoon without issues, and we were seated promptly. Looking over the menu, they had your typical Peruvian options.

Cafe Zaffri has been opened for just a week and are going through an early preview of their menu. The executive Chef Mary Attea heads the menu by tapping into her Lebanese roots and incorporating Levantine flavors into a modern menu. Along with the Chef, owners Jennifer and Nicole Vitagliano also came from The Musket Room. We were able to make a reservation for Valentine’s Day at 5:30 PM just a few days before because it hasn’t yet been fully discovered by the populous.

We had a show this evening, and this “crab house” just recently opened in Manhattan. This originated from a Flushing stall, and their specialty is crab roe over rice or noodle. We were able to walk in on a Saturday evening without reservations. The social media circuit really raved about this dish by showing off the roe, so we decided to try it. I figured there was no need to make reservations since Manhattan Midtown Chinese restaurants are usually pretty easy to get into.

Danji is Chef Hooni Kim’s first restaurant that opened 15 years ago. It earned a Michelin Star back in 2012 and closed in April 2023 due to a fire. We’ve been to the Chef’s other Michelin Star restaurant, Meju, which was phenomenal for what it was. We decided to check out this to see how it was, so I made a reservation pretty easily a week prior for 5:30 PM for a Friday.

Hawksmoor is a London restaurant that has a few other locations in the U.S. This is the first New York City location. In the UK, Hawksmoor is known for its food integrity, drinks, and visually appealing dining areas. They claim they have found the perfect way to cook steaks. One of the biggest appeals for me was they have a “Sunday Roast”, which is supposed to be a heavy Sunday meal. I had to make a reservation for this restaurant a few weeks in advance since the Sunday roast was only served on Sundays in the early-mid afternoons.

Zimmi’s is a new little French restaurant that recently just opened in the West Village. Its menu comes from chef Maxime Pradié, who draws influences from homestyle Southern French cooking. I looked on Resy, and I was able to get a reservation for 2 at 5:15 PM on a Friday evening. When I arrived, it really resonated the classic West Village restaurant, where the word “quaint” and “rustic” are often used together to describe the ambiance and food.