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EDITED BY ROBIN
RAISFELD AND ROB PATRONITE
Week of November 12,
2001 |
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thanksgiving restaurant roundup
Thanks for
Being There
For those of us who can barely toast
a Pop-Tart, let alone roast a turkey, New York's restaurants
have always been there. And this Thanksgiving,
downtown's dining-out options are especially — and
surprisingly — tempting. For the first time in its
layer-cake-laden history, TriBeCa's sweet little country
café, Kitchenette, will be serving dinner as well
as sending it out. The Harrison, which defiantly opened
its French doors only a couple weeks ago, is also talking
turkey. And although Le Zinc — which takes pride
in being open from dawn to dusk 365 days — was closed
one day last year, on Thanksgiving, it's making up for
lost time: "We're definitely open," says chef Michael
Sullivan. "We want to do something nice for our neighborhood;
we want to be open even more." The following downtown
restaurants are serving turkey with all the trimmings
(except for the Peking Duck House, which is standing firm
on its choice of poultry). If you need us to draw you
a map, we have.
Home
Perfectly old-fashioned, delectably all-American four-course
$50 prix fixe menu, or $70 with pairing of New York State
wines.
20 Cornelia Street
212-243-9579
Capsouto
Frères
Choose white or dark meat, or both, and discover which
goes better with the featured wine — the brand-new
2001 Beaujolais Nouveau. $21 prix fixe; desserts, $6.50.
451 Washington Street
212-966-4900
The
Screening Room
Overeaters, after the pumpkin cheesecake, need only propel
themselves ten paces for a screening of a film.
$55 prix fixe; $35 for children; movie tickets additional.
54 Varick Street
212-334-2100
The
Harrison
Besides sampling turkey breast with fig stuffing, try
whole roasted branzino, leg of lamb, and ricotta cavatelli
with veal cheeks. $40 prix fixe.
355 Greenwich Street
212-274-9319
Peking Duck House
For nontraditionalists: the house specialty with the customary
pancakes, greens, and plum sauce. Not a free-roaming gobbler
in sight.
28 Mott Street
212-227-1810
The
Odeon
Thanksgiving is for hipsters too. Grab a smoke at the
bar between the butternut-squash soup and the roasted
organic bird. $45 prix fixe.
145 West Broadway
212-233-0507
Le
Zinc
Side-dish heaven. Choose three for the table from a list
of ten, and pass to the left. We're going for the sweet-potato
spoon bread. $38.50 prix fixe.
139 Duane Street
212-513-0001
Kitchenette
Family-style roast-turkey dinner. Worth the trip for the
pies alone. Choose pumpkin, apple, cherry, or pecan. $45
prix fixe.
80 West Broadway
212-267-6740
Fraunces
Tavern
Recently restored historic tavern, as New Englandy and
close to the original Pilgrim feast as you can get without
wearing buckle shoes. $55 prix fixe.
54 Pearl Street
212-968-1776
World
Yacht
For nondysfunctional families only: Once your dining cruise
sets sail for the Brooklyn Bridge, there's no escaping
the in-laws. $67 prix fixe.
Pier 81, West 41st Street
212-630-8100
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object
of desire
Who Knew?
Is there a fugitive from Barney Greengrass
lurking in City Bakery's kitchen? First it was
kippered-salmon sandwiches and a massive bagels-and-lox
display, then mamaligah and farmer cheese; now it's that
old deli standard salami and eggs (pictured), part of
the terrific new weekend brunch menu. Savory chef Ilene
Rosen serves the dish pancake-style (just like the 2nd
Avenue Deli) on an individual pizza pan with a side
of mustard. What were you expecting — Miracle Whip?
City Bakery
3 West 18th Street
212-366-1414
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best
of the week
White Truffle
Festival
Monday, November 12
Fungus alert! San Domenico NY's annual White Truffle Festival
includes a silent auction of the delicacies (plus selected
Barolo wines), and a phalanx of Piedmontese chefs preparing
truffle-rich dinners all week. Proceeds benefit the Twin
Towers Fund.
San Domenico
240 Central Park South
212-265-5959 (call to reserve)
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new york magazine event
City Harvest
Auction
Thursday, November 15
It's the voicemail equivalent of foie gras: A personalized
greeting recorded by Julia Child, and it's up for auction
at City Harvest's Bid
Against Hunger 2001, being co-sponsored this year
by New York. Babbo and Gramercy Tavern are among
the 40-odd restaurants offering tastings at the event,
which will also feature live and silent auctions of Julia's
signature vocal cords, a trip to Monaco, a private gourmet
dinner and more. All will benefit the disaster relief
effort and the city's hungry. 6-9pm. Tickets range from
$150 to $1,000: Call 212-213-3958.
The Puck Building
Grand Ballroom
295 Lafayette Street
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Ask Gael
My mate insisted we cancel
France for now.
Drop
a small, velvety globe of oyster enrobed in a gel of red-wine-and-shallot
confit into your mouth and . . . quite suddenly, you are
in France. Yes, parked on a faded chartreuse banquette
at a faintly desolate "44" in the Royalton, you
will find the taste of France in nubbins of frog's leg
and foie gras in a frothy cream, and in startlingly ethereal
slivers of foie gras, on the $79 prix fixe of guest chef
Jean-Michel Lorain (pictured) and his seconds. It's easy
to imagine you are somewhere in Burgundy, specifically
the Michelin two-star La Côtes St-Jacques in Joigny.
Recruited before September 11, as one of a series of all-star
opening acts leading to the launch of Blue Door with Claude
Troisgros in a spruced-up lobby, Lorain's team will cook
till star whisk Marc Meneau of L'Espérance takes
over on December 3. "So many of our clients cannot come
now to us, so we wanted to come to you," Lorain explains.
"Does that seem right?" Seems merveilleux to me,
a chance for local truffleheads to catch up with old friends.
There's a $44 prix fixe lunch, too, "44"-standard or French.
44
44 West 44th Street
212-944-8844
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Bites & Buzz Archive
Week of November 5
Payard's Brazilian visitor; Jimmy's Uptown's soulful scene; Da Silvano's
cookbook; Gael gets some Afghan comfort
Week of October
29
Where to load up on carbs; Beppe's pumpkin panna cotta; Gael on Zitoune
Week of October
22
Cipriani's cheap eats; small Craft advisory; Café Spice's tasting menus; Gael visits Nam
Week of October
15
Three spots for comfort food; The Last Course Cookbook; Gael's top ten
escapes
and
more ...
Photos: Patrick Rytikangas; Carina Salvi.
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