Why contend with the schlock of the new? The Odeon and La Luncheonette, nearly 30 years of bistro experience between them, have only gotten better with age.

Instant critics be damned. Two months after opening, Lever House has earned a spot among New York’s top power-dining palaces.

Blue Hill dispensed with all the flash that dominates the current scene, and still got my attention; the equally subdued Tocqueville is a labor of love.

Charlie Palmer's new spot, Kitchen 22, may lack the elaborate artistry of Aureole, but with a well-crafted -- and recessionproof -- menu, consider it a holiday gift to yourself.

Bond 45’s family-style cooking and service evoke Italian restaurants past.

A pair of Gramercy Tavern and Craft alums bring a helping of professionalism to the East Village. Who cares if the locals don’t eat there?

Aleutia

Casa La Femme North has an odd location, a White Sheik atmosphere, and fabulous food.

The location is loaded with bad karma, but Calle Ocho still beats the odds -- further proof that the Upper West Side isn't the diner's nightmare it used to be.

At the city’s latest high-end Asian eatery, the menu is baffling, the portions are small, the prices are astronomical, and the result is fantastic.