Mr. K's, Manhattan

Chinese restaurants generally aren't thought of as places that are stylish and elegant, but in Manhattan, a number of such places exist, including a relatively little-known restaurant at the corner of Lexington Avenue and E 51st Street in Midtown East called Mr. K's. Spacious, comfortable, and upscale in feel, Mr. K's is the type of place that folks remember after dining there.

Mr. K's features food from many different regions of China, so whether you enjoy Hunan, Cantonese, Szechwan, or nearly any other kind of Chinese cuisine, Mr K's will not disappoint. Prices are a bit high, but not all that bad considering the quality of the food as well as the service and the atmosphere.

If you have been to Mr. K's in Manhattan, please tell us about it by posting a comment here. Thank you!

Here is the address for Mr. K's:
Mr. K's Restaurant
570 Lexington Avenue
New York (Tribeca), NY, 10022

The phone number is:
(212) 583-1668

And here is the Web site for Mr. K's:
http://www.mrksny.com/

Salaam Bombay, Tribeca, Manhattan

All-you-can-eat buffets can be hit-or-miss. But sometimes they can be downright incredible, such as the buffet I had last year at the Taj Mahal in the Dupont Circle section of Washington, DC. And the lunch buffet at Salaam Bombay, a classy-looking Indian restaurant in the heart of Tribeca, sounds as though it might just be that type of memorable food experience.

Salaam Bombay is located in a part of Manhattan that has so many outstanding restaurants that it is tough to know where to go when in the area, but many of them are quite pricey. And while Salaam Bombay's menu has higher prices than some of the other Indian restaurants in New York, it sounds as though it is worth the extra few dollars, whether you opt for the buffet or decide on a dinner entree, such as one of the lamb curries, the tandoori pomfret (a traditional seafood dish), or the chicken biryani.

If you have been to Salaam Bombay in Tribeca, please tell us about it by posting a comment here. Thank you!

Here is the address for Salaam Bombay:
Salaam Bombay
317 Greenwich Street
New York (Tribeca), NY, 10013

The phone number is:
(212) 226-9400

Il Valentino, Manhattan

Manhattan is full of upscale and high-end restaurants, but many, if not most of them are pretty popular and tend to get crowded often. But there is an elegant, charming Northern Italian restaurant called Il Valentino that is just east of the hustle and bustle of Midtown Manhattan that has somehow stayed under the radar for the most part.

Il Valentino, which is inside the Sutton Hotel on East 56th Street, offers a number of interesting dishes on their menu, including homemade orecchiette with veal sausages, broccoli, and pepperoncini; linguini with shrimp and wild mushrooms in a garlic, olive oil, and white wine sauce; Tuscan-style fish stew with clams, calamari, shrimps, mussels in a tomato and wine broth; and grilled cornish hen with baby greens and roasted potatoes.

I have yet to make it to Il Valentino, but will try to make a trip there either later this year or early in 2008; if you have been to Il Valentino, please let me know what you think. Thanks!

Here is the address for Il Valentino:
Il Valentino
330 East 56th Street (inside the Sutton Hotel)
New York (Midtown East), NY, 10022

The phone number is:
(212) 355-0001

And here is the Web site for Il Valentino:
http://www.ilvalentinony.com/

Topaz Thai Restaurant, Manhattan (Midtown)

On one of my trips to New York a few months ago, a family member of mine from Manhattan introduced me to what I think is one of the best Thai restaurants in the city. It is called Topaz, and it is right in the heart of Midtown, though the street itself (West 56th) is relatively quiet. Topaz is a bustling place when people are getting ready to see shows nearby, but it isn't well known, and so it was that on a weekend night, the place was pretty quiet when we went.

The dishes at Topaz are often hot and spicy, with the Tom Yum Goong soup being particularly hot (but very tasty). The Bangkok fried rice entry is a good option to get there (especially if you don't want food that is overly hot). Some other options at Topaz include tamarind duck, pad Thai, drunken noodles, and lots of other dishes.

If you like Thai food and happen to be in the Midtown area of Manhattan, head over to West 56th Street to try this wonderful place. It is definitely a hidden gem that just happens to be in the heart of the country's largest city!

The address for Topaz is:
Topaz Thai Restaurant
127 W 56th Street
New York (Manhattan), NY, 10019

The phone number is:
(212) 957-8020

Una Pizza Napoletana, East Village, Manhattan

I have been to Grimaldi's in Brooklyn, and every time I hit a new pizza place that is supposed to be "the best" or "the one and only place to go for pizza," I leave the place saying, "Well, it was no Grimaldi's." But now, I am hearing (and reading) about a place in the East Village that may rival Grimaldi's. It is called Una Pizza Napoletana, and it sounds very good, indeed.

The pizza at Una Pizza Napoletana is cooked in a wood-fired oven, which is rare where I come from (Boston), but perhaps not so unusual in New York City. All the ingredients are fresh, from the crust to the tomato sauce to the mozzarella cheese. And the end result, from what I am hearing, is a pizza so good that it may just rival the best pizza places in all of New York, including Grimaldi's. And that is high praise indeed; I cannot wait to try Una Pizza Napoletana!

If you have been to Una Pizza Napoletana in the East Village, please let me know what you think. Thank you!

Here is the address for Una Pizza Napoletana:
Una Pizza Napoletana
349 E 12th Street
New York (East Village), NY, 10003

The phone number is:
(212) 477-9950

And here is the Web site for Una Pizza Napoletana:
http://www.unapizza.com/

Sucelt Coffee Shop, West Village, Manhattan [CLOSED]

NOTE: Sucelt Coffee Shop is now closed.

As noted several times in this site, the West Village of Manhattan has no shortage of great eating places, some of which are not well-known at all. And one that is particularly little-known is a tiny place called Sucelt Coffee Shop on 14th Street near 7th Avenue.

Sucelt is unusual in the fact that it is a coffee shop that specializes in Latin American cuisine. Items such as mofongo, octopus, arepas, tamales, and goat stew can be found on the menu at Sucelt, as well as less exotic dishes.

If you or anyone you know has tried Sucelt in the West Village, post a review here if you would like. Thank you very much!

Here is the address for Sucelt :
Sucelt Coffee Shop
200 W 14th Street
New York (West Village), NY, 10011

The phone number is:
(212) 242-0593

Caracas Arepa Bar, East Village, Manhattan

I don't get to eat Venezuelan food very often, especially considering that I live in Boston, where there are only 2 or 3 Venezuelan restaurants in the entire city. But New York has more than a few, including a place called Caracas Arepa Bar that sounds rather interesting.

Caracas Arepa Bar looks like a very small place, which is common for restaurants in the often-cramped, crowded East Village. But the decor inside does sound pretty nice. Items on the menu at Caracas Arepa Bar include arepas and empanadas, as well as some interesting sounding appetizers and specials. They also have something called quesillo, which is a traditional Venezuelan flan.

If anyone has tried Caracas Arepa Bar in the East Village, let me know what you think. Thanks very much!

Here is the address for Caracas Arepa Bar:
Caracas Arepa Bar
91 E 7th Street
New York (East Village), NY, 10009

The phone number is:
(212) 228-5062

And here is the Web site for Caracas Arepa Bar:
http://www.caracasarepabar.com/