Karczma Polish Restaurant, Brooklyn (Greenpoint)

Even in a city as large as New York, some types of food are relatively hard to find, and one of these seems to be Polish cuisine. There are a few Polish restaurants scattered through Manhattan and the other boroughs, however, including a dining spot called Karczma Polish Restaurant in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn.

Greenpoint has a fairly large polish population, so it would seem like a natural place to find a restaurant such as Karczma. The interior of the restaurant has a traditional feel to it, and the food and music are similarly authentic. Dishes at Karczma include borscht, herring In cream, pierogis, kielbasa, stuffed cabbage, roasted hocks, and beef goulash. Prices are very reasonable, with most main entrees being around or just under $10.

If you have been to Karczma Polish Restaurant in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, please tell us about it by posting a comment here. Thank you!

Here is the address for Karczma:
Karczma Polish Restaurant
136 Greenpoint Avenue
Brooklyn (Greenpoint), NY, 11222

The phone number is:
(718) 349-1744

And here is the Web site for Karczma:
http://karczmabrooklyn.com/

Trinity Place, Lower Manhattan

Over the past few weeks, I have been to a rather interesting restaurant called Trinity Place a couple of times, once for food, and once for drinks. This Lower Manhattan dining spot, which is located at the corner of Broadway and Cedar Street, is nearly invisible from the outside, but once inside, what a place it is in terms of atmosphere. Situated in an old bank vault, the huge vault doors remain, and there is so much dark wood and copper in the place that you might be unsure whether to order a meal or make a deposit here.

The menu at Trinity Place is a mix of pub grub and New American entrees. Items include beer-braised lamb shank, a tasty Kobe burger and red onion chutney, sauteed brook trout, and a wonderful gorgonzola and hazelnut ravioli with brown butter and sage.

Although the food at Trinity Place is very good, it is the atmosphere that makes for an unforgettable night out. And on weekends, the place is just about empty because the financial workers are not around, so it is one of those rare New York restaurants where you don't have to worry much about lines on a Saturday night.

The address for Trinity Place is:
Trinity Place
115 Broadway
New York (Manhattan), NY, 10006

The phone number is:
(212) 964-0939

And here is the Web site for Trinity Place:
http://www.trinityplacenyc.com/

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/