Which NY Behinaha was in Friends season 1?(in the scene where "Ross" dined with the lesbian partner, his pregnant ex-wife, & his date) It appears to be a second-story location. any info appreciated!

Umm... Friends is not real, it is a TV show - filmed in California.

The technical production requirements of TV or filmmaking (like massive amounts of electricity and high ceilings for lighting purposes or wanting to put a camera where a wall might be) generally means that these things are shot on sets, not in the real world. And, as was pointed out, Friends was filmed in L.A. even though it was set in NYC. The production crew either borrowed some items from Benihana (the restaurant chain would be happy to help in return for free publicity) to make it seem more realistic or they pulled props and "set dressing" from a studio warehouse.

Even when a scene is taking place in a particular real-world place, it's usually easier and cheaper to build a lookalike than to film on the location. Another good example would be "Cheers" -- the barroom in that TV series was an almost exact replica of Boston's Bull and Finch Pub, but it was a fake on an L.A. soundstage, and the show actually only visited Boston once a year or so to film exterior shots for several episodes at once using recognizable Boston landmarks like Fenway Park. That doesn't mean you can't get a real sense of deja vu by walking into the Bull & Finch. Your first thought is to wonder why Cliff and Norm aren't sitting at the bar.

here's a screenshot from that episode "The One With the Candy Hearts"(espisode 14 or season one, originally aired on Feb 9, 1995)

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/9903/screenshot4262344mt.jpg

I do realize the interior shot was done in the studio, but which Benihana was used in the real exterior shot?