Originally Posted by
jbeans
CTBF is by far my favorite in the city. Ko is good, but I personally think the ingredients used at CTBF are more special, combined with a higher level of cooking technique. Keep in mind the price at CTBF includes service, so the difference is maybe not as big. Personally Ko was a go once and glad I tried type of place, whereas CTBF I've continuously gone back.
You're not missing out on much if you skip Per Se. If you enjoy classic French, I'd also recommend Le Coucou, Le Bernadin, and even Daniel I think is better than Per Se.
Sorry! Somehow I totally missed your response.
I just reached out to StR's concierge team and they heard that Chef Ramirez might be away first 2 weeks of July which is when I plan to go. If that's the case, that makes my decision easier as I would only want to go if Chef was there (plus I hear that when he's away they're actually closed).
I'm actually thinking of doing Le Coucou for lunch that same day to get the wife her French fix. We did Le Bernardin last time and absolutely loved it! Met Chef Eric Ripert as well which is a bonus.
Thanks for your feedback!