Anniversary dinner in NYC Help! Where?
 

My friends are a very nice married couple in their late 30's.
With two kids at home.
They're celebrating their anniversary and are just up for the weekend. They'll be spending their afternoon shopping in Midtown, probably.
Not trendy folks...just regular suburban North Carolina couple with the mini-van and the country club membership.
They don't want to spend a fortune but want a reasonably priced quality yet romantic experience for dinner in NYC.
I have tons of suggestions but they are to pricey high end/expensive or too divey and cheap.
SOS
Any suggestions for the happy couple celebrating?
It is greatly appreciated

I'm not an expert on romantic restaurants but would either of these suggestions work for your friends:

FYI: these places have been "Flyertalk tested" (and favorites:)

West Bank Cafe (West 42nd off 9th Avenue:) Decent prices right by the Theatre district.

http://www.westbankcafe.com/menus/dinner

Notice entry prices run around $20-22

Cite Restaurant (West 51st near Rockefeller Center:) The deal is the world famous (and Flyertalk approved) Wine dinner. DOn't know if your friends like wine but this iis one of the best deals in town:

http://www.citerestaurant.com/wine_dinner.asp

Here's also one the Flyertalkers have not been to (I think) but a friend introdcued me to years ago:

Chez Suzette
West 40s
675b Ninth Avenue
( Bet 46-47th st)
New York, NY, 10036
(212) 974-9002
www.chezsuzettenyc.com


Chez Suzette is a contemporary casual restaurant located in the hart of the theater distric, few steps away from Times Square and Restaurant Row. Since 1967, Chez Suzette has offered classic French & American cuisine at affordable prices. There are few legendary bistros left on 9th Ave. Chez Suzette is one of the best as expressed by the Daily News.

Their website does not exist. :( but the food is great. They are also in the Entertainment book I believe.

FOr lunch: Le Bonne Soupe (48 West 55th Street) A great bargain for lunch, a full meal for under 20 dollars. (We've had two consecutive "Post Freddies soup dos here) http://www.labonnesoupe.com/LesBonnesSoupes.php

Hope your friends have a nice anniversary.

There used to be a great romantic restaurant in the Village called "Mary Lous" that I think closed down or is something else now.

777, my mother in law lives in Seaford, but that is another story.

Would your friends venture out in a cab for a meal?? If so, there are some great places downtown that I would recommend:

Mercer Kitchen -- Mercer Street in SoHo.

Gotham Bar and Grill -- West 12th Street (My favorite)

Chow chow chow
 

Thank You Catman. ^
Say remember the Purina cat Chow commercial with the cool cat ?
That was the good old days they should bring back that slick cat back :)

Appreciate the great suggestions.
Don't know what their final decision will be but West Bank Cafe will certainly now be on the list.
The menu and room look excellent to my eyes.If the food taste as good as the food and menu look it should be a huge hit
You certainly know your food
Cheers

Nino's Restaurant
1355 1st Ave
(between 72nd and 73rd St)

Outstanding Italian food and service. I would definitely recommend for a special dinner.

Happy anniversary.

From South of the SOB (Seaford Oyster Bay)
 

Absolutely they would hop a cab.....
I am concerned that Gotham might be out of reach 444 wise but it is a great classic top 10 suggestion no question

Will peek at Mercer thanks for the heads up

Hi to your family and my neighbors :cool: .
I have my house on the market and received my first offer recently
Have lived in Seaford for many years.
I am looking forward to a change.
It has been peaceful living here on the waterfront and time has been good to my investment here.
Cheers

If they'd hop a cab, for romantic and great NY experience, I'd recommend River Cafe in Brooklyn--great views and great food. They have a prix-fixe that I think is about $75, so high, but not Per Se price etc...

777 ,

AOC Bedford in the Village.

This is just what you're looking for. It's even reasonable if you do the price-fax dinner. If you need my online Zagat, just PM me.

Dan

World Yacht. I think for vistors celebrating a special day, it's hard to beat.

West Bank is a great place, as is the bistro right next door whose name I totally forget.

Cordelli... is that place Sukhothai West at 411 West 42nd Street? (since I love West Bank I really don't venture that far around the neighborhood.)
It's a Thai restaurant, is that the bistro youa nd your wife went to?

777: The food at West Bank has always been very good. They change the chefs every few years and keep the menu fresh and inventive. Their wine list is also decently priced and if you look can find a few bargains.

Miss going to NYC for dinner but work and business and othe rschedules take up my time for now. Jersey Citya nd HOboken have some decent places to eat. My last NYC dinner trip was to the heavenly Old Homestead Steakhouse (a must for steaklovers) at West 14th Street.

Has my mouth drooling now for the Gothem Steak with a nice bottle of wine.

I also miss the old Purina Cat Chow commercial. It's simple and very powerful advertising. I bet 9 out of 10 people remember that jingle. (I'm trying to get the Ringtone for my phone again... Flyertalkers who know me know I had that tone for my ringer. It's very funny.)

They could run that Cat Chow now and still sell millions of boxes of cat food.

I also miss the holiday Cat Chow calendar commercial set to "Calendar Girl." with the cats strutting for the month.

FYI: My Yaz prefers Fancy Feast. Eddie will eat just about any cat food put in front of him. :)

Thanks to all for making me to look like a NYC dining expert
 

Thanks D!
Another great suggestion.
Looks like a toss up between the Catman suggested
West Bank Cafe and the dhammer AOC Bedford.
Couldn't find a Ninos website

All had strong Zagat ratings and both has nice websites showing fine yum factor food

Once upon a time 1986 BC (Before Catman of FT fame) before travel took me to every city but my own :(
I used to consider my self a dining expert in NYC.
Now I always go to the same places when in town that I can depend on.
It's my need for consistency in food and service
In my old age I have become less of a gambler (sigh)
I am out of the loop except for finding certain items like a great burger,steak,lobster,grilled seafood,pizza and killer desserts......
the true basics for human survival :D ;)

Here'e the website for Nino's, I originally couldn't find it.

ninosnyc.com

They have other restaurants as well but I haven't been to any others.

Thanks. I may go myself looks very nice.My quest has done nothing here but increase my appetite :( :)

I think it was, but now it's Birsto du Vent, cuisine du Soleil

bistroduvent.com (though the website isn't working yet)

menu pages at

http://www.menupages.com/restaurantd...=0&cuisineid=0

Was this for this past weekend or this coming weekend? I live in the Village and could give you tons of examples of nice romantic places to dine for great prices. Midtown is not the place for this in most cases. Downtown is best. But if in Midtown, China Grill is a nice fusion place - not too expensive.

Then there is Bobby Flay's new place over on 52nd, Bar American.

Further downtown there is Butter on Lafayette. I've gotten out of there on a date with drinks for about $125. Not bad for New York.

And if you want some Italian where all of the celebs eat theirs, Da Silvano on 6th Ave is good.

For a very intimate place with terrific service and an old school feel in the older streets of the West Village, I recommend Blue Mill Tavern on Commerce St. It's not the easiest to locate because of the crazy streets of the village, but it's worth finding.