NYC Restaurant Week 2016: Best Deals In Manhattan
NYC Summer Restaurant Week starts on July 25th and runs through August 19th. From brunch and cocktails to decadent lunch ($29) and dinner ($42) menus, here are five restaurants worth trying. By Carly Petrone.
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If you love all kinds of Italian food, you may want to dine at The Leopard at des Artistes more than once during Restaurant Week. This restaurant is going regional and will be serving three distinct dinner menus ($42) that represent three of the most beloved areas of Italy – Tuscany, Campania, and Sicily. Guests can also enjoy a selection of terrific wines from each region. From July 25 – July 31 customers can nosh on Tuscan antipasti like Panzanella Salad and Pappa al Pomodoro, as well as classic dishes like homemade Pici pasta all'aglione in a fresh tomato sauce with pink garlic cloves. End your meal with a Zuccotto of ricotta and biscotto or a Bavarese of eggplant and chocolate.
Next up: Campania. Starting August 1 through August 7, customers can nosh on Octopus "alla Luciana" and Mozzarella "in carrozza" with a Cetara anchovie sauce as starters before moving onto something heavier like the Neapolitan "Polpette al sugo" beef and pork meatballs. The dolci menu doesn't disappoint either with options like "Pastiera" – the traditional Campania pie with ricotta, wheat, candied fruit, and scented with orange flower; Granita of Neapolitan coffee with whipped cream, or Semifreddo of pear and buffalo ricotta with almond biscotto
Finally, from August 8 – August 19, the menu will be filled with Sicilian delicacies like Smoked swordfish carpaccio, fennel and citrus salad, Bucatini with sardines, and rabbit "Stimpirata" with tomatoes, clack olives, and potatoes. Make sure to end your meal with their traditional cassata Siciliana or Chocolate Mousse with a "nero d'Avola" red wine heart. Check out their Restaurant Week Brunch Menu ($29) too. We have a feeling you'll be back.
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STK Midtown is offering two prix fixe menu options for Restaurant Week. Lunch options include starters like hearts of Romaine, little gem greens, or seasonal soup, as well as main dishes like their classic burger, crispy fish sandwich, and confit chicken club. You'll also be happy with their dessert choice: sherbet parfait with berry compote and almond crumble. If you're willing to spend a bit more, their $45 lunch menu includes first course items like tuna tartar, heirloom tomato salad, and shrimp cocktail. Choose between steak frites (8 oz. skirt steak and skinny fries), chicken Paillard, or Scottish salmon for the main dish and end your meal with something fruity, like the summer fruit cake or the rich chocolate coconut Banofee pie. Either way, you can't go wrong.
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If brunch is more your style then make your way to Empellon. For $29 you can enjoy a three-course menu that will definitely help cure any hangover you may be having. Start out with something light like sweet corn with crunch quinoa and queso fresco, or arugula with fennel, chicharrones and sour orange vinaigrette. Their main dishes range from delicious taco options like braised bacon, egg and cheese; shortrib patstrami with pickled cabbage and mustard seed salsa to chilaquiles verdes with black beans and a sunny side egg. End your meal with a decadent milk chocolate Flan or cinnamon ice cream. Brunch is served from 11:45 a.m. – 3 p.m. Want more? Check out their lunch and dinner Restaurant Week menus. You won't be disappointed.
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There's no need to leave the city in order to get into vacation mode. Make a reservation at the Tommy Bahama Restaurant along 5th Avenue and enjoy classic American cuisine with a hint of the tropics. Start out with your choice of crispy rock shrimp, tuna confit salad, or mango-avocado gazpacho. Entrees range from Skuna Bay salmon with jade bamboo rice, baby bok choy, and lemongrass dashi to chimichurri flank steak with jerk yucca fries and pickled vegetables. You'll drool over their macadamia nut brownie with scratch caramel and toasted coconut for dessert --but, then again, there's also the Key Lime pie. Who can say no to a graham cracker crust and a little lime zest? Make sure to check out their Restaurant Week lunch menu too.
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If you're looking for a fun cocktail pairing with your Restaurant Week meal than definitely stop by The Palm Court inside the iconic Plaza Hotel. Grab your friends because from July 25th – August 19th, you can participate in a unique tasting menu that highlights their classic and craft cocktails along with a variety of evening fare. The menu includes chilled asparagus soup, Mini burgers, petite lobster rolls, as well as a chef's selection of tea pastries. Guests can then choose two drinks from a curated cocktail menu – the Orson Welles negroni is a summer favorite -- while the Hemingway Daiquiri (The Real McCoy white rum, Marashino liqueur, fresh grapefruit juice, cane sugar syrup, fresh lime juice, cherry juice) will make you feel like you're on a permanent vacation. You can also keep it simple with a House tonic & gin or an apple-y Macintosh (Highland Park 12 Scotch, Drambuie, pimento dram, apple cider, baked apple bitters). Just make sure all of the seats are filled at the table (must have entire table to participate). Menu is $42/person and is available Monday – Friday.
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Carly Petrone is the founder of Petrone on the Rocks, a lifestyle site about food, drinks, beauty, travel, and more. She lives in New York City.
