Pbenjay's Blog

I figured that headline would be a grabber! Alright, so your guests have showered and they don’t smell but you are tired of cooking, serving and cleaning up.  I happened to have received an email from Grub Street , daily food news from New York magazine and the article featured was Hosting Duties:Where To Take Out-Of-Towners Visiting New York.  So if your holiday guests are still visiting, you might want to consider dining out at some of these places.

If the house guests are his parents or yours and they are paying, consider trying to make a reservation at the hot new place in Midtown, Rotisserie Georgette.  I had the opportunity of dining there recently and the place was jumping.  The menu is not extensive by any means and most of the dishes seem  to center around chicken.  The food was delicious, the service was attentive and our waiter was more than eager to make suggestions.

Everyone knows that pizza is a New York staple and by the slice mind you!  Your out-of-town guest loves pizza and is dying to sample real New York pizza.  There a couple branches of Motorino in Manhattan and unlike most pizzerias, Motorino serves up appetizers and dessert.  There’s another nice little twist to getting a slice here, the pizza is cut upon request; nice touch!  Or Joe’s Pizza on Carmine St. where pizza rules;  No garlic knots, no heroes, no concoctions on pizza, just perfect pizza.  Traditionally thin crust, bold sauce and cheese that doesn’t taste like rubber.

If your sister is in town with her 3 little kids, you need to find a place that’s casual, fun and if the kids cause a riot, you won’t be embarrassed.  Try Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue or Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, the names speak for themselves, the kids will be happy.

New York has its share of celebrity chefs and if your guests can’t wait to go home and brag about whose restaurant they ate at, then hop on downtown to Lupa Osteria Romana, Mario Batali’s trattoria.  The restaurant is extremely popular and is always crowded in the evening.  Take them out to lunch for some Ricotta Gnocchi.  If it’s famous that they want, Tom Colicchio’s Craft may be the place to go.  Chef Colicchio is a fanatic for fresh ingredients and has set the standard for the new wave of restaurants that are conceived, presented and eaten in this Green Market era.  

Grandma and Grandpa are still in town and want to take you out so pick a place that’s not too stuffy but is quiet and accommodating.  Maialino, which means Little Pig and is Danny Meyer’s version of a trattoria has a beautiful view of Gramercy Park.  Porter House New York is a well-heeled steakhouse overlooking Columbus Circle and would be a very nice choice.

The article on where to take who has many more recommendations;  I suggest you check it out at http://www.grubstreet.com/2013/12/guide-to-taking-out-of-towners-to-dinner.html – copy and paste.

Porter House New York