Celebrity Chefs Participating in NYC Restaurant Week
It’s New York City Restaurant Week, or as it should be called, Restaurant almost month. From January 18th-February 5th (with the exception of Saturdays, and in some cases, Sundays), you can eat at some of the city’s best restaurants at a reduced price. Participating restaurants offer three course prix-fixe menus; lunch is $25, and dinner is $38. Here are the Celebrity Chef restaurants that are participating. If the restaurant has a *, it’s a top pick of ours.
1. Alex Guarnaschelli
Restaurant: Butter Midtown
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday, Lunch & Dinner
You probably know Guarnaschelli best as a guest judge on Chopped. Highlights of the Restaurant Week menu include Short Rib Ravioli (lunch) and Sour David Apple & Brussels Sprout Crostinis (dinner).
2. Andrew Carmellini
Restaurant: The Dutch*
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch
If you have time to get to SoHo for a weekday lunch, do it. But probably only if you don’t have much to do the rest of the day, because you need to get the burger, and there’s no going back to work after that.
3. Charlie Palmer
Restaurant: Charlie Palmer Steak
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch & Dinner
This is a pretty standard steak house with menu items you’d expect, but if you want a flatiron steak and caesar salad for $38, it’s a good move.
4. Chris Santos
Restaurant: Beauty & Essex
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Dinner, Sunday Dinner
If your restaurant week plans include girls night out, Beauty & Essex is the spot. There are options for every type of eater, and it’s a great place for groups.
Restaurant: The Stanton Social
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Dinner, Sunday Dinner
If you like Beauty & Essex this pace will be right up your alley. He just opened Vandal on Bowery, but this is the place that started at all. Unfortunately, the French onion soup dumplings are not on this menu, so if they’re a requirement of yours, now is not the best time to go.
5. Daniel Boulud
Restaurant: Bar Boulud
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch & Dinner, Sunday Dinner
Located in the Time Warner Center, this isn’t the most fun restaurant, but the food happens to be great, and it’s the best deal of the Boulud restaurants on this list.
Restauran: Boulud Sud
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch & Dinner, Sunday Dinner
If you’re going to go to Boulud Sud, go to Bar Boulud instead. ‘Nuff said.
Restaurant: DB Bistro Moderne
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch & Dinner, Sunday Dinner
There are better Daniel Boulud restaurants you can go to, and the restaurant week menu doesn’t really have the “must gets.” Skip.
Restaurant: DBGB Kitchen and Bar
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch & Dinner, Sunday Dinner
This is Boulud’s attempt at downtown more casual spot. He doesn’t do it as well as April Bloomfield, but the Frenchie Burger, available on both the lunch and dinner menus, is pretty damn good.
Four Daniel Boulud restaurants, all French or French-ish, but each slightly different. If you’ve never been to one of his restaurants for fear of sticker shock, this is the day to do it. On the other hand, if you’ve never been to one of his restaurants, Daniel is the one you should go to, and it’s not on this list.
6. Danny Meyer
We know Danny Meyer isn’t a chef. Enough. He counts.
Restaurant: Blue Smoke*
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch & Dinner, both in Murray Hill and in Battery Park City
Blue Smoke is awesome. The restaurant week menu doesn’t really have any of our go-tos on it, but go for the deviled eggs and spare ribs. We trust you, Blue Smoke.
7. David Burke
Restaurant: David Burke at Bloomingdale’s
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Dinner, Sunday Dinner
The bottom line: the food is better at the new place he’s a partner, by CHLOE. Cheaper, too. And healthier. And in the West Village instead of Bloomingdale’s.
Restaurant: David Burke Kitchen
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch & Dinner, Sunday Lunch/Brunch & Dinner
The better choice of the David Burke restaurants, and the rare case where a restaurant week menu actually offers lots of different choices. The food here is pretty good, and the restaurant is in The James Hotel. A good choice if you’re in the area.
8. Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Restaurant: ABC Kitchen*
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch
We LOVE ABC Kitchen. Pretty much everything about it. Everything always tastes fresh, and the service is on point. But, it’s not our favorite on this list.
Restaurant: ABC Cocina*
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch
If you can only go to one of the Jean-Georges restaurants during restaurant week, let this be it. It’s fun, and the food is excellent.
Restaurant: Mercer Kitchen
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch & Dinner, Sunday Dinner
You’ve probably already been here, but the food is still good, and it’s in a good location. Get the burger.
Restaurant: Nougatine at Jean-Georges
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch & Dinner, Sunday Dinner
This is the more casual version of Jean-Georges, though we definitely wouldn’t call it casual. Expect the food to be good, though!
9. Leah Cohen
Restaurant: Pig and Khao*
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Dinner, Sunday Lunch/Brunch & Dinner
We love Pig and Khao, and we love Top Chef alum Leah Cohen. But, we cannot in good conscience recommend that you go to this restaurant for the Restaurant Week deal. It’s a good deal. You get three courses, plus a “snack” to share between every 2 people at the table. And, Cohen has included her restaurant’s best and most popular items on the menu. But, the Restaurant Week deal is just not quite as good as the regular Monday-Thursday deal, where they offer a 5 course tasting menu for $45 per person. If you cannot make it during the week, by all means go during Restaurant Week on a Friday. Otherwise, get yourself there during the week, do the unlimited beer deal and the tasting menu, and you’re good to go.
10. Lidia Bastianich
Restaurant: Felidia
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch
This classic spot is a little dated, but the food is still good. Go for it.
11. Marcus Samuelsson
Restaurant: Red Rooster Harlem
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch
The food here is good, and the restaurant is a lot of fun. And Marcus Samuelsson is there a decent amount. But, the Yard Bird isn’t on the menu. Skip it this time and go when the signature dish is available.
12. Mario Batali/Joe Bastianich
Restaurant: Casa Mono & Bar Jamon
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch
This is an awesome restaurant, through and through. Anything you pick from the menu is probably going to be good, so order freely. And then when you love it, go back for the regular menu and go HAM.
13. Masaharu Morimoto
Restaurant: Morimoto
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch
Most of the time when we go to sushi places for Restaurant Week, we need a meal afterward. We haven’t been to Morimoto for the Restaurant Week menu, to be fair, so don’t yell at us if we’re not wrong, but this one looks better. They have a bunch of different options including cooked dishes, and everything comes with miso soup, salad, and cucumber pickles. Plus, you get dessert.
14. Todd English
Restaurant: Todd English Food Hall
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch & Dinner, Sunday Dinner
If one person in your group wants Thai food, another wants a flatbread, and someone else wants sliders, this is the place for your group during Restaurant Week. Todd English experiments with a ton of different cuisines at his food hall at The Plaza.
Restaurant: Ça Va Brasserie
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch & Dinner
You can sub wine for dessert here, which is nice. $38 for three courses starts to seem not quite as worth it if you’re not a huge dessert person. If you’re near 44th and 8th and looking to get a little fancy, check it out.
15. Tom Colicchio
Restaurant: Craftbar
When You Can Get the Deal: Monday-Friday Lunch
Craftbar is probably the best restaurant of Colicchio’s. The Restaurant Week menu isn’t online, but it’s probably good.
16. Chef’s Club by Food & Wine
Current Chef: In-House Executive Chef Matthew Aita
The Restaurant Week menu here features dishes from lots of different chefs, and they specialize in tasting menus. We haven’t been, but Restaurant Week is probably a good way to experience Chef’s Club by Food & Wine.
