New York Foodies...

I'm part of a Foodies club that samples New York's best each month. I love incredible, exquisite, creative food and I search for it all over the world. I love hole-in-the-wall finds but I also savor the lauded Chefs. I'm still making my way through the best places in NYC but here are my current top few of the recognizable names.

1. Babbo - call a month in a advance to the day you want your reservation....or know someone.
2. L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon - possible one of the easier venues to dine at, especially for its stature. You can walk in and with a small wait, dine at the counter overlooking this masterful kitchen.
3. Il Mulino - the list of specials is twice as long as the menu. They also offer to make "anything else that you want". Keep in mind that 4-5 antipasti arrive as soon as you sit down, as does the grappa or Limoncello at the end of the evening.
4. Morimoto's - sit at the counter where you can often watch Chef Morimoto at work. The Omakase was delicious but the portions are huge so be hungry or you'll waste some of these delicate creations.
5. Nobu downtown - go for the tried and tested specials and then ask the Chef to surprise you with a little sumthin-sumthin. I generally tend to avoid the Omakase here.
6. Peter Lugar - best steak-house

And I'm not the biggest fan of the following:
1. Adour, the newcomer from Alain Ducasse at the St. Regis - the decor and service are great but the food was just not that fabulous
2. Bouley - great bread selection but I wasn't wowed by the entree selection.
3. Nobu 57 - Food just didn't do it. The sushi was cut a bit too thick which is probably a result of the massive size of the place. Go to the one downtown.
4. Sushi de Gari - what a downer in terms of ambience!