NYC

You may want to eat at Dallas BBQ if you're seeking the comforts of the suburbs--big portions, big restaurant, and predictably boring food.

My favorite dish is the beef bun. The noodles are room-temperature rice vermicelli with skewered beef on top. The Nuoc Cham sauce is the key to adding flavor to this dish.

Everything is a la carte. The steaks were cooked especially well. My mom especially enjoyed the asparagus soup.

Of course, there's the usual free, unlimited chips and salsa that complement the experience. Oh, and there are free refills on drinks (soda and tea). That's unusual in Manhattan, expect for chains like Chevy's.

If you're in NYC as a tourist, opt for a restaurant that's unique to the city. But, if you need to please a large group, Chevy's is an okay option.

Take a look at the drinks menu. You'll find a creative twist on some old stand-bys and some inventive drinks to try. Look out for the fresh sugar cane as an accompaniment.

The decor is fresh and comfortable. There is usually a crowd, so it's best to make a reservation or try for an early dinner.

There is a range of classic Italian fare. The stuffed mushrooms are one of the better appetizers.

The food is pretty good and satisfying. Be prepared for inconsistent service if the wait staff is busy.

The atmosphere at Sabor is quite nice - pretty colored walls, white tablecloths, and Caribbean-style fans up toward the ceiling. It's a great choice for a romantic night or hanging out with a group. Since it wasn't crowded, we felt like we could linger for awhile. However, they did close around 11:30pm or so.

The drinks are definitely the best part of the place. I ordered the sangria. By the glass, it was $7. My friend had a pineapple mojito. There were a few different flavors of mojitos and other specialty drinks and wine to choose from.

We decided to have a tapas-style night and order a bunch of little plates to share. We tried the salmon ceviche with avocado and citrus, but found that the fish wasn't as fresh as we had hoped. We also ate empanadas, which were quite flavorful. The skewers were surprisingly good and tender, with a spicy flavor.

All in all, the atmosphere and drinks are great, especially for the neighborhood, but the food leaves something to be desired. I think the discount brings the price more in line with what it should be normally, rather than actually offering a deal. Try stopping in Sabor for drinks and a few appetizers, but don't plan on being delighted with every dish.

They make their own flatbread on the premises, so it's usually warm at lunch time. Sandwiches are served on the bread, and salads come with it on the side.

Their Signature Salad is my favorite. It comes with mixed greens, pistachios, dried cranberries, grapes, gorgonzola cheese, and pears. They also have several other salads to choose from, or you can select your own ingredients. Salads are priced at $7.69.

If you plan to go often, pick up their frequent diner card. After 10 purchases of salads and/or sandwiches, you get one free.

We ordered a pitcher of sangria for the table. It was okay, but it had very little fruit in it.

I ordered the mixed seafood paella to split with a friend. For an extra $6.50, we were allowed to share it and got an extra salad to start. The salads were small. However, it came with a selection of three dressings for the table to share. They were bleu cheese with lots of chunks, a version of thousand island, and a vinaigrette with chunks of onion. The paella was too heavy and left a pool of grease on my plate.

My friend ordered the baby salmon and was quite pleased with the texture and preparation of it.

In terms of atmosphere, the restaurant was way too crowded. Our table was shoved in a corner. The way it was positioned meant that I had to move to let people in/out from another table. It also meant that the server wasn't able to properly serve our food or refill drinks. He had to literally lean on me to reach my friends, and I tried to get out of his way as much as possible. I would have hoped that we wouldn't have had to help so much with the service in terms of moving things on the table to make room, reaching for our plates, etc.

The service was also poor. When we finished with our food, they came to clear the table. In addition to taking the plates, they also wanted to clear all of the water glasses. Basically, they were trying to get us to leave, and we hadn't been offered dessert or anything else.

I wouldn't go back to the restaurant.

The menu had a great variety to choose from. I had trouble deciding among all of the great options. I convinced my friends to order different things so that I could sample them.

We ate popcorn crawfish for an appetizer. I recommend dipping it in some Tabasco or adding Tabasco to the sauce for a little kick. One friend ordered the jambalaya. It was excellent but could have had more sausage in it. The chicken was fried and on top of the dish rather than with pieces mixed in. Another friend ordered chicken fried steak. Since it lacked seasoning, we added salt, but it wasn't enough to overcome the blandness. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich. I was surprised that it was served with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise right on the bread. It was quite tasty, but not what I'm used to. It came with fries that were perfectly cooked. Another friend ordered ribs. The meat was very tender and flavorful. It came with sweet potato fries that were so good, he refused to share. Entrées are about $10 to $20, depending on what you get. Appetizers are a bit less. A bread basket comes with the meal, which includes excellent cornbread muffins. Add butter and you're in for a treat.

For drinks, there is a full bar. I ordered the Hurricane, which is basically a rum punch. It was sweet and felt like a vacation.

I would recommend Delta Grill. It has a fun atmosphere, and they can seat groups.

They also serve food here--mostly desserts or appetizers. Most people stop in just for the tea or a snack.

You stand in line to place your order at the counter and give them your first name. When it's ready, they call out your name, and you can sit at one of the tables. It tends to be very crowded, so it's best to scope out a table first and have someone hold it while another person orders. And it would be hard to go there in a group larger than four, due to the limited seating and that a lot of the seats are booths.

The menu is quite brief. They have one of the best burgers in the country. I heard it was rated in the top 10 best burgers nationwide. The burgers are cooked in front of you, so it can be a bit hot at the counter while you wait. You order how the burger is cooked (well, medium, etc.), whether you want cheese(for 50 cents more), and your toppings (the works means everything). You can also pick onions, pickles, tomatoes, and mayo. If you order the cheese, be warned that they put two slices on it, which can mess up the cheese-meat-bread ratio for some people. The mustard is Gulden's, so it's spicy and not the typical yellow mustard. There is ketchup and mustard on the tables, so you could add those later.

For $9, you can get the combo of a hamburger, fries, and a Coke. The fries are large enough to share with two people. The Cokes are small. Bottled water is overpriced, at $2. I hear that the brownies are excellent.

I definitely recommend checking out Burger Joint. It's a fun, casual place to go.

The menu has a range of selections, with an emphasis on seafood, and a slight Southern flair. One friend got the biscuits with gravy. It was an excellent, creamy sausage gravy. There were two biscuits, and the gravy came in a large bowl. But, there were no sides of any kind served with it. Another friend got the crab cakes on biscuits with remoulade sauce. It was served with a small green salad. The crab cakes were excellent. They had enough crab and not too much filler. I ordered the garlic shrimp that came with some asparagus cuts, a light tomato sauce, and stone-ground grits. It was good, but lacked a deep flavor. Maybe it just needed some salt. Entrees ranged from about $8 to $15. They also offered pancakes, French toast, a frittata of the day, and more.

We all ordered Belize, champagne with peach juice. It was quite good. When the bill came, those drinks were not listed. The waiter confirmed that they were complimentary. I'm not sure if that's standard or just a mistake.

My friend ordered a cappuccino. She said it was good, but much more like a latte. It seems like the restaurant still has some kinks to work out.

The total bill for us came out to $19 each, including tax and tip. I thought it was a great deal for the atmosphere, live music, and good food.

The menu is pretty extensive. There is a range of salads, pizzas, and pastas. My friend and I usually order two of those and share. The portion sizes are more than sufficient.

For the salads, you can order either full or half sizes. All of them could be a meal by themselves. I like the Waldorf chicken salad, which is on a bed of baby field greens, with chicken, grapes, apples, candied walnuts, and gorgonzola cheese. There is also a traditional Caesar salad. The options are flexible to include different dressings (although the recommended choices are quite good), and a choice of protein (chicken or shrimp).

There is a range of pizza choices. They are about 10" in diameter and come on thin crusts. Some are more traditional Italian combinations, but others have Asian or Mexican flavors. I like the Thai Chicken pizza. Some of them can be too greasy - especially if you select one with meat.

For pasta, I recommend the Kung Pao spaghetti with shrimp. It has just enough spice but is not too hot.

Entrees range from about $10-15. The total generally ends up being less than $20 per person, including tax and tip.

I found the service to be quite minimal. We had to ask for more water, and our waitress barely checked on us.

I enjoyed the bread and butter. The bread was fresh and had a nice, dense texture. I ordered spaghetti and meatballs. There was plenty of sauce, so it wasn't dry. But the sauce was a bit too salty. The meatballs were dense and flavorful. I would order it again. The portion size was adequate for my appetite. Had I been really hungry, I would have needed an appetizer or dessert. My friend ordered spaghetti carbonara. He really enjoyed the dish and finished it.

I would go to Don Giovanni again for a quick bite. But it's definitely not a destination for a long, enjoyable dinner.

They brought fresh bread and butter, which was quite nice. The water glasses were tiny, but they refilled them frequently.

The menu was fairly streamlined, with a choice of about eight appetizers and entrées. We just ordered entrées. I ordered the pork with creamy polenta, roasted plum tomato, and broccoli rabe. The pork was flavorful, but probably due to the high fat content. My friend ordered the veal pasta. He seemed to enjoy it. The entrées were priced at around $15 to $22. Other entrée choices included salmon with fennel and scallions, steak, and duck. Most of the dishes come with a starch accompaniment and a small side of vegetables. You can order additional sides at $6 each. They include french fries, haricot verts, spinach, and more.

For dessert, we ordered the caramel chocolate mousse. It was light and dense at the same time. It was fantastic! Other dessert choices include crème brulee, a cheese plate, or ice cream.

They are attuned to the need to finish eating in time to attend an 8pm show. They adjust the service speed accordingly. I would recommend eating here for a nice dinner with a friend.

The service was good, with frequent water refills. They had a range of interesting cocktails for about $10 to $12, including mojitos and other fruity drinks.

The choice of appetizers was impressive. Most were priced at about $8 and included three pieces. I would recommend the foie gras turnovers. There wasn't a strong foie gras flavor, but the texture was smooth, surrounded by a perfectly breaded coating. The signature pad Thai spring rolls were just okay, so I would try something else next time. The appetizers come with a range of three sauces so that you can experiment with different flavors: sweet, sour, etc. We also ate the tequila lime beef salad. It was flavored really well.

For the entrées (priced around $12), we had chicken, hard-boiled egg, onions, and peppers in a peanut sauce. It was also quite nice. It came with rice, but the portion size was laughable. It was maybe the size of a third of a cup. We had to order more rice. Maybe they are conscious of those watching their carb intake.

The food was filling, so three appetizers and one entrée was plenty for us.

I would recommend eating at Highline to enjoy the trendy atmosphere and some people-watching.

The service is a bit scattered. It appears that there is mainly just one waiter. We had to ask for refills of water.

The big draw is the lunch special, which is even good on the weekends, at a price of only $5.50. You have to pay cash to get that price. It comes with either salad (iceberg lettuce and ginger dressing) or soup (pea with a clear broth). Then there is a large range of entrees to choose from, across categories - chicken, beef, vegetarian, noodles. The portion sizes are plentiful, but not large enough to yield leftovers. Most entrees come with yellow rice that has chickpeas sprinkled throughout. I ordered the curry potatoes that come with naan (bread) instead of rice. I've also tried the spicy beef, which is mixed with a range of vegetables. I was pleased that it was genuinely spicy.

Most of the dishes are tasty, but they all have too much salt in them. If you only have moderate expectations, you can enjoy a meal here.

The menu was pretty extensive. There was a range of antipasti to choose from, including the usual fresh mozzarella and calamari. The salad choices were also impressive. I ordered the spinach salad, with fresh mushrooms, cheese, warm bacon and a lemon dressing. I also ordered the minestrone soup. The vegetables were fresh carrots, potatos, and green beans. It was a lovely, filling soup. The soup and salad was enough for a meal. Prices for salads were about $6-8. They are fairly substantial in size, especially if you plan to order a full pasta. My friend ordered the bolognose. It came with beautiful, one-inch wide ribbons of freshly made pasta. There were more than a dozen pasta dishes from which to select. The prices were about $11-15 for pasta.

The dessert menu seemed promising, although we were too full to order from it. Choices include warm apple pie a la mode, flourless chocolate cake, a selection of sorbets, creme brulee, poached pears, ricotta cheesecake, and more.

You can check out the full menu before you go at www.puttanesca.com

It's important to note that they only accept cash or American Express.

If you haven't eaten at Nobu before, it's a good idea to have the waiter introduce you to the menu. The portion sizes will be key as you order. We shared the yellowtail tartar with caviar in a wasabi sauce. It was beautifully done and just on the cusp of too spicy. That was priced around $15.

For our main course, I ordered the lunch special of a selection of sushi and one roll. It also came with a small salad with ginger dressing and miso soup. They do not bring spoons with the miso soup, as you are supposed to sip it out of the bowl. You can use your chopsticks to eat the tofu from the bowl. The sushi was wonderfully fresh. The yellowtail had the smoothest texture. All of it was flavorful. That special was around $20.

My friend ordered the lunch special as well, but got the salmon in pepper sauce and vegetable tempura. The tempura was perfectly light. It was a full salmon filet (I estimate 6 ounces) with a subtly flavored, creamy pepper sauce. The salmon was excellent, although not really exciting.

For dessert, we shared the bento box. It comes with a small chocolate souffle and green tea ice cream. The price is $8. The desserts are beautifully presented and are worth the price.

Although the food is excellent, the service is a few steps behind. You would expect them to be really on top of the service, but we found ourselves repeatedly asking for things we ordered. Eventually, they did bring everything, but we were a bit annoyed, especially given the prices.

We left Nobu feeling full and satisfied, but not weighed down with heavy food.

Based on other trips to Nobu, I'd recommend the yellowtail with jalapeno for a nice amount of spice. I also really enjoy the black cod with miso sauce. It is one of their signature dishes. The texture of the fish is unbelievable!

I think it's definitely worth the trip. You can spend as much as you have in your wallet on dinner at Nobu.

The menu is an inventive blend of tastes from Asia. They recommend sharing dishes, since each dish is brought out just as it is prepared. Therefore, they don't guarantee that entrees will be presented at the same time. Almost every dish used a variety of textures and flavors to increase the depth of the experience.

The menu offers a nice range of appetizers, mostly priced $8-15. The portions are reasonably large for this type of establishment. I would recommend the chicken samosas with chipotle yogurt dipping sauce. I also enjoyed the thinly sliced tuna with tapioca, Asian pear, and chili sauce. It was a perfect blend of sweet, spicy, tart, and salty.

For entrees, we ordered the cod with chili and basil sauce. The fish was lightly fried, adding another textural element to the dish. The Shanghai noodles failed to meet my expectations considering the thoughtfulness to detail in the rest of the dishes. It lacked complexity and was much too greasy. Even the jalapeno slices didn't enliven this dish.

For dessert, we shared the Ovaltine kulfi. I was amused to see a dessert prepared with Ovaltine on an otherwise upscale menu. This was a playful combination of an Ovaltine flavored bar (a dense ice-cream, much like the texture of a candy bar), caramelized banana, salty caramel popcorn, and cream.

To truly enjoy the sensory experience of Spice Market, order a range of dishes and keep your eyes open for some interesting people watching.

Ticket prices vary, depending on where you buy them. Check out playbill.com and theatermania.com to see if there are discounts available. For same-day tickets (if available), go to the TKTS booth in Times Square for what is usually a 50% discount.

Center orchestra seats are fairly close to the stage and offer the best vantage point for the show. This show is not worth full price tickets. Check or to see if you can get discount tickets in advance. Or, go to the TKTS booth in Times Square the day of the show to see if tickets are available there. Tickets from TKTS are up to 50% off.

Any seat in this small theater is a good seat. Check or to see if you can get discount tickets in advance. Or, go to the TKTS booth in Times Square the day of the show to see if tickets are available there. Tickets from TKTS are up to 50% off.

The draw for Paddy Reilly's is the live Irish music that begins around 10pm. However, it drew almost no one. I enjoyed having the place almost to myself. I could really hear the music and enjoy a leisurely conversation without having to shout.

It feels more like a neighborhood spot than a destination. The place is extremely casual, so you'll feel right at home in a pair of old jeans.

Check out for more information. Also you can call ahead at 212/686-1210 to find out show information.

If you want to see the entire museum, expect to spend several hours there. With the $20 entrance fee, you'll want to get your money's worth.

On Saturdays and Sundays, you'll have to compete with other art appreciators to get an up-close and unobstructed view of the most popular works.

If the weather is nice, grab a chair and plan to linger outside in the garden.

Lynn Redgrave offers a stellar performance in the role of Constance's mother. Her dramatic qualities and facial expressions bring about laughs and build on Burton's exuberance.

The diaglogue is a bit brisk at times - especially given the slight accents and formal sentence structures. So I'm sure I missed out on some clever banter. I think it's worth seeing again.

In terms of seating, try to sit close enough to the stage to catch facial expressions - although most are strong enough to be seen from a distance. In addition, the performance is mostly geared toward the left.

Look for discount tickets at theatermania.com or playbill.com.

The outdoor area sports 360-degree views of the city. The outside is nicely landscaped with flower boxes and plants. There is also seating outside. Some of it appeared to be reserved seating for larger groups who order bottles of liquor.

There is table service, or you can go to the bar to get drinks.

They are especially good at making French martinis. I would highly recommend them, although there was some variation in them from the bar to table service. The specialty cocktails run about $15. You can pay cash or use credit cards. That's helpful given the steep price.

They also serve some food. I saw people eating fries and a sandwich that looked like a BLT - hardly finger food for a lounge setting.

I enjoyed the people-watching at Plunge. People are dressed in trendy clothes but don't seem to be pretentious. They may be trying a bit too hard.

When we left around 12:30pm or so, there was a big line waiting outside to get in. I would suggest arriving a bit on the early side or planning to wait.

The atmosphere makes it worth the trip to Plunge.