Chris Heywood
Vice President for Travel and Tourism Public Relations; NYC & Company; New York
What are three of the hottest new restaurants you would recommend for attendees meeting in New York City?
- Bar Boulud: Located on the Upper West Side, this brainchild of superchef Daniel Boulud is advertised as a "casual" French bistro-style restaurant across the street from Lincoln Center, but it’s a very refined sort of casual: bistro, but executed to Boulud’s usual exacting standards. Expect nearly perfect takes on classics such as steak frites, trout amande and chicken roti, with lamb tagine, escargot and coq au vin balancing things out. Bar Boulud offers several private dining options, including three wine-themed dining rooms accessible through the wine cellar, plus an outdoor terrace during good weather.
- Breslin Bar & Dining Room: The Breslin Bar & Dining Room at the Ace Hotel continues Daniel Boulud’s current fascination with meats and offers beef, lamb, pork, duck and the occasional oxtail. Dark wood, long communal tables and a sprinkling of Gilded Age decor lend the Breslin a certain we’re-all-in-this-together coziness, broken occasionally by a Schlitz Malt Liquor sign. Cocktails are creative, food is beautifully presented, and a table could make itself happy just ordering rounds of appetizers, including steamed cockles in wine with chorizo and peas, crispy sweetbreads with minty peas and bacon, and royal Miyagi oysters with dill pickle juice.
- Locanda Verde: This fantastic new restaurant is located at the Greenwich Hotel, this really beautiful exclusive hotel in TriBecA. It’s owned by Robert De Niro. It’s in the style of an Italian taverna, the chef is Andrew Carmellini and the pastry chef is Karen DeMasco, both of whom have written cookbooks. They have a private dining room that seats up to 60 and has a working fireplace and antique mirrors, and people eat family style. The menus are down to earth and include excellent pastas, seafood and cheeses.