Secession

One of our readers describes a recent visit to Secession:

It was a spur-of-the moment decision that took us into Secession one night. My oldest daughter had been peeking in the windows of Danube for years and asking to go. The rooms are still some of the prettiest in NYC. The kids and I were presentable, but quick glance at the husband told me we should have stopped at home first. I have to say that the staff didn't even bat an eye, showed us to prominent table, and couldn't have been nicer. The crowd was a mix of families and couples--nicely dressed for an evening out. The food was delicious--we had the buttery roast chicken and an artic char. It's a lighter, more accessible menu than Danube (though I had so many memorable meals there). It reminded me of an upscale, Parisian brasserie: a place to have an elegant, well-prepared dining experience. It made an ordinary weekend night feel special (even if one of us was wearing a sweatshirt...)

Splurge-Worthy

When a dinning experience exceeds your expectations one can't help but feel it is a value at any price. Here is what one of our readers had to say about a recent dinner at Corton:

Taking a former boss to dinner was really just an excuse to have dinner at Corton. We were fans of the previous Montrachet, but this new restaurant has taken destination-eating to a whole new level. The reconfigured dining room is gorgeous--I couldn't stop looking at the white, embossed wall-covering. The ceilings seem higher, there's a small window to peek into the new kitchen and the sound-levels are soft and merciful. But it's really about the food and Corton does not disappoint. The New York Times recently touted the "From the Garden" appetizer and I have to agree that it was the single most amazing plate of food I've had in ages. Featuring a composition of different vegetables, each prepared uniquely, every bite was a revelation. I made vague attempts to offer a taste to my dining companions and was relieved that they didn't take me up on it. I also took the opportunity to have pheasant, rarely on NYC menus and it was beautifully prepared. We used the cell phone to snap pictures of the stunning dessert: an earl-grey infused Vacherin in the shape of a snail. The wine-list, with a generous spectrum of prices, was a bonus. I'll be looking for an excuse to go back.

Mocca Lounge- Great Dinner, Great Happy Hour!

When you find a place your whole family loves it is a victory for families everywhere! Here's what one of our readers had to say about their family's favorite spot:

"My husband and I find ourselves in Mocca more and more and not just for the 2 for 1 happy hour. Okay, maybe that's what got us in the door but now we really do go for the atmosphere and the great food in addition to the great happy hour. They also have a special of 2 appetizers for $20 if paired with two glasses of wine $30.00 or one appetizer and an entree for $25.00, paired with 2 glasses of wine it is $35. Mocca is quickly becoming our local place to go with the kids. At first I though it was a coffee shop or a brunch/lunch place but it is is so much more. A lot of the menu is Middle Eastern but they mix it up with a little asian fusion, mexican and american. Their dinner menu includes falafal, beef or lamb kabobs, tilapia, salmon, etc. Our typical meal consists of surf and turf tapas that comes with angus sirloin steak, lemon-lime marinated shrimp with bourbon mashed potatoes. I love the tuna tempura. They have a great warm thai chicken salad and my daughter loves the angus steak salad. My son usually goes for the nachos or the popcorn chicken. They also serve mini burgers that come with the best spicy fries. One thing about this place is that they are very kid friendly and the staff is very accomodating to any special menu requests. I meet lots of neighbors here and I promise you will quickly become a regular."

Forge is now Marc Forgione f/k/a Forge

The news is out. The great, new, very tasty Tribeca restaurant agreed to change their name to Marc Forgione f/k/a Forge. You will have the same great food and experience the same great atmosphere but now with a longer name!

The New Trigo- nometry?

Check out Tribeca's latest restaurant, Trigo. We hope this Mediterranean-inspired brasserie will soon to be joining Taste of Tribeca. In the meantime, you can also see this post on Zagat.

More Sunday Brunch...

Our readers are not the only ones singing praises for the Church Lounge at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. Time Out saw fit to write up this Sunday family brunch treat as well. We would also like to note with pride that the pictured waffle is a creation of Henri DuBlois, a second grader from PS 150.

Way to get your waffle on, Henri!

Tribeca Grill at the Super Bowl

Robert De Niro's Tribeca Grill, a leading participant in Taste of Tribeca, was featured at a Super Bowl bash curiously named "Taste of the NFL". The event was created to lend to support to various hunger charities. To read more click here.

Thalassa

We hear about Restaurant Week and every year we resolve to take advantage of the deals... but life just gets in the way. However, the following diner's tale might be just the motivation you need to get out and eat!

I'm always proud of myself when I can get my act together enough to make it to an NYC restaurant to get in on a "restaurant week" deal. A recent lunch-date found me at Thalassa on Franklin Street in time to take advantage of the $24.07 lunch pre-fixe menu. I don't know what came over me, but I found myself eating slice after slice of their olive bread--best I've ever had. I picked the beet-manouri cheese app. which turned out to be a beautifully composed salad with delicate manouri cheese. A crisp crab-cake on greens was my entree. I figured ordering the sheep's milk yogurt parfait for dessert would be plain-jane. Was I wrong. I scraped the plate on this one: honey, berry sauce, fresh raspberries and a big, dollop of rich, rich yogurt. Good news: the restaurant says they'll be running the restaurant-lunch pricing all year round, so now I no longer have to get my act together.

The Palm

The Palm now has four locations in Manhattan after opening its doors in Tribeca in November of 2008. The Palm Tribeca is the latest addition to this year's Taste of Tribeca. Read this write up in The Broadsheet DAILY.