For Fashionable Folks
After much delay, Sascha Lyon’s vast restaurant Sascha opened in the meatpacking district in April. Since his stints at Pastis, Balthazar, and Daniel, Lyon’s culinary skills (as well as the grandeur of his restaurant’s interior) have already created a buzz. The first floor bar area is a spot for a casual breakfast (opt for the second floor’s more formal dining room for lunch or dinner) and people-watching. Those in a hurry can pick up freshly baked breads and sweet things from Lyon’s bakery next door (61 Gansevoort St.), which is open early in the morning to serve the hungry hoi polloi headed to work.
To Make Deals Downtown
In May last year, David Bouley opened his trilevel Bouley Bakery & Market opposite his eponymous TriBeCa restaurant and gave patrons the opportunity to indulge in his tasty desserts, specialty breads, and European pastries before lunch. In the winter, the casual bakery is warm and inviting (and the wood-burning oven fills the eatery with a delicious smell), and in the summer sidewalk seating works for less formal get-togethers. A small dining room upstairs is available in the evening. For a tasty gift, check out the market on the lower level that offers seasonally appropriate organic products as well as Bouley’s ice creams, sorbets, and raw dough for breads and cookies.
For a Morning Meeting
Here’s a calm and civilized way to start the day: The café at Country serves a changing breakfast menu from chef Geoffrey Zakarian. While the restaurant’s main dining room features a Tiffany-style dome, the café’s charms includes rows of sunken sidewalklevel windows, dark wood paneling, and a lovely bar—all making for a setting where you don’t mind settling in. Baked goods include buttery pain au chocolat, muffins, and scones, and there is a selection of fruit smoothies, basic-to-sophisticated entrees (a recent offering was eggs with creamed spinach baked in a jar), and hearty side dishes.
To Break Bread
Now you don’t have to pay Per Se prices to get some Thomas Keller cachet. One floor below the fancy restaurant is the chef’s more casual, but still elegant Bouchon Bakery. The stylish Adam Tihany-designed 60-seat café space overlooks the glass entryway of the shopping complex and is a peaceful spot in the morning for breakfast. A large array of sandwiches, soups, and salads are available, but save room for dessert—the handmade confections and pastries are the highlight of the menu. If you don’t have the time for a sit-down meal, the bakery has a retail counter adjacent to the café.
For Midtown Convenience
Located at Rockefeller Center, Brasserie Ruhlmann opened this past January and has already garnered attention with its detailed Art Deco interior inspired by its namesake, designer Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, and its delectable classic French fare. Chef Laurent Tourondel's all-day menu includes camembert salad, steak tartare, and duck l'orange. Take a nook in the northeastern corner for larger parties of 12 or more or one of the tables by the window away from the bustle of the room.
More Options
Tarallucci e Vino
This contemporary new Italian spot opened quietly in November, but has been winning fans for its selection of top quality pastries and artisanal breads, not to mention the perfect espresso. Enjoy breakfast in the light wood and brick dining room, or discuss the latest soccer scores with regulars over coffee in the bar.
Olives
Well known for chef Todd English’s hearty, Mediterranean fare, Olives is also a great morning meeting place. Breakfast standards are available, but pale next to signature dishes like Parmesan and rosemary grits with Italian sausage. The wine room upstairs seats 40 and has windows that overlook the restaurant.
Les Halles
The breakfast is so peaceful, you might not recognize Les Halles as the bustling setting of Kitchen Confidential, chef Anthony Bourdain’s culinary confessional. The restaurant serves French breakfast staples like croissants and crepes alongside heartier fare. The warm leather banquettes channel a classic French brasserie, and when the weather’s nice, you can sit outside.
—Caryl Chinn, Mark Mavrigian & Anna Sekula
Posted 05.17.06
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After much delay, Sascha Lyon’s vast restaurant Sascha opened in the meatpacking district in April. Since his stints at Pastis, Balthazar, and Daniel, Lyon’s culinary skills (as well as the grandeur of his restaurant’s interior) have already created a buzz. The first floor bar area is a spot for a casual breakfast (opt for the second floor’s more formal dining room for lunch or dinner) and people-watching. Those in a hurry can pick up freshly baked breads and sweet things from Lyon’s bakery next door (61 Gansevoort St.), which is open early in the morning to serve the hungry hoi polloi headed to work.
To Make Deals Downtown
In May last year, David Bouley opened his trilevel Bouley Bakery & Market opposite his eponymous TriBeCa restaurant and gave patrons the opportunity to indulge in his tasty desserts, specialty breads, and European pastries before lunch. In the winter, the casual bakery is warm and inviting (and the wood-burning oven fills the eatery with a delicious smell), and in the summer sidewalk seating works for less formal get-togethers. A small dining room upstairs is available in the evening. For a tasty gift, check out the market on the lower level that offers seasonally appropriate organic products as well as Bouley’s ice creams, sorbets, and raw dough for breads and cookies.
For a Morning Meeting
Here’s a calm and civilized way to start the day: The café at Country serves a changing breakfast menu from chef Geoffrey Zakarian. While the restaurant’s main dining room features a Tiffany-style dome, the café’s charms includes rows of sunken sidewalklevel windows, dark wood paneling, and a lovely bar—all making for a setting where you don’t mind settling in. Baked goods include buttery pain au chocolat, muffins, and scones, and there is a selection of fruit smoothies, basic-to-sophisticated entrees (a recent offering was eggs with creamed spinach baked in a jar), and hearty side dishes.
To Break Bread
Now you don’t have to pay Per Se prices to get some Thomas Keller cachet. One floor below the fancy restaurant is the chef’s more casual, but still elegant Bouchon Bakery. The stylish Adam Tihany-designed 60-seat café space overlooks the glass entryway of the shopping complex and is a peaceful spot in the morning for breakfast. A large array of sandwiches, soups, and salads are available, but save room for dessert—the handmade confections and pastries are the highlight of the menu. If you don’t have the time for a sit-down meal, the bakery has a retail counter adjacent to the café.
For Midtown Convenience
Located at Rockefeller Center, Brasserie Ruhlmann opened this past January and has already garnered attention with its detailed Art Deco interior inspired by its namesake, designer Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, and its delectable classic French fare. Chef Laurent Tourondel's all-day menu includes camembert salad, steak tartare, and duck l'orange. Take a nook in the northeastern corner for larger parties of 12 or more or one of the tables by the window away from the bustle of the room.
More Options
Tarallucci e Vino
This contemporary new Italian spot opened quietly in November, but has been winning fans for its selection of top quality pastries and artisanal breads, not to mention the perfect espresso. Enjoy breakfast in the light wood and brick dining room, or discuss the latest soccer scores with regulars over coffee in the bar.
Olives
Well known for chef Todd English’s hearty, Mediterranean fare, Olives is also a great morning meeting place. Breakfast standards are available, but pale next to signature dishes like Parmesan and rosemary grits with Italian sausage. The wine room upstairs seats 40 and has windows that overlook the restaurant.
Les Halles
The breakfast is so peaceful, you might not recognize Les Halles as the bustling setting of Kitchen Confidential, chef Anthony Bourdain’s culinary confessional. The restaurant serves French breakfast staples like croissants and crepes alongside heartier fare. The warm leather banquettes channel a classic French brasserie, and when the weather’s nice, you can sit outside.
—Caryl Chinn, Mark Mavrigian & Anna Sekula
Posted 05.17.06
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10 Business Entertaining Biggies
10 Hot Restaurants for Business Entertaining
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Country
Bouchon Bakery
Brasserie Ruhlmann
