Club A Steakhouse

There are many reasons to dine at BLT Steak, tucked discreetly between The Dorchester and an antique jeweler. Having dined here on varied occasions over the years, I knew visiting with Manhattan Sideways, that we were headed towards something special. As we entered the restaurant, we were greeted warmly by the affable staff and took a seat at one of the dark wood tables. We spoke with John, the Venezuelan maître d', who told us about BLT's secrets for success. "The company feels like family, " he said by way of opening, "I've been here for nine years, which is an eternity in the restaurant business. " BLT has built a following of regulars who come back repeatedly because they are "infallibly made to feel like they're the only ones in the restaurant. " In addition to this impeccable service, the food at BLT is consistently top notch. It is, therefore, not difficult to understand why people keep returning for more. While chatting, the chef prepared a succulent variety of meats, perhaps most famously the enormous Porterhouse steak – a dry-aged masterpiece served with maître d'hOtel butter and a side of roasted garlic. Although meat certainly takes center stage, the restaurant also offers a "sublime" Dover Sole and a Tuna Tartar that, according to John, is the best in the city; "I dare someone to find me a better one, " he said. My favorite moment, however, was when the chef presented Yelena, from our team, her first popover. Hailing from Swaziland, she had never encountered this doughy puff of goodness before. I, on the other hand, have had popovers on the top of my list of favorites since I first tried them as a little girl on Long Island. And I can attest to the fact that the ones served at BLT are perfectly prepared.

Steakhouses are a dime a dozen in New York City, but 212 sets itself apart with a unique offer: authentic Kobe beef. Proudly displaying its official Kobe certificate and golden statue at the entrance to the restaurant, there is no doubt that the exclusive steak on offer is at the core of the establishment. Claiming to be the only East Coast restaurant authorized to sell Kobe beef, 212 Steakhouse opened in the summer of 2014, and has made it a mission to make the limited product available at reasonable prices, offering a substantial discount on a permanent basis. The restaurant also has a wide selection of wine, liquor and cocktails - including the aptly named “Gold”, a champagne-based drink served with 23k gold flakes on top – to accompany the steaks. While this is his first restaurant, Russian owner, Nikolay Volper says he has “always been doing business. ” Starting as a waiter at seventeen, Volper was interested in the food industry from an early age, and with 212 Steakhouse, he hopes to bridge the gap between exclusivity and affordability, offering “premium steaks at affordable prices. ”

My family has never been known to turn down the opportunity to indulge in a meal that includes perfectly cooked - charred on the outside and medium on the inside - filet mignons. Thus, I smiled as l shared Bobby Van's amazing creamed spinach, onion rings, Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes, while eyeing the others as they bit into their three "heavenly" steaks.

Offering rental bikes, repair services, and bike tours, Central Park Bike Rental mostly caters to tourists. They give tours in a number of different languages for up to ten people at a time.

Beautifully decorated for the holiday season, Bistro Vendome was still abuzz with chatter when the Manhattan Sideways team stopped by at the tail end of lunch hour to meet with the delightful owner, Virginie Petiteau. Although she and her husband Pascal, who is the executive chef, hail from Brittany, France, they met in New York, where they both worked at Jubilee, a French restaurant on First Avenue. After fifteen years there, Virginie said they felt ready to open their own place. She told us that it was great to already have a base of customers in the area that knew and supported them when they opened Bistro Vendome in 2010. And she was pleased to tell us that they have maintained a loyal clientele ever since. As Virginie put it: "Some people who come here saw me when I was pregnant, and now my daughter is fourteen. "Pascal started working at high-end French restaurants in France at an early age. After coming to New York, he decided to focus on more casual French food. In 2014, he was inducted as Master Chef in Mątres Cuisiniers de France, a prestigious organization aiming "to preserve and spread the French culinary arts, encourage training in cuisine, and assist professional development. " An unusual occurrence continued to happen as we resumed our walking on 58th, as so many other businesses told us that they eat at Bistro Vendome on a regular basis because the food was as traditionally French as one could hope for in Manhattan.

Trendy, immense, packed at any hour and serving intriguing Pan-Asian food, Tao has been a sensation on 58th since opening its doors in 2000. Stepping inside, one cannot help but immediately feel transported to a different world. The interior design is exceptionally meticulous with beautiful calligraphy scrolls adorning the high ceilings, and a sixteen foot massive Buddha sculpture taking center stage down below. Despite the frenetic atmosphere, I have found Tao to be a fun restaurant to dine with friends and to enjoy an excellent meal.