I've been to some pretty incredible restaurants here in New York - some I've gone to on dates and some I've been taken to by friends and naturally still others that I've been to with the BF.
There's always a new place to go for anyone of any income bracket even if you do have to do a little homework which sometimes includes trial and error.
Fortunately I have another place to add to my personal repertoire of places that I can afford, have great great food and offer a warm ambience. I am talking about New York's Gyu Kaku www.gyu-kaku.com, one of two locations in Manhattan and only one of three locations outside of Southern California (the other one is in Hawaii).
First, a disclaimer. I hate Japanese food. Hate it. I tried it once in San Francisco in the late 80s and then once again in Chicago when I lived there in the early 90s and found the food both times to be rubbery and tasteless. So when going out on dates, my standard line has been 'anywhere but Thai and Japanese'
Gyu Kaku is a restaurant where you can cook your own dinner. The restaurant offers an array of high quality meats that are prepared such, that if you wanted to, or so our dinner companions told us, could be eaten raw. I don't think the BF and I are that adventurous... not yet though. We went with two friends of his, both of whom we know professionally in the theatre but had never spent much personal time with. They offered to show us one of their favorite restaurants, and to have one of their favorite experiences..
The place is down on Cooper Union, down by NYU and the restaurant is dark, spacious and quiet. Each booth comes equipped with a little grill set into the table where you cook your own meat (we had duck, chicken and two types of steak) and veggies (we had the corn on a half cob and zucchini) and along with a drink (I had a wonderfully smooth dry sake) and an appetizer (a seemingly bottomless bowl of miso soup), the whole thing came to about $35 per person including a very generous tip (our servers were incredibly attentive and knowledgeable).
Plus the ambience encouraged conversation - no loud overbearing music and the way the place is laid out, you feel as though you are in your own private restaurant (even though, really you are as close to other patrons as you normally would be in any restaurant- how they achieve this not so minor miracle is also a mystery but no less appreciated).
After experiencing how wonderful Japanese food can be, I may have to venture forth to a Thai restaurant to once and for all conquer that long standing 'foe'!
Afterwards the BF and I and our two friends topped off the night with frozen yougurt at Atlas (73 2nd Avenue around 4th or 5th Street), a self termed 'super vegan' eatery serving super healthy food along with a wide array of soft serve yougurt and tofu yougurt which can be mixed and combined with any number of nuts, candy or fruit. Yum. I had chocolate yougurt mixed with blueberries. MMMmm
On a warm New York night nothing's better than a healthy meal with new friends at as yet untried restaurant, a cool dessert at another place I'd never been topped off by goodnight hugs to our new pals and, well, a nice sauntering walk home with the BF. Heaven!
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