Posts Tagged ‘High Line’

23 New York City Restaurants Take You on a Thanksgiving Tour around the World

Thanksgiving dinner (or brunch) in New York doesn’t have to be traditional. You can have an all-American turkey-with-all-the-trimmings version, or change it up with some international spice. Here are 23 choices that will keep you out of the kitchen and enjoying a festive meal.

AMERICAN

The Standard Grill

Courtesy The Standard Grill

The Standard Grill invites you to dine indoors or outdoors to observe an American Thanksgiving dinner, enhanced with the restaurant’s seasonal favorites. You’ll love Chef Jean-Paul Lourdes’ traditional turkey with truffle stuffing, roasted root veggies and cranberry sauce. Non-meat eaters have of-the-season choices like roasted pumpkin ravioli with black sesame, or big-eye tuna Wellington with mushroom duxelles. Desserts stick to holiday favorites apple and cherry pies. You can walk off your dinner with a stroll along the adjacent High Line.

The Polo Bar

Courtesy The Polo Bar

It’s no surprise Ralph Lauren’s The Polo Bar stays true to tradition for Thanksgiving. After all, this is Ralph Lauren, the embodiment of Americana in dress as well as food. The restaurant will prepare classics done Polo Bar-style including Green Circle Farms free-range turkey, Calvados gravy, maple-bacon baby Brussels sprouts, sweet potato gratin, house-made cornbread, cranberry sauce and chestnut stuffing. Desserts are equally enticing with a choice of apple-quince pie, pumpkin and vanilla-bourbon ice cream sundae, and Charleston bourbon pecan pie. Side dishes can be added to the family-style meal along with wine or cocktails. Add a Polo Bar touch with dinner menu favorites including shrimp cocktail, Ralph’s corned beef bites, kale and autumn root vegetable salad, pigs in a blanket, honeynut squash soup, pumpkin cheesecake, classic cheesecake, old-fashioned five-layer chocolate cake and coconut cake.

Charlie Palmer Steak NY

Courtesy Charlie Palmer Steak NY

Charlie Palmer Steak NY keeps it strictly American with a family-style meal that includes all dishes on the prix fixe menu. Come hungry because you’ll have three starters of chicory salad, deviled eggs, and local apples with cheddar cheese, followed by roasted McEnroe Farms boneless turkey roast with turkey gravy, classic sourdough stuffing, potato purée, green bean casserole, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato gratin and cranberry sauce.  Dessert is a trio of traditional seasonal favorite pies: pumpkin, apple and pecan. Plan on a serious Thanksgiving nap after this feast!

KOREAN

Cote

Courtesy Cote

You might not think of a Korean steakhouse as a go-to for Thanksgiving Day, But Simon Kim’s feast will make you reconsider. The prix fixe menu is purely Cote, combining four select cuts of USDA Prime and American Wagyu beef (hanger, 45-day ribeye, flatiron, and galbi) with a variety of Korean accompaniments. Instead of the usual mashed or sweet potatoes, you’ll enjoy savory egg soufflé, Korean glass noodles, spicy kimchi stew and sticky rice stuffing with Chinese sausage ad shiitake mushrooms. For dessert, no worries. You’ll have ice cream as you should on Thanksgiving. Festive cocktails will be served as well.

Soogil

Soogil © MST Creative PR

Taking it one step further, French Korean gem Soogil offers a luxurious six-course Thanksgiving feast. Drawing on both Korean ingredients and his French training, Chef Soogil Lim has created a delicious menu worthy of holiday celebrations, combining seasonal ingredients like Brussels sprouts and honeynut squash with French classics like foie gras and caviar. Main courses include a choice of boneless turkey roulade stuffed with foie and served with cranberry sauce, sweet potato beignet and turkey gravy, or grilled American wagyu galbi short ribs with 24-hour soy Bordelaise sauce, Korean sweet potato beignet and matsutake mushrooms. For dessert, Chef brings back his Korean childhood favorite, dalgona candy that is having a moment thanks to Netflix’s Squid Game.

PAN ASIAN

Hortus NYC

Courtesy Hortus NYC

Designed by Executive Chef Lenny Moon, modern Asian Hortus NYC will be featuring an eclectic Thanksgiving menu, infusing Southeast Asian flavors with European techniques. The prix fixe menu begins with a Hortus Royal Platter for Two comprised of a chilled lobster tail, yellowfin tuna crudo and a shrimp cocktail, followed by a crispy duck taco topped with Sichuan cranberry sauce, lettuce and mango salsa. Diners will then choose an appetizer and entrée from the à la carte menu such as kabocha pumpkin soup or Surf and Turf, a decadent mix of  filet mignon, truffle butter, grilled lobster, lobster mac and cheese, and maitake mushroom. The meal ends with chocolate cheesecake topped with black sesame mascarpone cream.

CUBAN

Victor’s Cafe

Courtesy Victor’s Cafe

If you’re planning to hit the parade route, Victor’s Café is an easy walk for a post-float celebration. Opening its doors when Santa makes his last foray down Central Park West, the 50-year-old Cuban restaurant offers Thanksgiving lunch, now provided by founder Victor Del Corral’s daughter and grandchildren. Located in the Theater District, Victor’s has a Latin-spiced meal in store with pavo asado, a traditional roasted turkey, spiced up with cornbread and chorizo stuffing. Add to that sweet potato mash and cranberry sauce to keep the American tradition, enhanced with Victor’s famous black beans and rice, and a dessert of flan de calabaza and you certainly won’t miss your usual pumpkin pie. And what could be more Latin than a mojito with your turkey? If you decide you need to thaw out a bit after the parade before you dine, dinner will be served until 10pm.

CARIBBEAN

Miss Lily’s

Miss Lily’s © 15.IANGITTLER

For Thanksgiving, Miss Lily’s two downtown locations will offer a Jamaican spin on a traditional Thanksgiving meal with a three-course Caribbean feast. Enjoy a slow-roasted jerk turkey with rich gravy, stuffing, mac & cheese pie, and Jamaican greens along with a choice of appetizer (cod fritters or Caribbean pumpkin soup) and a choice of puddings for dessert (signature Miss Homey sweet potato or old-fashioned banana cream). You may not be on an island holiday, but you’ll certainly feel like you are!

PERUVIAN

POPULAR

POPULAR Courtesy Ian Schrager’s PUBLIC hotel

Located at Ian Schrager’s PUBLIC hotel, POPULAR introduces a special Peruvian-inspired Thanksgiving menu with Pisco cocktails. Created by Chef Diego Muñoz (Astrid y Gaston, Lima), the family-style set menu offers an Andean twist for the holiday with a crème brûlée-inspired take on a Pisco Sour, turkey cooked two ways (herb-roasted white meat and confit dark meat), stuffing made with mirepoix, and Chef’s grandma’s recipe for cranberry sauce. An exciting side, Peruvian-inflected Brussels sprouts are fried with an ají limo maple glaze and citrus zest. Dessert is one that can’t be found anywhere else in NYC: Peruvian chocolate and pecan pie with a salted crust and a side of lucuma ice cream.

ITALIAN

Portale

Courtesy Portale

Reflective of Chef Alfred Portale’s Italian heritage, Portale will be offering a three-course prix fixe menu featuring a selection of appetizers, entrees and desserts with an Italian twist. Guests can choose from the likes of terrina with Muscovy duck, foie gras and kumquat mostarda or Chef’s acclaimed crudo di tonno to start, followed by entrees including mafaldine pasta with Maine lobster, Calabrian chili and lemon-basil butter or tacchino with roast turkey, duck confit, sour cherry stuffing, Brussels sprouts and rainbow carrots. Dessert is a decadent bourbon pecan torta.

L’Amico

Courtesy L’Amico

L’amico means friend in Italian and Chef Laurent Tourondel wants you to invite all of your friends and family for an Italian-influenced Thanksgiving dinner in the Kimpton Hotel Eventi. Diners can choose from a selection of appetizers such as crispy Parmesan sformato with prosciutto San Daniele and truffle vinaigrette or butternut squash soup with fontina agnolotti sage. Entrées entice with blends of varying flavors like the wood-fire roasted Heritage turkey with cranberry-orange mostards, oreganata gravy, chestnut, and pork sausage stuffing; or king salmon with Sicilian cauliflower, currants, pistachio, kabocha squash and balsamico. Sides are equally intriguing such as spaghetti squash with gorgonzola and pine nuts or Brussels sprouts with honey and guanciale. Pumpkin pie is tarted up a la dolce vita with a hazelnut crunch and amaretto whipped cream.

SPANISH

Socarrat Paella Bar

Courtesy Socarrat Paella Bar

For a Spanish twist to Thanksgiving, why not consider a paella instead of a turkey? Socarrat Paella Bar begins the meal with gambas al ajillo and a pear and squash salad. The star of the show is Socarrat’s Thanksgiving Paella artfully composed with confit turkey leg, roasted turkey breast, chorizo, butternut squash, piquillo peppers and mushroom sofrito. Sides are slightly more traditional including crispy Brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes with shaved almonds, and cranberry bread stuffing. Dessert lets you choose which country’s sweets your prefer: pick either American-traditional pumpkin cheesecake or Spain’s popular cinnamon-sugar churros with seasonally appropriate apple-caramel sauce.

SLOVENIAN

Pekarna NY

Courtesy Pekarna NY

At Pekarna NY, Executive Chef Kamal Hoyte offers up an unusual Thanksgiving meal, melding traditional Slovenian with New American seasonal dishes. His four-course prix fixe menu is reminiscent of dishes found in the former Yugoslavian country, including the Pekarna salad with cranberries, hard-boiled egg, heirloom tomatoes, pickled red onion, crispy chickpeas and shaved Gruyere; turkey roulade stuffed with button mushrooms; and roasted fingerling potatoes and grilled asparagus. For dessert, the Slovenian apple wrap is a thing of beauty, a baked apple roll with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg topped with vanilla gelato.

PORTUGUESE

Veranda

Courtesy Veranda

Chef George Mendes’ three-course prix fixe menu for Veranda’s first Thanksgiving starts with housemade sourdough and includes an array of traditional American dishes mixed with Portuguese surprises. Think squash soup, Pennsylvania turkey with chestnut-brioche stuffing, and pumpkin spiced cheesecake from the US, with a medley of dishes inspired by Mendes’ Portuguese heritage including shrimp “Alhinho” with sweet smoked pimenton, garlic, olive oil and pressed shrimp jus; and arroz de pato with duck confit, chorizo, black olive, orange and crispy duck skin.

FRENCH

Bar Benno

Bar Benno © Emily Chan

Bar Benno

Michelin-starred Chef Jonathan Benno offers a Parisian-style Thanksgiving meal at Bar Benno in NoMad’s Evelyn Hotel. Benno’s French take on the holiday comes with a multi-course feast of roasted turkey with sage-infused gravy and holiday stuffing with house-made pain de campagne, Union Square Green Market Brussels sprouts with caramelized onion, and cranberry-orange compote. Leonelli Bakery provides the desserts, classic pumpkin pie with mascarpone swirl, or pecan pie made with Old Grandad bourbon.

The Fulton

Courtesy The Fulton

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s first seafood restaurant, The Fulton invites diners to a Thanksgiving meal mixing French and American dishes at his waterfront eatery at the Seaport. The three-course prix fixe menu offers a petite seafood plateau, yellowfin tuna tartare and butternut squash minestrone as starters, with entrees including pepper-crusted beef sirloin or roasted organic turkey. Dessert choices eschew traditional pies, offering fig tart or apple tarte tatin instead.

MEDITERRANEAN

Fig & Olive

Courtesy Fig & Olive

A Côte d’Azur-inspired three-course meal awaits at Fig & Olive on Thanksgiving. Classics like roasted rainbow carrots and sweet potato mix with Mediterranean and American dishes including French onion soup and Beeler’s pork belly. For the main course, meat eaters and vegetarians will enjoy a choice of free-range turkey or pumpkin risotto. Desserts blend the two continental influences with a choice of pumpkin Bundt cake or gateau au fromage.

Celestine

Celestine © Daniel Krieger

For a Mediterranean twist with views of Manhattan instead of Italy, Celestine is the place to be for Thanksgiving brunch and dinner. Traditional American ingredients like chicory and delicata squash mix with Mediterranean Castelfranco, Trevisano radicchio and Pecorino cheese. Meat eaters will enjoy turkey served as a roulade with fresh herbs and pan gravy while vegetarians can opt for wild mushroom tagliatelle. Other items on the menu span both European and American influences with pommes purées, sourdough stuffing, Parker House rolls, and a dessert choice of either apple galette with crème fraîche or pumpkin cake with spiced cream cheese frosting.

DINER DINING

Old John’s Diner

Old John’s Diner © Meryl Pearlstein

Nothing is more American than a meal at an old-timey diner, and for Thanksgiving the newly re-opened Old John’s Diner has a meal that is pure comfort food. For a mere $45 per person, you’ll get a three-course meal that also includes a glass of wine. The menu for the day features tortellini vegetable soup; roasted turkey breast with mashed potatoes, sweet potato mash, gravy and cranberry sauce; and a choice of apple or pumpkin pie for dessert. Sometimes simplicity is the sweetest thing.

Brooklyn Diner

Brooklyn Diner © Meryl Pearlstein

Curiously not located in Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Diner gives Manhattanites a taste of the other borough with another affordable, traditional feast. For $40 per person, the all-American menu features a free-range herb-roasted turkey along with pecan pie.

SOMETHING SPECIAL

Parade Watching: JAMS

Courtesy 1 Hotel Central Park

Helmed by acclaimed Chef Jonathan Waxman, Jams at 1 Hotel Central Park offers a comfortable way to watch the parade while indulging in a great Thanksgiving brunch. The restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows offer privileged indoor viewing of the floats and bands as they make their way down Sixth Avenue. Jams will be hosting a full day of Thanksgiving dining experiences including brunch and post-parade dining serving up both hot and cold buffets at each. Pretty much every sort of holiday and seasonal food is included from mini butternut quiches to roasted turkey and peppercorn-crusted ham and brunchy items like French toast sticks and pastries. If you have your heart set on watching the parade in situ, this is a fabulous way to do it.

Dessert Only (Maybe): Black Tap

Black Tap © Black Tap

So turkey isn’t your thing but you want to celebrate Thanksgiving in a novel way? Then this one’s for you: Black Tap has created a new, crazy shake with all of the holiday flavors. The over-the-top Pumpkin Cheesecake CrazyShake® is a pumpkin-spiced shake with a vanilla-frosted rim with mini marshmallows topped with a pumpkin cheesecake slice, whipped cream and pumpkin spice.

Black Tap © Black Tap

But don’t worry – if  you’d prefer your shake as a dessert after something turkey, Black Tap’s Thanksgiving Burger will certainly fit the bill. Almost as large as the shake, the turkey burger comes with Brie, applewood smoked bacon, corn and sage potato roll stuffing, cranberry and orange aioli.

Leftovers All Month Long: Industry Kitchen

Courtesy Industry Kitchen

Everyone knows the best part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. At Industry Kitchen, the team at this Seaport restaurant is reprising their creative twist on holiday flavors with their Thanksgiving Pizza. The wood-fired pizza combines the classic spread of turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing to create a dish that balances the sweet and salty flavors of Thanksgiving. The happy news? It’s available through the entire month of November.

New York City Restaurants Open Indoor Dining Just in Time for Valentine’s Day

Outdoor dining resumes in New York City on February 12, giving you another option if dining outside is too cold for you. But, please note, outdoor dining, indoor dining, takeout and delivery options vary by restaurant and can change based on weather and other factors. Be sure to call ahead to confirm your choice of indoor or outdoor seating.

Born in the U.S.A.

Courtesy Brooklyn Chop House

For Valentine’s Day, Brooklyn Chop House will have you seeing red in a good way with their over-the-top Red Velvet with a Side of Red Velvet special. The menu begins and ends with a Red Velvet creation, first a Red Velvet Frozé and then an oversized slice of Red Velvet Cake. Your dinner is equally colorful, in a figurative sense – order the L.S.D. (Lobster, Steak, Duck), a decadent array of Salt & Pepper Lobster, Ginger & Garlic lobster, dry-aged Porterhouse steak and Peking Duck served with lobster and chicken fried rice.

From New York to the Continent

Courtesy Socarrat Paella Bar

In Spain, Cava is the beverage of romance and Socarrat Paella Bar pairs it with heart-shaped churros dipped in chocolate. You’ll also tuck into a four-course dinner with a shareable Campero board of Spanish charcuterie followed by a tapas selection of red prawns, croquetas and datiles and duck or lobster and seafood paella.

Courtesy Mercado Little Spain

Take a stroll along the High Line and pause to look at the Hudson River and the magnificent New York skyline. Exit at 30th Street for José Andrés’ Spanish Diner at Mercado Little Spain, a second option for those who equate Valentine’s Day with a trip to high-spirited Spain. On the open-air patio, you’ll be treated a Valentine’s Day prix fixe dinner highlighted by the José taco with jamón Ibérico and caviar, croquetas de marisco, and grilled Ibérico pork shoulder. A Cava toast is the perfect precursor to the double-chocolate Nuestro Cardenal, a crispy meringue topped with raspberry chocolate and filled with chocolate ganache.

Courtesy Extra Virgin

West Village favorite Extra Virgin has created an aphrodisiacal Valentine’s Day menu with a dose of whimsy. The Mediterranean-inspired dinner includes hors d’oeuvres like shrimp and Jonah crab cocktail and foie gras mousse and the aptly named Love Bird, a whole roasted jerk chicken to share. As everyone knows, chocolate is de rigueur on Valentine’s Day, and you’ll have a mix of two of the best for dessert with the white and dark chocolate mousse parfait. Playing off the restaurant’s somewhat-ambiguous name, Extra Virgin is selling a limited-edition “Extra Love” red t-shirt. Buy a large so you can cozy up in bed after dinner.

Courtesy The Mark Restaurant

Just steps from Central Park, The Mark Restaurant’s green-and-white striped tent takes on a red tinge with a prix fixe Valentine’s Day menu of Jean-Georges favorites. At the tony Upper East Sider, tuna tartare with caviar is a perfect beginning to sea bass or grilled NY strip. The Linzer tart is as delicious as it is pretty – a heart-shaped sweet finish to a wonderful meal with your sweetie. You won’t need to order a bottle of wine – the sommelier will take care of the perfect pairings.

Courtesy Frevo

Chef Franco Sampogna welcomes you to the re-opening of Frevo for Valentine’s Day. Unusual and romantic, the restaurant is hidden behind an art gallery. It’s like entering Oz — you walk through a painting to find the dining room where a Valentine’s Day playlist sets the tone for Chef’s luxe multi-course dining fête. Artistically plated dishes include lobster cappuccino with Kristal caviar, celery root tagliatelle and black truffle, and quail with foie gras, All ingredients are seasonal, sustainable and locally sourced. The evening’s wine experience is brought to you by sommelier Quentin Vauleon, named Best Young Sommelier in France of 2017.

Courtesy Nice Matin

At Nice Matin, Chef Eric Starkman serves up a special three-course prix fixe menu in their heated, streetside café. The Provençale menu offers starters including lobster bisque, farro risotto and smoked salmon. Entrées appeal to all dining preferences with Filet Mignon, duet of lamb, bucatini Mentonnaise or scallops à la Marseillaise. Dessert is pure rouge decadence: Red Velvet cake with raspberry purée and dark chocolate glaze.

Pacific Delights

Courtesy Nami Nori

Temaki sensation Nami Nori invites you to its outdoor room for a special Temaki Set. The menu of high-level taco-like creations includes five of Chef’s most popular: toro kama with yuzu kosho chimichurri, grilled akamutsu, avocado with pickled goji berries, X.O. scallop with tobiko and lemon, and tuna poke with crispy shallots. A caviar layer dip makes an indulgent appetizer. Drawing on Japan’s cherry-blossom heritage, the meal is finished with a Sakura parfait, a Valentine-pink confection of cherry blossom mousse, hibiscus gêlée, elderflower panna cotta and sponge cake; and “The Cherry Bomb” cherry-red cocktail made with Crémant sparkling wine, cherry sage cordial and soju.

Courtesy 15 East @ Tocqueville

French-Japanese hybrid 15 East @ Tocqueville debuts its first Valentine’s Day menu with a spread to impress. Created by Chef Marco Moreira, the three-course prix fixe meal includes Hudson Valley foie gras custard, butter-poached Maine lobster, duo of Wagyu-beef cheeks and strip loin, and dry aged hay-smoked Magret duck breast. You can choose one of four desserts including baked Fuji apple with passion parfait. If you’d prefer to order strictly Japanese, the Chef’s Sashimi & Sushi Omakase is also available. The red “Enzo and Valentina” with Nolet’s Silver Gin, Campari, St. Germain, Cocchi Rossa, prickly pear and lemon juice is your Valentine’s Day cocktail. Adding to the romance, the inviting (and dimly lit) outdoor space is draped in a sheer pink overhang.

Seven Places for Thanksgiving Dinner in Brooklyn and Manhattan

Thanksgiving this year will be celebrated in unusual ways. Our gatherings won’t be as large. We will be separated from extended family, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be virtual. But we can still enjoy a delicious holiday either at our homes or in some of New York City’s recently re-opened restaurants.

Here are seven ideas to ensure a festive and satisfying celebration.

MANHATTAN

Cote

You might not think of a Korean steakhouse as a go-to for Thanksgiving Day, But Simon Kim’s feast will make you reconsider. Including turkey in the form of turkey mandoo (dumplings), the prix fixe menu is purely Cote combining four cuts of steak (hanger, 45-day ribeye, flatiron, and galbi) with a variety of Korean accompaniments. Instead of the usual mashed or sweet potatoes, you’ll enjoy kimchi jjigae, egg soufflé, japchae (noodles), rice, kimchi, scallion salad and spicy housemade ssamjang). For dessert, no worries. You’ll have pie and ice cream as you should on Thanksgiving. Festive cocktails will be served as well. Reservations are required.

Cote

If you prefer to dine at home, Cote offers meal kits for six, with a choice of roast prime rib and sides or a more Korean take with Niman galbi jjim, Chef David Shim’s USDA prime short rib cooked overnight with sweet soy sauce, shiitake mushrooms, daikon, carrots, gingko nuts and chestnuts. Pick up and local delivery are available for the day before Thanksgiving at this Flatiron star.

The Standard Grill

The Standard Grill

The Standard Grill invites you to dine indoors or outdoors to observe a truly American Thanksgiving dinner, enhanced with the restaurant’s seasonal favorites. You’ll love the roasted traditional turkey with gravy, fall veggies and cranberry sauce. Non-meat eaters have of-the-season choices like Maine lobster salad with celery remoulade and wild apple, or baked salmon with creamy morels and sorrel sauce. Dessert sticks to holiday favorites pecan and pumpkin pies. Reservations are required, and the outdoor area is heated. You can walk off your dinner with a stroll along the adjacent High Line.

Wayan

Wayan

If you’re set on staying home, why not invite the family over for a Thanksgiving out of the ordinary. Cedric and Ochi Vongerichten’s Wayan offers a take-out, family-style dinner with a menu of Indonesian-inspired classics. Turkey is featured, done up in a roasted Indonesian style. Sides include Brussels sprouts with morning glory terasi, perkedel stuffing, mashed potatoes (yes, they’re really there!), roasted delicata squash, spiced cranberry acar sauce and long pepper gravy. The feast serves eight to six. Cocktails and whole pies for dessert can be ordered as well. Plan to return to SoHo for Wayan’s exciting non-turkey dishes.

The Polo Bar

The Polo Bar

It’s no surprise Ralph Lauren’s The Polo Bar stays true to tradition for Thanksgiving. After all, this is Ralph Lauren, the embodiment of Americana in dress as well as food. The restaurant will prepare classics done Polo Bar-style including Green Circle Farms free-range turkey, Calvados gravy, maple-sherry glazed baby Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, chestnut stuffing, popovers with maple butter, pumpkin cheesecake or Charleston bourbon pecan pie. Side dishes can be added to the family-style meal along with wine or cocktails. Add a Polo Bar touch with menu favorites including shrimp cocktail, Ralph’s corned beef bites, kale and autumn root vegetable salad, pigs in a blanket, honeynut squash soup, pumpkin cheesecake, classic cheesecake, old-fashioned five-layer chocolate cake and coconut cake. You can order a six-person or a 12-person feast. Pick up will be arranged for either Wednesday or Thanksgiving morning.

Eleven Madison Park

Eleven Madison Park

For a luxe Thanksgiving at home, Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park’s “To Go” spread revolves around an organic, free-range turkey that will make you feel like a culinary superstar. Cooking instructions from Chef Daniel Humm are provided. Sides are pre-prepared so you don’t have to do all the work yourself, and you’ll get an array of EMP hits plus vegetable dishes, traditional accoutrements, brioche rolls and pie for dessert. If you’re feeling particularly spicy and celebratory, you can add caviar and truffles to your order. Cocktails and wines complete the indulgence. You can order a feast for four-six people or eight-ten. Pick up is either Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving. And here’s a nice Thanksgiving benefit: for every meal kit purchased, EMP donates ten meals to New Yorkers in need in partnership with Rethink Food.

BROOKLYN

JAMES

JAMES

Prospect Heights’ James has created a gorgeous holiday box of farm-driven delights for delivery or pick-up. Founder Deborah James is all about family and neighborhood, and her feast encourages good feelings with a menu of celery root soup, roasted Brussels sprouts dusted with honey and chili, whipped Yukon potatoes, bitter greens, roasted baby beets, heirloom roasted potatoes, focaccia stuffing with sausage, chestnuts and crispy sage. Taking center stage is a Sullivan Country young turkey topped with handmade salts and butters. Desserts include spiced pumpkin cake, fallen chocolate cake and roasted apple crisp. Pick-up can be scheduled for Wednesday or Thanksgiving afternoon.

Le Crocodile

Le Crocodile Private Dining

Williamsburg brasserie Le Crocodile takes advantage of its Wythe Hotel location, offering Thanksgiving dining indoors in its heated outdoor garden or in its new private dining option, Le Crocodile Upstairs, in converted hotel rooms. The prix fixe menu begins with winter squash soup with black truffle and Waldorf salad. The classic Thanksgiving feast continues family-style starring heritage turkey, carved to order, with cranberry sauce, sourdough stuffing, mashed potatoes, honey and maple glazed carrots and green bean casserole. For a dessert finish, there’s a choice of ice creams, pear frangipane tart, and pumpkin pie with brandy cream. Reservations are required.

Last Few Weeks — See the Rolling Stones’ Exhibitionism in the Meatpacking District

Whether you’re a diehard Rolling Stones fan or are fascinated by the history of fashion, art and pop culture, you won’t want to miss the Rolling Stones’ Exhibitionism. The interactive exhibit will play its final show in NYC on Sunday, March 12, before hitting the road for Chicago.

The exhibit spans 17,000 square feet of gallery space in the West Village’s Industria gallery, where visitors can journey through the lives of the band members and go behind the scenes to explore the band’s rise to fame. No stone is left unturned at Exhibitionism — you’ll find handwritten lyrics, concert memorabilia, instruments and a recreated recording studio. The exhibit begins with a recreation of the disheveled London flat that Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones shared when they first started out, and ends with an immersive 3D concert and backstage experience.

Along the way you’ll also get a glimpse of the influence that the Stones have had beyond the music scene since the 1960s. The Stones’ remarkable influence on pop culture can be seen in everything from fashion to famous artwork. Costumes and cover art are showcased alongside personal effects including diaries and letters written by the band members.

Tickets to Exhibitionism are $25 and are for timed entry to the exhibit. Tickets are still available for both of the final two weekends. https://ticketek.stonesexhibitionism.com/shows/show.aspx?sh=ROLLINGS17

Location: Industria, 775 Washington St (at W. 12th St.) in the Meatpacking District.

Hungry:

While you’re there, consider these wonderful restaurants for a post-show bite: Untitled at the new Whitney Museum, Santina for amazing Italian cuisine, Bubby’s for comfort food and great pastries, and The Standard Grill to ensure that you’re part of the driving, fashion-oriented scene of the neighborhood.

Then walk it off with a nice stroll along the High Line — enter at Gansevoort Street.

Free Things to Do This Summer

If you think everything in New York costs too much, well, you’re right—almost. In fact, the city has tons of free attractions and activities; here are some summer faves.

Brooklyn BridgeWalk across the Brooklyn Bridge (or part of it) for a spectacular view of the Financial District and One World Trade Center, Brooklyn, the seaport, and Manhattan. If you’re still energized, you can visit Brooklyn Bridge Park, a beautiful setting blessed with unobstructed city views.

Grab a distinctively different park experience by hiking the High Line. Where else but in New York could you smell the flowers, admire art and score some superb people watching along a former railroad track? If you happen to be there on Friday between 7 and 9:30pm, stop by the new Whitney Museum. Admission is free (you can pay what you wish).

Ride the Staten Island ferry (and back) to see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the southern tip of Manhattan from the water.

Catch a free outdoor movie screening in Soundview Park (Bronx), Bryant Park (Manhattan), on Pier 1 in Riverside Park (Manhattan), Brooklyn Bridge Park, Sunset Park (Brooklyn), Willowbrook Park (Staten Island), Simeone Park (Queens) or at the Socrates Sculpture Garden (Queens). Schedules are posted weekly.

FishingGo catch-and-release fishing at Harlem Meer with free poles and bait to borrow from the Dana Discovery Center.

Wander Battery Park City’s waterfront promenade. The breeze, occasional concerts, fun parks and playgrounds, and passing boats will make you forget you’re in the gritty city, although the view of the Statue of Liberty will remind you that you couldn’t be anywhere but New York.

TrapeseWatch wannabe trapeze artists swing and soar at the New York Trapeze School along the Hudson River at Pier 40 in Manhattan, or at 3029 Stillwell Ave. in Coney Island

Island Hop to Governors Island by ferry. In this historic and expansive park setting you can bike, take a tram ride, and absorb the great views of the city.

Taste the treats at the Union Square greenmarket (Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat.), where farmers offer samples of organically grown produce, hand-pressed juices, artisanal cheeses, and fresh bread.

Stroll the Coney Island boardwalk and play on the beach for some old-school kitsch. Although the outrageous Mermaid Parade and the gluttonous Fourth of July hot-dog-eating contest have passed, there’s plenty to see to keep you entertained.

Check out the street performers around New York’s parks: break-dancers in Union Square and by Central Park’s Bethesda Fountain, nutty unicyclists in Washington Square, and Statue of Liberty clones in Battery Park and Times Square along the pedestrian-only Broadway promenade. The entertainers situated near the subway (or in the subway – enter for only $2.75) are better than you’d expect—to perform, they must first be vetted by committee.

Conservatory GardensStroll among the paths in the Central Park Conservatory Garden for gorgeous, gorgeous flowers, and idyllic formal gardens.

Attend a storytelling hour or author talk at Barnes & Noble. You can check schedules and store locations online.

Visit a museum. Many, many of New York City’s best collections offer hours, days, or nights when admission is free for all. You can view the complete schedule here.

More Enticing Valentine’s Day Events and Specials

I love how creative New Yorkers, especially Brooklynites, can be about how to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

New York Transit MuseumBrooklyn’s New York Transit Museum’s annual “Missed Connections” party (thank you, Craigslist) celebrates the possibilities public transit encounters.  Sexy, fun, and subterranean, the party kicks off at 6:30pm on Valentine’s Day, with refreshments provided by Brooklyn’s own Brooklyn Brewery, Brittle Barn, Brooklyn Winery, The Chocolate Room, A Cook’s Companion, and Grand Central Oyster Bar Brooklyn.  Raffle prizes, too. Boerum Place, Brooklyn.  Tickets at https://51281.blackbaudhosting.com/51281/Missed-Connections.

Guerlain SpaJust want the spa experience? At the Guerlain Spa in the Towers of the Waldorf Astoria, couples can enjoy the “Love the One You’re With” couples’ massage, spa treatment suite shower with dual rain showerheads and private steam room, champagne and truffles.  Single ladies aren’t left out either: the “Just for the Girls” package gives you a choice of manicure and pedicure, massage, or facial, along with two Kir Royale cocktails.  Each package concludes with the spa’s signature “Final Touch” treatment, a choice of shoe shine, garment steaming or make-up refresh. www.guerlainspas.com. www.towersofthewaldorf.com.

Sugartooth ToursSugartooth Tours will feed your sweetheart cravings with a special “Sweeter than Sugar Valentine’s” tour down the High Line with hot chocolate and dessert tastings as you stroll from Chelsea to the West Village.  A finale of a wine and beer pairing can be added. Choose from two-and-a-half hours tours on four dates: February 13, 14, 15 or 16. 917-856-6761. www.sugartoothtours.com.

I’m completely taken by this concept – chocolate is just sooo yesterday. MitchMallows, headquartered in Chelsea, are marshmallows that come in crazy flavors like banana split, pretzels and beer, churros, ginger wasabi and creamsicles.  Mitch MarshmellowUse your imagination – there’s probably a flavor just for you.  Search the “Classic,” “Whack’d” or “Seasonal” selections for your favorite hand-crafted pick.  And, for Valentine’s Day, they have sparkly mallow hearts in cherry coated in pink and red sugar, all packaged in a polka dot heart-shaped box ($16). 212-645-1121. www.mitchmallows.com

Lobster special with butter poached rutabaga and sauce Americana at Stanton SocialWhile many restaurants offer special Valentine’s Day dinners, usually with a rose and a glass of champagne as a token gift, Stanton Social is having a dance party.  Starting at 6pm, the restaurant’s DJ will spin sexy slow jams to get you in the mood. A second DJ will heat up the scene with party tunes. A special menu of restaurant classics along with aphrodisiacal treats is paired with an open bar of premium top-shelf selections for your two-hour celebration.  $125 per person. Email: Natalie@thestantonsocial.com, 99 Stanton Street, Manhattan, 212-995-0099. http://stantonsocial.com/

Planning a trip to NYC?