Food

Foods of New York offers unique food tasting and cultural walking tours and food tasting events through New York City's most delicious and historic neighborhoods.

Under its second chef, this New American favorite keeps a balance on the tightrope between elegance and homey comfort. With its famed wood-burning stove and enough fresh flowers to stock a botanic garden, this enduring favorite feels more Napa than Flatiron. The colorful murals and open layout of the front "Tavern" room attracts young execs and stylish tourists, who fill the space with garrulous buzz, while the more opulent dining area lures an older crowd with hacienda-style archways and iron chandeliers.

Egalitarian East Village spot turns out crowd-pleasing brasserie plates with personality. This East Village brasserie makes the most of its former Pizzeria Uno space. Subway-tile walls and retro black-and-white portraits set a smart Gotham tone without being too gimmicky, and while the restaurant may not be as hip as other neighborhood entries, it offers an all-embracing attitude toward its clientele.

In the space formerly occupied by Bruno Restaurant for 30 years comes Bruno Selimaj's latest venture. The hunt for quality food and hospitality stops at this brownstone space, where the well-to-do flock for cuts of cow that don't disappoint--in portion size or tenderness. The deep red walls and upholstered chairs make for sophisticated surroundings lacking only in pretension. If you don't see the attentive owner, or his son, the manager, meandering about, you'll still feel familial warmth radiating on all three levels.

New American dining and a hundred international vodkas, enjoyed by an elite set. At this Upper East Side bar and restaurant, it's both the dinner and drinks that reel in the well-heeled clientele. Art deco style, skylights and a streetside patio set the gabby who's-who scene of posh Europeans and young Manhattan singles. A New American menu complements the upscale bistro, as do over 100 international vodkas, as many wines and a few frozen cocktails served by bartenders in slinky blue dresses.