NYC Restaurants

Eataly never seems to disappoint, and while the Downtown location is not quite as large as Flatiron, you can still snag a great meal. The main restaurant is Orto e Mare which leans vegetarian, but also offers seafood and meat dishes. Among the offerings during our visit; calamari fritti with spicy lemon aoli; seared king oyster mushrooms with farro, parmigiana reggiano and butter; and a radicchio salad with blood orange, shaved fennel and a black olive vinaigrette. We went for the steak or Manzo. Flank steak cooked perfectly, medium rare as requested, atop silky mashed potatoes with grilled onions and portobello mushrooms. Amazing. Add a glass of wine or Italian beer and you're set!

- Thomas Rafael