Some of My Favorite Places to Eat and Drink in Midtown Manhattan

I love a walk around Bryant Park any time of year, or if it’s a weekend morning and I have time, a coffee and a bagel in the park as I sit and watch the city go by. I also love to play chess in the park or sit and listen to a guest speaker at the many events that the New York Public Library hosts. If it’s summer time, the park has evening concerts, movies, and other events that are always worth attending. If it’s winter time, they have the Winter Village with ice skating and food and craft vendors. Speaking of the library, which is just next to Bryant Park on Fifth Avenue, it’s also a favorite spot of mine to visit. The reading room is a fantastic bit of New York history, as is the entire building. Be sure to get a photo outside with Patience and Fortitude, the lion statues that watch over the library. Surely you’ve heard of the observation decks at the Empire State Building and 30 Rock—I like Top Of The Roc myself. The elevator ride alone is fun! Grand Central Terminal on 42nd Street is another historic place to visit. And of course, shopping on Fifth Avenue or Madison Avenue is always great.

I love my morning coffee and bagel from Ess-a-Bagel on 32nd Street. If it’s a weekday morning, it will be to go. If it’s a weekend and I have a bit more time, it might even be a Signature bagel with Nova smoked salmon, cream cheese, tomato, capers, and onions, and at Ess-a, they put lettuce on theirs, which is unique, but I encourage you to try it.

My other favorite New York breakfast to go is a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. Now, you might think, I can get that anywhere, right? And I might be biased, but I think New York does them better than anywhere. One of my all-time favorite New York morning traditions is to stop in at a corner bodega, get your morning coffee or a juice, and get your bacon, egg, and cheese. While you’re waiting, you chat with people from the neighborhood or with the people that work there, it’s a great way to start the day. I like mine on a roll with hot sauce. You can find these anywhere, almost on every corner, and like pizza in New York, they’re good just about everywhere. But one of my favorites is the H-Yard Gourmet Deli on Ninth Avenue, named because it’s close to Hudson Yards.

And speaking of Hudson Yards, I have to mention the pancakes at Queensyard, because they are my wife’s favorite. I love them, too! They do theirs with blueberries and this incredible dulce de leche—I can taste them now. The cocktails there are also great, and it’s a great spot for brunch overlooking the Vessel at Hudson Yards.

Ok, so now let’s talk about lunch. As I said, good pizza is everywhere in New York, you almost can’t go wrong. Joe’s on Broadway is great, and the cheese slice is probably the perfect example of a New York slice you will find anywhere. But if you don’t feel like waiting in line, I also really like Roma Pizzeria on Sixth Avenue, especially their Margherita slice, with fresh mozzarella and basil.

For tacos, my favorite are at Los Tacos No. 1, which has locations all over the city now, but of the ones in Midtown, you may want to try the one by Grand Central. Their carne asada, al pastor, chicken, and nopal (cactus) tacos are phenomenal. They remind me of visits to Mexico City every time, but they also have some unique menu items, such as the Especial, which is a deep fried cheese-filled quesadilla that I can’t resist ordering. They also make some in house beverages such as aquas frescas and horchata that are definitely worth a try.

Let’s talk about pastrami, shall we? I could probably write a book just on that subject, but in short I will just say that when you come to New York, you really should try it. You’ve probably heard of Katz’s Delicatessen, on the Lower East Side, which is fantastic, and famous for a reason. But in Midtown, I have a special place in my heart for Second Avenue Deli, not only because the food is excellent, but I love that I can walk in at lunchtime on a weekday or weekend and get a table. You, of course, should try the pastrami—it is excellent, and they cut theirs a bit thinner than Katz's, so it’s more tender. But also on the menu, is the matzoh ball soup, which is such a simple but delicious and comforting thing. Picture a cold, rainy day, and you walk in, sit down and order that, and minutes later it’s warming your soul by the spoonful. When I was a kid, my mother would make pasta with butter for my brother and I when we weren’t feeling well, so I didn’t grow up eating matzoh ball soup, but I would imagine it evokes that same sort of comforting feeling, and my friends who did grow up with it tell me it does exactly that.

Later, for drinks, I love the St. Cloud Rooftop Bar in the Knickerbocker Hotel at Times Square. It’s the birthplace of the martini, and has excellent views of where the ball drops on New Year’s Eve. Another rooftop option with more sweeping views all over the city is the sleek Nubeluz by chef Jose Andres, at the Ritz-Carlton hotel on W 28th Street and Broadway. Downstairs, chef Andres also has the excellent Spanish tapas restaurant, Bazaar. Just a short walk from there, at W 28th Street and Fifth Avenue, is the Portrait Bar in the Fifth Avenue Hotel. It serves one of the best burgers in New York. You can tell it’s good by the number of people taking photos of it and posting it to Instagram.

And finally, if you’re looking for a quiet and special occasion dinner, New York of course has no shortage of fine dining restaurants, but one of my favorites is Le Pavillon by chef Daniel Bouloud, in One Vanderbilt and right next to Grand Central. Even if you don’t stay for dinner, a visit to their bar, with its magnificent views over 42nd Street and the Chrysler Building, is worth it. The house cocktails are always excellent, or for a special occasion, some caviar and a glass or two of Champagne will be unforgettable.