Monkey Bar became one of my favorite Midtown restaurants because its modern history ran almost…read moreperfectly alongside my years in New York. I arrived in 2008 with very little, and when Graydon Carter revived the restaurant in 2009, I was beginning a rise of my own, first at a large global bank and then, to my astonishment, at one of the city's most powerful investment firms. The suits were daily, the walls were gold, and the pressure was so consuming that even success could feel like a form of attrition. After a few years, I moved to a smaller firm with Southern roots, where the culture was more humane, the work gave me greater autonomy, and I produced some of the strongest results of my career, even within an industry still governed by fear, greed, and status. Inside, the red booths, low lighting, generous spacing, and hand-painted monkey murals made lunch feel ceremonial without becoming stiff. The room was timeless and handsome, with polished service, quality food, and the subtle assurance of a place where you could be proud to bring someone important. I especially remember sitting in one of those booths with two mentors, each only a few years older than I was and therefore close enough in vintage to feel relatable, trustworthy, and genuinely within reach. One had entered my life after I left the larger firm and helped me understand an earlier chapter that had also ended abruptly and, at the time, felt deeply unfair; the other had guided me through the smaller firm where I finally found a more sustainable way to work. Over that long lunch, I introduced them, we discussed several promising ideas, and for a moment my career seemed to have reached the point where relationships, experience, and opportunity were finally converging. One of those ideas consumed an extraordinary amount of my time and energy, and I believed it might become the foundation of my next chapter. Instead, the arrangement eventually turned on me, the role I thought I had earned never materialized, and the business itself sputtered. My professional life, financial footing, and pride all collapsed just as COVID was beginning. Then Monkey Bar closed in 2020, which made the ending feel almost unnervingly complete: the restaurant, the city, and the version of myself built around New York finance all went dark at once. For years, I experienced that ending as devastating and unfair; now I can see it as wisdom delivered through an unnecessarily rough process. The restaurant's later revival by a Chicago hospitality group feels fitting because it still honors tradition and ceremony while allowing the old forms to evolve into something healthier, looser, and more current. I have not been back since that lunch, but a return now would feel like visiting the museum of my past, not reclaiming a life that asked too much, gave too little, and finally lost its hold on me. Even now, I remember Monkey Bar as a great Midtown lunch in a memorable room, surrounded by the residue of old ambitions and the gratitude of having survived them. The cocktails were sharp, the service was impeccable, and the dining room carried that glamorous old New York energy without feeling trapped by it. I remain deeply fond of the place, partly for what it was and partly for what it witnessed. Some restaurants become attached to a chapter of your life, and Monkey Bar holds mine with unusual grace.

The truffle monkey bread while a total carb and calorie bomb was delicious and left a lasting…read moreimpression. It featured a crispy, sugar-glazed exterior and a soft, chewy interior, topped with truffle cheese and served with a truffle butter dip; the pairing was superb, and it tasted great both on its own and with the dip. For the main course, I ordered the miso-glazed black cod. The flavor was flawless, and while the portion was small (which was acceptable), the pool of broth accompanying it was completely unnecessary; it was inedibly salty, so what was the point of serving it? After finishing the fish, I was left with a plate full of broth, rendering the plate unusable. Plus, it was overpriced; for this dish, you're better off going to Strip House Strip House remains the undisputed king of this dish in New York. A friend ordered the chicken parmesan. It was just average. Another friend ordered the short rib stroganoff. The flavor was decent, but it was far too rich and heavy. As someone whose palate is split 50/50 between Western and Chinese cuisine, I could manage only five bites at most. If you have a palate that prefers 100% Chinese food, proceed with caution on this dish. Friends ordered sides of mac & cheese and mashed potatoes. These are dishes originally meant for low-income Americans to fill up on cheaply; there's no limit to how good they can be, but also no floor to how bad they can get. Both were on par with the average quality found in upscale restaurants. Honestly, these are two dishes I would never order myself. To sum up: the atmosphere was great. It's also hard to get a reservation; the place was packed when we had lunch at 2 PM. Aside from that monkey bread, I didn't feel like anything else justified the price or offered something you couldn't find elsewhere. I don't quite get the hype. Perhaps I just didn't order the right dishes; maybe next time I'll try the burger and the steak.

My parents and I stopped into Lola's for a Sunday night dinner. We were seated right away in the…read moreback near the kitchen (which is open concept and fun to watch). We perused the menu and decided to go with the Naan, Beet and Rhubarb Salad, Yellowfin Sashimi, and then entrees grit cakes, low country broil, and dumplings. The food was exceptional. Nice combinations of flavors with fresh ingredients. Ambiance is nice. It's a cute spot, not too loud. Definitely a nice spot to relax. Service was fantastic. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. My mom also has an allergy to chili and the staff was nice enough to go through the menu and help her pick options that worked. Overall, highly recommend Lola's! Lovely staff, flavorful food and a cute atmosphere will make for a fun evening.

Stumbled across this spot by just walking in flatiron. We were seated by the kitchen counter which…read moreis a pretty cool concept. The ambiance was great and I loved watching the food being cooked. Service was 10/10 and our waitress was really attentive. Apologies that her name is slipping me at the moment. I wish they had more items to choose from but overall would recommend. I had the low country boil and my friend had the pork dumplings and grit cakes, all very delicious. I will come back for the fried chicken thighs

I've been to Don Angie a few times and it never disappoints! The food here is solid and the staff…read moreare all super nice. It can be hard to get a reservation here, but it opens 7 days ahead of time on OpenTable at 9am so definitely plan ahead if you want a reservation. For apps, we tried the Amberjack Crudo, the stuffed garlic flatbread, and the chrysanthemum salad. All three were delicious and I'd highly recommend trying them all. The flatbread had a cheesy texture while being super crispy similar to a Chinese scallion pancake. The chrysanthemum salad had a nice texture and was super refreshing. For entrees, we had the buffalo milk caramelle, gnocchi, sourdough pasta, steak Al Limone, and the lasagna. The caramelle portion was small but it had a nice sweet taste to it. The lasagna is the star as it comes with 6 large pinwheels and is served with garlic bread on the side! The sourdough pasta was also tasty along with the lemon sauce steak. For sides, I recommend getting the Japanese sweet potato's. They are super sweet and crunchy and was definitely the unexpected star of the food we tried! For dessert, the tiramisu is delicious but our group really loved the mochi!

Came in thinking it was overrated but can pleasantly say it was really good!…read more Got the chrysanthemum salad, sourdough pasta and of course the lasagna Salad was really solid tho 26$ and no meat in it is crazy. Overpriced for sure but delicious nonetheless Sourdough pasta was my favorite of the night and only 3$ more than the salad lol. Pasta was aldente and sauce was nice and flavorful Sweet potato side was not bad but didn't stand out either Now the lasagna, tbh still a solid dish. Definitely suggest taking it home and then reheating it for the next day. It is a lot of food and the tomato sauce was nice and tangy. Only Wish there was more tomato sauce and for the lasagna to be served hotter. It came out warm but i wanted it like lava Bread was good just needed to be seasoned

It was a fannnnnntttttassstic burger. I don't know how this compares to Chicago, but this is legit…read morethe best burger I have eaten in a while. I didn't do the egg, which I regret, but did get the thick cut bacon. The burger is a must! It's probably the best burger I have eaten in a long time. Hospitality wise, it was top notch. This group knew I had a shellfish allergy and took extra time to make sure there was no cross contamination with the burger. The wings were good as well, but I wouldn't bank on it being the draw. They also come with a warm towel, which is a really nice touch. Overall, just a great experience. I have been twice, so it is more than a one time stop.

It might have just been an off day, or maybe I was comparing it too much to the Chicago location,…read morebut I was a little let down by my burger. I came here with a friend on a Monday night. We didn't have reservations, but we were able to grab seats at the bar. We started with the Chopped Chicken Liver ($18.99). My friend ordered it, and it's not something I would normally order myself, but it was a nice change up. It was pretty good, and the salted buttered toast definitely made the dish. For my main, I ordered the Double Cheeseburger ($25.99) with bacon ($6.99). The bun seemed different from what I remembered at the Chicago location. The bacon also wasn't crispy all the way through. I prefer the fatty parts to be crispy on the outside, so that was a little disappointing. The burger itself was still juicy and delicious. I probably had really high expectations because my first Au Cheval burger in Chicago was one of the best burgers I've ever had. Maybe I should've ordered a Coca-Cola instead of a couple of draft beers. Either way, I enjoyed my meal and the great conversation with my friend. Overall, I had a good experience. If I'm back in Chicago, I'll definitely stop by Au Cheval again and hope it's as memorable as my first visit.

Beautiful atmosphere both on the interior and exterior of the restaurant! Jorge took such great…read morecare of us, and made wonderful recommendations! Steak frites and French onion soup were incredible!

Rodrigo and Andres were excellent! They were attentive and even brought food out early knowing we…read morewere catching a sporting event! I would recommended everyone come here for good ambience and great service. The cocktails are delicious.

We had scored an awesome street parking spot and there was no way we were giving that up, so hubs…read moremade sure wherever we ate was within this area. We reserved for a quick bite at Redeye Grill before catching Dog Day Afternoon on Broadway, but as soon as we walked up, some bouncer told us they were closed for a private wedding reception. We were dazed and confused because how was I able to reserve online? But the real plot twist was that it ended up being the best thing that happened. We actually stumbled into Tanner Smith's thinking it'd be the typical, boring bar-food spot. Nope. They first sat us at a hi-top by the door, but that wasn't our vibe, so we grabbed seats at the bar instead. Best decision. Our bartender, Josiah, was absolutely killing it. My cocktail had passion fruit, so of course I asked my usual question: "But is it real passion fruit?" He just nodded in agreement and that told me everything I needed to know. That drink was legit and had nice strength. The food was great too. My fish tacos were packed with fresh fish, the guacamole and salsa were chunky and full of flavor and hubs enjoyed his pastrami sandwich. I have no clue when we'll be back in Midtown, but one thing's for sure- we're sitting with Josiah again.

Ordered food to go because the bar was very loud. The music the DJ was playing was good though…read more Ordered buttermilk chicken tenders, shepherd's pie, hot chicken sandwiches, Asian-sesame dry rubbed wings, fries, and tater tots. The shepherd's pie is insanely salty and it's very off-putting. It was inedible. I was looking forward to having it but I would not in good faith recommend this to anyone. The buttermilk tenders is supposed to come with pickled shallots and marinated green beans. We didn't get the pickled shallots or the marinated green beans, which was a shame. The chicken tenders by themselves didn't have much flavor. It also is unfortunate paying $17 for what was considered a small plate and just getting the chicken tenders. The Asian-sesame wings were okay. Also, didn't have much flavor and weren't that impressive. There was also still hair on some of the pieces of chicken, so the chicken could have been cleaned better. They have fries and hand cut fries. The regular fries were soggy. Should have went with the hand cut fries. The tater tots were okay. I was told that the chicken sandwich was good. It came with a little side of rustic chips. I would not come back for the food but I would possibly go back to try a drink if I was in the area. The drink menu looked pretty good.

Had reservations for 2 on a Saturday afternoon and the place was packed. We got there about three…read moreminutes late, but they seated us within 5 minutes in a booth. It was our first time eating at a Friedman's location. It had a nice diner feel to it, with a mix of booths and tables. The brunch menu has a variety of breakfast items, salads, sandwiches and burgers, starters, and entrees (fish tacos, grain bowl, fried chicken). I like that several of the items are naturally gluten free, and some can be made gluten free by request. We decided to go with three breakfast items from the brunch menu: I got the shakshuka, my sister got the Nova Benny, and we got the lemon ricotta pancakes to share. All 3 dishes were great. The shashuka came with grilled ciabatta, perfect for dipping into the sunny side eggs and tomato sauce. My sister loved that the poached eggs and smoked salmon of the Nova Benny came on top of a crispy potato latke. The pancakes were fluffy and the lemon ricotta and lemon zest elevated their flavor. Our server was friendly and attentive, and he asked us if we had any allergies when he took our order. He came by several times to check on us and refill water. I would return to Friedman's when I'm in the Herald Square area, or check out one of their other locations in the city.

Came on a busy Thursday morning at nine am. Got a decaf iced vanilla latte and a nova Benny and the…read moreMac and cheese. And lemme just say the food came out sooo quick. The Benedict was so delicious. I've never had it on a crispy hash brown type before. It was good and a massive portion. Mac and cheese was alright, though I would probably opt out of it next time. I was so full I totally forgot to drink my latte but the latte was good too. Ambiance was nice clean and very busy.

We had an amazing dinner last night at the Smith! The food was delicious. The General Manager,…read moreMonica, welcomed us when we arrived and could not have been friendlier. She really started our evening out on the right foot. When we asked her for food recommendations, she shared her favorites and told us that we couldn't go wrong because all the food there is delicious. She was absolutely right - it was all wonderful. We did order all of her recommendations and were delighted we did. Our group enjoyed the gnocchi, the macaroni and cheese, the spicy salmon on sticky rice, several different salads, and a sumptuous filet of fish. The marguerita was also exceptional. Our server, Frankie, also enhanced our dinner with excellent service. He was friendly, reliable, knowledgeable about the menu, and available when we needed him. The ambiance was also fun and a great vibe. We are looking forward to our next trip to The Smith!

Had weekday lunch here with coworkers. Nice ambience, a little bit loud. I came during the Knicks…read morevs Spurs playoffs and they had a Knicks themed menu which was very cool. The food was great! Everything I had tasted good and I didn't have any huge complaints about. I recommend the truffle parmesan fries, burrata with bread, and the shrimp scampi (which wasn't spicy as advertised but was very fresh and lemony)