#5 – Mr. Chow’s – The first time that I went to the original Mr. Chow’s (I’m not co-signing the Tribeca spot) I was with my cousin and we were celebrating my 21st birthday. It was snowing hardcore outside and as soon as we stepped in, the first person I saw at the bar was LL Cool J. I knew that I had picked the right spot. There’s no menus at Mr Chow’s, a waiter simply comes to your table and asks if he should just bring you the most popular dishes that the restaurant makes. It’s wise to agree. You’re then asked if you have any food allergies and then the food starts coming. It’s mostly American Chinese food so expect dishes like Peking duck, wonton soup, steamed dumplings, minced squab in lettuce cups etc. I’ll be the first to admit that you can get better authentic Chinese food on Mott Street for less than a tenth of final tab at Mr Chow’s, but the atmosphere here is so much better. The restaurant truly looks like some place Tony Montana could’ve been dining at when Frank Lopez decided to make his move. It’s highlighted with beautiful art deco furniture, completely accented in black and white. With the waiters in tuxedo’s matching the decor, it’s hard to feel like you’re not eating in a special place. And to the defense of the food, not only is not bad American-Chinese food, it’s pretty damn good and all of the ingredients are of an extremely high quality. As you’ll see with all of the restaurants that I’ve chosen, ambiance and good food doesn’t come cheap. The bill at Chow’s ten years ago for two people was $250 and that was with a single cocktail each.

#4 – Peter Luger Steakhouse – I can’t in good conscience leave this restaurant off of the list. I do, however, know plenty of people who prefer Old Homestead, Spark’s and even Craft Steak to Luger’s. I’ve never been to any of those steak houses  but I was seriously considering putting Keen’s in this spot. But Peter Luger’s is the name synonymous with the “ultimate” New York steakhouse experience and it does deserve the praise. If you love meat, it’s the ideal restaurant to satiate your natural carnivora instinct. And it ain’t cheap.

# 3 – Eleven Madison Park- Danny Meyer is the king of Madison Park and while Tabla, Shake Shack and Blue Smoke are well-loved by critics and bloggers alike, Eleven Madison Park is the crown jewel of the empire. I was lucky enough to have dinner there a few years back with an ex girlfriend on a cold and snowy night before Christmas eve. We were given a huge  corner table, and it was a perfect setting for indulgent, five-star food. Everything at Eleven Madison exudes a special quality, from the top flight wine and cocktail program, to the attentive and friendly staff, to the amazing food. It doesn’t come cheap and the three course price fix dinner menu runs $95 a person. Add in a couple of cocktails and a bottle of Barolo and our bill topped out at $425.  I didn’t regret paying one penny of it. Of course you get an amuse bouche and petite fours at the end of the meal, so we wound up walking out pretty full when all was said and done. While I loved my Nova Scotia lobster lasagna appetizer (a $20 supplement) and delicious dessert of a chocolate peanut butter palette with caramel pop corn and popcorn ice cream, the star of the show was the entrée. It wasn’t an easy choice but I went with dry aged black Angus beef, bone marrow crusted. If you like bone marrow, you’ll be in heaven. It was the best piece of meat I’ve ever had in my entire life and I could have cut it with a spoon. After the meal it, I noticed that it was snowing harder than it was before we came. I was wearing an expensive suit and the staff could see we were sort of waiting to see if the snow would let up. They offered me a free umbrella. Only a restaurant like Eleven Madison Park would have branded umbrellas to make sure their patrons will not get caught in the rain. That’s why you should spend your money there and I plan to again, hopefully sooner than later.

#2- Sushi Yasuda – Twice over the past two years I’ve gone to Yasuda and sat at the bar for lunch without a companion or camera. I can’t tell begin to describe how good that the fish is and how special I feel eating sushi on this sort of plateau. There’s a saying that “there are two sorts of people eating at a sushi restaurant, those at the bar and the tourists.” Sitting at the bar allows you to interact with the chef and have him tailor what he’s serving you to what you like. There’s no point of the chef wasting a piece of uni flown in that morning on someone who doesn’t like sea urchin. Let me say that Sushi Yasuda is not for everyone. Eating at the bar, exactly what the chef wants you to eat will cost you about $100. The meal is over in about a half of an hour and they will not accompany what you want. You cannot dunk your fish in soy sauce or cover it in wasabi. You have to eat it exactly how they tell you to and trust me it is worth it. It is the best sushi that I have ever had in my life. It will ruin regular sushi for you, forever. You will long for the buttery texture of the tuna they serve you. The sweet shrimp is more sweet and vibrant than any piece of shrimp that I’ve ever eaten. I had never had orange clam before and I had been missing out for 3o years of my life. I didn’t know the difference between saltwater versus freshwater eel until they were presented both in front of me. I could go on and on but the point I’m trying to make is this, if you’re really splurging or celebrating a special occasion, eating top tier sushi that the chef picks out for you personally, is one of the most beautiful and decadent ways to do so. If you can afford it, I’d recommend having at Masa but some say Yasuda is just as good.

# 1 – Babbo - If Eleven Madison Park is the crown jewel of the Meyer empire then Babbo is the crown jewel of Batali’s. Housed in a beautiful townhouse in Greenwich village, Babbo makes the diner feel as special as the food that they’re eating. Yes, reservations are a bitch and prices are not cheap, but plenty of critics and bloggers alike believe that the best Italian food in the city is served on Waverly Place. I’ve been lucky enough to have both tasting menus (there’s a chef’s tasting and a pasta tasting) along with the accompanying wines. They’re both excellent but the pasta menu is a really special meal. It’s seven courses, so they’re a little smaller than normal but extremely filling nonetheless. My favorite item on the menu is the grilled octopus with spicy limoncello vinaigrette. It’s the best octopus that I’ve ever had. What I really like about this restaurant is the portion size. It’s a fine dining establishment no doubt, but when anyone’s paying $30 for an entrée, they want to walk away full and portion sizes at Babbo are ginormous, almost too big. The grilled pork chop with cherry peppers, cipolline and aceto manodori looks like something that belongs on a table at the Flintstone’s home. Desserts are great, as is the wine list and selection of Italian pre and post dinner drinks. As far as I’m concerned though, the only way to finish a meal at Babbo is with the homemade fruit flavored grappa that they have sitting in jars on top of the bar. Cranberry is a personal favorite.