The Best NYC Restaurant Week Options For Meat Lovers

The White Label Burger at Ai Fiori is a Pat LaFrieda blend of chuck, brisket, short rib, and aged rib-eye.

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In case you missed it, Restaurant Week in New York has just started, and it runs through February 8. It gvies you a chance to try places you haven’t been to with lower-priced menus. The event also can give you a chance to rediscover a restaurant you haven’t been to in a long time.

For pricing, two-course lunches are $26, while three-course dinners run $42. Occasionally, you’ll get a mediocre deal during RW with a restaurant serving a smaller portion than they normally would. That said, 90 percent of my RW experiences have been positive.

In lieu of barbecue news this week, I wanted to use this chance to highlight a few good restaurants with attractive meat options including steaks, burgers, and fried chicken. As many of the best barbecue joints in town don’t take part in RW, here are some places you should try out:

• Ai Fiori - get the white label burger

• Beauty and Essex - try the braised short ribs

• Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse - try the dry-aged sirloin

• Brooklyn Chop House - try the steak sandwich

• Churrascaria Plataforma - eat all the meats you can

• Delmonico’s - try the rib eye steak at dinner

• Fish Cheeks - try the crispy pork belly

• Fogo de Chão Churrascaria - eat all the meats you can

• The Library at The Public - try the burger

• Michael’s Restaurant - try the hanger steak at dinner

• Society Cafe - try the brisket burger

• Tudor City Steakhouse - try the skirt steak

• The Writing Room - try the pan fried chicken sandwich

Hope you all have a lovely week and are able to get some delicious food and deals during Restaurant Week.

Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ

EAT ALL ABOUT IT

Urbanspace Vanderbilt has become one the most popular food halls in New York City, and now a new Urbanspace will soon be opening in Midtown West.

• Manhattan will soon be getting two new food halls with diverse culinary options. The first is a new Urbanspace that is heading to 52nd St and 7th Ave, which will be similar in vibe to the well-liked Urbanspace Vanderbilt. The second is a fancy new food hall and music complex at 28 Liberty Street in the Financial District, which will be 35,000 square-feet and be designed by famed architect Jeffrey Beers.

• The New York Times recommends ordering a brisket from Truth BBQ in Texas for your Super Bowl party. (That said, you could also order a high-quality brisket from an NYC BBQ joint too!)

• Eater NY’s Robert Sietsma has a fresh recommendation for those looking for a new burger to try in NYC — F. Ottomanelli Burgers in Woodside, Queens. Sietsma says these “excellent inexpensive burgers” are pink and juicy and served with twice-cooked Belgian fries.

• In what is good or bad news depending on who you ask, Chick-fil-A is reportedly in talks to take over the former space of Blue Water Grill in Union Square, which closed this month after more than 20 years.

IRL BBQ

• January 26: The eighth annual Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival takes place on the west side of Manhattan. It will feature two sessions, with the first (The Bacon and The Beast) happening from 12 to 4 p.m. and the second (The Whole Hog Pickin’ Session) happening from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. More than 60 beers, 40 bourbons, and several BBQ vendors will be available. Buy tickets here.

• January 26: The third annual Best of Brooklyn Food & Beer Festival will take place in Industry City, Brooklyn. It will feature a collection of Brooklyn's best craft brews, food tastings from more than 20 top chefs, music from curated DJs, and more. Buy tickets here.

• January 26: The 11th Annual Cassoulet Cookoff will take place at Biba in Williamsburg, Brooklyn from 1 to 4 p.m. Cassoulet is the ultimate winter dish. Typically it is a slow-cooked casserole containing meat, pork skin, and white beans, but here it will be made in many different ways. The event will include 10+ cassoulets and a wide selection of cider, craft beer, wine, and whiskey. Buy tickets here.

• January 27: Kimchi Smoke’s Robert Austin Cho will be hosting a ”Chomakase Tasting Session” at his New Jersey restaurant, which will feature five courses and dessert. Buy tickets here.

• February 1: Enjoy a wide selection of whiskeys and spirits at the Jersey City Whiskey and Spirits Festival, held at the Harborside Atrium. It will include beautiful skyline views, live music, games, and food for purchase. Buy tickets here.

• February 2: Get warmed up in Brooklyn with unlimited seasonal craft beers, spiked drinks, and delicious food at the NYC Winter Warmer, held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Food vendors include Memphis Seoul, Empanada Papa, Brooklyn Baked & Fried, Angry Archie’s, and more. Buy tickets here.

• March 23: Go wild on mac ‘n’ cheese at the Hoboken Mac & Cheese Festival just across the river in New Jersey. More than 10 vendors will be there, including House of 'Que and The Ainsworth. Buy tickets here.

SAY HELLO

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