NYC Restaurants

eat , eat , eat!

NYC Restaurant Week is Back For The Summer

Photo: omgfoodie.com

314 restaurants. 26 Days. 3 courses. $25-$38/meal.

That’s New York City Restaurant in a nutshell. 314 of NYC’s best restaurants will be offering up $38 prix fixe 3-course dinners ($25 for lunch) beginning July 21^st and carrying halfway through the month of August. As a New Yorker, this is the perfect time to try out that restaurant you’ve always been thinking about but haven’t been to yet. As a tourist, this is the perfect way to avoid the popular chains and really dive into the local fare.

The 314 restaurants participating this year stretch across 28 neighborhoods in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn, and cover an equal number of cuisines from Asian Fusion to Spanish/Tapas. The best part of all- when you’re eating your restaurant week meal, you can win $250 just by tagging your photos with #NYCRestaurantWeek!

For the full list of participating restaurants and more information on the #NYCRestaurantWeek photo contest, visit nycgo.com

(UPDATE: Reservations are now open!)

Where to Watch the World Cup in NYC

Once every four years, Americans remember that they love soccer. This year, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team is heading to Brazil to try and bring home the crown, but for those of us in NYC, we’ll have to watch the matches on TV. And that leaves us with one question:

Where in NYC Should I Watch USA in the World Cup?

The Football Factory at Legends

photo: yelp

Located right across the street from the Empire State Building, Legends is home to one of the best soccer atmospheres in NYC. Head down the stairs to the basement for what is known as “The Football Factory” if you’re looking to get really into it with singing and chanting throughout the games.

Jack Dempsey’s

photo: yelp

Dempsey’s Pub on 33^rd street is the official party spot for the American Outlaws, the USMNT’s rowdy cheering section. Surround yourself with the country’s most passionate fans at this bar, but make sure you study your song lyrics first.

Studio Square Beer Garden

photo: timeout

Head out to Astoria for a little outdoor atmosphere while cheering on The Yanks. Watch the game with delicious beer and a 160 foot screen with a thousand of your closest friends.

Nevada Smith’s

photo: everigie.com

Over on the east side of Manhattan is Nevada Smith’s, “where football is religion” as they like to say. They have four floors of action and I can assure you, there will be four floors of USA Soccer when the games kick off.

The Madhatter Pub

photo: facebook.com/madhatternyc

During the season, the Madhatter serves as the official Manchester City bar in NYC. They won the Premier League. By that logic, if we all go to watch the USMNT at the Madhatter, we should win the World Cup, right?

The Manchester Pub

photo: yelp

The Manchester Pub has confirmed that they will be showing every game for every team, live and with sound on, throughout the World Cup. Also, depending on which teams are playing, the pub will be serving drink specials based around the country’s exports.

The Blind Pig

photo: yelp

Another bar known for having a strong year round soccer presence, The Blind Pig serves as the home of NYC Arsenal Supporters. Come world cup time, this place will be packed with USMNT supporters.

So, which bar are you going to to watch Team USA go all the way? Tell us on twitter at @GrayLineNewYork! Do you support another nation? Check out NYC & Company’s list of bars for each country in this year’s World Cup.

Where to Watch March Madness in NYC

The best bars in NYC to watch College Basketball

Standings – East Village

photo via yelp

You love your college sports, but hate drinking the watered down beer at sports bars? Well Standings has that problem solved. Standings has one of the best beer selections in NYC, huge TV, sports memorabilia on all of the walls, and a guarantee of sound for the games. There really isn’t anything else needed from a March Madness bar.

Professor Thom’s – East Village

photo via yelp

17 massive TVs and two 10-foot projectors means you will have all of the action, even when four games are on at once. And if you get there early, you can grab one of the six booths with individual TVs so you can put on whatever game you want. This East Village/Gramercy drinking hole is a slam dunk March Madness destination.

The Ainsworth – Chelsea

photo via ainsworthnyc.com

The Ainsworth has a seemingly endless string of TVs, which is obviously the most important part of finding the ideal March Madness bar. It’s also an Alabama bar, and since they didn’t make the cut of 68 teams this year, you don’t have to worry about a team taking it over and ruining the experience for everyone else.

Saloon – Upper East Side

photo via faceboo / saloonnyc

So you don’t care about the quality of the beer or the company you keep, you’re just looking for a great bar to get as much boos as you can for the cheapest price? Well, on March Madness Friday, Saloon is opening up a $20 open bar for any 2 hours throughout the day, and an extra $10 for each additional hour. If you and your frat bros are looking to down some brew and watch some hoops, the open bar starts at noon at Saloon.

Boomer Esiason’s Stadium Grill – Midtown West

photo via yelp

Stadium Grill has stadium style seating in a bar. That probably doesn’t work all too well for your regular night out on the town, but for a major sporting event like March Madness or the Super Bowl, Stadium is one of the top spots in NYC. You’re going to have the Times Square crowd mixed in here, but if that doesn’t bother you, this might be your best choice this weekend.

Where are you going to get your March Madness fill the next three weeks? Tweet us your suggestions at @GrayLineNewYork!

The Best Delis in NYC

Katz’s Deli

flickr / TheGirlsNY

It’s where Harry met Sally and Sally got a little excited eating that pastrami sandwich. That being said, Katz’s Deli will sometimes make you feel that way. It may be a little touristy because of all of its fame, but it hold up.

Carnegie Deli

via carnegieseli.com

The only Deli with a larger crowd than Katz’s is probably the Carnegie Deli, and it’s because of the location. Right on 7^th Avenue in Midtown, Carnegie Deli is, again, maybe a little touristy, but it holds up.

2^nd Avenue Deli

via thereelsd.com

The 2^nd Avenue Deli has moved to 3^rd avenue at 33^rd, but it hasn’t lost its touch. It’s another great spot and this one doesn’t have the tourism pull of Katz’s and Carnegie.

Fine & Schapiro

via mns.com

If you’re uptown, you may want to stop in Fine & Shapiro on 72^nd between Columbus and Amsterdam. For my money, it’s the best Kosher delicatessen you’ll find north of 59^th street.

But hey, this list is all arbitrary. Who am I to tell you what the best Delis are in NYC? There are what, a couple hundred deli’s spread across this town? I haven’t been to them all so you tell me, what’s your favorite deli? Let us know on twitter at @GrayLineNewYork!

Where to Watch the NFC & AFC Championship in NYC

Alright Football fans, the road to MetLife Stadium has come down to four. This Sunday is championship weekend in the NFL and we soon will have our Super Bowl matchup set.

So who are you rooting for? Don’t have a dog in the fight? Head to one of these team specific NFL Championship watch parties this weekend and you’ll be sure to find one. This Sunday these are the official NYC watch parties for each of the remaining teams.