Lavinia at Home

190 of the participating restaurants have extended NYC Restaurant Week through February 28, 2010. Now you can book a table and enjoy a prix-fixe meals at the best restaurants in NYC for $35 and under. You can view the list of restaurants and make an easy online reservations at www.NYCgo.com or at OpenTable.

New York’s top restaurants will serve three-course lunches for $24.07 (the discounts are not good on Saturdays, though some restaurants are offering deals on Sundays) and three-course dinners for $35.00 (beverage, tax and gratuity not included).

Restaurants taking part in the extension include 21 Club, Aquavit, Aureole, Bar Boulud, Blue Water Grill, Chanterelle, Craft, Gotham Bar & Grill, Le Cirque, Mesa Grill, Nobu, One if by Land, Petrossian, Russian Tea Room, Spice Market, Tribeca Grill, Union Square Cafe and lots more.

Image source: NYCgo

I was very excited to find out about a new location for Ali Baba’s restaurant – Ali Baba’s Terrace, located at 862 Second Avenue (Corner of 46th St), New York, tel.: 212-888-8622.

I have been going to Ali Baba’s for years and meals are always perfect, but I was very disappointed about food at Ali Baba’s Terrace; the dishes did not have the same rich flavors that usually are at Ali Baba’s and dessert was really bad; the rise pudding was with black burned top and had taste of burn and the baklava was all in syrup, very saggy. I will try one more time this place and hopefully the chef will have a better day!

Naya – a modern Lebanese-Mediterranean Mezze and Grill serving traditional Lebanese fare in a Midtown East. It’s located at 1057 2nd Avenue (between 55th and 56th Street) New York, tel.: 212.319.7777.

The white and silver design remind me some nightclub and it just does not look like place for good food, but I love it and I go back every few month for mezze dinner there. The mezze is my favorite; just order some 10 kind different appetizers (hummus, sujuk, baba ghannouj, stuffed grape leaves) and salads (tabbouleh), char-grilled meats (beef or lamb) and make the best meal.

‘New York has never had a Lebanese restaurant like Naya,’ claims The New York Times and I agree; this is the best Lebanese restaurant in NYC!

This is our favorite pizza, some weeks we will order 4 times pizza or something else from the Mariella’s Pizza. It’s located at 151 East 60th Street (between Lexington and 3rd Avenues) in New York, tel.: (212) 319-5999‎. We are always impressed with their crispy fresh pizza and thin crust, not too much overpowering mozzarella and nice tomato sauce. If you go there for lunch, it may be very busy place, it’s right across the street from Bloomingdale’s and theirs employee’s love this place, but Mariella’s know that lunch can be crowded, so they are ready. Lot of times for me it take only one minute to order few slices fresh cooked pizza and some drink and ready to go! They have the quickest service what I have seen. Lately for variety I’m trying theirs main courses, Lasagna, Chicken Parmesan, Veal Marsala, and they are so good that I’m getting hungry again

You have to try this place if you like pizza and you are in the neighborhood!

We’ve been going to Canaletto for years, and the food and service are great. Moreover, we can honestly say we have never been disappointed. The staff and atmosphere greet you with such warmth, you feel like you’re part of a special family. In fact, the host remembered our first names on the second visit. Located at 208 E 60th Street (between Second Ave & Third Ave) in New York (tel. 212-317-9192), Canaletto offers classic Italian cuisine, with a more intimate local setting. Its larger neighbors such as Patsy’s, 360 and California Pizza Kitchen are good, but more impersonal and commercialized. The dinner crowd is generally older, but that has never bothered us. They welcome both small and large parties.

Canaletto starts you off with a complimentary plate of cheese, salami, homemade bread, breadsticks and a zesty tomato tapenade. Just don’t eat too many bread sticks! Whether you enjoy the daily specials or like to order off of the main menu, the meals are scrumptious. No need to order separate sides dishes like other New York restaurants. Depending on your table’s selections, they generally serve a family-style plate of lightly sautéed vegetables in the center of the table. Our plates are always clean at the end. Desserts are good as well. Whether you decide to give in to one their tempting sweets off of the menu or not, they still finish off your meal with a plate of homemade biscotti and cookies—something that always reminds me of my childhood Italian neighbors. In our opinion, one of the main reasons that this place works so well is their very accommodating and gracious manager. He is a pleasure and the epitome of hospitality. He always ensures that our dining experience is top notch and always finds us a table, even without reservations.

We really enjoy this place. If you are in the mood for real Italian food, we would definitely recommend this restaurant. Buon Appetito!