situeating

Oh Restaurant Week – both a blessing and a curse. At its best it is a time to check out a restaurant at what should be a fraction of the cost. At its worst it is an overworked kitchen pushing out a generic three course menu of salad, salmon, and chocolate cake that you wouldn’t have ordered in the first place. But lovely meals are to be had – and guaranteed any week at these restaurants.

UNION SQUARE
Devi
[8 E. 18th St.] [212.691.1300]

Dine with people that don’t mind you sampling their food – as you are going to want to try everything at this fine-dining Indian restaurant. The Manchurian cauliflower and grilled scallops are superb starters – while the Bombay-style halibut, tandoor-grilled lamb chops, and chole bhature will make it hard to decide a main course. Saffron bread pudding rounds out the meal.

LOWER EAST SIDE
Rayuela
[165 Allen St.] [212.253.8840]

Billing his cooking style as “estilo libre latino” (freestyle Latin) Chef Maximo Tejada creates dishes layered with flavor. The huevos rancheros at brunch are otherworldly. And his restaurant week dinner menu is a fantastic first introduction.

SOHO
Kittichai
[60 Thompson St.] [212.219.2000]

Because $12 Pad Kee Mao delivery is sometimes fantastic – it is hard justifying your limited spending on proper dinner prices for Thai cuisine. That logic fails when the chef is Ian Chalermkittichai of the Four Seasons Bangkok. Enjoy highly inventive dishes and artful presentation. Better yet- the pre-fix dinner menu has been extended through March.

UPPER EAST SIDE
JoJo
[160 E. 64th St.] [212.223.5656]

This lovely townhouse on the Upper East Side feels worlds away from any of the downtown restaurants in the Vongerichten canon. Treat yourself to a luxurious romantic meal. With two choices for each course it is perfect for a date. And the poached fig dessert with cumin-honey ice cream is splendid.

Featured Situeating restaurants participating in Restaurant Week: Amalia, August, Del Posto, and Park Avenue Winter

You know who you are. You puzzle over everything on the menu. Debate the minutest detail. Ask your companion to choose for you. And then follow the server into the kitchen and change your mind – to only wish later that you went with the sole instead. Give yourself (and your companions) a break and head to one of these fickle-friendly establishments.

UPPER EAST SIDE
Park Avenue Winter
[100 E. 63rd St.] [212.644.1900]

What could be more fitting than a restaurant that changes its name, décor, and menu – as frequently as the seasons? The filet mignon sandwich at lunch is fantastic – and fish dishes are first rate. Plus, it’s a good thing your fickle nature doesn’t lend itself to getting too attached to things because it’ll be entirely different next season.

CHELSEA
Tia Pol
[205 Tenth Ave.] [212.675.8805]

Although we certainly miss Chef Alex Raij, her former kitchen is still turning out flawless Basque tapas. Order whatever is on the chalkboard and then supplement it with chorizo, head-on shrimp, croquettes, and several cod dishes. And as these are snacking sizes – your appetite will be able to keep up with your fickleness.

CHINATOWN
Ping’s Seafood
[22 Mott St.] [212.602.9988]

Try out this concept – carts of food roll by and you point at what you want. Before you even have time to change your mind another cart will be along with a whole slew of new options. At Ping’s the room is smaller – and food better than at some of the larger Chinatown Dim Sum halls. Come on the weekend when the selection is better – and be prepared to approach the steam cart yourself when it’s too crowded to wield it through the aisles.

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN
Zenkichi
[77 N. 6th St.] [718.388.8985]

Slip into a curtained booth and order the seasonal omakasi menu for two ($96) and sit back as each carefully constructed course is delivered. The only choice you’ll make is between the Pork Belly Kakuni (magically simmered for three days) or Yellowtail and Daikon – but really, is there actually a choice when pork belly is involved?

Instead of the usual resolutions:

1. Lose 20 lbs because you’ve turned into a Christmas ham.
2. Go to the gym (so #1 can be possible.)
3. Eat out less (because you’re broke and wasted money on yet another gym membership you’ll never use.)
4. Anything to do with “getting” or “keeping” a man.

Why not seek out the holy grail of food? Because really nothing about 1-4 sounds like any fun at all.

EAST VILLAGE
Momofuku Ko
[163 First Ave.] [No Phone.]

Because even if your fingers and luck are both on their A-game at 10 am to land you one of the 12 heavily sought after seats – there is still the $100 to pay for it (although with 10 courses and David Chang’s godly inventiveness it is really quite a good deal.) So start packing PB&J, save your lunch money, do some finger crunches (or bribe someone at Time Warner to accidentally shut off internet to everyone save you and Mr. Chang) and then please – take me.

ROVING
Mister Softee
[Various Locations.] [No Phone.]

After a failed summer ’08 chasing every truck that went through the neighborhood in hopes of the elusive blueberry dipped cone we will not accept defeat in ’09. Having been spotted on a truck at McCarron Pool but never materializing the hunt is on. Keep us posted if you spy the rare creation yourself.

WEST VILLAGE
The Waverly Inn
[16 Bank St.] [No Phone.]

Not that I think the mac and cheese could possibly justify a near $50 price tag – or the exclusivity that surrounds the Graydon Carter’s Waverly Inn. But perhaps they could just instate reservations so that we don’t have to read about it so much. And yes, you can just show up early, smile sweetly and hope that they’ll let you in – but is it even possible to enjoy truffle fries wondering if you’ve been seated in less posh “Siberia” section?

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN
The Garden Café
[620 Vanderbilt Ave.] [718.857.8863]

Okay- so you have to peer through a window and closed gate to see if this restaurant is open (dinner only and subject to the owners’ vacations) which is slightly intimidating for a restaurant that otherwise is defined by its unassuming grace. Call ahead instead and gain entry to what is rumored to be one of loveliest – and more economical restaurants – at only $32 for three courses.