Where to Eat Out This Holiday Weekend!
Deal alert: Save $90 on your subscription! Plus: How to get into Bridges and why the Comté tart is so good. Also: where to eat the day after Thanksgiving
Dear Friends!
Happy Thanksgiving! In a minute, I’ll tell you why tomorrow is one of my favorite days for dining out in New York — and why it’s an excellent day to try out a really popular restaurant. I’ll also share a few tips for getting into Bridges, one of the toughest reservations in town.
But first, as a thank you, here’s a steeper than usual discount for anyone who upgrades to an annual subscription. You’ll get 31 percent off. This is our biggest deal of the year — one that likely won’t reappear for quite some time. It represents an annual savings of $90 over the monthly price.
A paid subscription will get you access to a very tasty guide that we’re publishing next week. It will give you access to our year-end “best of” lists, dropping in early December. And it’ll also get you instant access to the following paywalled guides:
Okay, let’s get to it.
The best day to dine out? Maybe!
In no particular order, here are my favorite nights of the year to dine out in New York: New Year’s Day, the Friday before Labor Day, the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, literally any Monday, and the Day after Thanksgiving.
They’re all nights when the city streets have emptied out just a little bit. Not enough to feel like “I Am Legend.” Not enough to feel like April 2020. But enough to make dining out just a little less harried.
The day after Thanksgiving is my favorite of these days. You’ll get that warm, crowded holiday energy in the Theater District and Rockefeller Center. But it will won’t be as frighteningly packed as the week before Christmas. It’s a fine day to see your favorite Orozco at MoMA, get last minute tickets to a play, and have a dozen raw oysters at Gallaghers.
But the day after Thanksgiving is an even better day to visit that cool downtown hotspot that’s been booked up for the past month.
Now, just to set expectations: This doesn’t mean you’re going to stroll into Via Carota as a party of three at 8:00 p.m. It’s a Friday in the city, after all. But I’ve generally found over the years that this is a day where you won’t spend as long waiting for bar seats somewhere.
Early in my Bloomberg career, when I had to work the day after Thanksgiving to cover Black Friday, I’d treat myself to a fancy meal after the factory whistle blew, so to speak. I remember dropping by WD~50 in 2005, where I spent two hours in a state of utter rapture as chef Wylie Dufresne sent out silky langoustines with banana puree, and “fried eggs” made of coconut meat and carrot juice. It was one of my first ever tasting menus! And whenever I talk about how I became a food writer, that’s one of the formative meals I always cite. We’re all so lucky that WD~50 existed.
So the day after Thanksgiving has some nostalgic weight for me. I remember how tough and tiring it was to work through the holidays as a young journalist. But I also remember strolling around a city filled with holiday energy, and cashing in one of my first small paychecks to experience the joys of modernist dining.
Whatever your story, I hope you have a nice meal out soon.
I’m so grateful to all the hardworking folks in the hospitality industry who keep us fed on slow days, rainy days, holidays, or any day. And I’m so thankful to spend so much time with all of you throughout the year. Happy Thanksgiving!
Seven Cool Things to Do in NYC This Holiday Weekend
Including….
How to get into Bridges, and a few words on the Comté tart
What to try at the brand new Crane Club
A few places to try near Penn Station if you get stuck there
Your staple place for lunch or dinner near Rock Center
Where to get an amazing slice of pie in Brooklyn
So how do you actually get into Bridges?
I’ll explain what the walk-in situation looks like! And we’ll talk about the Comté tart as well.