The holidays are in full swing in Manhattan. The weather is chilly and snow is starting to fall, endless holiday parties are being planned and attended and the general spirit is booming with happiness as you walk through the streets of NYC. It also is a time for some of the best restaurants to keep us happy and warm and full of course with their great lineup of delicious food they have to offer. Well look not further than here at Manhattan Digest, where we have found two of the best restaurants for you to try out if you are visiting or live in New York City. Each had a great location, service and food that I would highly recommend trying each of them out for both the holiday season and beyond. Check out our review.
Church Street Tavern- 313 Church Street, TriBeCA
Church Street Tavern is nestled in the heart of NYC’s richest precient, TriBeCA and its location couldn’t be anymore perfect for the holiday season. A quick trip on the E train to Canal Street, the setting both on Church Street and inside the restaurant is just as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside. I took myself and a friend to Church Street Tavern on a snowy Wednesday night, and the entire experience was quite delightful if I must say so myself.
Their website describes Church Street Tavern as a location with an old school ambiance mixed with vintage decor, and a classic American Menu with a modern twist and a fantastic raw bar. All of those are true and then some. I loved the look and feel of Church Street Tavern, especially the wood finishings and the dimly lit atmosphere as it really brought the holiday aspect of things together. Loved the holiday lights and trees that were decorated throughout as well, definitely added a lovely touch to the environment. As for the food, I would highly recommend the following from each part of the dinner menu when you arrive. From the Raw Bar, something that was touched upon earlier, all of it looks great but seeing as I am a sucker for Shrimp I would highly recommend the Jumbo Shrimp option, which gives you three huge jumbo shrimp on a plate of ice with two types of dipping sauce. Seeing as it is the season for soup, I would recommend trying the Lobster Bisque as it was quite flavorful and pungent. It could’ve been a little thicker, but overall the taste was fantastic. Also, their Lobster Salad with Heirloom Potatoes, Celery and Finger Limes were quite yummy as well. For their main courses, I would definitely try the Roast Chicken Roulade, with roast wild mushrooms, kabocha squash and natural ju as well as their Short Rib Borguignon with pearl onions, lardons & matsutake mushrooms as both have a great meaty flavor to them paired with great sides.
They also are having a great Pre-Fix menu going on December 22nd-24th. Take a look at the offerings below for it and if this piques your interest contact them at least 48 hours in advance to plan!
Church Street Tavern Christmas Eve
160$ (priced for four)
Festive Beef Royale
Braised Beef Shanks
Glazed Fall Vegetables
Seared Foie Gras and Beef Heart Consomme
Pomme Boulangere (Classic Potato Gratin baked in natural Jus)
Potatoes in the style of “The Baker’s Wife”
***225$ with a bottle of Ferrari Brut Rose
Davio’s Manhattan- 447 Lexington Avenue (Between 45th and 44th Street)
Davio’s, just like much of Lexington Avenue, is beautiful in every sense of the word. Billed as a Northern Italian Steakhouse, it is located a floor below its entrance and is only a couple of blocks away from the famed & gorgeous Grand Central Station. The first Davio’s is located in the heart of Boston, where owner Steve DiFillipo purchased the establishment at the young age of 24. Now 25 years later, he has Davio’s locatons opened in not only Boston & Manhattan but also Philadelphia, Atlanta and various locations in the Mass area.
The atmosphere itself is quite stunning upon arrival, and it is world class service at its best when it comes to how me and my friend were taken care of. The food itself was out of this world as well. Everything at Davio’s is made by hand with the freshest of ingredients, and that showed in what we were served that night. So if you are visiting Davio’s, I would recommend the following here as well. For the Antipasti, I would try the Kobe Meatballs with Tomato Sauce. The meat itself had great flavor and paired with the delicious sauce made the flavor that much more elevated. For the Insalate, I would go try the Bibb with Mizuna, Tatsoi, Boiled Egg, Fried Capers, Buttermilk Dressing. Sort of an upscale tossed salad with better flavor and texture per bite. For the Farinacei, go for the Prosciutto Ravioli with Asparagus, Crispy Prosciutto, Parmigiano Brodo. Simply delicious. Finally for the main course, you can try their bevy of Carni’s or Pesce’s, but I went with the Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Saffron, Orange, Endive, Spicy Pancetta. Holy lord it was amazing and the Scallops were cooked to perfection.
Davio’s is offering a great holiday Martini for the holiday season as well. Check it out below and log on to their official site for more information.
Davios NYC’s Mistletoe Martini ($14) – The mistletoe martini, made of vodka, cherry brandy and lime, is perfect to mix together for your special someone. Be sure to kiss and make a wish once you finish!
- The Mistletoe Martini:
- 1.5oz Vodka
- 3/4oz Cherry Brandy
- Juice of 1 lime
- Rim a Martini glass with sugar. Fill your cocktail shaker halfway with ice and pour in the ingredients. Shake until chilled and strain the mixture into the glass.