Need NYC Suggestions

[kjunheart]

Help! Need help planning a night in NYC & I am looking for suggestions. I have been put in charge of am planning a night out in NYC for my CFO, his wife & another couple (ages range in the mid 40's - conservative but fun). Unfortunately I haven't had much input from our travel agency and I know nothing about NY. So I thought I would ask y'all for suggestions/input.

I already have our driver scheduled to pick the ladies up to go shopping for the afternoon. Then I want the four of them to go to dinner, a show and then maybe somewhere for drinks after. Unfortunately, I don't know what restaurants are "hot" so I am looking for suggestions. It doesn't have to be "trendy" ... I don't think money is a real consideration. No Italian food. More American cuisine & really good.

I guess the restaurant will depend on what show they decide on. The shows that have been suggested are: Hairspray, Mamma Mia, The Producers, Thoroughly Modern Mille, Rent & Movin Out. I am leaning more towards Hairspray because my CFO said he wants something "shallow" and maybe funny. LOL Any thoughts?

And lastly drinks after the show. I was thinking about a jazz club, piano bar or something like that. Somewhere they can talk, drink and just have a nice time.

Thanks in advance for your help!
Sandy

 

[Northeastwrecks]

Mamma Mia is very cute and funny. Wonderful staging. Its also age appropriate and should not offend anybody.

Movin' out is also very good.

The Plaza is a very nice hotel. Its my preferred hotel for business and vacation. It overlooks Central Park and is right in the middle of midtown. Shopping is literally walking distance.

Even better, the bar is great.

My supervising partner prefers the Grand Hyatt. He likes the more modern rooms.

In years past, I've stayed in the Pierre. Very nice and fronts on the Park.

Its not appropriate for a fancy dinner, but La Bonne Soupe, located on 55th between 5th and 6th, is great for lunch. Think French Bistro.

 

[gmbaker]

I don’t have any specific recommendations, but I second Mamma Mia as being a fun and appropriate show.

try this link:http://www.timeoutny.com/

this is what I use when I go to the city since places change very often. You most likely will need a reservation especially restaurants close to the theatres. good luck.

 

[detroit diver]

I've seen the Producers, Mama Mia, and Hairspray. The Producers was by far the best of the bunch. Stay away from Urinetown. Yes, that's really the name. It's awful, even though it won 3 Tony's.

Great hotels and restaurants in New York. The Plaza is nice, but a little stuffy. I like to stay at the Omni Bershire. It's on 52 and Madison- a great location. The Plaza is a few blocks south of there. If they really want to try something special (and pricey) the St. Regis is just unbelievable. It's on 55th and Madison.

Restaurants. Oh my. Where do I start. Grammercy Tavern. Aureole. You said no Italian, so I won't mention Il Mulino which is my favorite restaurant in the world Baltazhar. Union Square Cafe. Nobu for sushi/fusion.

Let me know what they like, and I'll try to pinpoint a restaurant for them.

 

[raviepoo]

If he wants to see something shallow and funny you can cross Rent off your list. Any of the other 4 would do nicely. My suggestion is The Producers. It's hilarious and very accessible. Nothing terribly heart-wrenching there, but definitely worth the cost of the ticket. I'll bet they walk out humming, "...then along came Bialeeee!"

What ever show you choose will start at or around 8:00 PM so they will have to have dinner quite early. I don't know if you want to pick a place right in the theatre district. Most of the restaurants there are either nice, Italian places, raunchy dives with great food or over-priced, low quality tourist traps.

Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Taven are both excellent suggestions, and (just barely) close enough to catch a cab uptown quickly enough to make curtain time. I would rule out Nobu and Balthazar based on distance from the theatre district.

If they like seafood there's a nice, upscale place on 56th Street and 7th Avenue called the Red Eye Grill. It's not hip but I've never had a bad meal there. Plus, it's close to the theatre district and it's the American cuisine you're looking for (with a little sushi thrown in the mix.)

Bar suggestions depend on where they end up staying. Some of the hotels have nice bars. If they stay in a W hotel there is no reason to go anywhere else for drinks. My favorite bars, however, might scare your CFO and his wife.

Can I interest you in a pan asian restaurant with drag queen waiters who do table dances?

By the way, some of the hotels in NY are surprisingly dumpy despite the high prices. Be careful about booking the hotel. The Grand Hyatt is nice but the Grand Central Station location is getting a bit wierd in the days of high terrror alert. The same goes for the Marriott in Times Square. Lovely hotel but there are demonstrations going on right outside these days. Stay away from the Waldorf Astoria. Too many high profile diplomats stay there. It's a suicide bombing waiting to happen.

My suggestion would be one of the hotels on Lexington Avenue - maybe one of the W hotels or the Inter-Continental. Stay away from the Ramada though, it's a dump.

 

[detroit diver]

raviepoo once bubbled...
......

Can I interest you in a pan asian restaurant with drag queen waiters who do table dances?
.....

Okay, now this sounds interesting! What is the name of this place, and where is it?

 

[raviepoo]

First Avenue and First Street. They do cabaret shows on the weekends. The place is a real hoot.

I have kind of a funny story about the place. I got to know some of the staff when I installed a computer system there several years back. In my last job I had a guy working for me who was in the middle of going through a divorce from his wife of over 25 years. One day I saw a picture in his cubicle of him sitting with his arm around one of the waitresses (FORMER drag queen who had since had "the operation"). I mentioned that I knew her and I started to say she's a ...... and then stopped myself. And he said, Yes I know, she's an entertainer. And I've been going out with her."

I didn't pry any deeper. I didn't want to give away anyone's confidences. And I didn't want to know whether he knew his girlfriend used to be a boyfriend.

That's life in the big city, boys and girls.

Geez! Talk about hijacking a thread!

 

[detroit diver]

Thanks! I might have to check that out.

And now back to our regularly scheduled thread.......

 

[PK]

I like the Roosevelt Hotel. Beautiful place and good location.

 

[John_H]

I would also suggest Gramercy Tavern. And you need to plan ahead, at least 25 days for a dinner reservation.

John