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Where to get a bite uptown

Compiled by Linda Perney | NYNewsday.com

May 13, 2004

Exterior of Harlem's Sugar Hill Bistro (Photo by Christie M. Farriella)

Whether you're trekking Museum Mile or rambling around Central Park, here are choices for dinner, all above Columbus Circle.

'Cesca
Tom Valenti has followed up his first Upper West Side success story, Ouest, with a second chapter, this buzzy, convivial Italian place that caters to hefty appetites. Meat is the main event here, with dishes like braised pork shank and plenty of grilled choices. For lighter fare there are the antipasti, varied enough to make a meal on their own. Note to the starry-eyed: just about anyone who's anyone on the Upper West Side shows up here sooner or later. (164 West 75th Street; 212-787-6300)

Gennaro

The lines outside testify to Gennaro's popularity. The place serves straightforward Italian food -- plenty of pastas, fish, and chicken -- and the prices are eminently fair. No reservations, though. No credit cards either. (665 Amsterdam Avenue; 212-665-5348)

Jacques-Imo's NYC
Jacques-Imo's got famous for Creole food out of town, and now they've brought the show to Manhattan complete with plastic tablecloths. The menu includes New Orleans-style standbys, plus some innovative little items all their own: alligator cheesecake anyone? (366 Columbus Avenue; 212-799-0150)

Nice Matin
You have to love the place, with its bright, brassy sensibility (even its slightly psychedelic wallpaper). The menu covers southern France pretty well, and, with its unpretentious style, it's a perfect West Side fit. Go for lunch on a sunny day. (201 West 79th Street; 212-873-6423.)

The Steakhouse at Fairway
Like the name says, this is a carnivore's delight. But for those who would rather fish, there's that, too. The restaurant pays the kind of attention to quality that made the store a hit; prices, as you would expect, are fair, too. (2127 Broadway ; 212-595-1888)

davidburke and donatella Never mind that the place is located in the prim East 60s; the heart and soul of this restaurant screams Broadway, with its gilded mirrors and sexy red decor. David Burke's cooking is wildly inventive and imaginatively presented. The lobstr dishes are famous, but the lollipop tree with its bubblegum cream may be too over-the-top for some. (133 East 61st Street; 212-813-2121)

Le Refuge
If beautifully prepared classic French food is what you crave, this auberge-like restaurant on the Upper East Side may be what you're looking for. Like its sister in City Island, this is a good summertime choice; the garden out back only adds to the sense of escape. The salmon with couscous is a menu favorite, but there are also filet mignon, duck, and chicken dishes. (166 East 82nd Street; 212-861-4505)

92
Carnegie Hill kids like the mac and cheese, but the rest of us go for dishes like the tuna steak, the lobster, or any of the first-rate pastas. This is a simple American restaurant with a menu that can accommodate just about anybody's taste; for good value and a family-friendly vibe, this place is a winner. (45 East 92nd Street; 212-828-5300)

Sugar Hill Bistro
In a historic Harlem brownstone, Sugar Hill serves up elegantly prepared American food, with specialties like chicken breast stuffed with herbs and sun-dried tomatoes, plus fish, steak, and pasta. The gospel brunch draws a crowd on Sundays; Saturday nights, there's live jazz. (458 West 145th Street; 212-491-5505)