MadParkNews.com, covering New York City's Madison Square Park & Flatiron

Another winner of the neighborhood’s best food, as chosen by MadParkNews readers. The coveted Best Brunch in the Madison Square Park area. And this year Almond (12 East 22nd Street) absolutely ran away with it, followed by Penelope and The Breslin in a tight battle for second place and Friend of Farmer in the fourth spot.

Notable chef April Bloomfield of local restaurants the John Dory Oyster Bar and The Breslin (plus the Spotted Pig) has just released (today) a new book of recipes and stories.

The book is called A Girl and Her Pig: Recipes and Stories. From the description on Amazon: “In A Girl and Her Pig, April Bloomfield takes home cooks on an intimate tour of the food that has made her a star. Thoughtful, voice-driven recipes go behind the scenes of Bloomfield’s lauded restaurants—The Spotted Pig, The Breslin, and The John Dory—and into her own home kitchen, where her attention to detail and reverence for honest ingredients result in unforgettable dishes that reflect her love for the tactile pleasures of cooking and eating.”

In Eater’s look at the best grilled cheese sandwiches in New York City, three spots in our neighborhood made the top 12 list!

Resto sister spot The Cannibal (113 East 29th Street) takes the top spot, followed by The Breslin (16 West 29th Street) at #2, and then Beecher’s (900 Broadway) came in at #7.

Congratulations!

(Mailing list members already got a sneak peak at the winners of this year’s Best Food in the Neighborhood Awards, but for everyone else, we will announce one winner every weekday. Remember, these awards are based on total votes by readers and are not chosen by MadParkNews.)

Next up is Best burger near Madison Square Park and the Flatiron…

And the winner this year is the Shake Shack, with the Breslin burger coming in second place, and Fresh & Fast coming in 3rd place. Congratulations!

Thank you for the record number of votes on your favorite food in the Flatiron and Madison Square Park areas for 2011!  A big congratulations to all of the winners as the competition was absolutely fierce in most categories. (NOTE: These winners were by popular vote and not chosen by MadParknews; next year only mailing [...]

Keep it easy and stay local this new year’s eve. Here is a quick roundup of New Year’s Eve festivities and special menus in the Flatiron and Madison Square Park neighborhood.

ABC Kitchen (35 East 18th St): Offering the regular a la carte dinner menu with a few additional holiday specials along with a sparkling toast at midnight.
Ace Hotel (20 West 29th Street): DJ Huggy Bear sets the mood, followed by Andy Rourke of the Smiths and East Village Radio’s Jetlag. Groups of 8 to 30 friends can reserve a table in the Ace Hotel Lobby bar. Reservations are based on a minimum spend on food & beverage of $50 plus tax and service per person, as well as a table reservation fee ranging from $250-$500. The Lobby will feature a special Champagne Menu for each table, and specialty cocktails, along with their a la carte Lobby Menu until 4am. At midnight, they will be screening the ball drop from Times Square and there will be a celebratory toast.
Almond Restaurant (12 East 22nd Street): Four course prefix for $85 starting at 9:00 which includes a champagne toast at midnight. We are also encouraging people to join us for “recovery” on New Years Day with a complimentary Bloody Mary, Mimosa, or Bellini. Call 212-228-7557 for more info.
Asellina (420 Park Ave South inside the new Gansevoort Park Hotel): Special three-course New Year’s Eve menu (6pm-8pm for $95/person; 9-11pm for $135/person with champagne toast, strawberries with dessert, and party favors). See full menu at http://www.madparknews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Asellina_NYE_2011-REV.jpg). Music and balloons at midnight. Call 212-317-2908 for more info.
Ben & Jack’s Steak House (255 Fifth Avenue): Special prix-fixe menu for $109.95 per person excluding beverages, tax and gratuity. Glass of Champagne included after dinner. See the menu at http://www.benandjackssteakhouse.com/newyears.html.
Birch Coffee (5 East 27th Street): At 9 am on January 1st, they are starting a two day Arrested Development Marathon. It will run from 9 am to 8 pm Sunday and then kick back up on Monday the 2nd at 9 am. Stay for an episode, stay for ten, or stay for all 53. It is going to be hilarious.
Black Duck (122 East 28th Street): 4 course menu for $125 per person with a bottle of Piper Sonoma sparkling for every two people. See the menu at http://www.blackduckny.com/pdf-menus/NewYearsEveMenu.pdf.
Boqueria Flatiron ­ (53 West 19th Street): Special menu of tapas and open bar. 1st Seating at 6pm for $75 per person and 2nd Seating at 9pm for $125 per person. Tapas selection of Four Per Person plus one dessert per person. More at http://www.boquerianyc.com/new.html.
The Breslin (20 West 29th Street): Reservations for groups of 8-12 people for New Years Eve, with four prix-fixe options (Rib of Beef for $95, Suckling Pig for $75, Lamb for $95, Duck for $65). See all of what you get on each menu at http://www.madparknews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Breslin-NYE-2011.pdf. Wine pairings also available. Groups booking dinner are invited to continue their night at The Ace in the Lobby Bar, and will receive a 50% discount on a table reservation fee. Contact katherineb @thebreslin.com for more info.
The Cannibal (113 E 29th St): A butcher’s cocktail party from 9:00pm – 1:00am for $125 per person Includes Beer, Wine & digestives Midnight 9 liters of Beer & Champagne poured, as well as a lot of food. See the menu at http://www.madparknews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/New-Years-The-Cannibal-2011.docx
Deweys: TBD
Duo Restaurant (72 Madison Avenue): 4-course pre-fix menu, premium open bar 9pm-1am, DJ, special guest performance and more! Seats are limited. 917-701-8925 for more info.
Flatiron Lounge: Complimentary light hors d’oeuvres, party favors and champagne toast at midnight. $20 cover/cash bar Phone 212 727 7741 or email info@flatironlounge.com to reserve space.
Flute Gramercy (40 East 20th Street): All-inclusive package for $120.53 includes a three hour open bar with premium liquor, wine, beer and champagne and unlimited passed hors d’oeuvres Live DJ spinning all night. Details at http://flutenye2011.eventbrite.com/
Gstaad (43 West 26th Street): Limited number of tickets sold for $90 which get you Premium Open Bar from 9-2am, champagne toast at midnight, the ball drop on the big screen, and music. They keep it not too crowded so that everyone has a good time. More at http://gstaadnyc.com/.
Haru Gramercy Park (220 Park Avenue South): Will be offering the a prix fixe on NYE in addition to the regular menu. See the special menu at http://www.madparknews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/haru.pdf.
Hill Country (30 West 26th Street): All you can eat from 5pm-11pm for $35. Open bar featuring Signature Cocktails, Mixed Drinks, Beer, Wine & Champagne from 5pm-2am for $85 (or 3 hours for $60). Live performance by Alan Merrill & the Arrows at 9:30pm and champagne toast at midnight. Normal menu also available. 212-255-4544 for reservations.
ilili (236 5th Avenue): 3 seatings with a prix fixe. First seating from 5:30pm-7:15pm for $65 – here’s the menu; Second seating from 7:30-9:15 for $75 – here’s the menu; Third Seating from 9:30pm on for $130 – here’s the menu. Third seating includes Champagne toast, party favors, belly dancers, and a dj. More at http://www.ililinyc.com/NYE2012.html
John Dory Oyster Bar (1196 Broadway): The John Dory Oyster Bar is taking reservations for New Years Eve with the option of a $65 prix-fixe menu (+$30 for wine pairings), and will feature specials on Bubbles and Oysters. Special Chef’s table also available. Call for more info at 212-792-9000.
Resto (111 E 29th Street): Whole Cow Large Format 5-course Feast at Resto. First seating from 6pm-8pm for $85. Second seating at 9pm for $150 per person including Wine, Beer & Cocktails and Beer & Champagne poured at midnight. See the full menu at http://www.madparknews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/New-Years-Resto-2011.docx
Sala One Nine (35 West 19th street): First celebrate the New Year as it turns midnight in Madrid with a $10 toast of Cava and 12 grapes. Then at 9:30 there will be a 5 course prix fixe with 3 hours of open bar and a midnight toast for $100. See the prix-fixe menu at http://www.salaonenine.com/pdfs/newyearseve.pdf.
San Rocco (39 West 24th Street): 5-course prix fixe, a glass of prosecco, and live music for $90/person. See the menu at http://www.madparknews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/SRNY_CAPODANNO.pdf
Slate (54 West 21st St): 5 hours open bar (9pm-2am) plus dj and champagne toast ($95/person or with reserved seating $155/person or with bottle service $165/person). $2 admission after 12:30am. Details at http://slatenyetickets.com/
SUSHISAMBA (245 Park Avenue South): SUSHISAMBA park will host a vibrant, Carnaval-inspired party with a DJ spinning all night, samba dancers and drummers, a live broadcast of the countdown and a festive menu to ring in the New Year. SUSHISAMBA’s annual celebration is inspired by New Year’s Eve in Brazil. At Révellion, thousands flock to the beaches in Copacabana, where they toss white flowers into an ocean lit by lights in hope that the Goddess of the Sea, Imeneja, will grant their wishes for the coming year. Guests are requested to dress in white in order to emulate this tradition. Premier seating from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (no minimum charge) and celebration seating from 10 p.m. to close (guests will incur a $30 surcharge per person). Here is the special menu: http://sushisamba.com/templates/sushiSamba/UserFiles/File/Park_NYE_2012_Menu.pdf . More info at http://sushisamba.com/index.cfm/id/19/Id2/59/pageNumber/1/specialEventId/420.html
230 Fifth (230 5th Avenue): 7 New Years Eve options from $150 (open bar and hors d’oeuvres/food platters) to $225/person (reserved tables with bottle of champagne, open bar and hors d’oeuvres/food platters) to $20 (after 1am entry). Partially heated rooftop and dj all night. See all options at http://www.230-fifth.com/newyears12. 9pm-4am.
Zio (17 West 19th Street): Special NYE prix fixe menu for $89 featuring a specialty cocktail, Lobster Terrine in a Mango Sauce topped with Domestic Caviar, Foie Gras Ravioli with Caramelized Figs in a Port Sauce, Pan Roasted Chilean Sea Bass served in a Shell Fish Ragu, Roasted Filet Mignon served with a Black Truffle Sauce (see the full menu at www.zio-nyc.com/main/page/menu/127). Plus entertainment by singer Jenn Cuneta.