Wu's Wonton King on East Broadway carves a $58 Peking duck table-side in New York City. Big rooms, Lazy Susan service, two-bird minimum on busy nights.
Signature dishes: Peking duck, Wonton soup
Must order: Peking duck, three courses; wonton soup to start.
Tip: Order the duck when you book; same-day requests are routinely refused. BYOB with a small corkage.
Address: 165 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002, New York City
Nan Xiang on Prince Street in Flushing pleats soup dumplings to 18 folds in New York City. Pork, pork-and-crab, and a green truffle-pork basket on weekends.
Signature: Soup dumplings, Pork-and-crab xiao long bao
Order: Pork-and-crab xiao long bao, basket of eight.
Tip: Take the 7 train to Flushing-Main Street; the room runs 60-minute waits at lunch. No reservations; expect a buzzer.
The two Franks have served Brooklyn-Italian on Court Street in New York City since 2004: handmade pastas, escarole salad, sausage cavatelli in a garden out back.
Signature: Cavatelli with hot sausage, Meatballs
Order: Cavatelli, hot sausage, brown butter and sage.
Tip: Sit in the garden in warm weather. The meatballs over polenta is the second pick if cavatelli has sold out.
Jody Williams and Rita Sodi's Grove Street West Village room serves Tuscan-leaning food in New York City. No reservations; the line outside is its own institution.
Signature: Insalata verde, Cacio e pepe
Order: Insalata verde, cacio e pepe, chocolate budino.
Tip: Walk in at 17:00 sharp for the first seating, or join the list around 20:30 for the second wave.
Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi's restoration of the Seagram Pool Room runs mid-century power-lunch food in New York City. Honey-glazed duck, tableside Caesar.
Signature: Prime rib, Tableside Caesar
Order: Honey-glazed duck for two, carved at the table.
Tip: Lunch is the move; the same room without the dinner price ceiling. Dress code is enforced: no jeans, no sneakers.
Major Food Group's red-sauce Italian-American room on Thompson Street in New York City turns 1950s tableside service into theatre. Spicy rigatoni vodka is the order.
Signature: Spicy rigatoni vodka, Veal parmesan
Order: Spicy rigatoni vodka and the veal parmesan to share.
Tip: Reservations are notorious; the bar runs walk-ins from 17:30 and serves the full menu. Don't skip the Caesar.
Eric Ripert's three-Michelin-star seafood room in Midtown New York City has held its stars since 2005. Tasting menu $268, mostly raw and barely-cooked fish.
Signature: Smoked salmon tartine, Black bass with herbed escabeche
Order: The Almost Raw, Barely Touched, Lightly Cooked tasting.
Tip: Lunch prix-fixe at $98 is the entry point; same kitchen, same plate, half the price of dinner.
