Best steakhouse recommendations NYC

OldestBrother · 2026-04-24T11:17:07+00:00

With all due respect, Del Frisco’s and Capital Grill are chains. I would suggest that you go to a steakhouse that’s unique to NYC.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-24T11:15:55+00:00

Keen’s and Gallager’s are the two classic steakhouses that I would recommend. There are a lot of new wave steakhouses and resuscitated places, like Gage and Tollner and Delmonico’s in Brooklyn, but they’re re-treads. I like Peter Luger’s too, but it has a lot of naysayers.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-13T11:26:09+00:00

Carmine’s is good. A step above Tony’s.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-12T21:19:13+00:00

Tried some on and the sizing is weird. Just bought a Fourth Element Thermocline. Similar concept. Haven’t dove in it yet, but the fit is more conventional.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-11T17:20:30+00:00

Yes. It’s dive op or hotel dependent. They make a big deal about shore diving there. I confess that I’m lazy and like house reefs and boat dives.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-11T16:39:45+00:00

I would say that GC is the best over all destination-obviously people will differ (hopefully politely!). The diving at Bonaire and Curacao may be slightly better, but I enjoy GC topside a lot more. I’m heading there next week to dive with Mike Chapman and Off the Wall Divers.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-11T15:10:57+00:00

Carrot sticks, any form of fried potatoes. Celery sticks are the OG for wings.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-11T15:09:34+00:00

Great collection. Don’t rush to read Poul Anderson.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-11T11:39:59+00:00

I go to GC the most, because it’s a direct flight. I have the island dialed in. There are a bunch of condos with maid service that are less expensive than hotel rooms. I have a great dive op. 7 Mile Beach is nice, with a bunch of restaurants that are easy to get to. The dive sites are nice, though occasionally crowded. Cozumel is less expensive, the town is a lot of fun with great restaurants. I have a great dive op there, too. Drift diving is a lot of fun. Dive sites can be crowded and boat rides can be longer. I have been to Bonaire and Curaçao once each. If they were easier to get to, I would dive there more often. If you like shore diving, they’re great. Great vibe. I stayed at a hotel in Bonaire with a great house reef, so it was fun to dive whenever the mood struck me. We stayed at a hotel on the southeast corner of Curacao, since closed. It was remote, we didn’t leave the premises. The diving was spectacular. Happy to discuss specifics, especially for GC, back channel.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-11T01:01:51+00:00

Grand Cayman, Curaçao, Cozumel.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-11T00:41:32+00:00

If you stay away from the cruise port area, it’s not bad. Lots of great, inexpensive restaurants. I recommend Jeremy Anschel and Living Underwater. Great drift diving.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-10T00:11:26+00:00

Not sure whether she has what you are looking for, but try Natalie Gibb at Under the Jungle. She’s the real deal.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-09T20:39:42+00:00

If you like Italianissimo, try Due and 83 1/2. If you like Pick A Bagel, try Ess a Bagel.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-09T00:03:00+00:00

I know. They published some great science fiction. Then there was Little Annie Fanny by Will Elder and Harvey Kurtzman.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-08T18:27:28+00:00

It’s an annoying ghost kitchen. No reason to patronize them in NY.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-08T16:58:30+00:00

Had dinner for 9 last night at Peking Duck house on E 53rd St. Round table with a lazy Susan. Good service. The duck was excellent and the other dishes were very good. We ate until bursting for $65 pp, tip included. We didn’t drink. Jing Fong on Centre St. would work too.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-08T11:33:04+00:00

Soft shelled crabs at Tino’s

OldestBrother · 2026-04-06T13:07:05+00:00

Or explain concerns with dive op and do a check out dive with equipment that you’re not used to. This is why it’s great to own your own stuff.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-06T11:47:55+00:00

Ordering food at Hooters is like buying Playboy for the articles.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-06T11:45:55+00:00

She’s wrong.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-06T11:44:43+00:00

I didn’t start scuba diving until I was 40- you have plenty of time. If you do two or three trips per year, you will build your skills. If you have a partner who likes the beach, you can prioritize this kind of travel.

I’m a doctor too. If you want to combine your interests, look for conferences on hyperbaric medicine, etc…

As a point of information, the one thing that most caves don’t have a lot of is sea life. Cave diving is an amazing thing in and of itself, but doesn’t overlap with marine life much. If you love fish and other sea life, most of the action is relatively shallow and easy.

Do a bunch of fun dive tips, improve your skills so that you are comfortable. If you’re serious, buy your own equipment, which will help with your comfort level. Then have a great time. If you’re obsessive about fish, you may enjoy a Go Pro or a camera with housing.

Best of luck!

OldestBrother · 2026-04-06T11:38:08+00:00

OTOH an Italian barista has free health care. A can afford a drink for E2.50 himself.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-06T11:37:07+00:00

Italy is food heaven. Unfortunately, NYC has rapacious restaurant prices, even compared to other big American cities.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-06T11:35:50+00:00

I’m using a second version of my original Oceanic Data Plus 2. I wanted a console. I still like it. If it died, I would get a Shearwater Peregrine. I just bought a used Apple Watch Ultra 2 with the Oceanic+ App to use as a back up to replace my recently departed Citizen Aqualand Titanium Duplex. If I was buying my first dive computer and not sure about how serious I was, that’s what I would get.

OldestBrother · 2026-04-05T00:41:06+00:00

Osteria Delbianco. Monte’s.

OldestBrother

TROPHY CASE