Heading to New York with Lots of Money: Have We Got Two Restaurants for You!

One thing I like about the restaurant scene in New York City is that it always keeps try to one-up itself. The hottest new restaurant is never hot for that long: there’s always something bubbling under the firmament.

And just when you thought that Tao, Nobu, Per Se, and Craft were all the rage, along come a couple of new restaurants that push the envelope to hitherto unscaled heights.

There are two new outrageous players on the scene: Megu and Tom.

Megu is at 62 Thomas Street between Church St. and West Broadway. It is a Japanese styled steakhouse but not to be confused with a typical tepanyaki spot like Tokyo Steakhouse. There’s no sitting at a table where the chef makes fire-hissing volcanos our of onions. This is a restaurant that purports to serve only the highest quality Kobe beef from Japan. It’s not uncommon for $500-$600 bllls for a party of two. I imagine that partly goes to support the gigantic ice sculpture they carve daily. The ambience is also breathtaking. So, if you’ve never had Kobe sashimi before ($110 per appetizer-size plate), then Megu could be for you.

A friend in NYC whose culinary opinions I trust loves the place. But a caution: the serving sizes are small. You might have to raid some late-night deli afterwards. (212) 964-7777. megunyc.com

Chef Tom Colicchio

Tom at 47 E. 19th St. is the brainchild of uber-chef Tom Colicchio, founder of Craft. This one is interesting. It’s located in the private dining room of Craft and is only open on alternate Tuesdays each month, a total of 24 evenings per year. The pre-fixe menu changes frequently and usually begins at $150 per person before drinks, tax and tip. So do the math.

Colicchio, who opened the award-winning Grammercy Tavern in NYC 1n 1994 and then later Craft along with appearing on the Top Chef TV program says he always wanted to do a “personal” restaurant like this since he first achieved culinary stardom. He will do all of the cooking himself. Wonder how tough it’s going to be to get a reservation here?

Try calling (212) 400-6495.