La Zarza Restaurant in New York, NY is a lively and sophisticated tavern that is the perfect location for friends to gather and enjoy a tasteful cultural experience.La Zarza Restaurant in New York, NY is a lively and sophisticated tavern that is the perfect location for friends to gather and enjoy a tasteful cultural experience.

Latin American, South American, Spanish/Tapas due by June 12.

Ala Carte Meet Up fee non-refunadable

from nymag.com:

Buenos Aires meets Barcelona at this ambient restaurant that attracts a model-y, cocktail-swilling crowd with groove-spinning DJs and a lively bar scene. Recessed lights cast a soft glow onto chocolate-hued banquettes, flickering candles sit on shelves built into brick walls, and heavy brown curtains muffle the beer-fueled antics outside on First Avenue. Dark-wood panels are carved with the leafy branches of the zarzamora, or blackberry bush, after which the place is named. As for the food, “the meats are from Argentina, and the tapas from Spain,” says Spaniard Mario Larrea, one of four co-owners, all with roots in the club industry. Thanks to Chef Jorge Rodriguez (formerly of Chimichurri) the fusion fare manages to upstage its sexy surroundings. Pulpo, or octopus, reveals rosy tentacles unfurled on a bed of white beans. Citrusy ceviches, including sweet lobster studded with diced mango, are charmingly accompanied by a bowl of popcorn. The juicy Patagonian rib eye satisfies, as do the crocantitos, crispy calamari drizzled in honey. The make-your-own sangrias, spiked with coconut rum and peach puree, ensure sauced merriment well into the night.

Greetings Meetuppers!

Please join us at BUDDHA BAR for dinner on July 25th at 8PM! The capacity is for 8 people including myself. Because of the limited capacity, I am collecting $5 (via Paypal) which, unlike previous meetups, is NOT refundable.

Thanks,

Komal
Meetup Organizer

BUDDHA BAR

25 Little West 12th St, New York 10014
Btwn Washington St & 9th Ave
Phone: 212-647-7314

Excerpt from Hipguide.com:

Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr is taking over the MPD. Down the block from his Buddakan is his partnership with Iron Chef alum Masaharu Morimoto. And thank heavens the two stepped in to finally do something with this space in the Chelsea Market, which was once supposed to become Buddha Bar (remember the non-opening, opening party we threw years ago? No, we don?t either; it was so long ago.) Needless to say, now that these two brilliant minds plus architect Tadao Ando have taken over, it?s a 24 seat sushi bar, 8 seat omakase table, 160 dining room seats and we just love the 17,000 Tynant water bottles in the 40 seat lounge. Enough numbers for you? We expect another one to be the number of, what else, stars, they get for the excellent raw fish. Fortunately the only digits you need to know are for your credit card and the reservations line.

Excerpt from Citysearch.com: http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/41906963/new_york_ny/buddha_bar_nyc.html

Editorial Review for Buddha Bar NYC ? by Justin Hartung

The Scene

America brought Euro-Disney to the French, and now they've returned the gesture with this enormous Asian-themed restaurant and bar hailing from Paris. Beyond a circular tunnel lined with golden statues lie three massive adjoining rooms, separated by columns of rolled-up wooden mats and decked with red chandeliers, large teak tables and dragons coiled around heating pipes. A towering Buddha beams under a huge skylight. Meatpacking hotties and business-dinner parties are part of the show, especially in the glassed-in smoking room.

The Food

The pan-Asian cuisine fares better than expected for a factory-sized restaurant. Starters of chicken samosas are flaky and addictive, but thinly sliced scallops and sea bream saduchi suffer from overly similar lemon sauces. And while a too-sweet sauce mires braised short ribs and sliced rib-eye, both squeak by as high-end comfort food. Buttery sablefish with crisp greens in a robust miso needs no such qualifications. Desserts, including a curiously soapy iced-tea mousse, make for an anticlimactic ending.

Insider Tips:

What to Drink

The Saketini ($15), though a bit too sweet, brims with fresh cucumber flavor. For a splurge, try a bottle of the hard-to-find J pinot noir ($65).
Know Before You Go

The Extras

Purchase the restaurant's own mix CDs at the kiosk near the coat check.

Additional Links to check out:

Buddha Bar homepage: www.buddhabarnyc.com

Buddha Bar menu:

http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaId=2&restaurantId=33247

*NOTE: INDIVIDUAL CHECKS WILL BE PROVIDED

Greetings Meetuppers!

Please join us at MORIMOTO for dinner on June 19th! Unlike previous meetups, this one will be a bit earlier in the week on Tuesday and earlier in time at 6PM due to the venue's tight and competitive reservations schedule. Please arrive by 6PM, ready to be seated at 6:15.

Thanks,

Komal
Meetup Organizer

MORIMOTO

88 10th Ave, New York 10011
Btwn 15th & 16th St
Phone: 212-989-8883

Excerpt from Hipguide.com:

Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr is taking over the MPD. Down the block from his Buddakan is his partnership with Iron Chef alum Masaharu Morimoto. And thank heavens the two stepped in to finally do something with this space in the Chelsea Market, which was once supposed to become Buddha Bar (remember the non-opening, opening party we threw years ago? No, we don?t either; it was so long ago.) Needless to say, now that these two brilliant minds plus architect Tadao Ando have taken over, it?s a 24 seat sushi bar, 8 seat omakase table, 160 dining room seats and we just love the 17,000 Tynant water bottles in the 40 seat lounge. Enough numbers for you? We expect another one to be the number of, what else, stars, they get for the excellent raw fish. Fortunately the only digits you need to know are for your credit card and the reservations line.

Excerpt from Citysearch.com: http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/41788917/new_york_ny/morimoto.html

Editorial Review for Morimoto ? by Erin Behan

The Scene

"Iron Chef" fans may be disappointed there's no gong, but the dazzling white interior, cleverly lit wall of water bottles and rippling ceiling quickly distract star-struck diners. Downstairs is a cocktail battleground with highly polished professionals elbowing for space at the glowing bar.

The Food

A master at sushi and traditional Japanese cuisine, Morimoto dazzles with a globally inspired menu. The Morimoto sashimi, five-layer towers of sashimi, comes with colorful sauces in tiny squeeze tubes that are easily discarded for fresh wasabi. Want less drama? Try the habit-forming rock shrimp tempura. Sushi, though not show-stopping, arrives fresh and neatly prepared. Mains excel--the duck trio combines remarkably tender roasted meat sandwiched on a croissant, a rich coddled bird egg, and a leg for one ducky dish. For classic Morimoto, try the sweet black cod in a gentle ginger-soy sauce. Point tallying aside, the night's winner is the light-as-air tofu cheesecake.

What to Drink

There's a long list of specialty cocktails to choose from (the spicy Morimotini and lemony White Lily), but a 10-ounce carafe of Morimoto's honey-kissed Junmai sake is the way to go ($22).

Know Before You Go

The downstairs bathrooms are worth checking out for their infinity mirrors and heated seats.

Additional Links to check out:

Morimoto homepage: http://www.morimotonyc.com/

Morimoto menu:

http://menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=0&restaurantid=19328&neighborhoodid=0&cuisineid=0

NOTES: *FOUR checks WILL be provided. Our party of 12 will be divided into FOUR checks, with 3 persons per check. Buddy up!

**I am accepting $5 deposits through Paypal and will only be counting those YES RSVPs. You will be reimbursed your deposit at the time of dinner. Thanks for your cooperation!

***Please feel free to contribute $1-2 after dinner to help run the cost of this 'Meetup Organizer' account.

Babouche

92 Prince St (Cross Street: Mercer Street)
New York, NY 10012View Map
(212) 219-8155
Directions: B, D; F, V at Broadway-Lafayette; N, R, W at Prince St; 6 at Spring St

Excerpt from Hipguide.com:

A bi-level Moroccan restaurant, with its entrance on Mercer Street, we're glad that L'Occitane decided to surrender the art of serving food to Babouche. Well-decorated and owned by the aggressively personable Omar Balouma, this spot kicked off by hosting holiday parties for everyone from Ralph Lauren to Versace. A mix of fashion types and off-the-street tourists fill the bilevel lounge which serves up creative drinks in the downstairs atrium (that acts as a great alternative to the sanitised bars in Soho) and serves up accurately rendered and tasty Moroccan dishes in the upstairs restaurant. Mezze salads are fresh, varied and flavourful and the classic hummus comes topped with a diced tomato salad and is large enough to be shared. Traditional couscous is served tagine style with the chickpea sauce on the side and the chicken is tender and cooked just perfectly. While pricier than some of the other Moroccan places in Manhattan, the menu here is also larger, the portions are ample and the service is solicitous making it the kind of place one can impress a date, a boss or take the family after tourist-y shopping.

Excerpt from Citysearch.com:

Soho becomes a chic casbah for shoppers and tourists at this transporting eatery tucked behind L'Occitane. Intricately woven carpets cover the floors and mosaic tiles decorate the walls, while wooden Moorish archways section off the lounge and dining areas of the bi-level space. The menu sticks to familiar Moroccan fare: hummus topped with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and olives, kefta tagine (a clay pot of beef meatballs, peas and artichokes) and, for dessert, a goat cheese cake.

Links to check out:

Babouche homepage: www.babouchenyc.com

Babouche menu:
http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=0&restaurantid=41336&neighborhoodid=0&cuisineid=0

NOTES: *Individual checks WILL be provided, given that you will order an appetizer (or a suitable substitute) AND entree. There is also an OPTION of a prix fixe of $55, which offers offers a tasting menu of appetizers, couscous, tagines and dessert. Order as you please!

**I am accepting $5 deposits through Paypal and will only be counting those YES RSVPs. You will be reimbursed your deposit at the time of dinner. Thanks for your cooperation!

***Please feel free to contribute $1-2 after dinner to help run the cost of this 'Meetup Organizer' account.

TAO
42 East 58th Street
Between Park & Madison Avenues
New York, NY 10022
212-888-2288

Excerpt from Citysearch:

The Scene
A 16-foot-tall Buddha lords over this 12,000-square-foot, multilevel spectacle where, even after five years, bodies pack every inch from bar to bathroom. Though there's no dancing, throngs of midtown workers and trendy tourists bring out their inner club kids to the thumping deep house music.

The Food
The pan-Asian menu could easily become an afterthought in such a scene-centric spot, but Chef Rick Laakkonen runs a reliable kitchen. The satay of Chilean sea bass brushed in miso, shrimp and green beans in a bright XO sauce, and crunchy spring rolls generously stuffed with duck are impressive, but most of the menu falls short, as with lackluster wasabi-crusted filet mignon and flavorless deep-fried lobster dumpling. Desserts, like the giant fortune cookie filled with light and milk chocolate mousse, perfectly embody the spirit of this over-the-top spot.

Links to check out:

TAO homepage: http://www.taorestaurant.com/

TAO menu: http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=6&restaurantid=6046&neighborhoodid=0&cuisineid=62&home=Y

NOTE: Please be advised, this establishment does not provide individual checks. To help simplify the payment process at the end of dinner, I urge you to be mindful of your order and to be ready to pay your portion in CASH.