NYC Restaurant Week is back, from July 22 – August 16! With so many delicious offerings to sift through, it might be impossible to make a decision. So here’s a shortlist (I tried to keep it short but that was difficult) of the places that look like the menu has special or decadent items that give you the best bang for your buck on your $26/lunch or $42/dinner (before taxes). Thank me later…

Ai Fiori
400 5th Ave, #2, New York, NY 10018

Only lunch is offered here but the “Uova in Purgatorio slow poached egg” and the fennel sausage risotto sound amazing. For a little extra, they also have housemade Tagliatelle ribbons with shaved black truffles ($9/extra).

Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
Country pate, Skate wing Grenobloise, Roasted Pork loin & belly… what to choose? Get one glass of wine paired with your meal for $10 more.

Bobo
181 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014
Salmon tartare, and the duck leg confit caught my eye. Cauliflower steak sounds delicious for vegans/vegetarians.

Delmonico’s Restaurant
56 Beaver St, New York, NY 10004
There are quite a few add-ons but, all of their items are classics. An oldie but couldnt help wanting to try the heritage pig bolognese, and a prime delmonico rib eye ($20/extra). And then there’s the famous classic baked alaska ($8/supplement)…

French Louie
320 Atlantic Ave, New York, NY 11201
I cant resist beef tartare, and then a french dip with braised lamb. Pretty solid menu with lots to choose from. Something for everyone.

Hanjan
36 W 26th St, New York, NY 10010
The yellowtail sashimi over rice, Niman Ranch pork belly noodles, gochugaru cured cod roe sound really flavorful.

Rafele
29A 7th Avenue South New York,NY 10014
I’ve been here before for dinner a couple of times and its a solid NYC Italian restaurant. Their restaurant week menu has a lot of delicious choices, including gnocco frito, spaghetti carbonara, and paccheri (pork cheek).

Red Rooster Harlem
310 Lenox Ave, New York, NY 10027
I love seeing key lime anything on a menu (they have a key lime bar). The hot honey yardbird with light and dark meat, and devilled eggs really caught my eye. There werent many soul food menus that looked as good as this one.

Riverpark by Tom Colicchio
450 E 29th St, New York, NY 10016
The dinner menu here looks more tempting than the lunch. Oysters, an appetizer called Pork Belly & Popcorn- and also the Roasted Skate & Clams, which bowled me over. There’s also roasted diver scallops for $7/extra. Definitely the best sounding seafood mains from the many menus I went perused.

I’ll surely be making updates and additions/deletions after I try some of these places.