Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Chelsea is an artsy neighborhood in New York City whose boundaries are roughly defined as 15th to 39th streets, between Fifth Avenue and the Hudson River. Construction of luxury condos and office buildings in the last decade saw more doctors, business owners and lawyers move into Chelsea. This helped Chelsea's good restaurants become more viable and profitable, at the same time encouraging the establishment of new, upscale restaurants.
This contemporary restaurant was established in 1998 by three New York City entrepreneurs. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is one of 10 "Best in Chelsea" restaurants, according to Urbanspoon.com. It is a favored nightlife and lounging destination in New York City. Serving American comfort cuisine, it offers separate menus for all day, dinner, overnight and desserts. Samplings include meat loaf, fried chicken, waffles, and macaroni and cheese. Cafeteria has a bar and a lounge with a cocktail menu.
Cafeteria
119 Seventh Ave.
New York, NY 10011
212-414-1717
cafeteriagroup.com/
Chef Jimmy Bradley opened Red Cat in 1999. That same year "The New York Times" listed it as a one-star restaurant, upgrading it to two stars in 2005. The restaurant has a contemporary American menu that includes appetizers, entrees and a reasonably priced wine list. Appetizers include sauteed zucchini with almonds and pecorino, clam and octopus stew, and a chicken-and-apple sausage served with braised cabbage. Entrees include steak and golden potatoes with fennel and cabernet sauce, and whole trout in beurre blanc. Red Cat has a separate room for private dining.
Red Cat
227 Tenth Ave.
New York, NY 10011
212-242-1122
theredcat.com
This Italian restaurant also makes the "Best in Chelsea" top 10 list on Urbanspoon.com. While the main menu has the normal Italian fanfare of antipasti, primi piatti, secondi piatti, griglia and dolce, many items point to an international sourcing of materials and ingredients. These include tuna "tataki" with wasabi tartar sauce, tagliolini with Chilean sea bass ragu, roasted Canadian black cod fish, charcoal-grilled Scottish salmon fillet, and charcoal-grilled Neiman ranch rib eye steak. Basta Pasta opened in 1990.
Basta Pasta
37 W. 17th St.
New York, NY 10011
212-366-0888
bastapastanyc.com