Day 162—Sunday, June 20th, 2010
Resto
Ding, ding, ding! The PayPal donation button is ringing again! A leafy anonymous donator generously sent in 20 dollars to keep this bar crawl on the move. Thank you so much, I truly appreciate it!
Okay, usually I have a cheeseburger on Saturday night, but last night I went to Sushi Samba and met the mysterious couple, Nick Beal and Emma and found out Nick lied...err...was misinformed about the place serving burgers. So I had duck, but tonight I’m going to make up for it and go out and get a cheeseburger. Whilst Googling around looking for a place I found this from New York Magazine:
“Would it be demeaning to Skeen and Resto to lavish the most praise on the burger? Maybe. But this one is world-class, a loosely packed, modestly sized house-ground masterpiece of beef cheek, hanger steak, and fatback, nicely accessorized with onion, pickle, mayo, and slightly pungent Timberdoodle cheese from Vermont, all on a squishy white bun from Rockland Bakery. It might be the best burger in New York, including Shake Shack’s.”
New York magazine's reviews are usually dead-on, so this is the spot for tonight. And not a moment too soon, I’m starvin’ like Marvin over here!
My Stan Laurel impression with my bottle of Snapple filled with beer for the walk to Resto.
It's a nice summer night tonight. Here we are going down 16th Street.
And from here we'll walk uptown on Fifth Avenue. Nothing like summer in New York City!
Here's one of my favorite buildings in the city, the Flatiron Building.
I win!
And here we are, Resto.
Nice bar!
This is the beer/wine/cocktail menu!
Beer! They have so many choices, I asked the friendly and lovely bartender Meredith to pick one for me.
Here's her choice for me and it has a cork in it, a first on the bar crawl!
Meredith pours...
And I drink! Cheers!
Here's another view of the bar.
There's a large table up front with a street-side view.
And tables line the walls opposite the bar. A full house tonight!
Some of the specials and World Cup commentary.
Time for Sunday dinner!
I started out with the deviled eggs on pork toast. They were unbelievable!
Viana serves up the main course, cheeseburger and frites!
Wow, it looks delicious!
And it is! A world-class cheeseburger!
It's been a while, so I thought I'd end with an oblgatory bathroom mirror shot. Goodnight everybody!
Review
Resto is a cozy little Belgium beer hall in the Murray Hill area of Manhattan. There’s a large wooden table in front with a nice view and smaller tables line the walls and the back of the restaurant. The bar is marble and full dining is available there. The vibe is neighborhood friendly and inviting.
The beer list is huge and the waitstaff and bartenders are happy to help you find the right brew. There’s also a large wine list and classic cocktails available. The menu is Belgium food with small and large share plates available. Some of the entrees include: Moules and frites, wild striped bass, ‘four story hill farm’ dry aged cote de boef and one of the best cheeseburgers in town. The deviled eggs on pork toast are also a treat you shouldn’t pass up.
Resto
111 E. 29th St. (Near Park Ave. South)
212-685-5585