Founded in 1906 by Sebastiano Maioglio, Barbetta is now owned by his daughter, Laura Maioglio. Barbetta, nearing 100 years old, is the oldest restaurant in New York that is still owned by the family that founded it. Barbetta is also the oldest Italian restaurant in New York, and the oldest restaurant in New York's Theatre District. This three-fold distinction makes this historic restaurant a landmark among New York restaurants. Its landmark status has been recognized by the prestigious and highly selective Locali Storici d'Italia, which has designated Barbetta a Locale Storico (Historic Establishment), the first restaurant in America to have been so named. Creativity at Barbetta is the first priority. But Ms. Maioglio insists that creativity and innovation be within the Italian idiom. That, she believes, is the true challenge facing Italian cuisine today. Specializing in the cuisine of Piemont, Laura Maioglio demands that every dish (new or old) must meet certain requirements: the flavor of the dish must be Italian, the dish must be true to the way food is prepared in Italy, if the dish is a known classic or traditional Italian dish, it must be the very best example of its kind, and if the dish is a totally new creation, its roots (to the cuisine or dish of a given Italian region) must be identifiable in its taste. And without a doubt, the restaurant lives up to these exacting demands. Insider tip: Not to be missed is The Barbetta garden, one of New York's most romantic restaurant gardens, and a sought-after sites for summer dining.  Exuberantly verdant with century-old trees and flowering with the scented blooms of magnolia, wisteria, oleander, jasmine and gardenia, it is more the setting of a grand country estate than a city garden.

The rebooted Tavern On The Green, under the guidance of chef Katy Sparks, now serves up more accessible food in a friendlier environment than in days gone by. You still get style and substance in the beautifully curated plates at the Tavern, with small and large plates that run the gamut from local sea scallops with citrus butter and fried duck egg with smoked ricotta crostata to a marinated Vermont quail with creamy white grits and a grass-fed beef burger with patatas bravas and aioli. Built in 1870, the rural Victorian Gothic structure now known as Tavern on the Green was designed by Jacob Wrey Mould as a sheepfold. It housed 200 South Down sheep, which grazed across the street in Central Park's Sheep Meadow. The sheepfold remained intact for close to 65 years, until legendary parks commissioner Robert Moses decided the building had a higher calling -- that of a restaurant. Moses was anxious to usurp the power of the Central Park Casino, located on the opposite side of Central Park, which had taken on the moniker "Jimmy Walker's Versailles." It seems the flamboyant mayor, Jimmy Walker, was conducting more business at the casino than at City Hall. Alarmed at the repercussions for his beloved parks system, Moses sued to oust the casino's management and eventually arranged to have the building torn down. His mission nearly complete, Moses banished the sheep from the sheepfold to Brooklyn's Prospect Park and assigned their shepherd to the lion house in the Central Park Zoo. Within months, WPA workers were busy constructing what would soon become Tavern on the Green -- the restaurant. The first incarnation of Tavern on the Green was launched on October 20, 1934, with a coachman in full regalia at the door. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia opened the restaurant with a brass key and in the company of a proud Moses, toured the facility. After chatting with the chef and sampling a breakfast sausage, LaGuardia and Moses announced their satisfaction with Central Park's latest attraction. Embraced by New Yorkers, Tavern on the Green became an integral part of the city's social life and was operated by a succession of management firms throughout the '40s, '50s, and '60s. The brilliant designer Raymond Loewy was hired to renovate the building, resulting in the addition of the Elm Room (now the Park Room) -- named after the tree around which it was literally wrapped. By the early '70s, however, Tavern on the Green had fallen largely out of touch with the times; in 1974, the restaurant's once-bustling interiors were finally shuttered. Unknown to many, the restaurant's closing was about to herald the beginning of an exciting new era for the venerable edifice. Enter the creator of New York's wildly popular Maxwell's Plum, Warner LeRoy. Known for his "over-the-top" sense of style, as well as keen business acumen, LeRoy fashioned his own imprint for the restaurant with a spectacular two-year, $10 million renovation. LeRoy oversaw the construction of the now-famous, glass-enclosed Crystal and Terrace Rooms, creating ceilings for each, which gave way to flights of rococo fancy. He lavished brass, stained glass, etched mirrors, paintings, antique prints and above all, chandeliers, upon the entire structure, creating a visual theatre in which to display his passion for fine art and fantasy. Finally, after paneling the rustic baroque-inspired Rafters and Chestnut Rooms in rare, wormy chestnut, LeRoy signed off on his masterpiece by liberating long-hidden and-hewn rafters and their soaring vaulted ceilings from decades-long exile in pedestrian plaster. From the moment it opened on August 31, 1976, the reinvigorated Tavern on the Green took New York by storm, dazzling the city with its decorative whimsy, eclectic menus, and all-around playfulness. Once so passé that it had been forced to close, Tavern on the Green, under LeRoy's leadership, was well on its way to becoming one of New York's hottest dining destinations. Soon, celebrities were flocking to the restaurant to "see and be seen." Not surprisingly, the restaurant's size, setting, and radiant charm quickly made it the location for New York's most prestigious events -- charity and political functions, Broadway show openings, and international film premieres -- a position it maintains to this day.

Rustic Hudson Square eatery with the strangest convergence food we've ever heard of: Middle Eastern pitzas. Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like and yes, it's extraordinarily delicious.

In a dramatically renovated space formerly occupied by Cuban-Chinese hybrid La Chinita Linda, Room Service aims to create the clever Chelsea-Thai hybrid, with a sleek interior mixing standard Thai fare with a few entrees not normally found on the Manhattan Thai menus: Isaan-style catfish, pandan leaves chicken, espresso duck, and a rather clever weekend brunch menu. The 60's lucite bubble chair near the entrance suggests all manner of licensed licentiousness, but not exactly what the menu proposes: "We hope our food provokes the delight of eating local food on the cracked sidewalks of Bangkok." (For that we'd need to see those beloved deep-fried giant crickets in all their glory, along with 95% relative humidity and mismatched chairs while dining roadside on Rama IV Road.) Nevertheless, Room Service has great style and flair to match its clever dishes.

This burger and beer joint has been popular ever since it was established in 1972 by original owners Jack O'Neill and George Mourges, the "J" and "G" of J.G. Melon. Lively crowds, a decent tap selection and an even better burger, makes Melon's a winner.

Chef Maria Loi, the official Ambassador of Greek Gastronomy, as appointed by the Chef’s Club of Greece, has opened Loi Estiatorio, a casual fine dining establishment at 132 West 58th Street. Based on her culinary philosophy, Chef Loi’s menu features fresh, healthy ingredients including a selection of recipes from her new book, The Greek Diet. Olive oil, yogurt, wine, herbs and spices, beans, nuts, seafood and other proteins, fruits and vegetables all come together to exemplify the vibrant flavors of Greek cuisine. Loi Estiatorio offers lunch Monday through Friday, and dinner daily, as well as a comprehensive take out menu, private dining, and catering services. To reflect the cuisine, the décor is simple and fresh, adorned in the colors of Greece from Chef Loi’s home on the isle of Nafpaktos. The ambiance is unparalleled and the service legendary, delivering a complete dining experience that satisfies the palette in more ways than one.