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Masq Restaurant & Lounge

Masq Restaurant & Lounge 1 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay

The colorful masks that line the walls evoke Mardi Gras and are a stunning introduction to the alluring Masq Bar. As she walked past the candelabra of topaz lanterns, Nora, the restaurant's owner, described the menu as "New American Cuisine with a splash of New Orleans." This characterization is true both of the food served and the restaurant's aesthetic and personality. Having managed many restaurants and "grown up in the kitchen," Nora has much to do with the delectable dishes offered, which include a beet salad with apple, and fried goat cheese and an authentic po' boy.

Beyond the food, Nora and her husband, George, offer a wonderfully versatile scene. In one of the rooms, the couple has set up a stage, where they host live music at least once a week. While a show is going on in that room, there may also be a party in the next, with regulars still sitting at the main bar. In telling us of the adaptable nature of the space, Nora explained that none of the titles - restaurant, lounge, or nightclub - really suits the Masq Bar environment. "This is who we are," she claimed, gesturing towards the wall bearing a wild mural painted by the bartender. The artwork covering the restaurant's walls is a testament to the fact that Nora and George aim for Masq Bar to be a place that "gets the creativity flowing."

About a year and a half after Masq Bar's opening, Nora admits, "The biggest obstacle in New York is being on a side street." With a generous and scrumptious lunch special, a variety of entertainment and an innovative flare, Masq Bar should in no way be downplayed. If anything, it is a place that should draw people off the avenues for, in Nora's words, "the fun of it."

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Masq Restaurant & Lounge 2 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay
Masq Restaurant & Lounge 3 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay
Masq Restaurant & Lounge 4 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay
Masq Restaurant & Lounge 5 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay
Masq Restaurant & Lounge 6 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay
Masq Restaurant & Lounge 7 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay
Masq Restaurant & Lounge 8 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay
Masq Restaurant & Lounge 9 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay
Masq Restaurant & Lounge 10 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay
Masq Restaurant & Lounge 11 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay
Masq Restaurant & Lounge 12 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay
Masq Restaurant & Lounge 13 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay
Masq Restaurant & Lounge 14 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay
Masq Restaurant & Lounge 1 American Lounges Midtown East Midtown Turtle Bay

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Aretsky's Patroon 1 Bars Event Spaces Rooftop Bars American undefined

Aretsky's Patroon

Patroon is filled with leather-backed chairs, wood-paneled walls, and pictures of cowboys, boxers, and hunters. Although it initially appears to be a well-preserved vestige of an older civilization, with a sense of refined masculinity, we were told by members of the staff that the restaurant is not merely an updated version of its neighbor, Sparks Steakhouse, but rather a place of innovation and growth, bringing a youthful sensibility to a neighborhood frequently determined by old-school finance. However, our first impression was not completely errant as we went on to learn that the three-story building, which is owned by Ken Aretsky, was built as a steakhouse and cigar parlor. Since its beginning, in 1999, Aretsky has adapted the townhouse building to fit more modern needs, but some of that original clubby atmosphere still lingers in the architecture. After touring their event spaces and conference rooms upstairs- filled with stuffed birds, old books, and other regalia of a past age - we visited the rooftop terrace and bar, a modern garden space overlooking central Manhattan that seems to be a hip and growing hotspot in Midtown. While we left before happy hour, we passed by several groups of twenty-something's heading up to the rooftop. We stopped by the bar downstairs before heading out, and while observing the bartender flitting around the room refilling tall glasses of iced tea, we overheard a casual discussion on the problems of inequality in modern capitalism, alongside conversations on the day's trading. This convergence of old business and new leisure makes Aretsky's Patroon into something of a quintessential New York restaurant - adeptly bringing together the traditional and the innovative, the corporate and the social into a single space.

More places on 49th Street

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Oceana 1 American Seafood Breakfast undefined

Oceana

Opened in 1992 and originally located on the Upper East Side, Oceana moved to 49th Street in 2009. The Livanos family sowed the seeds for the glorious Oceana long ago when they ran a diner and realized their ambitions to develop it into something more. Having worked hard to make their dreams a reality, Oceana continues to pride itself on the freshness of its food and makes a point to have direct relationships with the fish mongers and farmers. Although some have called Oceana the Mecca of seafood, the restaurant's menu is notably diverse. The executive chef, Ben Pollinger, takes to the broad reaches of American cuisine and mixes elements of different dishes together, often in an unexpected way. The Manhattan Sideways team eagerly sampled a few of the marvelous dishes, including the Copper River Sockeye Salmon Crudo, featuring pickled ramps, parsley oil, and Amagansett sea salt, and the Sea Scallops Ceviche that is topped with peaches, ginger, and cinnamon basil. I was pleasantly surprised by the incredible vegetarian dish that the chef also prepared - Summer Squash & Cranberry Bean Salad, consisting of zucchini, gold bar and pattypan squash, pignoli, purslane and drizzled in lemon vinaigrette. Absolutely delicious. The last member of the Oceana team that we were introduced to was their wine director, Pedro Goncalves. Pedro, who began working at Oceana in 2001, makes a concerted effort to develop drink pairings to accompany the delectable food menu. Standing near the white marble bar, he proudly told us that Oceana has 1100 wine listings and 600 spirits. He went on to report that with forty-seven different gins, Oceana has one of the largest selections of in the city. "There is something to fit every personality, " Pedro said.