Summer Restaurant Week is on! Through July 31, out of the 250+ eateries participating, we bring you a crib sheet to our favorites.
Wildwood Barbeque 225 Park Avenue South, near 18th Street; 212-533-2500
Why: Don’t be fooled by the “rough” wood paneling: The massive Wildwood, with its mood lighting and a bar as long as a subway car, is for those who want a little big-city glitter with their Southern-tinged comfort food.
What to order off the RW menu: We’ll take the Southern fried green tomatoes “smothered” with crawfish étoufée, available on the lunch and dinner lineups (take note, the day and night resto week options here are slightly different). Unfortunately, there’s no ’cue proper on offer, but there is a bucket of Old Bay-spiced peel-and-eat shrimp (at lunch) and soft-shell crab meunière (that’s fancy Creole for “flour-fried with brown butter”) with dirty rice. We’re not complaining. And for desserrt, a bittersweet chocolate tart with salted-pretzel crust and Nutella ice cream. If you have room, that is. (See the full menu here.)
Tip: Ask to see the smokers out back, if only because they’re run by an ex-cop from Ozone Park, Queens who goes by the name Big Lou. (That’s Lou Elrose, formerly of Hill Country BBQ.)
During Restaurant Week, lunch at participating establishments is $24.07, dinner $35.00. Reserve early.
We're eating our way through Restaurant Week -- see our previous picks.
