Tucked away on the 7th floor of the main (not Men’s) Bergdorf Goodman Store is BG, the Restaurant with wonderful views of Central Park. In case you wondered what apartments with a park view were like, but didn’t want to spend the millions to find out, this is a wonderful alternative to savor the same view as very well-to-do New Yorkers, but at a fraction of the cost… BG has a very limited but always interesting menu, which changes with the seasons. And while you gaze out at the treetops in the warmer months, or a starker winter vista, you can pause from a day of shopping or window shopping and have a civilized lunch to fuel up for an afternoon of more shopping… The room is tight and cozy, and hosts a mixture of ladies who lunch, tourists from Texas and South America, not to mention the Philippines…
These photos are from a lunch we had there last May, not Christmas, but they will give you a flavor of the type of food to be had. Up top, a generous piece of striped bass or sea bass on a bed of lentils and served with frisee lettuce. The menu is short and sweet but has some nice choices for a light lunch.
This is a lousy photo of the view (I was too embarrassed to take out my camera and go to a window) of the treetops of Central Park, but trust me when I say the view is gorgeous… And the room is light and airy, despite the cramped table set-up.
A hearty and flavorful roasted tomato and vegetable soup served with crusty bread…
…a competent albeit small chef’s salad…
…two small but filling sandwiches on a version of surf and turf… a ham and cheese on a brioche type roll and crab salad…
… crab and salmon for The Kid, served with toast points…
…deep-fried soft shell crabs that were superb…
…and a panna cotta and raspberry sorbet to finish.
And if you are a die-hard shopper, you can sneak out while waiting for your order and browse the superb housewares section of Bergdorf’s on the same floor… Expect to pay between $30-45 per person for lunch at BG, a lot more than two hotdogs with sauerkraut and a Diet Coke on the street corner… but it’s a nice spot to rest and refuel in the heart of serious shopping country…
15 Responses
Its really like travelling with you guys! How I wish I can find somebody as family-oriented like you! You are one of the rare gems and imagine reaching 15 years of marriage and still like honeymooners!
Madeline, don’t get me totally wrong… life isn’t and hasn’t always been a bed of roses… but I am learning more and more that one needs to focus more on the good stuff, to overcome all of the adversity or negative stuff… I am a realist at heart, a half empty not half full glass kinda person, an objective analytical person by training, I think I plan my life path with precision … or do I really? I am no longer sure about that… Remember, to enjoy the roses, you have to deal with the thorns. :)
Looks like scrumptious food in a cozy setting. All these experienced diners I spoke with said a good restaurant has only 6 or 7 selections for their main course and change their menu very often that is guaranteed their food is extremely well. I totally agree with your enjoy the fragrance of the roses and worry with the thorns or bugs later on. We only live once so let’s make every bit of it enjoyable and we are the ones making our life! The Empire State Building has a good observatory decks/floors that are open to the public for an entrance fee and you have a 360-degree view of New York!
Right on! I also believe in balancing our daily lives!
Wow, I agree with Madeline, it’s like traveling with you.. :)
Thanks you, again, for sharing your experiences with us..
Sharing with us your travel escapades is truly truly interesting to read and I, too, am leaning towards focusing on the good stuff and some occassional(?)indulgences…(and your occassional rants I find amusing). Although my appreciation for certain foods are limited, I’m quite learning a lot from this blog…welcome back, MM and Happy New again!
this reminds me of le train blue inside bloomingdale’s… i guess it just makes sense to have a dine-in place inside a department store, much like it makes sense to have coffee shops inside borders or barnes & noble.
as much as i like ny streetfood, this meal definitely beats it by a thousand points!
Marketman, which airline did you take for this New York trip?
We all deal with thorns, Mr. M… however, you help us enjoy the beauty of the roses thru your blogs. Thanks for that! :-)
May 2008 bring us all happiness and more good food to talk about.
I love what the kid ordered. :-)
MM…..And you wonder why so many follow your blog!!! You are truly in the zone when it comes to making your followers feel and taste your adventures.
BRAVO….BRAVO….BRAVO!!!
Thanks so much for sharing your travel adventures with us. Helps me keep tabs on the newest trends out there.
Looking forward to more of your culinary and travel adventures with you and your family in the coming year!!!
There is no perfect life. If we are perfect, then we wont be reaching out for Him. Each one of us has thorns in life! Like you, I was also trained to be analytical. We have to be objective in our findings in our patients. Yes, I am a doctor by profession.
I was about to start my life in California(my birthplace ) in 2005 when my dad was hospitalized in the ICU for 36 days before he died. I had given up my career for almost 2 years to be with my mother who is already 78 years old. She is still strong, but God has a different plan for me. I have seen alot of patients, with children abroad but left alone or with a maid. I heard what their hearts had been shouting. I like to see the glass, half filled rather than empty. Though no matter how positive we are, how strong our faith is, there are times that we really see the glass half-empty.
Through your blog, partly, I see the other aspect of life. More power! You make alot of people happy!
thanks for sharing those wonderful photos. they make me feel like i was there too. i could almost smell the food. i was just wondering, do you take those pictures yourself, or do you always have a photographer in tow when you travel ? :) btw, are soft shelled crabs available in manila too?
karina, hahaha, how I wish I had a personal photographer. I am not comfortable with a camera so my pictures are miracles in their own right, if you ask me. They do sell soft shell crabs in Manila sometimes, but frozen. They are good, but not great. I have seen them at wet markets from frozen fish vendors and at Blue Kitchen shops, on rare occasions… Madeline, yup, I agree, no perfect life, indeed. Trish, glad you are enjoying the posts! Artisan, nice to see you seem to have recovered from the holiday cooking! Lovely P, thanks! Tricia, we took Northwest. ej, yes, restaurants in department stores are a good idea. elaine, blaise, bernadette et al… thanks!
Lovely posts. I enjoy reading what you share and get to learn a lot more about places I haven’t been too (yet). Thanks for sharing them with us. Hope you’re having a wonderful time.