Steve Plotnicki Shares His New York Secrets

Steve Plotnicki’s passion for food has long been an intrinsic part of his life, if not always his career. A native New Yorker, he was a successful guitarist and songwriter before co-founding Profile Records in 1981. In 2003, he launched a discussion forum, which morphed into his “Opinionated About Dining” blog, a project that established him as one of the most prolific early food bloggers. Initially conceived as a way to share information about his dining experiences with other enthusiasts, “Opinionated About Dining” continued to evolve and attract readers. In 2007, Plotnicki developed a formal survey for readers and fellow diners and published a 56-page booklet in 2008 featuring the 100 best restaurants in North America and Europe. Since then, Plotnicki has further refined the survey process authored and published Opinionated About U.S. Restaurants in 2011, and continually publishes the rankings of the top restaurants around the world.

Plotnicki’s most recent project is the documentary Foodies: The Culinary Jet Set, Reviews, an inside look into the fine dining subculture of foodies themselves. The interest in haute cuisine has grown exponentially. Now, we enter the world of one of the most influential people on the food scene – the foodie. A subculture of blogging food critics with a mission to eat at the best restaurants on earth. Through our close study, we get access to the world’s most exclusive restaurants and get to know a group of slightly bizarre but charming food maniacs.

Find out this foodies haute New York secrets here:

Where were you born? Williamsburg, Brooklyn 50 years before it became cool to live there.

How long have you lived in NYC? 61 years, my entire life.

Neighborhood: Grew up in Bayside, Queens and moved to Manhattan’s Upper East Side in 1988.

Occupation:  Publisher of Opinionated About Dining Survey.

Favorite Restaurant:  Whenever I want to enjoy a special meal I take the one-hour drive to Westchester to visit my friend Dan Barber at Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

Best Sushi: Kuruma-Zushi is just like eating at a top sushi restaurant in Tokyo.

Best Italian:  Marea for upscale dining and Don Pepe’s in South Ozone Park for old fashioned Neapolitan-style red sauce cuisine.

Best dessert: Pistachio Cake at Milk Bar

Best place for a romantic date:  Lunch at Jean Georges.

Best Sunday brunch: Sadelle’s for bagels and lox/dim sum at Pings in Elmhurst, Queens.

Best place for a power business meeting: Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel.

If you have out of town guests, which hotel would you recommend? The Mark for those who like to roll out of bed and do some luxury shopping and the Wythe for my twin son’s hipster friends.

Favorite shopping venue/boutique: Joe Statelmeyer has been my sales representative at the Mens Shop at Bergdorf Goodman for close to 25 years.

Favorite place to buy jewelry/watches: Cellini when they have a sale.

Best Spa:  Don’t have one.

Favorite Charity Event: Annual Planned Parenthood Luncheon.

Favorite Cultural Event: Museum Mile

Favorite Cultural Institution: Lincoln Center

Best Steakhouse: Peter Luger

Best Pizza: Kesté Pizza & Vino

Best Lunch:  Katz’s Delicatessen

Best Gym/Athletic Facility: The one in the basement of my apartment building.

Best Limousine/Driving Service: Uber

Best Museum/Exhibit: MOMA

Describe your city in three words: Filled with life.

Favorite historic/legendary place to see or explore: Greenwood Cemetary in Brooklyn.

All-around favorite spot in New York City: View of Manhattan from the Promenade in Brooklyn Heights.

Best Aspect of New York: The mix of old and new as the neighborhoods in the city go through gentrification.