
Samuelsson happens to like Aquavit.Photo: Getty Images
The last wave of “Just Ask the Locals” tourism ads featured Danny Meyer, and this time around the city has selected chefs Eric Ripert and Marcus Samuelsson — along with Diddy! — to dish on their favorite spots. Ripert give props to the wood-burning oven at
Peasant — “absolutely fantastic” — while Samuelsson fingers
Aquavit (for shame!), as well as
Jean Georges,
Luger,
Republic, and
wd-50. For late-night eats, he's all about
Blue Ribbon Brasserie,
Florent (despite its imminent demise), the
Spotted Pig, and “anywhere in Chinatown” — although, except for
Wo Hop and
Noodletown, places in C-town tend to close on the early side. So if you see confused tourists wandering the darkened streets of Chinatown or attempting to gain entry into a shuttered Florent, you know whom to blame.
Just Ask the Locals [NYC Visit]