We’ve been traveling a lot this summer, but during the times we’ve been home we’ve made it a point to scope out some cool restaurants around New York.  Today we’re featuring two of the places we visited recently, which were both new to us.  These spots are in Midtown Manhattan, which can sometimes feel like a wasteland for good food – there’s a lot of mediocre places there that caters to tourists, but if you do your research you can find some gems.  We think these restaurants fit that bill, so read on (but just be warned that some non-vegetarian food is featured here).

First up, The Parlour Room on West 36th Street.  This place focuses on whiskey, and we got some whiskey flights to accompany our meal, but they’ve also crafted a menu of elevated American food that pairs well with the spirits on offer.  We started our meal there with some homemade French onion dip, paired with chips …

… plus a mushroom tart, with a side of spicy aioli.

Then Miriam got a slice of the vegetable lasagna, which comes with a tomato and cabbage slaw on the side.

And Cyril had the house cheeseburger, topped with raclette and served with hand-cut fries.

If you head a little bit north to West 44th Street you’ll find Peachy Keen, which has the ambience of a 50s diner crossed with a disco.  They’ve got all kinds of cool drinks – like a rum punch served in a glass that glows at the bottom – but there’s also a menu of comfort food, like this fried burrata served with a pomodoro sauce.

Here’s what that burrata looks like on the inside:

And here’s their tater tots, made with gravy and cheese curds (sadly, they’re not vegetarian):

We also shared the truffle mac and cheese, topped with fried mushrooms …

… and the peachy greens salad, with almonds, red onions, goat cheese, and peaches in a champagne vinaigrette dressing.

These were both really good finds for us:  at The Parlour Room, we got to sample some whiskeys paired with upscale dishes, and at Peachy Keen we had some cool drinks and tasty classics while bopping along to the music.  The Parlour Room is tucked away among a bunch of office buildings, while Peachy Keen is right near a bunch of Broadway theaters, so it might be easy to overlook them both – but don’t, because they offer some good experiences in a place where restaurants can be kind of bland.  If you happen to be out and about in Midtown and want something unique and tasty, these are two spots that go beyond your typical restaurant menu and offer pretty interesting dining.