Cub Room
At this hip SoHo restaurant you'll find contemporary American fare. Try the lemon-dusted calamari and the Beijing duck with rhubarb. Monday-Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner. Lunch reservations required. $$$. Most major credit cards. 131 Sullivan St. (near the Prince Street and Sullivan Street subway stations), Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-677-4100. Fax 212-228-3425. http://cubroom.com.

Gotham Bar and Grill
Steak, seafood, lamb, venison, pasta and burgers prepared with great style. The restaurant, in a converted warehouse, is airy and spacious. Monday-Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for dinner only. Reservations required. $$$$. Most major credit cards. 12 E. 12th St. (near the 8th Street-NYU and 14th Street subway stations), Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-620-4020. Fax 212-627-7810. http://www.gothambarandgrill.com.

Junior's
Just across the Manhattan Bridge is this landmark diner. Ordering the cheesecake is a no-brainer. The tough part is choosing among plain, strawberry, chocolate-swirl, cherry-crumb, pumpkin, fat-free and many others. And if you can't make it to Brooklyn, there's a second location in Grand Central Station. Daily for breakfast (served all day), lunch and dinner. $$. Most major credit cards. 386 Flatbush Ave. (take the M, N, Q or R to DeKalb Avenue or the 1, 2, 4 or 5 to Nevins Street), Brooklyn, New York City. Phone 718-852-5257.

Michael's
The cuisine is Californian at this upscale-yet-casual restaurant. Fresh fish dishes, such as poached Maine lobster, steelhead trout and soft-shell crabs, served L.A. style, rule the day, but there are also such meat entrees as porterhouse steak. The restaurant has a roomy feel, affording more privacy than you usually get in New York restaurants. Prints by David Hockney, Jasper Johns and John Cage, as well as art by Michael's wife, adorn the walls. Dennis Hopper photographs hang in the bathrooms. In the back, a glass-encased garden room is open for lunch. Monday-Friday for breakfast, lunch and dinner; Saturday for dinner only. $$$. Most major credit cards. 24 W. 55th St. (near the 49th Street subway station), Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-767-0555.

The River Cafe
A taxi ride over the East River to Brooklyn is the easiest way to get to this place, and the outstanding New American cuisine, romantic interior and spectacular views of Manhattan reward those who make the trip. Daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations required. $$$$. Most major credit cards. 1 Water St. (take the A or C subway line to the High Street station), Brooklyn, New York City. Phone 718-522-5200.

Union Square Cafe
Dine on innovative American cuisine in a large, airy setting. Try the roast monkfish with spicy curry sauce or seared salmon with onion-pepper marmalade. Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday for dinner only. Reservations required. $$$-$$$$. Most major credit cards. 21 E. 16th St. (near the 14th Street-Union Square subway station), Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-243-4020. Fax 212-627-2673.