NYC dinner and brunch recommendation please!

My husband is finally coming home! 

He's flying into Newark and we are staying at a friend's flat on the Upper East Side. We are looking for restaurant recommendations for dinner that night and brunch the next day, which we'll have with my cousin.

For dinner we don't want to have to do more than grab a quick taxi ride but we're willing to take the subway for brunch.

Prices need to be fairly reasonable - i.e. we're not looking to splash out unfortunately!

Any suggestions?!

How high up the UES?

I can't recall the exact address at the moment... but if you walked west, you'd be at the Met.

The low 80's then. 

We lived about 25 blocks south of there, so maybe a bit of a cab ride, but here are the places we liked:

Les Sans Culottes 2nd Ave & 57th St.  It looks pricey, but you get an incredible amount of exceptionally good food, and they are really friendly.  Can't recommend it highly enough.

Pooket 2nd Ave between 50th & 51st Streets.  This place had the best Thai food I had in New York.

Angelo's Pizza 2nd Ave & 55th Street.  Really good pizza place.

Have fun wherever you wind up!

Oops, just been corrected by my friend - it's on east 73rd between Park and Lexington. It's been 3 years since I was last there so I thought the Met was right there...

Thanks, Carl - I'll have a look at those sites.

There's like a collection of random french restaurants that do the most amazing brunch, you're sure to be near one (they all do a cuisine of a different region of France) every time I go to NYC I seek one out.

I particularly love Marseille and French Roast, they're all part of Simon Oren’s république française.

Here's the linky - THe eggs benedict is phenomenal, I dream about it! As is the homemade lemonade with fresh strawberries and fresh mint. Also the homemade tarragon/chicken sausage is amazing.

http://www.frenchroastny.com/ and http://www.marseillenyc.com/

Here's all of them :
http://www.tourdefrancenyc.com/

i don't know if you are willing to go over to lincoln center area near the park for dinner, but there is a very good spot called rosa mexicana.  amazing!!!  pomegranite margaritas and guac made at the table. 

i don't know if you are willing to go over to lincoln center area near the park for dinner, but there is a very good spot called rosa mexicana.  amazing!!!  pomegranite margaritas and guac made at the table. 

There's also one at 58th and 1st which would be easy to get to by taxi, subway or foot.

Second, or rather third, the recommendation on Rosa Mexicana. Excellent food.

Ooh, thanks everyone!

Comfort Diner is always a favourite of mine for any meal. They have two locations, and their site is http://www.comfortdiner.com/

L'Annam (Union Square/University Place and Murray Hill branches) is great Vietnamese.

French Roast, etc. are great, so I second those, too.

Thanks! DH read the menu for Angelos and is now lusting after the linguine alla vongole and the cheesecake. So we are sorted. Thank, Carl!

Brunch is still tbd!

Rosa Mexicana is wonderful! (be prepared to lay out lots of $ though) If you are into heading downtown to the east village for brunch, Cafe Orlin on 2nd and St. Marks is HEAVEN. They have amazing pumpkin pancakes and their eggs blackstone is to die for. 

Thanks! DH read the menu for Angelos and is now lusting after the linguine alla vongole and the cheesecake. So we are sorted. Thank, Carl!

Enjoy!  I used to live right around the corner on 54th street.  This is making me all nostalgic!

Another awesome place is Carmine's (http://www.carminesnyc.com/) near Times Square. Their food is incredibly good and it's served in huge sharing portions. The spiedini is one of my all-time favourite restaurant foods.