White Street

Located: 221 West Broadway, Call: 212-944-8378, TriBeCa, Manhattan
Floyd Cardoz has had a storied career at Danny Meyer's Tabla and North End Grill and as the winner of Top Chef Masters (season 3). At this beautiful, spacious, clubby TriBeCa restaurant, he's partnered with media titans Dan Abrams and Dave Zinczenko and the longtime manager at BondSt, Christine Cole. Cardoz's Indian roots subtly surface in dishes like braised beef short ribs accented with coriander. Coconut milk flavors squid ink bucatini with lobster. But he has a think-global, act-local outlook more than anything: brightening Long Island fluke ceviche with shiso, wasabi and tamari, and uniting local beans, eggplant and mint with Elysian Fields lamb from Pennsylvania. White Street's curving marble bar in the front lounge suggests luxury, but menu prices are not outrageous and portions are generous—and still leave room for fabulous desserts like bay leaf custard with black walnut butter and sticky toffee pudding with crème fraîche sorbet.