Johnny Utah's

I went to Johnny Utahs with my office for our holiday party. Really, the highlight here is the mechanical bull in the middle of the restaurant - which several of my colleagues attempted to ride, while I fended off the peer pressure to climb on. The atmosphere has a nice country feel, for New York City, that is it isn't too country-esque though the walls are wood, and the decor is southwestern. We pretty much had the main room to ourselves and most of the service was appetizers - chips and salsa, guacamole, wings, etc. The food was good, but nothing too notable our extraordinary. I think it is more of a touristy place, but it served a good purpose for our party and we definitely had a good time. Maybe I'd go back in the future if it fit a specific desire - or if I wanted to compete in the bull riding championships!

Marriott Marquis Times Square Broadway Lounge

"The Broadway Lounge, overlooking Times Square, serves cocktails, tasty tapas and light fare." Sometimes you just have to take in the true tourist experiences available in New York, even if you live here and "never go near Times Square." This lounge, on the 8th floor of the Marriott Marquis, overlooks the heart of Times Square, and offers pretty good food and drinks to go with the views. I found it nice to be above the hustle-bustle of the crowd.

The food we ordered was pretty good, we tried just a few appetizers, including edamame, a quesidilla and some kind of fried cheese ravioli with marinara sauce. I found the edamame well seasoned but a little over cooked, making the bean-pods feel a little loose, though the beans themselves tasted just fine. The food was good, but really the experience is about the views and the location. This is definitely a place to bring visitors to show them a good time in Times Square above the hectic mess of the sidewalks below.