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Tuesday, February 9, 2010   27º F

10/06/2009 11:08 PM

Zagat Serves Up 2010 Guide

By: Shazia Khan

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After another year of tasting and testing, Zagat surveyors are once again voicing their opinions. NY1's Shazia Khan filed the following report.

The secret is out -- the results of the 2010 Zagat Restaurant Survey are now served. Nearly 39,000 surveyors reviewed and rated more than 2,000 restaurants across the city.

Survey founder Tim Zagat tells NY1 that in these hard to swallow economic times, it's not all doom and gloom for the industry.

"The restaurant industry overall, continues to expand in a very healthy way and that's part of a restaurant revolution that we've seen in New York as long as I can remember," Zagat said. "There were 150 good noteworthy openings and only about a hundred closings."

Noteworthy openings include Marea on Central Park South. This upscale Italian seafooder receives top honors in the newcomer category, garnering a 26 out of 30 for food, a 25 for decor and a 24 for service.

Chef Michael white and Restaurateur Chris Cannon are behind this winner, offering what surveyors call "inventive interpretations of global fin fare food in a stunning contemporary room."

While Maraea is ultra luxe and ultra pricey, the survey shows more and more of the top restaurateurs are opening less expensive, scaled back offshoots in response to the economic times.

Zagat Serves Up 2010 Guide

The survey also finds people are dining less. The average number of meals out per week is three, down from 3.3 in years past.

Zagat says the survey's list of eateries offering bargain bites continues to grow.

"Six hundred thirty eight restaurants where you can have a meal at lunch for $20 or less I think that is a sign of how much good food there is in New York, that doesn't necessarily cost a lot," Zagat said.

Aside from offering deals to attract more diners, Zagat says restaurants are also pouring on the hospitality -- something that continues to work for Danny Meyer, whose restaurant Gramercy Tavern is once again voted the most popular in the guide.

Other winners include Le Bernardin for best in food, Asiate for best in decor and Per Se for best in service.

For more details on the survey, visit zagat.com.