"Originally opened in 1906, generations of presidents, senators, and journalists have flocked to The Occidental to make history, or drink their way out of it. The end of the Cuban Missile Crisis was sparked here after a plate of pork chops, and the latest iteration of the restaurant, from Stephen Starr, is as suited to solving geopolitical crises as it is celebrating an anniversary or a promotion. The midcentury menu revives dishes that haven’t been on-trend since the Eisenhower administration, and does them so spectacularly you’ll wonder how exactly they went out of style in the first place. You’ll find the requisite raw bar with oysters and cold king crab legs, but also a nod to Soviet dining in the herring under a fur coat." - tristiana hinton, omnia saed, mekita rivas, allison robicelli