June 5–11, 2026 · 7 adults + kids · White Plains lodging
Jack's birthday week. Drag activities between days, swap candidates in and out from the comparison tables below, and dial in the timing on the hour-by-hour calendar. State syncs live for everyone editing.
Plan
Calendar: drag events between days, or up/down to retime (snaps to 15 min). You can also drag from the Candidates pool below directly onto any day in the calendar. Use +/− on hover to nudge by 15 min, × to send back to candidates.
Swap pool
Alternative activities not currently in the plan. Drag any of these into a day on the calendar, or click "+ Add" on any table row below to promote it here. Use "+ Custom" to add something I haven't pre-defined.
Compare · Food
Click + Add on any row to push it into the Candidates pool. Duckbill picks highlighted gold; my top picks green.
| Spot | ★ | Neighborhood | Vibe | $/pp | GF | 7-top | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blue Hill at Stone Barns tasting menu lunch or dinner |
★★ | Tarrytown · 15 min from lodging | Farm-to-table tasting, warm and immersive. Menu is improvised around what was harvested that morning. | $378+ lunch / $428+ dinner | Designed for it | Doable but book early | ★ The trophy meal of the trip. Book May 15. | |
Le Bernardin closed Sundays · lunch Mon–Fri |
★★★ | Midtown West · ~1 hr from WP | Eric Ripert. Polished but warm — hospitality is the opposite of EMP's reverence. | $210 lunch / $350–550 dinner | Excellent — seafood-forward | Easiest 3★ for 7-top | ★ NYC 3★ pick. Lunch Tue 6/9. | |
Eleven Madison Park Duckbill pick |
★★★ | Flatiron · ~1 hr from WP | Hushed art-deco room, formal. Fully plant-based 2021–2025; Humm reintroduced selective proteins in 2025 (still no butter/cream). | $365 + $200–300 pairing | Full GF with notice | Hard 7-top | Skip — Stone Barns is better trophy meal for a celebration | |
Jungsik |
★★★ | Tribeca · ~1 hr from WP | Modern Korean tasting. 2024 3★ promotion — first Korean in US. Energy without scene. | $295 + $200 pairing | Confirmable | Achievable | Alt 3★ if you want a different cuisine vector | |
The Modern at MoMA |
★★ | Midtown | Sophisticated, light, sculpture garden views. | $178 lunch / $258 dinner | Strong | Easy | Sunday lunch alt if you skip Tarrytown brunch | |
Per Se |
★★★ | Columbus Circle | Most formal of the 3★s. Classical French, jackets required. | $420 | Yes with notice | Easy | Keller-skeptic disclaimer: probably skip | |
Atomix |
★★ | Rose Hill | Counter omakase — intense Korean tasting. | $385 + $250 pairing | Yes | BRUTAL — 14-seat counter | Physically too small for 7 | |
Cote (550 Madison) |
★ | Midtown East | Loud, scene-y Korean BBQ. | $200–300 w/ wine | Tricky — sauces, marinades | Doable | GF logistics too messy with 3 GF | |
Le Coucou |
★ | Soho · ~1 hr from WP | French, beautiful room, modern romantic. | $150–200 | Strong | Doable | Strong NYC dinner if you want a non-tasting evening | |
Frenchette |
— | Tribeca · 5 min cab to Vanguard | French bistro, energetic, music-adjacent crowd. | $90–120 | Strong | Doable | Sunday pre-Vanguard dinner alt | |
Carbone |
★ | Greenwich Village | Big Italian American, scene, tableside theatrics. | $150–200 | Tricky — pasta-heavy | Hard at 7-top | Wildcard if Jack would love it | |
RiverMarket |
— | Tarrytown · 10 min from WP | Casual farm-to-table — brunch / lunch / casual dinner. | $30–50 | Strong | Easy | Best local "good casual" — kid-friendly | |
Tarry Lodge |
— | Port Chester · 25 min from WP | Mario Batali Italian. Group-friendly, lively. | $50–80 | Doable (pasta swaps) | Easy | Local dinner option for a kid-inclusive night |
Compare · Drinks
Duckbill didn't cover bars — all from me.
| Spot | Neighborhood | Type | Vibe | $/cocktail | Group of 7 | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Employees Only |
West Village · 510 Hudson | Speakeasy | Historic NYC bar, lively, kitchen open late | $18–22 | Tight but doable | ★ Post-Vanguard — around the corner | |
Bemelmans Bar |
UES · The Carlyle | Hotel piano bar | Iconic murals, live piano/jazz | $25–30 | No res, tight | Iconic NYC bar moment | |
Temple Bar |
NoHo | Cocktail lounge | Dark, plush, restored downtown legend | $22–25 | Doable | Great adult-only night out | |
Overstory |
FiDi rooftop · 70 Pine | Rooftop cocktail | Scenic, sunset-driven | $24–28 | Doable, book ahead | View-driven drink moment | |
Smalls |
West Village · 3 min walk to Vanguard | Jazz club + bar | Casual jazz, drinks-first energy | $15–18 + cover | Easy | Add-on jazz night for the heads |
Compare · Spas
Jack loves sauna + cold plunge — flips the pick away from Duckbill's "treatment room" options toward thermal bathhouses.
| Spot | Neighborhood | Format | Group of 7 | Vibe | $/pp | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bathhouse Flatiron |
Flatiron · ~1 hr from WP | Thermal circuit + treatments — sauna, steam, hammam, cold plunge, pools, bar | Designed for groups, mixed-gender | Brooklyn-cool, dim, social | $200–360 (pass + massage + scrub) | ★ Jack's exact register. Book Sun afternoon. | |
Bathhouse Williamsburg |
Williamsburg, Brooklyn | Same as Flatiron, bigger facility | Excellent | More thermal pools, prettier room | $200–360 | Alt if you want Brooklyn-side | |
World Spa |
Midwood, Brooklyn · ~1.5 hr from WP | Full thermal — banya, hammams, onsen | Excellent — 50K sq ft | Authentic Eastern-European banya | $250–400 | The "real" bathhouse — Brooklyn schlep | |
Othership |
Flatiron / Williamsburg | Guided 75-min sauna+ice classes | Easy — book 7 spots in one class | Wellness-bro, modern, group-fitness energy | $60–75 | Pre-Bathhouse warmup or standalone session | |
Guerlain Wellness Duckbill pick |
Waldorf Astoria, Midtown East | Treatment rooms — massages, facials | Separated into rooms | Hotel-luxury, formal | $320–500 | Wrong format — Jack wants thermal hangout | |
ZZ Day Spa Duckbill pick |
Midtown | Spa party packages | Group-optimized | Bachelorette-energy | $190–255 | Wrong register entirely | |
Nuansa Spa Duckbill pick |
Fifth Avenue | Treatment rooms, Indonesian | OK for small groups | Boutique, serene | $220–280 | Wrong format |