Norma's

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Norma’s, the casual breakfast and lunch spot at Le Parker Meridien hotel, is probably best known as the home of the $1,000 omelette (eggs, lobster, and approximately $995 worth of caviar). Whoever Norma is, she certainly knows good PR. Even at lesser prices, the up-sell reigns here: Meals begin with a free shot glass of the day’s smoothie —strawberry-papaya-pineapple, say— and the exhortation to try one in a larger size. With its high ceilings, wood paneling, and silver-edged tables, the dining room, tucked off the side of the lobby, feels airy, modern, and classic all at the same time. The menu is tricked out with cutesy marketing names ("Big Bowl of No Hassle Grapefruit"), but the dishes—pancakes larded with blueberries and clotted cream; a rustic eggs Benedict with artichoke and porcini-truffle sauce—are like diner food for rock stars. (The lunchtime stuff is good, too, even if it doesn’t have the panache of "Nutella Packed Jacks" with pineapple chunks and raspberries.) Forget the gimmicks and go for the breakfast, for which Norma’s is justifiably famous. — Melena Ryzik

Blueberry pancakes, $26; egg-white frittata, $31; mango and papaya crêpes, $26

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