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Because culture makes me hungry
If you can afford those theater, concert, or opera tickets, you can afford a decent meal pre- or post-.
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14 lugares
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Avaliação de 4 estrelas de Samantha: "Bubbles After Broadway" sounds like a Woody Allen movie gone terribly wrong, but it's a cheap treat if you want to grab a high-quality bite post-show. The M-Sat (10-11:30 only) menu is a $35 prix fixe that includes entree, dessert, and a glass of (actually quite good) Champagne. I've heard complaints that Aureole's portions are small, but that will work in your favor if you, like me, don't want a huge meal to round out your evening. Having said that, we were both full on our way home and had no complaints about portion size. You won't miss the appetizer course because you start out with some lovely mini-ciabatta-type rolls to keep your Champagne company. My duck breast was perfectly cooked and sauced. It had a peppery kick that complemented the thin-sliced squash and pasta bits that lurked underneath. My husband's flatiron steak was delicious (well, at least what I could steal was), also a bit peppery and surprisingly tender. The weird thing is that both dishes were cool when they reached the table. If one of them was, that might be understandable. But both? Perhaps the kitchen has a communication problem. Dessert was sticky toffee pudding for me: a little gooey, a little gingery, and gilded with whipped cream and the most adorable, sweet strawberries. My husband tried the banana split, which features sweet-and-salty cashews and cherries that throw the whole thing over the top. It's not big, but it sure makes an impression. I thought the bonus churros, with a little cup of bittersweet chocolate sauce, were unnecessary, but as soon as I tasted them I realized I was wrong. Anything this good is, in fact, very necessary. Service was excellent. Everyone we came into contact with was professional, low-key, and pleasant. Clientele skewed older, maybe half tourist/half local. It was loud, but in a cheerful way. I had heard that the interior is boring, which I guess is true but beside the point. (If I were being charitable, I would call it "restrained.") The gigantic windows look out on 42nd Street and Bryant Park. Why try to compete with that? -
Avaliação de 4 estrelas de Samantha: If you like to dine post-theater, you should put this place in your rotation. The meat coma will help lull you to sleep later on. These folks are red-meat cheerleaders, and it may be difficult to choose an entree. I went with the hanger steak, beautifully presented on its wooden plate, and it was a little chewy and deeply flavorful. Husband dug into the filet mignon with gusto and could not seem to stop eating. The blue cheese sauce on the side may have had something to do with that. Citrusy/cheesy asparagus, ordered as a side, was delightful. The herbed fries, however, were a bit limp and I can't recommend them. Everything could have used more salt, but that's a personal preference. The accompanying sauces are, needless to say, great. I would add more swiss chard to my diet if it were always sandwiched between a perfect dough and some tasty manchego. Which is a complicated way of saying: Order the empanada appetizer. The chicken empanada was good too, but the chard was a revelation. The waiter recommended a malbec, which was generous and complimented the steak perfectly. The wait staff's professionalism was a highlight. I know it was late, but they never indicated anything but pleasure in serving us. -
Avaliação de 4 estrelas de Samantha: Is the food brilliant? No. Is the service perfect? Nope. Are you going to find yourself eating dinner here post-show anyway? Oh yeah. Why? Because WBC is where many a cast and crew wind up after work. And, after a tough night at the theater--or "theatre," if you're coming from the Roundabout--what works for them will work for you too. The food is straight-ahead American, and you've got your choice of snacks, salads, sandwiches, and full entrees. Everything is hearty and good, but not exotic. Portions generous, prices reasonable. Full bar. The atmosphere is best described as classy saloon. And of course, the servers are too good to be true. Whaddaya expect? They're all actors. -
Avaliação de 4 estrelas de Samantha: Don't be put off by the lack of vowels, or the stark front dining room: KTCHN's got an inventive menu, a caring staff, and people-watching that's second to none. (The block outside is shared by the "straight-friendly" OUT hotel, the XL nightclub, and a police station. I felt very safe, very straight, and very underdressed.) The salads we ordered to start (butter lettuce with squash crisps; watercress with nectarines) were beautifully conceived and presented. Unfortunately, they were so filling that we had no room for the intriguing quinoa cubes or sexy fries. Next time. I like the concept of entrees for 2, and fortunately we both were interested in the Angus sirloin. It was flavorful, with a tasty chimichurri on top. Oddly, the accompanying potatoes were so undercooked they were nearly crunchy. A very strange mistake for the caliber of the kitchen. The location is great pre- or post-show, although the cold decor won't thrill every theater-goer. The warm service more than makes up for it. The wait staff pinballs from snippy to motherly to deeply involved in your happiness. One waiter responded to my husband's cocktail order with a resounding "YES!" Another patiently tried to parse my concerns about puff pastry. (Which turned out to be groundless, by the way; the apple tart was divine.) -
Avaliação de 4 estrelas de Samantha: This is the newest iteration of The Smith and a welcome addition to the Lincoln Center pre- and post-concert lineup. As a brasserie, it does everything right: baguettes from Balthazar, superior cheese-topped tomato soup, big entree salads (the steak version is best), good beer/cocktail options. The unflappable staff is good-natured and attentive. There aren't enough sandwich options, and the entrees are pricey, but you can customize your meal to your appetite and your wallet. Space is tight, and it's loud, even at lunchtime. (All that tile looks great, but it's not helpful in terms of acoustics; everything coming out of the sound system resembled the bass line of "Sweet Jane.") Still, this place rivals PJ Clark's across the way for a low-key way to round out your evening. -
Avaliação de 4 estrelas de Samantha: Pretty great option for a casual lunch in a culinarily sad pocket of the Upper East Side. It's on the lower level of the Whitney, in the space formerly occupied by Sarabeth's. Somehow, they've made this Brutalist architecture seem homey and bright, with an accessible menu, friendly staff, and reasonable prices (for the neighborhood, anyway). The schtick is that the menu looks like a diner's, but the quality is several thousand times better. So, lots of breakfast/brunch options, plus salads, sandwiches, and bigger entrees. The poached eggs on cheesy grits were perfectly cooked, delicious, and huge. Even the lowly turkey sandwich is a thing of beauty. Stumptown coffee is great, and makes you glad your ordered dessert. (A fine chocolate mocha cake was recommended by the helpful waitress, in the absence of the too-good-to-be-true apple pie.) -
Avaliação de 4 estrelas de Samantha: I'm not usually a fan of mystique, but Burger Joint uses it to good effect, and it elevates a fine burger into an only-in-NY experience. You can enter the hushed, minimalist Parker Meridien from both 57th Street and 56th Street. Proceed into the lobby and stand around like an idiot, looking for the small neon burger high up on the velvet curtains. Or you can be a grown-up and ask someone official, but where's the fun in that? Avoid coming at lunchtime, which turns busy into crazy. After the lunch rush, you can get both a milkshake (thick, creamy, superb) and a table. Be a mensch and share the booths. (Share the McDonalds-style fries too.) I'm pretty sure they want you to graffiti the rec-roomish paneled walls (because the signs beg you not to), so go for it while you wait for your food. Two other reasons to come in the evening: The cashier is unexpectedly cheerful. Also, you can eat your downmarket meal before a Carnegie Hall concert, creating one of the finest high/low pairings imaginable. -
Avaliação de 4 estrelas de Samantha: The bread looks humble. Ok, ugly. But it's exquisite: hot from the oven, crusty on the outside, pliant on the inside, enough for 2, the perfect foil for the hummus, which is spiced with just the right dose of shoog. Hanger steak. Potato puree. Pistachio oil and zaatar sauce. Tender, meaty, well-cooked, ridiculously priced ($30). [Keep in mind that I was, at this point, plastered from several powerful gin cocktails, the name of which escapes me. It was the only thing I could order with a straight face, as half the menu features things like "Persian Kitty" and "Meesh Meesh."] Dessert was a luscious blur. Silan involved ice cream and crunchy halvah, and the date cake featured fig something and pecan something and a creamy something. The interior feels like Ralph Lauren channeling a Scandinavian country house: woody, tasteful, cozy, big windows. I don't know about bringing your parents here; the music was loud, and there were lots of boisterous groups. Maybe Yelpers just have unusually cool parents. The wait staff is professional and friendly without overdoing it. For visitors to the neighborhood, the location is out-of-the-way, but you can use the walk from the theater to discuss the show you just saw/will see. -
Avaliação de 4 estrelas de Samantha: A totally different experience than Gazala Place in Hell's Kitchen, this UWS offshoot is spacious and warm, with exposed brick, high ceilings, and pretty views. It's also within shouting distance of the Natural History Museum and the New-York Historical Society. The food is accessibly Middle Eastern with a Druze twist (the owner is an Israeli-born Druze). It's delicious across the board, and the prices are reasonable for the quality, although not cheap. The goat cheese boureka with sun-dried tomatoes was filling and savory. The lunch special was rounded out with little ramekins of cabbages salads and hummus. (Oddly, I found the smooth hummus to be unpleasantly sour; it was my least favorite menu item.) The chicken kabob was incredibly moist and flavorful, and the accompanying rice and tahina were pretty much perfect. They now serve beer and wine. The service is pleasant, but they really need to do a better job of keeping things tidy. Finding sprigs of parsley and a stray lightbulb on the floor does not instill confidence. -
Avaliação de 4 estrelas de Samantha: Great food vs logistical problems: No contest. Indie is a winner for a casual Lincoln Center meal. I can solve Indie's logistical problems pretty easily: * First, finding the place. It's on 65th Street, at street level, south side of the street. Go through the door for the Film Center; it's on the left within the lobby. (Maybe I'm an idiot, but I needed a bloodhound to figure that out.) * It's no longer cafeteria-style, and you need to wait to be seated. (Note to folks who elbowed past me and took my table: I forgive you. Note to management: Why not install a podium up front?) * Be firm with the wait staff about when your show starts. They are oddly oblivious to this issue, resulting in some diner eye-rolling. Accessible wines by the glass (try the Gewürztraminer) and generously poured cocktails. There's also beer, but that's apparently a well-kept secret. Boy, are the salads delicious. My escarole and butternut squash was about the best leafy-green side I've had in ages. I also tasted the beet salad, which was both beautiful and yummy. The duck in the confit sandwich was moist and paired with an intense fig jam. I managed to steal a few bites of the poached chicken sandwich, which was surprisingly wonderful for something so plain-sounding. Our amiable waiter suggested the bread pudding to share, which was a block of dense creaminess. And then we ran off to our movie, desperately burning calories--alas, just not enough. -
Avaliação de 3 estrelas de Samantha: This soaring, light-filled space has been our go-to spot whenever we want a quick bite in the neighborhood. I love that you can sit at a table, at the counter, at the banquettes just inside the entry, or in the oversized red armchairs (good luck trying to snag one of those). It's got a limited but tasty-enough menu. Prices are a bit expensive when you consider that there's no real table service (you order at the counter, and they bring the food to you). Cocktails, beer, wine, hard cider are all represented. The staff is nice but slow, or at least very relaxed. Sometimes they forget that patrons are usually on their way to a show. After what felt like an eternity, we inquired after our food. The annoyed staffer instructed us that it takes 20 minutes to make a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of soup. [Read: Sit down and wait your damn turn.] After half an hour, we had to leave in order to catch our film. The lovely manager gave us a full refund, but I don't feel quite the same about American Table. -
Avaliação de 3 estrelas de Samantha: Thumbs up for the location, which provides museum goers with one of the few options for a decent nearby meal. It's more than decent, really. The "bento box" lunch is actually served on a wooden tray, with your three courses set out in a row. I tried the carrot soup, which was beautiful as well as flavorful. The mozzarella panini was a bit greasy, but creamy and satisfying. And the tiramisu was wow. The thing is, it's a small place, and it's crazy-busy at lunch, even during the week. They gave us an overly optimistic wait-time estimate, and we stood for at least 20 minutes in the cramped vestibule. The portion sizes are similarly small. I found them reasonably filling, but the prices are high if you can't share or take leftovers home. The staff is really sweet, though, and very professional. I'd like to come back at an off-hour and have a bite at the bar--no wait required.
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Avaliação de 3 estrelas de Samantha: I appreciate a saloon as much as the next gal, and a saloon across from Lincoln Center would seem to be as close to perfection as you're going to get. However, on our last visit I realized that nothing was actually delicious. Burgers are solid, fries are crisp, beer is cold--but taste-wise it's indistinguishable from your favorite diner. Our server was pleasant and efficient, but she deserted us by the end of the evening. We had to ask for the check from a passing bus boy. One nice thing is that the hosts always overestimate the wait time. So don't be scared off by that 15-minute estimate. You'll be at a table in no time. -
Avaliação de 3 estrelas de Samantha: Viewing modern art is hard work, and MoMA's admission fee is insanely high, a combination that means that you'll need to refuel sometime during your museum visit--without leaving the building. Terrace 5 is not great, but it's here and you're cranky. This cafe is really best for drinks and snacks, not a whole meal. I wish there were more small-plate options to share, but what we tried were tasty and attractive. The satisfying hummus and ricotta spread were both served with a super-thin kind of flatbread. Cocktails and wines by the glass are pricey but good; the options even include flights, which is a nice touch. The decor is stark white (obviously, it's MoMA), and the bareness does nothing to alleviate the noise. The namesake terrace is not in use when it's cold, but it looked inviting. Service is pleasant and efficient.
