New York Trip Rept :Food
Jul 20th, 2004 | 08:07 PM
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New York Trip Rept :Food
Someone once accused me of posting trip reports that were all about
food, so I'll get that out of the way first. My husband and I spent two July weeks in NYC and tried to keep the food expenses down, rather than go for the most trendy and expensive.
First find was a typical
little counter and booth place called Astro Restaurant at the corner of
55th and 6th Ave. where we ate non-nachos (potato chips instead of corn
chips) and spinach pie when we got in late at night. We returned several
times for breakfasts. Viands is another, even smaller place over on Madison
Avenue where we had breakfast on the way to Central Park one day. Both
owned by Greeks and displaying Olympics articles. Rue 56, (56th and 6th) a
gorgeous wood-paneled French Cafe has tables on the sidewalk so you could
get la whiff of carbon monoxide with your fluffy omelets and delicious
Homemade bread. Murals, the classy restaurant in the Hotel Warwick where
we stayed three nights was a friendly upscale place. The food was wonderful
and the pastime consists of finding the bawdy parts of the murals (ship
scenes of Sir Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth), painted in the early
1930's by a disgruntled artist. William Randolph Hearst built the hotel on
the then-undeveloped West Side (54th and 6th Ave). Apparently didn't pay
what the artist wanted, so he got even by putting in things like a guy,
uhm, relieving himself over the ship's rail and a dog in, shall we say, an excited
condition.
Other food experiences--a huge hunk of Lindy's cheesecake with blueberry
Sauce was my entire lunch one day. Outdoor dining at Maison on 7th Avenue and 53rd was great. Note: It is NOT on Broadway. Went there twice and ordered an appetizer and a salad as my entire meal both times, all were outstanding as was the atmosphere--huge outdoors under a canvas roof and a view down toward Times Square. Even had their house martini made with Bailey's, Kaluha, espresso and vodka. Tasted like an iced coffee with a shot. Maison is open late at night and in good weather the roll back the canvas and you can see the stars. On the way to the theater one night we ate at Dervish, a cheap-for-New York Turkish
restaurant recommended here. Nicer ambiance than I expected for the price, and decent food. Twenty dollar 3-course pre-theater meal. Another night on the way to the theater, had the prototypical NY experience of eating at the Carnegie Deli. Corned beef sandwiches with a four-inch pile of thinly sliced meat. A plate of dill and "half sweet" pickles are placed on the table whether you want them or not. Potato pancakes and knishes for further atmosphere. My husband ordered a hamburger with lettuce and tomato. One plate came with half a head of iceburg lettuce and what looked like a whole tomato sliced. The other plate was nearly filled with the enormous bun and hamburger.
The most heavenly meal (and most expensive) was at Molyvos, a classy Greek
restaurant in the not-so-classy Wellington Hotel, the second place we stayed. The chef
had a way with fresh and unusual greens in soups and sauces. $35 for 3-course pre-theater special. They also have post-theater mezzis at the bar. After the theater we went back for ouzos.
By contrast, my cheapest meal was at the 6th Avenue street fair on Sunday.
500 booths stretched for at least a mile. (By the way, my New York friend said if you call it Avenue of the Americas, you mark yourself as an outsider). I had Thai egg roll, Chicken
Satay skewer and Thai iced tea (very sweet, with milk) for four bucks.
Most beautiful place for breakfast was the Boat House in Central Park, as wonderful as advertised here, and surprisingly cheap for breakfast. The restaurant is on the edge of the little lake where people rent rowboats and you sit looking out over the lake to the skyscrapers peeking over the trees. Counter service breakfast and white tablecloth service for lunch and dinner. Another beauty was the rooftop "garden" at the Metropolitan
Museum. (Thanks for the recommendation). Just a high-class snack bar with benches around the walls to sit on, but the view is better than Empire State Building, in my opinion.
(Turkey with brie and poached pear on a brioche beats a hot dog any day.)On my second day at the Met, I ate at the American Wing Café?basically the same counter-service food. The view here is through a two-story window onto the park or inward to a sculpture garden. I
think that's about it for food, besides some miscellaneous scrambled eggs,
cafeteria hamburgers and frozen yogurts.
Gotta get back to work, but I promise future chapters on "Sightseeing" and "Hotels."
Vera
food, so I'll get that out of the way first. My husband and I spent two July weeks in NYC and tried to keep the food expenses down, rather than go for the most trendy and expensive.
First find was a typical
little counter and booth place called Astro Restaurant at the corner of
55th and 6th Ave. where we ate non-nachos (potato chips instead of corn
chips) and spinach pie when we got in late at night. We returned several
times for breakfasts. Viands is another, even smaller place over on Madison
Avenue where we had breakfast on the way to Central Park one day. Both
owned by Greeks and displaying Olympics articles. Rue 56, (56th and 6th) a
gorgeous wood-paneled French Cafe has tables on the sidewalk so you could
get la whiff of carbon monoxide with your fluffy omelets and delicious
Homemade bread. Murals, the classy restaurant in the Hotel Warwick where
we stayed three nights was a friendly upscale place. The food was wonderful
and the pastime consists of finding the bawdy parts of the murals (ship
scenes of Sir Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth), painted in the early
1930's by a disgruntled artist. William Randolph Hearst built the hotel on
the then-undeveloped West Side (54th and 6th Ave). Apparently didn't pay
what the artist wanted, so he got even by putting in things like a guy,
uhm, relieving himself over the ship's rail and a dog in, shall we say, an excited
condition.
Other food experiences--a huge hunk of Lindy's cheesecake with blueberry
Sauce was my entire lunch one day. Outdoor dining at Maison on 7th Avenue and 53rd was great. Note: It is NOT on Broadway. Went there twice and ordered an appetizer and a salad as my entire meal both times, all were outstanding as was the atmosphere--huge outdoors under a canvas roof and a view down toward Times Square. Even had their house martini made with Bailey's, Kaluha, espresso and vodka. Tasted like an iced coffee with a shot. Maison is open late at night and in good weather the roll back the canvas and you can see the stars. On the way to the theater one night we ate at Dervish, a cheap-for-New York Turkish
restaurant recommended here. Nicer ambiance than I expected for the price, and decent food. Twenty dollar 3-course pre-theater meal. Another night on the way to the theater, had the prototypical NY experience of eating at the Carnegie Deli. Corned beef sandwiches with a four-inch pile of thinly sliced meat. A plate of dill and "half sweet" pickles are placed on the table whether you want them or not. Potato pancakes and knishes for further atmosphere. My husband ordered a hamburger with lettuce and tomato. One plate came with half a head of iceburg lettuce and what looked like a whole tomato sliced. The other plate was nearly filled with the enormous bun and hamburger.
The most heavenly meal (and most expensive) was at Molyvos, a classy Greek
restaurant in the not-so-classy Wellington Hotel, the second place we stayed. The chef
had a way with fresh and unusual greens in soups and sauces. $35 for 3-course pre-theater special. They also have post-theater mezzis at the bar. After the theater we went back for ouzos.
By contrast, my cheapest meal was at the 6th Avenue street fair on Sunday.
500 booths stretched for at least a mile. (By the way, my New York friend said if you call it Avenue of the Americas, you mark yourself as an outsider). I had Thai egg roll, Chicken
Satay skewer and Thai iced tea (very sweet, with milk) for four bucks.
Most beautiful place for breakfast was the Boat House in Central Park, as wonderful as advertised here, and surprisingly cheap for breakfast. The restaurant is on the edge of the little lake where people rent rowboats and you sit looking out over the lake to the skyscrapers peeking over the trees. Counter service breakfast and white tablecloth service for lunch and dinner. Another beauty was the rooftop "garden" at the Metropolitan
Museum. (Thanks for the recommendation). Just a high-class snack bar with benches around the walls to sit on, but the view is better than Empire State Building, in my opinion.
(Turkey with brie and poached pear on a brioche beats a hot dog any day.)On my second day at the Met, I ate at the American Wing Café?basically the same counter-service food. The view here is through a two-story window onto the park or inward to a sculpture garden. I
think that's about it for food, besides some miscellaneous scrambled eggs,
cafeteria hamburgers and frozen yogurts.
Gotta get back to work, but I promise future chapters on "Sightseeing" and "Hotels."
Vera
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