Two 40-something women are meeting in NYC to go to the hockey game Monday night. (Big fans, both of us.) Where would be a good place nearby for dinner beforehand?

A diner would be ok, or maybe something a little nicer. Ethnic food ok.

Biricchino on 29th And 8th Avenue is pretty good Italian, gentle prices and close - but it can be crowded on game days, you might call beforehand.

Korean places you might like are Mandoo Bar and and Chang Dang Gol. There is always Artisanal, for terrific bistro or fondue.

If you really just want a diner, the Tick Tock dinner on 34th and 8th Avenue is completely reliable.

Use www.menupages.com or www.nymag.com for addresses and menus.

Koreatown is on 32 st. very close if that's a kind of ethnic that interests you. Here's a list of some of the options by rating. Mandoo Bar is very good.
http://menupages.com/restaurants.asp...antIds=&sort=2

Stout is a pub nearby with decent pub food. Seven is a restaurant that's a bit nicer.

Ayza is a relatively new place with interesting menu on 31 st.
http://www.ayzanyc.com/Ayza%20Chocol...ne%20Bars.html

hhttp://www.ayzanyc.com/

Thanks!

Difficult neighborhood for a decent meal. I enjoy Arno's on 38th and Broadway, or Metro Fish, on 35th, east of Herald Square. There's also Artisanal, on 32nd, off of Park.

Uncle Nick's is a good Greek place on 29th & 8th Avenue with great seafood (variety of whole grilled fish). The original location is on 9th Ave. in midtown and the 2nd restaurant near MSG is a relatively new location. Artisanal, K-town etc are good but further away compared to Nick's.

Thanks all. At my friend's suggestion, we ended up going to Queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian restaurant at around 10th and 48th(?) and taking a cab to MSG.

We shared the vegetarian sampler and the meat sampler. It was a delicious treat, hard to find in the US.

The Rangers beat the Penguins 4-0. As former residents of Pgh, we were disappointed.

Tir Na Nog! It's across the street from MSG and will be packed with hockey fans.

http://www.tirnanognyc.com/homepage.php