Lincoln Center after the show

[emsny]

In the Picholine thread, Sneakeater writes, "My big problem with Picholine is that I eat after Lincoln Center performances, not before, and they no longer stay open late enough to serve me then...."

We eat after Lincoln Center performances too, and we've taken to getting in a cab and going downtown to places like Spotted Pig. What are our late-night options nearer Lincoln Center?

[Fat Guy]

Landmarc in the Time Warner Center is open until something like 2am, I believe. It's not Picholine-level food but it's quite good for what it is, I think.

On Friday and Saturday nights Bar Boulud goes until midnight for the full menu and 1am for an abbreviated menu that includes the charcuterie -- which is why I'd be there anyway.

[markk]

They seem to keep changing it, but you can get the full "hot" menu at Bar Boulud until midnight a lot of nights - and last week we strolled over after a "La Sonnambula" at the Met and had time for a full Bar Boulud meal from the main (hot) menu- but you should call and check because it varies, and on some nights, they stop the hot food at a certain point and keep the charcuterie going another hour. So be sure to ask what time the "hot" food ends. Though I have certainly made many a post-performance meal out of their charcuterie.

And you can gat a full meal until 2 at Landmarc, though it's not great and it gets tired fast.

As far as cabbing it to other places, a lot of the places that are open late are in neighborhoods that have on-street parking, so rather than cab it, we take the car out of the Lincoln Center garage and drive to someplace for dinner and park there, making a cab back up to Lincoln Center not necessary.

It was rare that we stayed up there after the last Met performance, and I don't really know why we did. (We did because the time before that at Bar Boulud we had a delicious pasta dish with shrimp and black truffles, and we were hoping there would still be truffles:

but alas there were not.)

[oakapple]

There is a pretty wide variety of ending times at Lincoln Center. The New York Philharmonic, for instance, hardly ever goes past 9:30, when every restaurant is still seating. The Metropolitan Opera, on the other hand, often gets out past 11:00, which takes most restaurants out of the picture, except on Friday and Saturday nights, when they tend to be open later.

[Sneakeater]

Two words: Bar Boulud.

[emsny]

Thanks, all. Bar Boulud is the obvious answer, though one would need to make a reservation, and part of the post-opera dining equation is that one isn't really sure in advance whether one will want anything more than cake and milk at home. Still, Bar Boulud it shall be after La sonnambula later this month.

[markk]

Thanks, all. Bar Boulud is the obvious answer, though one would need to make a reservation, and part of the post-opera dining equation is that one isn't really sure in advance whether one will want anything more than cake and milk at home. Still, Bar Boulud it shall be after La sonnambula later this month.

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Well, I always know that I want dinner after the opera if I haven't had it before the performance!

And while I'm pretty sure this isn't the right board for this, if you're going to Sonnambula at The Met some things you'll probably want afterward are throat lozenges (from all the booing you'll probably be doing), and some baby wipes in case you were in the path of the rotten tomatoes being thrown at the stage. And alcohol - copious amounts, and luckily Bar Boulud has that! (And a notepad to write yourself a reminder never to see another Mary Zimmerman production again, because hopefully the previously mentioned copious amounts of alcohol will probably make you forget that vow - which you will more than likely be making on your way out of the opera house).

[Sneakeater]

Thanks, all. Bar Boulud is the obvious answer, though one would need to make a reservation, and part of the post-opera dining equation is that one isn't really sure in advance whether one will want anything more than cake and milk at home. Still, Bar Boulud it shall be after La sonnambula later this month.

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One needn't make a reservation. Even when I'm two people, I have never failed to get one of the unreserved seats at one of the two dining counters as a post-show walk-in.

[Eatmywords]

This will sound like a joke but what’s wrong with PJ Clarks? Good ingredients, a respected burger (not to mention a surprisingly good crab cake) and close by. Of course not on par with SPig grub but offers a similar atmosphere if you’re looking for that. (fyi, I can only speak on the 3rd Ave location)

[Adrian3891]

This will sound like a joke but what’s wrong with PJ Clarks?  Good ingredients, a respected burger (not to mention a surprisingly good crab cake) and close by.  Of course not on par with SPig grub but offers a similar atmosphere if you’re looking for that.  (fyi, I can only speak on the 3rd Ave location)

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Aside from Bar Boloud, I've had some fun post-Lincoln Center meals at Yakitori Totto. It may be a bit of an abrupt change from the Lincoln Center atmosphere, but if you're used to going to the Spotted Pig, a change it atmosphere doesn't seem to be the issue. It's also a bit more affordable than Bar Boloud (although the charcuterie for two is surprisingly filling).

[Sneakeater]

I stopped into P.J. Clarke's a few months ago because everything else was closed and still regret it to this day. Admittedly, I didn't have the burger, but it was just horrible disgusting shit.

[emsny]

Thanks, Sneakeater - I didn't know that walking in was an option at Bar Boulud.

And I also didn't know, Adrian3891, that Yakitori Totto (which I like) was open late; yes, the abrupt change of milieu is something we enjoy.

This kind of information is just what I posted the original question to get.

[emsny]

Markk: I was thinking more of a blindfold than throat lozenges, but, as you say, that's more for a different forum. Still, yes, a blindfold would do the trick.