Pre Theater Dinner Near Times Square

[hmaurer]

I'm taking my two teenage daughters into the city for a few days to do some shopping and see a couple of shows. Can you please recommend some reasonably priced non-chain restaurants?

Thanks.

[Pan]

Welcome, hmaurer!

And now that you've asked us a question, let me ask you some questions:

What do you want to pay?

What kind of food do you (or don't you) want?

Is there anything you don't eat?

Once you've answered those questions, we are a lot more likely to be able to give you recommendations you can use.

Also, you might want to do searches on "Midtown" and "Hell's Kitchen" for some previously recommended places.

[marlena spieler]

japanese food? sushi? there is a new japanese restaurant, a read a couple of good reviews awhile back, in the washington jefferson hotel in hells kitchen.

[Kim WB]

I've had some success recently with Lupa, Beacon and China Grill with teens.

ARe they budding foodies, where authentic ethnic places would be appreciated?

What shows are you going to see? I'm always on the hunt for age appropriate shows for my budding thespian, who is 14.

edited to add that Beacon is not Theatre District, but might work for shopping days!

Edited February 16, 2004 by Kim WB (log)

[MHesse]

Pretty much all the places on Restaurant Row (46th Street) are non chain. I like the Hourglass Tavern at 46th and 9th Ave for Italian.

[tommy]

ruby foo's. carmines. virgil's BBQ.

[bpearis]

japanese food? sushi? there is a new japanese restaurant, a read a couple of good reviews awhile back, in the washington jefferson hotel in hells kitchen.

Sushi Yasu. I've been meaning to post about this place for a while, as it is awesome. They cater to a Japanese clientelle, so the sushi and menu in general reflect this. They've got all the good stuff and if you sit at the sushi bar put yourself in the hands of the sushi chef you'll get all sorts of fish that aren't on the menu. It's up there with Sushisay in terms of quality and selection. And it's relatively inexpensive, for what you're getting.

But as great as the sushi is, I like the kitchen menu just as much. It's all sorts of traditional stuff. Om-rice, katsu-don, katsu curry, etc. Maybe the best chawan mushi I've ever had. They even have traditional Japanese breakfasts.

Great lunch deals, most under $10. You get a main (see above paragraph) plus a really nice salad and miso soup. The portion is quite big. It's never been crowded when I've been and they could probably use the business. Very friendly staff. You can check out the online menu here. 324 West 51st, between 8th and 9th.

-bill

[hmaurer]

Welcome, hmaurer!

And now that you've asked us a question, let me ask you some questions:

What do you want to pay?

What kind of food do you (or don't you) want?

Is there anything you don't eat?

Once you've answered those questions, we are a lot more likely to be able to give you recommendations you can use.

Also, you might want to do searches on "Midtown" and "Hell's Kitchen" for some previously recommended places.

Hi, price with teens? $30-35 in total per meal.

Food type, nothing over the top, let's leave out the sushi, but they're into the typical "teen stuff" and would be a little adventurous.

[hmaurer]

I've had some success recently with Lupa, Beacon and China Grill with teens.

ARe they budding foodies, where authentic ethnic places would be appreciated?

What shows are you going to see? I'm always on the hunt for age appropriate shows for my budding thespian, who is 14.

edited to add that Beacon is not Theatre District, but might work for shopping days!

I'm a native New Yorker and this is their first trip to Broadway, I'm hoping to get lucky at TKTS! I'm not naive enough to think we'll get The Producers or Hairspray, but hopefully Chicago, Lion King, 42nd St, maybe Movin out (for me)... Care to recommend some others.

They're starting to appreciate good food, but I'm not sure if they've reached the "budding foodie" stage yet!

[docsconz]

It's a little more that you indicated you would like to spend, but db Bistro Moderne has a $39 prix-fixe pre-theater dinner that is actually a very good value. Another restaurant to consider might be Madeleine, good quality, reasonably priced French bistro fare.

[JennyUptown]

I've always liked Trattoria Trecolori on W 45th Street. Italian, very reasonably priced.

[tommy]

Thalia has always been a safe bet.

[jogoode]

It's a little more that you indicated you would like to spend, but db Bistro Moderne  has a $39 prix-fixe pre-theater dinner that is actually a very good value. Another restaurant to consider might be Madeleine, good quality, reasonably priced French bistro fare.

db also has a two course lunch for around $30.

tommy, you ever get to try the bouef en gelee?

More about db bistro.

And more.

[Pan]

My standby in the area is Grand Sichuan, 9th Av. between 50th and 51st, but it helps to like hot pepper and be able to tolerate some salt and oil in exchange for great taste. Turkish Cuisine on 9th between 44th and 45th (I believe) is also a possibility. One plus there is that the decor is interesting - prints of old views of Istanbul, etc.

[jogoode]

Bread from Beirut (Middle Eastern/Lebanese, 45th St. between 6th and 5th aves) is a good, cheap option, though I'm not sure if you can sit there. It's my alternative-to-Grand Sichuan lunch at work.

[MHesse]

With teens in tow, a visit to Ellen's Stardust Diner for breakfast or lunch could be a viable destination. Ordinary food in very interesting New Yorkish surroundings. Click here for their website.

[TrishCT]

I often find myself with teens in tow in NYC...great travellers and they love the experience so enjoy!

For shows: I heartily recommend Little Shop of Horrors, very funny, great score, delightful cast and perfect for teens and adults.

Foodwise: I agree with the Trattoria Trecolori rec because it's a good value and has good italian food. I also agree with China Grill because it is definitely different and sophisticated (great bathroom) and New Yorkish and cool for the teens. I'll throw in Becco because it has an all you can eat pasta special (but ask for a seat in the back the front is way too loud), and Artisanal if you would again like to experience something unique to NYC (the focus is cheese).

Reservations would be a must for most of these places.

Enjoy!

Edited to add: Don't miss the NBC store at Rockefeller Plaza... the teens will enjoy the memorabilia (mine love the Friends and Conan stuff).

Edited February 17, 2004 by TrishCT (log)

[hmaurer]

Thank you all! I'll report back!

[Kim WB]

condier LS of Horrors or RENT...RENT is fantastic, even after all this time.

someone mentioned Becco..that's a good choice, too. Besides the NBC store, there is the MTV store, and you can time it so that you are there during TRL..that's a right of passage for my kids, a day playing hooky to joint the throngs outside the MTV studio window to get a glimpse of Avril Lavigne's sneaker. Big stuff

[bloviatrix]

You might want to consider taking the girls to Wicked. I believe tickets are available, although I'm not sure you'll find them at TKTS

[SWoodyWhite]

Der Brucer and I will be in NYC on March 26th for the first preview performance of Assassins at Studio 54. Since we're driving up...from Delaware! no less...and will be heading back that night, dining post-theater is probably not such a great idea.

My experiences with pre-theater dining have been mostly limited to Los Angeles, where the idea of getting to a show on time is way off the menu as far as most servers and kitchens are concerned. And, frankly, the theater experience is far more important on this trip than the dining experience. (Hey, it's a Sondheim show!) Still, I'd like to have some suggestions for places to try other than Joe Allen's (which I happen to like for what it is).

While I'm at it, and getting a little off topic (but not too much), does anyone have any recommendations for bookstores, specializing in either cookbooks or theater-related items?

[Pan]

SWoody, I hope you have a fun trip!

What do you want to spend, what kind of food do you want, and do you care what the decor and ambiance are like? Also, as you can imagine, this is a much-discussed topic, so you might want to also do some searches under "Midtown," "Hell's Kitchen," etc.

[SWoodyWhite]

We're not impressed with "fancy-schmancy" decor; the posters at Joe Allen's have always struck me as right for the place. Likewise, for ambiance, someplace with friendly habitues who are also likely to be going to the theater would be appropriate; der Brucer has been known to strike up conversations with people at the next table, often with pleasant results.

Price-wise, I'd say inexpensive to moderate. And, when it comes to what kind of food, we both enjoy trying things we haven't had before, and gravitate to restaurants serving foods we aren't likely to prepare at home. (Which doesn't explain Joe Allen's, of course, but the main sell there is the ambiance.)

Thank's for the search recommendations! I'll be giving them a try, too!

[Pan]

I'd be most likely to go to Grand Sichuan (no decor but excellent Sichuan and Hunan food), but how many other theatergoers you'll find there, I don't know. Other places I like in the area include:

Rinconcito Peruano, a little, very informal, easy-to-miss Peruvian place just north of 53 St. on the west side of 9 Av., but I doubt you'll find other theatergoers there (though who knows?).

Ariana Afghan Kebab House (west side of 9 Av. between 52nd and 53rd Sts.). You actually are kind of likely to find cultured diners there, for whatever reason! Just tell them to leave the dressing off the salad and dress it yourself with the green hot sauce on your table. Otherwise, the food is good, tasty, and filling.

And one I want to go back to soon but did like in two trips: Turkish Cuisine, between 44th and 45th, west side of 9th. Who else will be eating there, I couldn't say, but the atmosphere of the place itself is cultured, with 19th-century prints of views of Istanbul on the walls and so forth. The place feels like a livingroom of an Istanbul intellectual who likes old-fashioned, high-quality artsy-craftsy things.

Pam's Real Thai has come in for praise and some criticism lately in another thread on this board, but I'm not sure whether I've ever visited and certainly haven't been there within the last year, which is when the restaurant's supporters say the cooking improved notably.

Edited February 22, 2004 by Pan (log)

[rozrapp]

Old San Juan, on 9th Ave., bet. 51st and 52nd Sts., serves tasty, inexpensive Puertan Rican and Argentinian food. It's been a while since we ate there. The decor didn't leave much of an impression on me, perhaps because there wasn't any. But I do remember that seating was close, which should give der Brucer an opportunity to chat up the neighbors.

Hope you enjoy Assassins. We're Roundabout subscribers and will be seeing it at the beginning of April.