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Pre Theater Dinner Near Times Square


Casey

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Hell's Kitchen, (yes, that is the name of the restaurant not just the area it's in) at 679 Ninth Ave -- between 46th and 47th St -- is great for Mexican (not Tex-Mex) food at reasonable prices. Small, reservations at 6PM are a must since there are many theatre-goers, active bar with younger crowd. The food has been consistently delicious; interesting sauces and lots of flavors going on. I recommend the grilled shrimp which I can't wait to have again!

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My most-trusted foodie friend ate last week at Thalia, on Eighth at Fiftieth. He says, "It's

sleek but comfortable, stylish, the food is good and interesting, like a good San Francisco restaurant, and the bar scene looks very cool. I'd recommend for a theater-oriented visit."

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bookstores, specializing in ... cookbooks

Kitchen Arts and Letters, 1435 Lexington Avenue (near 94th St.). 212-876-5550

Robert Buxbaum

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Recent WorldTable posts include: comments about reporting on Michelin stars in The NY Times, the NJ proposal to ban foie gras, Michael Ruhlman's comments in blogs about the NJ proposal and Bill Buford's New Yorker article on the Food Network.

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bookstores, specializing in ... cookbooks

Kitchen Arts and Letters, 1435 Lexington Avenue (near 94th St.). 212-876-5550

A friend of mine at another site mentioned this store, with a very high recommendation. Unfortunately, he didn't include an address, so your additional info is a great help, Bux!

Thank you, and thanks to all for the suggestions!

We'll not discriminate great from small.

No, we'll serve anyone - meaning anyone -

And to anyone at all!

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Der Brucer and I will be in NYC on March 26th for the first preview performance of Assassins at Studio 54.

My partner and I have our tickets as well, but they are in April--when you post about where you went to eat, please slip in a mini-review of the show :cool:

Although a few blocks down, I'll throw out Esca (43rd @ 9th/10th) as an idea; I like Le Madeleine across the street as well, in addition to the places already mentioned.

I'll also second Pan's Grand Sichuan idea--definitely a non-traditional pre-theater dining idea, but you can't beat the food or the price.

:smile:

Jamie

See! Antony, that revels long o' nights,

Is notwithstanding up.

Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene ii

biowebsite

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Der Brucer and I will be in NYC on March 26th for the first preview performance of Assassins at Studio 54.

My partner and I have our tickets as well, but they are in April--when you post about where you went to eat, please slip in a mini-review of the show :cool:

Everybody's got the right to be hungryyyyyy

Everybody's got the right to eeeeeeeat

before the show please set your sail

to Grand Sichuan and fill your pail

Just order Sichuan and not....

Cantoneeeeessssseeee

Ediot: an idiot I am. I can't post real good.

And to add that Victor Garber rocks.

Edited by Lyle (log)

Rice pie is nice.

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Restaurants of good quality at a decent price in the immediate theater district/Times Square area can be hard to come by. One option if you want to be within a short walk that is decent is Russian Samovar on W. 52 between 8th and Broadway. They have a number of traditional Russian specialties (Georgian BBQ, Pelmeni, etc) and infused vodkas.

"If the divine creator has taken pains to give us delicious and exquisite things to eat, the least we can do is prepare them well and serve them with ceremony."

~ Fernand Point

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  • 2 weeks later...

I want to thank everyone again for their suggestions. I forwarded them to an on-line friend who is hosting a theater party at about the same time, and she was also very appreciative.

That's the good news. The bad news is that the Roundabout has had to cancel the first week of previews, and is rescheduling everyone's tix for later in the now-extended run. So I will not be able to give a preview-review of the show for those who so kindly asked for one. (Fortunately, our rescheduled tix are for early June, which should make for wonderful weather for our visit!)

We'll not discriminate great from small.

No, we'll serve anyone - meaning anyone -

And to anyone at all!

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The bad news is that the Roundabout has had to cancel the first week of previews, and is rescheduling everyone's tix for later in the now-extended run.  So I will not be able to give a preview-review of the show for those who so kindly asked for one.  (Fortunately, our rescheduled tix are for early June, which should make for wonderful weather for our visit!)

Well, at least you've been re-scheduled, which is more than the folks who had reservations at Per Se can say at this point. :wink:

As I mentioned in my post above, we will be seeing Assassins at the very beginning of April. So, if you or anyone else would like a review, PM me, and I would be happy to provide one after I've seen it (via PM or email, unless there happen to be lots of food references which would warrant a posting on this board :biggrin:).

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I'll certainly be interested in your comments on Assassins, Rozrapp. And there are lots of food references in the show's book, mostly about fast food.

Der Brucer and I took a test run up to NYC this Saturday, a one-day trip that almost lasted a full 24 hours. It was a good idea to make the trip, so that we would know for sure what our options were for routes. It also gave us a chance to meet with a young woman he's been tutoring on-line on her chemistry lessons, and for her parents to meet us in person. The high-schooler is also a theater buff, and was thrilled to join us for the matinee of I Am My Own Wife, a fascinating one-man show about deceptions, both of the public and private kind.

Dinner between shows was at Joe Allen's. Yes, I know, not very adventurous of us, but she had never been there before. Joe Allen's is a great place to meet people, hold lively conversations, and have a good time. It's also convenient, has a fun atmosphere, and I've always found the waitstaff attentive and personable. The bar staff can be a little swamped, however. As for the food, it's not what I'd call memorable, but that's not a pan since memorable can be for the worse. Der Brucer's escargots, which Jenny tried for the first time, would have been better if not served on puff pastry. Both the black bean soup and the jambalaya that I had were on the bland side. But he truly enjoyed the steak tartare, something I would never dare at home because I could never guarantee the quality ingredients.

Saying good-night to Jenny and her parents, we were off to Wonderful Town, a revival that places Bernstein's music where it belongs, front and center, with the orchestra out of the pit and right there on-stage.

After that, it was a long drive home.

I wouldn't mind changing the date for Assassins to some time mid-week. The drive would be the same, but finding someplace special for just the two of us might be easier. We'll see what happens.

(Admin: several small threads on pre-theater dining merged above)

Edited by slkinsey (log)

We'll not discriminate great from small.

No, we'll serve anyone - meaning anyone -

And to anyone at all!

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Hi all,

Does anyone have a suggestion for a great restaurant for pre-theatre dinner? The people going with us are picky eaters, and prefer French. Any ideas for something yummy? Thanks! :biggrin: Lori.

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One of our favorite French restaurants is Rene Pujol. They've been in the Theater District for about 40 years. But they have by no means remained stagnant where their food is concerned. While they still serve bistro standards, the menu also includes many "modern" dishes. It has a very pleasant atmosphere, and service is totally professional.

Another place you might want to consider is dbBistro Moderne. It's quite the antithesis of Rene Pujol -- Daniel Boulud's upscale creative take on French bistro cuisine served in a stylish, contemporary setting.

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Welcome to the New York forum and eGullet. :biggrin:

It might help us narrow our rec range if you could please provide us with

a) preferred locations (within X number of blocks?);

b) budget limit; and

c) what kind of picky preferences we're talking about. (no meat? vegetarian? nothing overly garlicky? (so Provencal is out...; etc.))

Thanks,

Soba

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Hi,

Thanks for all the speedy answers! The theater is on 54th and 8th, so anywhere around there, Hell's Kitchen, upper Times Square, etc, should be fine. My mom is picky due to stomach issues, can't eat spicy/rich food (basically anything good!). A restaurant that can do something simple for her, yet fabulous for the rest of us (who will eat basically anything),is what we are looking for. Again, thanks for the help. Lori.

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How about Cafe Un Deux Trois on 44th? The menu is reasonable and reliable and the location is right. I think they also have a pre-theater menu. If they were willing to branch out from French, I like Becco a lot.

Kathleen Purvis, food editor, The Charlotte (NC) Observer

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It is not French, but I always like to put in a plug for one of my favorite pre-theater places, Russian Samovar (W 52nd between 8th and Broadway), which is pretty close to your theater.

"If the divine creator has taken pains to give us delicious and exquisite things to eat, the least we can do is prepare them well and serve them with ceremony."

~ Fernand Point

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Perhaps you should drop off your mom at Oceo on 49th St betw 7th and 8th Ave in the Time hotel, the food there is bland for sure. Then you guys run over to DB Bistro for a real good dinner. :rolleyes:

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