“You gotta have a gimmick.” Ethel Merman Eatery: Taco Bell, found everywhere throughout these United States. Nothing is too lowbrow for these pages. That is why you are about to read a piece about Taco Bell. I have a soft spot in my heart for The Bell. As a youngster in Dayton, Ohio, my first […]
Archives
Legends/The Football Factory
“Confusion makes people uncomfortable.” Lenny Kravitz Eatery: Legends, 6 W. 33rd Street, New York The first thing to say here is that I am utterly perplexed about what this place is actually called. I set off to visit with the understanding that it was called “The Football Factory” (yes, I was there to watch a […]
10 Downing
“The world’s most famous front door.” Phrase frequently used in reference to Number 10 Downing Street (the fancy one in London) Eatery: 10 Downing, 10 Downing Street (yes, really), New York The first thing to say here is that this place is not especially English or British, despite the name. I suspect the owners couldn’t […]
Potbelly Pizza Sandwich
“You never see a man walking down the street with a woman who has a little potbelly and a bald spot.” Elayne Boosler. Eatery: Potbelly Sandwich Works, 101 Maiden Lane, New York If you are a fan of the TV show Friends (as I am, in an embarrassing kind of way), you may remember Joey’s […]
Bill’s Bar & Burger
“It’s f***ing fantastic.” Quote on restaurant website, citing Eater.com as the source. Eatery: Bill’s Bar & Burger, Rockefeller Center, New York There was really no question that I had to visit a place called Bill’s Bar & Burger. It was fait accompli, given that the name alone combined three of the things that I […]
Harry’s Italian
“The only cure for a real hangover is death.” Robert Benchley Eatery: Harry’s Italian Pizza Bar, 2 Gold Street, New York The first time I visited Harry’s Italian I was, in fact, hung over. So much so that I couldn’t bear to take advantage of one of the best parts about the brunch menu at […]
Zaitzeff
“Art and works of art do not make an artist; sense and enthusiasm and instinct do.” Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlelgel Eatery: Zaitzeff, 72 Nassau Street, New York, NY My first Zaitzeff experience occurred back when this site was just an idea knocking around inside my head. I was in the East Village on the […]
JRDN (Tower 23 Hotel)
“A real friend is someone who takes a winter holiday on a sun-drenched beach and does not send a card.” Farmer’s Almanac Eatery: JRDN (at Tower 23 Hotel), 723 Felspar Street, San Diego, CA I was on holiday on the West Coast back in January, a two week trek down the Pacific Coast Highway then […]
Steak ‘n Shake Signature
“You can take the boy out of the Midwest, but you can’t take the Midwest out of the boy.” Joe Lando Eatery: Steak ‘n Shake Signature, 1695 Broadway, New York, NY You would think that, as a child of the Midwest, I would have grown up with Steak ‘n Shake. You would be wrong, though. […]
5 Napkin Burger
“Napkins, as a rule, are never used and one has to wipe one’s mouth on the tablecloth, which in consequence suffers in appearance.” Baron Louis de Closen, commenting on American eating habits in 1780 Eatery: 5 Napkin Burger, 630 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY I maintain a running list of burgeries I want to visit. […]
