Patsy's Italian Restaurant NYC - more about characters than food

Patsy’s Italian Restaurant

236 W. 56^th Street

New York City, NY

212-247-3491

www.patsys.com

By Jane Feehan

Located off Broadway at the center of the theater district, Patsy’s does a booming business with theater goers and tourists and a smattering of locals who venture in for the characters rather than the food. This was one of Frank Sinatra’s hangouts during the day where he held court upstairs. The same family has run Patsy’s for decades; their graciousness is one reason why so many return here—in spite of hum drum food.

On my first visit I supped on Shrimp Scampi looking for a garlic fix. I didn’t taste any garlic and the pasta was overcooked. A Caesar salad earned the same dismal assessment. The couple sitting next to me, frequent visitors to the place, said the food isn’t great but they come back to see who’s there.

Singer Michael Bublé and wife came in on one of my visits but did not stay to eat. He had to know that role model Sinatra frequented the restaurant. Characters still flock here but not so much the high-profile type. I couldn’t help but notice that some dining could have been “made guys” or wanted to be. Most of all they wanted to see or be seen, providing aware guests some entertainment with their bear hugs of old and new associates.

On another visit with a friend, we dined on seafood and pasta, and gnocchi and had to discretely  extricate shrimp shells from mouthfuls of pasta. Not a pleasant experience for those who tend to get embarrassed by such things.

Service is excellent and they expertly move customers in and out of the crowded spot. A small full-service bar offers a few seats but this is not the place for a leisurely drink before dinner. Move ‘em on, head ‘em out.  

Tags: New York City restaurants, restaurants near CBS David Letterman Theater, Italian restaurants in NYC, restaurants near Broadway, Pre-fix pre-theater menus in NYC

Tallest hotel in Western Hemisphere - Marriott Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park

Marriott Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park

1717 Broadway (entrance at 321 W 54 St)

New York, NY 10019
212-324-3774

By Jane Feehan

The Marriott Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park towers over other hotels in New York City; it also stakes claim as the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere. It took nearly a decade to build its 65 stories with spectacular views when it opened late December 2013. Adjoining Courtyard is part of the new hotel complex and guests share common areas with those of the Residence Inn.

Don’t expect the typical Residence Inn suite.  Many rooms are quite small (especially those in room

numbers ending in 3; rooms ending in the number 4 are more spacious) but all accommodate travelers with compact kitchens. A small fridge, microwave, dishwasher, dishes and cookware are available. I asked for a hot plate for a long stay and they delivered it within minutes of my request. If hotel room cooking is not your pleasure, food delivery is quite popular in New York City and there are, according to one restaurant owner, 24 restaurants on two blocks nearby.

Like most new hotels, this Marriott (a franchise) has a few facility problems to work out. Guests have told me their air conditioning unit or refrigerator had to be repaired or replaced. Air conditioning in my room went out until a part was quickly changed. Fire alarms went off a few times the first month it was open and a very small electrical fire during my stay was cause for an evacuation of several floors. Service problems in their two great rooms have yet to be settled but it is coming together; staff is extremely responsive and engineers are available around the clock.

The hotel provides a laundry room, a rarity in New York City hotels, and comes equipped with plenty of washers and driers. A breakfast buffet and full bar with a light menu is also available. Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park also has an outstanding fitness center with a stunning vista of the city skyline. Located on Broadway, this hotel lies at the epicenter of the theater district. Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Central Park are each a 10 minute walk away; so is boisterous Times Square. Business or leisure travelers will be pleased with this new addition to Marriott; the Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park lies within a short distance of  the best the city has to offer.


Tags: New York City Hotels, Marriott hotels, Marriott hotel reviews, Residence Inn, Jane Feehan, tallest hotel in Western Hemisphere

Rue 57 - a bit of Paris with a NYC following

Rue 57

60 W. 57 Street

New York City, 10019

Mon-Fri: 7:30 a.m.- Midnight

Sat-Sun: 9 a.m.-Midnight

Brunch – Sat-Sun: 9 a.m.-3 :30 p.m.

212-307-5656 -Rue57.com, delivery 

By Jane Feehan

When I asked some New Yorkers for a short list of good restaurants near my hotel, Rue 57 was at the top. A “Brasserie Parisienne et Sushi Bar,” Rue 57 is a clamorous place with interesting fare that continues to beckon my return.

Located a few blocks from Central Park at the busy corner of 57^th and Avenue of the Americas, Rue 57 serves up some beautiful dishes for brunch, lunch and dinner. My first meal there, lunch, was a turkey burger with fries served with a side of artichokes and tomatoes that placed my pedestrian choice over the top.  A sautéed red snapper special on the second visit wasn’t as intriguing, nor the kale salad with apples and citrus dressing, which didn’t prove as tasty as the menu suggested. The salad was redeemed when more apples and dressing were delivered upon request. The not-so-fresh snapper was prepared beautifully but the dish was an unpleasant juxtaposition of mediocre ingredients and a valiant attempt at a cover up. A pleasant dessert of Profiteroles (cream puffs) in chocolate sauce made me soon forget the main course.  We returned a few weeks later for fluffy French toast with fruit, and an omelet with three cheeses ...  a perfect brunch.

I’ve yet to sample their sushi with so many dishes to choose from … next time. Service is quite good, reservations recommended, especially during peak hours when visitors vie with locals for a table at this popular corner of 57^th Street and Aveune of the Americas. Full bar and sidewalk table seating available.

Tags: New York City brunch, restaurants near Central Park, restaurants near the Marriott Residence Inn Central Park, NYC sushi restaurants 

Coolinary Café - American culinary variations - Palm Beach Gardens

Coolinary Café

4650 Donald Ross Rd. Suite 110
561-249-6760

www.coolinarycafe.com

Open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Closed Sundays

By Jane Feehan

Authentic American dining with an innovative twist or two is in store for diners at the fast-paced Coolinary Café. Look for a spartan room tucked away in the Donald Ross Villages Plaza with people waiting to get a seat. It’s worth the wait.

For those who’ve dined at Charlie’s Reef Grill (Juno) and Little Moir’s Food Shack (Jupiter), Coolinary will seem familiar: an austere elongated dining space with tables, some counter seating and an open kitchen with a few very organized pros preparing food at the grill. Owners of the three places once worked together.

The menu at Coolinary Café changes often to accommodate season, availability and local sources. I supped on very fresh, delicately sautéed Pompano with lemon butter and sautéed brussel sprouts – a plate that could have met the standards of a sophisticated, more formal dining establishment. The same can’t be said about the Bouillabaisse, their version of a fish stew.

This stew was an American take on the Marseilles, France dish, which includes fish not available here but Coolinary’s version was lacking in imagination. The soup was mildly spicy—and flavorsome— but the seafood used was mainly shrimp with a few pieces of swordfish.

A very American dish was the boneless Southern fried chicken atop a jalapeno cheddar waffle with grilled lemon and coleslaw. The café put chicken and waffle together as if it had been that way from the beginning. New Orleans served as inspiration for one of their starters, crab and corn beignets. Innovative in flavor and texture, this gem is enough for a meal for one or an appetizer for three. It’s one of their most popular plates.

Coolinary does wonderful things with waffles. I ordered a “carrot cake-inspired” waffle with whipped cream and another maple-based topping. The waffle was tender and moist. There was no mistaking this was an American original, a great way to top off a meal at this fun and creative eatery.

Wine and beer served. Casual atmosphere but not ideal for small children at night; it’s a small room.

Open a casual seafood eatery, diners will come: Carmine's Crab Shack inPalm Beach Gardens

Carmine’s Crab Shack

2000 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens

561-275-2185

Open daily 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

www.carminescrabshack.com

By Jane Feehan

Carmine’s Crab Shack was open only two days when we ventured in to try some seafood. Normally I’d wait until a restaurant has its groove on before writing about it but this place is well on its way. Carmine Giardini has already chaulked up a number of dining successes in South Florida and in Palm Beach Gardens.

His newest eatery was filling up a few minutes before noon but we were immediately seated in the rustic sea-themed dining room at a large booth. Its table was covered with brown paper for those who indulge in crabs but for us it was too early to enjoy their headliner. Instead, we ordered a lobster roll, a Maryland crab cake sandwich and Clams Oreganata.

Delivered on a roll with a bulky piece of lettuce to give appearance of meat aplenty, the very fresh lobster sandwich would have been near perfect with a tablespoon more of the sea meat and a pinch of spice. Lots of fries and tiny sides of tasteless coleslaw or equally dull potato salad came with the meals.

(Management is deliberating whether fries will be included for the sake of presentation going forward. I vote YES.) The Maryland crab cake was made with more crab meat than bread, the way they should be. Clams Oreganata—clams in the shell baked with breadcrumbs and olive oil with a sprinkle of cheese—were delicious.

Carmine’s menu is ambitious with seafood galore: crabs, shrimp, lobster, fish, seafood tacos, PEI mussels, Ipswich clams, conch fritters, conch salad and more.  A few pasta entrees, some  meat dishes and a kids menu will quash any reason for not visiting Carmine’s Crab Shack.  It’s casual, reasonably priced and features a large, friendly bar (filled by 1 p.m.) for dining or socializing. Our server did a great job and the manager came by to ask if we had any suggestions as we left. This will be a busy dining spot; they are off to a great start.

Tags: Seafood restaurant Palm Beach Gardens, casual dining Palm Beach Gardens, lobster in Palm Beach Gardens, conch fritters in Palm Beach Gardens.

Fresh First, where gluten-free and flavor team up in Fort Lauderdale

Fresh First

1637 SE 17^th Street (next to Bimini Boatyard)

Fort Lauderdale, 33316

954-763-3344

www.freshfirst.com

Hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

Delivery available

By Jane Feehan

A gluten-free diet may be the latest food fad to some; for others it’s required eating to stay out of a doctor’s office or hospital. For both groups it’s often equated with deprivation of tasty foods. Not so at Fresh First, a small café off the 17^th Street Causeway, which touts itself as “South Florida’s first 100 percent gluten-free organic eatery and juicery.”

It’s healthy at this casual restaurant, but most important, the food is good. Lots of salad choices grace the menu but there is a terrific selection of sandwiches—turkey or veggie burgers, grilled chicken, tuna melts, vegetable Paninis, grilled cheese—and quinoa dishes, raw foods, and house-made soups. Their version of gluten-free bread is a perfect envelope for any sandwich. I sampled a mushroom turkey burger with a side of organic slaw for about $14 and ended the meal with a marvelous cranberry cookie of the day (about $4). It’s somewhat pricey, but Fresh First has gluten-free and organic down to an art form; there are no flavor deficits here. They offer a children's menu, a few desserts, including cupcakes, and breakfast. They also sell organic wines.

The big test was to indulge in one of their Belgian waffles with bananas and walnuts for breakfast. The waffle, fluffy and ample, will appeal to all who like to start the day off with a little healthy decadence. (Yes, at Fresh First these two words do go together.) Their breakfast menu includes egg sandwiches, Eggs Benedict, omelets, turkey bacon, chicken apple sausage, oatmeal and yogurt.

My only complaint is that Fresh First is not open for dinner or at all on Sundays. Logistics: The valet from Bimini Boatyard (close to the Renaissance Hotel) parks cars for Fresh First. Parking is also available in the adjacent garage; with a receipt from Fresh First, the charge will be waived. This cafe is tucked away, out of sight from 17th Street, but look for Bimini Boatyard.

Tags: Gluten-free restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, organic restaurants in Fort Lauderdale, restaurants on 17^th Street Causeway, raw foods in Fort Lauderdale

Lighthouse Cove Adventure Golf: a three-in-one venue in Jupiter

Lighthouse Cove Adventure Golf
   The Burger Shack
   3Scoops

617 N. A1A Jupiter 33477

561-203-7965

Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days

www.LighthouseCoveJupiter.com

www.TheBurgerShackJupiter.com

www.3ScoopsJupiter.com

Lighthouse Cove Adventure Golf officially opens this week in Jupiter. It’s a three-in-one enterprise that combines miniature golf in a fishing village-themed setting, a casual eatery with flat screen TVs to watch sports events and an ice cream store that also serves wine and beer.

This welcome addition to Jupiter, one block from the beach, close to Dubois Park, promises to be a popular place; the golf course was busy a week before the official opening Jan. 8—and before the adjacent  Burger Shack started serving.

The 36-hole course features sea life-sized figures of sharks and other fish, boats, caves, waterfalls and more. It’s the perfect setting for group events, children’s parties, a date or family outing. For rates, see: www.LighthouseCoveJupiter.com.

Tags: Things to do in Jupiter, miniature golf, burgers, casual dining in Jupiter

Marriott's Renaissance Barcelona ... a great way to begin or end a trip to Spain or Mediterranean cruise

Renaissance Barcelona

Pau Claris

122 Barcelona, Barcelona 08009

www.marriott.com/hotels/restaurants/bcndm-renaissance-barcelona-hotel/

+34 932 723810

By Jane Feehan

Marriott’s Renaissance Barcelona lies within walking distance of touristy Las Ramblas but far enough away from its nightly noisy revelry.  It was recently renovated and exudes an understated contemporary ambiance. We asked for an upgrade because many hotel rooms in Europe are small and do not have twin or queen beds.

It was worth the 120 Euros extra we paid. The beds were large and comfortable, the bathroom spacious

and modern. If you don’t travel with a power converter, they do have a few available. This will make those happy who depend on a hair dryer every day but travel with the 110 volt model.

Their dining room serves a beautiful breakfast buffet with an array of breads, sweet rolls, fruits, vegetables, cheeses and typical American fare of eggs and bacon. This restaurant does not serve dinner but they do offer room service and will deliver a meal to the bar, which is what we did. Many guests are Americans awaiting cruise ship departures, so the atmosphere is quite festive. The bar staffers knocked themselves out on

Halloween to provide a good time for all.

A number of inexpensive cafés for breakfast and restaurants serving dinner line nearby streets. Most establishments close down in the late afternoon to reopen at 7 or 8 p.m. El Corte Ingles, a large department store similar to Macy's but more expansive (there’s even a hardware section), sits a few blocks away along Paseo de Gracia, a main thoroughfare leading to Las Ramblas. It does not close mid day.

If heading to Las Ramblas be careful with wallets and purses; it hosts the largest number of pick pockets of any city in Europe. Be sure to stop at the open air market, the large supermercado off Las Ramblas. Fantastic seafood restaurants lie along its perimeter and throughout.

The only complaint I have about the Renaissance Barcelona is the checkout process. A large crowd descended upon the lobby desk at the same time and only one bellman was there to help with luggage. We took our own luggage down after we located a cart.  This was very inconvenient as we were carrying four large suitcases. Barcelona is a cruise city; this hotel serves many cruise passengers. By now the checkout process should be down to a science. Last impressions can be as important as first ones … That said, I was happy to see my Marriott Rewards account credited with the stay and points soon after. Their staff is excellent.

A taxi ride from the airport to the hotel runs about 25 Euros; it's about the same fare from the hotel to the port.

Tags: Barcelona hotels, Marriott hotels, cruise hotels, Celebrity cruises, Carnival European cruises