The Purpose of a Restaurant

Lately I have been taking a book with me when I go out just in case I want to sit and read. However, it was clear at The Gray Dog Cafe that table loitering is frowned upon. This poster reads: "Good Dining Habits for Everyone! During Peak Hours No Holding Tables, No Studying, No Laptop Use. Peak equals Busy. Remember, only YOU can prevent table hibernation." It was a fun place to eat--I did not feel rushed. And it was really busy, so the poster was a cute way to get their point across.

Tomato Festival 2011

 

Six French restaurants have teamed up to present a full menu from drinks to desserts using fresh tomatoes from local farmers. These pics are of a bountiful 3-color-tomato salad and a cupcake (with tomatoes in the ingredients of the cake batter) from Le Monde on Broadway between 112 and 113 Streets. The cupcake had a sweet and acidic flavor and was topped with a raspberry and vanilla frosting.

Resistance is Futile at "dishes to go"

One reason you see a fan on the table along side my lunch is that, for one thing, I carry my fan everywhere, and for another I chose to eat hot soup on a very hot day. I am hooked on soup from this little place in Grand Central's dining concourse called dishes (with a small "d").

I had asked to sample the soup while I was trying to make up my mind if I was even hungry one day. The server was intent that I sample as many as I wanted, but after the first one (I think it was pumpkin), I didn't want to disrupt the taste in my mouth.

The picture at the bottom is of the chef who creates the soup recipes. He was actually sitting next to me on a bench outside of the kiosk. It was the server who pointed him out to me. He let me take his picture. I'm sure he was just a little flattered, even though it's hard to tell here. Or maybe he thought I was an idiot.

The next day I timed my walk to land at their other restaurant in Midtown right at 4 p.m, which is when I like to reward myself for all that walking, and guess what -- it was closed from 4-5 p.m.  So I had to walk out of my way to hit up their Grand Central kiosk again. And because I had walked so far, I got a larger size serving this time, of course.