Jazz Brunch: Langan's

Back when I worked in the TV news world, my coworkers & I passed many a happy hour at Langan's, steps away from our office, subway stops, Times Square, etc.

My friend LaShauna was visiting that weekend and had just scored tickets for After Midnight (starring Dulé Hill of Psych fame- GO SEE IT!) It was pouring rain, cold outside, and she went to the nearest spot, Langan's.

It just so happens they also have a lovely jazz brunch on Sundays: 15.95 for an entrée and a drink (mimosa, Bloody Mary, champagne)! And all the while, you enjoy the lovely, soothing sounds of jazz. Not the erratic up-and-down jazz that isn't really my style, but the soothing, rhythmic type.

A bread basket came out right away, and the chocolate-chip studded slices were just as tasty as you might suspect. I toyed with the idea of getting more, but decided to remain mature and civilized.

LaShauna ordered their French toast, which came with fruit compote and nothing else. She asked for maple syrup (which they quickly brought), only to take one bite and say "Wow, this doesn't even NEED syrup." High praise, indeed!

I ordered the Eggs Benedict. It came with the usual Canadian bacon & Hollandaise sauce, and a side of home fries that had onions aplenty (I love onions), and a side of mixed greens with just the right touch of dressing. The Hollandaise sauce was very lemony, which was different from what I'm used to, but still good. The greens were amazing, and the eggs were perfectly poached!!

Times Square is famous for having lots of overpriced, overrated food, but you can't really beat brunch (and a drink!) for less than 20 bucks (don't forget to tip)!

Langan's

150 W 47th St

New York, NY 10036

(212) 869-5482

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Famous Dave's BBQ

While stranded in the city during one of our many snowstorms, some coworkers and I wandered a few steps from the office to get an actual away-from-the-desk dinner. I hadn't realized there was a Dave's Famous BBQ in Times Square. ABF & I go once a year or so to the Long Island location. Their smoked salmon dip is beyond craveable, so I thought that might be worth a trip to this one.

First thing I noticed on the menu: they don't HAVE the smoked salmon dip at this location. BLAST!

We'd all worked long days and were pretty tired after sleeping on rock-hard hotel mattresses, so two of us started with their Happy Hour specials: draft beers for 3 dollars. Yes, THREE dollars. We each got a Blue Moon (one of the few beers I really enjoy).

I ordered the Devil's Spit (what a name) burger because it claimed to have quite a kick. It had the Devil's Spit BBQ sauce, pepper-Jack cheese, jalapeno bacon and "Hell-Fire" pickles. However, the burger was not really spicy, and the pickles were sweet--feh. I removed the pickles and ate most of the burger, but didn't think it was noteworthy by any stretch.

Speaking of Devil's Spit, that's just one of the names of their house BBQ sauces, and one of my favorites. But my all-time favorite? The Rich N Sassy!

Yeah, that's a keeper.

Patty ordered the pulled chicken sandwich, and she liked it, but wasn't over the moon for it. It sure did look super cheesy and tasty to me.

Our friend Melanie (of Epi-Curious) ordered the salad with crispy chicken. It was a huge, fresh serving, with a tiny corn muffin on the side. She seemed to really enjoy it, and they got her specific order (dressing on the side, no this, no that) just the way she wanted it, including extra tomatoes (even though the server accidentally wrote down NO tomatoes!), so that's good.

Our server was great and attentive, the food came quickly, and it was fine. It wasn't outrageously priced either, which is rare for that area. I still prefer the Westbury (Long Island) location, but if you're desperate for a meal and in that normally overpriced area, stop in for a bite, especially during Happy Hour!

Famous Dave's BBQ
171 West 47th Street
New York, NY 10036
(212) 764-1899

Pongsri with ABF

ABF's sister gave us tickets to "Jersey Boys" for Christmas (great show! loved it!), so we picked a nearby restaurant for the pre-show dinner: Pongrsi Thai, a favorite standby of mine for years and years (and reviewed here in a visit with That Sara).

Schnippers' Salads

I met That Sara yesterday for a lunch/gift exchange (Happy Chrismakuh!) at Schnippers, where I had a finger-licking-good burger a while ago. In light of my New Year's resolution to eat even healthier (cutting back on sugar, healthier carbs, etc), I asked Sara to pick a place with good salads--and she named Schnippers as a favorite right off the bat!

Chevy's

You don't go to Chevy's for the best Mexican food ever. You go to Chevy's (at least the one in Times Square) because it's connected to the movie theater where certain people (LKP, Melanie & Patty) may have just seen a certain movie (MACGRUBER! [explosion sounds]) and found themselves quite hungry.

Our friend Mel had to head back to Jersey, but Patty & I were not going to make it home without sustenance. We walked in, still giggling over the silliness of the film (if you're not a Macgruber fan you will NOT like it, I assure you) and found out we could sit down right away.

Our server brought us each a margarita; I ordered watermelon, Patty ordered lime. We soon realized the flavoring, however, was all in the sugar rimming the glass. Otherwise it was a plain old margarita. Hmm...

We were crazy hungry, but this place is a chain, meaning it's required by NY law to post calorie counts. Few things will halt your dining plans like the number "2,095" next to a former favorite dish. We opted to split a fajita entrée that came with beef, chicken, and shrimp. The word 'pounced' comes to mind when I think of how we acted when the plate arrived.

It was good, and we were ravenous: such a winning combo! I had the shrimp first before moving on to the steak and chicken. The shrimp was actually my favorite!! Not dried out or chewy at all--perfectly juicy and delish.

We had a great, quick server who did not rush us, our food was hot and tasty, and our drinks were ice cold and lip-smacking (though a bit sweet). Not bad! It's definitely not a place I go out of my way to hit, but if you're at the INSANELY huge AMC or Loews on 42nd, it's a safe, affordable bet!

Chevy's
259 W 42nd St
New York, NY 10036
(212) 302-4010

Schnipper's Kitchen

Imagine my surprise to find a juicy, finger-licking good burger in Times Square! And it wasn't outrageously priced, either! I had just picked up my bridesmaid dress with two other bridesmaids, and as it was nearing 7, we stopped for a late but quick dinner at Schnippers, located in the New York Times building. Laura had eaten here before and said it was really good. I was thisclose to ordering their fish taco (still on a kick from my Texas trip), but at the last second I asked the girl at the register if the taco was better than the burger, and she said you HAVE to get the burger here. I saw one with roasted poblano chilies, and my decision was made. Green chile cheeseburger with a Blue Moon beer on the side, please! We saw them make each burger to order from hand-made patties (not the frozen, industrial type) and toast each roll as the order arrived, too.

Look at this beauty! Toasted roll, oozing cheese, juicy burger. My stomach is growling just looking at this photo again. It's a bit of a jostle at times (they give you a vibrating remote device that goes off when your order is ready), depending on how busy it is, but the wait is not long, and oh-my-tastebuds is it worth it.

Laura didn't hear my last minute change, and went with the fish taco. She said it was okay, but not great. She opted for the grilled fish, which she said was pretty bland. It wasn't bad, just not as noteworthy as the burger. Now we know. ;)

Heather opted for the regular cheesburger, and hers looked lovely. It came with a bright red tomato, crisp green-leaf lettuce, and a melty slice of cheese.

We also tried the sweet potato fries (Laura's recommendation) and the onion rings. I love onion rings, and these were good, but not outstanding. The sweet potato fries, however, were perfect. Salty, crisp on the outside, and so so satisfying. The sweet potato flavor really came through. It was perfectly salted, nicely balanced, and they were light and yummy.

As I mentioned earlier, I went for the Green Chile Cheeseburger. I've been FEENING for Poblano chilies this week, and this temporarily satisfied the craving. This burger was soooo good. The cheese was gooey but not gritty or greasy, and the chilies were perfectly roasted, with just a hint of heat in the sauce to ramp it all up.

My burger was 8.99 with no sides, but I so felt it was worth it. It's also not a huuuge burger, so I didn't walk away feeling overstuffed. I recommend this place if you're in the area!

Schnippers Kitchen
620 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10018
(212) 921-2400