Recently we found ourselves sitting at a table in a restaurant, semi-late in the evening, sharing a bottle of wine, munching on some appetizers and throwing column ideas at each other. Suddenly it hit us. We should write a column about the places we go to semi- late, late and really late at night.
The great thing about writing a column like this is that it brings back memories from when we were first old enough to stay out late enough to need a midnight or four-in-the-morning snack.
Back then, my friend Chet and I used to go on extended nighttime food runs. We covered neighborhoods from Manhattan's Upper West Side all the way down to/ Chinatown. There would be stops at Gray's Papaya on 72nd and Broadway for the $2 special -- two hotdogs and a medium papaya drink -- then down to 57th and Sixth Avenue to the now defunct New York Delicatessen for pastrami sandwiches. After we had solved the world's problems, our excursions would end at Wo Hop on Mott Street for really late food. That place is packed with people as late as 5am. It was great.
The strange phenomenon of late, late eating differs block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood. Some places are dedicated to real food and some are dedicated to "the scene"; food being incidental when mentions in the gossip columns really make the money. We checked out a few places in different parts of NYC.
One night we visited our bartender friend, Jack, at the China Club on the Upper West Side. We danced a little, drank a little and when it was time to leave, we weren't quite ready to go home. We spotted a diner on the Southeast corner of 75th and Broadway called American Restaurant. Naturally, it was run by Greeks. Not your typical greasy spoon, it seemed fairly clean. American was packed with semi-beautiful, semi-young, club people who got there before we did and staked out the good window tables so they could smoke while they waited for their burgers and shakes. The food was good, and for people watching you can't do much better.
Unless of course you go uptown a few blocks to Big Nick's. Big, cramped, semi-dirty, and smokey, a hand- scribbled sign simply states "open 23 hours-a-day". Big Nicks. Want pizza? No problem. Burgers? They offer 30 different types. Classic people watching here too with a vast array of creatures of the night; truck drivers, club-goers, suit and tie people, hookers and other assorted lovelies. But as ugly as this place is, that's how good their food is. Not a dud in the bunch. Their pizza is thin crusted and topped with a nice rich sauce and gobs of mouth scorching cheese. Giant, moist, perfectly cooked burgers and fresh salads are all served by old-time waiters who couldn't give a shit about you. We love this place.
