A round of restaurants

CHARLES C. SHAW

A tour of restaurants of a European flavor in the most cosmopolitan of the world's culinary capitals

Now that a ten-minute taxi cruise from Times Square lands you in one of a dozen strange countries, surely it is no irksome feat to indulge foreign fare in the world's most cosmopolitan town. For he it German, French, or Scan; Russian, Italian, or Chinese that for the nonce charms your fancy, New York today offers all—without journeying even as far as the French or Cunard piers. What is more, you will find not merely plats of foreign flavour hut a foreign clientéle as well, who in many cases have come to regard these halls as their clubs and daily rendezvous. The German, for the most part (featuring, among several hundred other joys, the robust dishes of goose liver, rabbit, and pigs' knuckles), will he found in the stretches of Yorkville (which means the East Eighties) ; the French (boasting an array all the way from frozen hors-d'oeuvre to velvet, flaming crepes) lies between Washington and Madison Squares, while the Russian and Italian (with their endless lists of vegetable soups, caviar, and cheese arrangements) may be met with in nearly all sections of the city. That some fill dingy basements or occupy a narrow floor above, say, a laundry, should in no wise mar the merits of their kitchens. That their waiters or indeed their maîtres d'hôtel appear in liveries stained and blotched must likewise give no grounds for undue prejudice. These were the comments of a hapless amateur, a dilettante in matters gastronomic, who judges by the outside show rather than the virtues beneath (which so oft escape the untrained eye or inexperienced palate). Food in this class of restaurant invariably comes first—service, ease, and trimmings ranking a poor second; and the fact that the other diners will lack the savoir vivre of a Park Avenue gathering and may even use their knives in a way unbeknownst to Mrs. Emily Post must not divert the true epicure from his worthy aim.

Group one: foreign restaurants

Location Maitre d'Hotel

THE BLUE RIBBON 145 West 44th BRyant 9-8658 SCHMIDT

• A stone's toss from the centre of show-land. German every inch. The pot-roast and noodles are not to he missed. Noisy and usually crowded. Moderate prices. Unfashionable.

THE BREVOORT FIFTH AVENUE AND 8th STuyvesant 9-4674 TOURMET

• Admirable French plats at moderate prices. Usually crowded. I recommend: the escargots Bourguignonne, the beef salad, and the bouillabaisse. There are both table d'hote and a la carte arrangements.

THE CEYLON-INDIA INN 148 BRyant WEST 9-7642 49th HEAWAA

• A one flight walk-up, leading to an unfrilled salon. Superb curries and rice but nothing fancy. Prices very low.

CHINESE DELMONICO'S 24 WOrth PELL STREET 2-0750 WONG

• The best Chink chow in Chinatown. One flight up. Seldom crowded and not expensive. Backless chairs and carved teak tables. Large portions. I applaud tbe choiv mein, the sub gum soup, and the chickenlobster-mushroom omelette.

THE CONSTANTINOPLE 12 EAST 30th EURENJY BOgardus 4-9292

• One flight upstairs. Armenian and Turkish dainties in dim lights. You may dine both prix fixe and a la carte. Among the specialties are: kabak dolma (oriental squash stuffed with meat and rice), turlu guvedj (stewed mixed fresh vegetables cooked in an oven and served in a pot), and patligan cheop kalab (fried lamb and egg plant, grilled on skewers). Very reasonable prices. Closes at 9:30 P.M.

DEL PEZZO'S 100 WEST 40th NONE MEdallion 3-8735

• An Italian house of long standing, for years hovering in the shadow of the Pennsylvania station. Capital spaghettis and macaronis, not to forget a fine layout of cheeses. Prices reasonable.

FORNOS COlumbus 228 WEST 5-0939 52nd MENDEZ

• A house specializing in things Mexican. One flight up. Bare and unpretentious but A-l tamales and tortillas, not to forget the Asturian bean soup and arroz con polio. A special dish for every day in the week. The menu is written in both English and Spanish. Very cheap.

GANSEMAYER'S 58 EAST 13th BREGER STuyvesant 9-1763

40 WEST 46th HENRI'S BRyant 9-4340 PIERRE

• One of the oldest eating halls in town, catering to a clientèle who go in for food rather than entertainment at meals. Remarkably reasonable. Plain and substantial. German-Jewish cooking. No check girl. The schnitzel d la Holstein is hard to equal.

• Originally a pastry shop but for years a full-fledged eating house, featuring French cuisine. A somewhat tea-roomy atmosphere relieved by the excellence of the food and the service.

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Name Location Maitre d'Hotel

HENRY'S Wisconsin 69 WEST 7-3564 36th NONE

• A house of Scandinavian fare, serving excellent things in not particularly gay surroundings. The table d'hote is two dollars but you may dine a la carte, as well. I recommend the smorgasbord and Swedish apple cake. Evening dress is rarely seen at Henry's.

LUCHOW'S TOmpkins NO EAST Sq. 14th 6-4860 FENTE

• One of the town's few remaining gastronomic landmarks of the Nineteenth Century. A house of noble viands. German every inch. Huge and home-like with a speisekarte a yard long. Kieler sprotten and hasenpfeffer to the strains of Johann Strauss.

UNIVERSITY PLACE AND THE LAFAYETTE 9th STREET HENRY STuyvesant 9-7500

• Originally the Café Martin, teeming with old New York memories. Under the same management as the Brevoort. Excellent French cuisine at fair prices. I would note especially the tortue verte claire, the ris de veau financière, and the pate de foie gras de Strasbourg.

THE MAISONETTE RUSSE 50 ELdorado WEST 51st 5-9666 STREET DADIA KOSTA

• Russian delicacies in candle light, served by dark-eyed maidens. A table d'hote for two dollars and a half that causes you to gasp. In the evening there are gypsy songs and Cossack dancing. The bortsch and blini is not to be forgotten in a hurry. Nor is the cotelette d la Kiev.

MIYAKO 340 WEST 58th STREET COlumbus 5-8882 KUBOTA

• The best Japanese cooking on Manhattan Isle. Unpretentious and without trapping. A nondescript clientele. The shrimp soufflee and steamed fish with rice are mouth-watering delights. Likewise the Chawan-Mushi, a compote of chicken, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. The prices are moderate and there are chop-sticks if you like them.

THE (ORIGINAL) 219 SECOND AVENUE MOSKOWITZ RESTAURANT STuyvesant 9-0713 EMANUEL

• A house of Russian and Roumanian confections. Patronized by the musically inclined. Dark, likely to be crowded but distinguished plats. I would call to your attention the Roumanian rib steak, the musht, and smoked goose Postromi. Prices reasonable. A table d'hote dinner is served on Sundays and holidays.

THE PHOENIX 163 MEdallion WEST 48th 3-9709 STREET NONE

• A Swedish house, famed for its smorgasbord (which is Swedish for hors-d'oeuvre). Frill-less and nearly always pack-jammed. Reasonable prices. Near the theatres. Music—or what passes for such.

THE RED DEVIL INN 173 MOTT STREET DRydock 4-6259 FRANK

• From antipasti to fromaggi. Strictly Italian. A subterranean layout. Off the beaten track but well worth trying. The lobster a la Fra Diavolo is an event in itself. I would likewise note the spaghetti con funghi freschi and the admirable Bel Paese. The prices are absurdly reasonable.

THE RUSSIAN BEAR 201 SECOND AVENUE MR. BOGIN, MGR. STuyvesant 9-3379

• A long, narrow room with very dim lights. Tables against the walls and waiters in blue shirts. Open for dinner and after the theatre, as well. Among the special dishes are—sielianka d la Moscou (a fish soup), cutlets Pojarski, and shashlick Caucasian. Not cheap.

THE RUSSIAN BEAR 57 WEST 57th STREET NONE

• The uptown branch of the above. Large and low-ceiled, done d la russe moderne with walls splashed with suns and flowers. Waitresses in native peasant costume. Music by a Balalaika band. Both d la carte and table d'hôte. Grand Beluga caviar and the lightest pirojok I have ever tackled. No cover charge.

85th STREET AND SUESSKIND'S LEXINGTON AVENUE MARSHON RHinelander 4-9936

• Good, solid German cooking at reasonable prices. In the heart of Yorkville but not faked for the hunter of Teutonic sights. No hat-check girl but substantial hooks along the walls. I would note the lentil soup with frankfurters, the gedaempfte rinderbrust, and the cheese-cake in particular.

THE SWEDISH INN 145 WEST 45th STREET NONE ELdorado 5-9322

A canary and royal blue façade with tiny red tables within. Good Swedish cuisine. Scandinavian waitress and modest prices. Evening get-up here is practically unknown.