The most annoying restaurant to say out loud is Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Okay, not THE most annoying … I'm sure there are a few others and I'll gladly open the floor to suggestions, so please -- feel free.
Meanwhile, I get the whole story of why it has that name, the whole "I want to show I own this place, so I’m putting my name in front of the really well established name that made me money before it burned down, so that you know the quality is still the same but with a peppy new flair!" thing. When I say "I get the whole thing", I mean get it like I'd get "Murray's Tiffany's" or "Betty Sue's Gucci".
However, in the spirit of Ruth's Chris, I give you Luvvie's Zagat's.
Zagat's, of course, tops the list in the "most annoying restaurant GUIDE to say out loud" category because, like Demi Moore who was "Demi-rhymes-with-Hemi" Moore until the critical mass finally tipped her over into "DeMI-rhymes-with-Marie" Moore that's how it is with the pronunciation of Zagat's. I still, however, pronounce it ZAH-gats and not Za-GAHTS because … and if you're Italian you'll know where I’m going with this … to me GAHTS (phonetically) sounds like Neapolitan slang for something totally different and not quite food-related. Ahem.
For most of my life I've been single in New York, and while I've been dragged to my share of clunkers for drinks or dinner I've also gone to a lot of places that quickly became my favorites. That's the great thing about living in a city this size ... the bar is set really high.
Whenever I went to a place I knew I'd want to return to, I'd put their vitals in a list along with my own rating. It got to a point where I could just whip out my Luvvie's Zagat's guide whenever someone said, "Pan-Asian, Midtown". If you had a craving and a neighborhood you had to be in, I'd have a great place for you to go.
Whenever I went to a place I knew I'd want to return to, I'd put their vitals in a list along with my own rating. It got to a point where I could just whip out my Luvvie's Zagat's guide whenever someone said, "Pan-Asian, Midtown". If you had a craving and a neighborhood you had to be in, I'd have a great place for you to go.
So I now present this week's Fave Five brought to you by Luvvie's Zagat's. I'm going to kick off my Luvvie's Zagat's Fave Five with an R.I.P. in honor of the places I loved so much -- which I could never take off the list but which you'll never find no matter how much you try. Here's to you, Ghost of Dinners Past:
Boxers 190 W 4th Street
New York, NY 10014
Cross Street(s): Barrow Street
212-206-7526
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Cuisine: American/Bar
Luvvie's Zagat's Review: Had the most difficult conversation of my life here * Food could be better but I can't forget the times here
Luvvie's Partner in Crime: Everyone
Luvvie's been there: A Thousand Times
Café Rafaella 134 7th Avenue South
New York, NY 10014
Cross Street(s): Charles + W 10th Street
212-929-7247
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Cuisine: Café
Luvvie's Zagat's Review: Great conversations, always * Great coffee * Great cake * Nice dinners * Cozy in winter, charming in summer, hot tea when it's chilly, white wine when it's balmy * I could live here, surrounded by my best friends, all of whom have come here with me * Or SHOULD come here with me
Luvvie's Partner in Crime: Won*t
Luvvie's been there: A Million Billion Times
Chez Michallet 90 Bedford Street
New York, NY 10014
Cross Street(s): Barrow Street
212-242-8309
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Cuisine: French
Luvvie's Zagat's Review: Just adorable * So sweet and quiet * Made me feel like I'd walked into a corridor that took me straight to Paris
Luvvie's Partner in Crime: No one in particular
Luvvie's been there: A Handful of Times
McHale's750 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10036
Cross Street(s) 46th Street
212-997-8885
Neighborhood: West 40s
Cuisine: Bar
Luvvie's Zagat's Review: Down and dirty dive bar w. hamburgers that could choke a horse * I LOVE this place, would travel from anywhere to go here * Not one night here was ever wasted
Luvvie's Partner in Crime: work friends
Luvvie's been there: A Thousand Times
Mr. Souvlaki147 Montague Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Cross Street(s) Hicks Street
718-858-8997
Neighborhood: Brooklyn
Cuisine: Greek
Luvvie's Zagat's Review: Food so authentic it tastes like an accent * The guy always asks if I want utensils, even though I've said "No WE have them" for over 12 years now * He just likes to hear me pretend I've got a husband despite the parade of different men I've brought to his counter
Luvvie's Partner in Crime: Everyone
Luvvie's been there: A Million Billion Times
In closing:
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. ~Kahlil Gibran
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. ~Kahlil Gibran
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