Tuesday, October 02, 2007

PJ Clarke's in Lincoln Center: Not Bad After Theater (or a School Meeting)


Curriculum night ended right after the theater began. As our children go to school in the Lincoln Center area, this is a fortuitous thing. Learning about learning makes you hungry. Along with another couple, the Lovely Wife and I decided to head to the latest outpost of P.J. Clarke's: located at 44 West 63rd Street, NYC, 10023 (Telephone: 212-957-9700). PJ Clarke's brought back a variety of happy memories from all of our youths.

When P.J. Clarke's first opened on the Upper West Side, the reviews were decidedly mixed. Chowhound posters were nasty and Frank Bruni gave their World Financial Center restaurant a "satisfactory." The weird feeling that you get thinking that PJC may end up being just another version of TGIFriday's doesn't help.

Having said that, the beer was cold, the raw bar is good, the salad is perfectly fine and the burgers are really excellent. You can skip dessert, and for that matter, bubble and squeak, which is a hockey puck of potatoes and leeks. The creamed spinach was good. I think that my children would enjoy going there, too, and we'll try that soon. I can only at at Shun Lee Cafe so often when I'm down there with them. Given that they spent $80,000 for each of their urinals, a trip to the men's room is a must (sorry to half the population who won't get to see them).

P.J. Clarke's isn't cheap, and it isn't a destination restaurant. But if you are in the Lincoln Center area, its a great place to go with friends, get a table, get a drink, have some food, and have a great time.

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