A Taste of Broadway

Head off the beaten track to find dining showstoppers near the Great White Way.

By Yvette Ferreol
Bloomberg Markets, December 2008

Locals are mingling with the hordes of tourists in Manhattan's theater district this winter to catch Daniel Radcliffe, star of the Harry Potter movies, take off his clothes in Equus or to check out Entourage star Jeremy Piven in David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow. While the choice of which play may be easy, the question even seasoned theatergoers struggle with is where to eat before a Broadway show.

Even though it may be tempting to head to the tried-and-true pasta joints before curtain time, those with more curious palates should stray a block or two farther to Hell's Kitchen or midtown west to explore flavorful food that's fit for a Lion King. Here are four restaurants that offer creative Mexican, South African, Greek and ``Middleterranean'' dishes for dramatic dining.

Toloache
Toloache is next door to the Gershwin Theatre's Wicked and offers a bewitching menu that includes crunchy grasshopper-filled tacos ($11). The smoky, salty dried bugs -- a Oaxacan delicacy -- are brushed with jalapeno and dressed with onions. The light from the tiled room's intricate nickel lamps softens the startling sight of the tiny winged creatures.

Those tacos are just one example of the authentic Mexican food that emerges from the kitchen run by chef-owner Julian Medina, whose previous stints were at the award-winning Maya and Pampano in New York. Start with the spicy guacamole sweetened with morsels of mango, watermelon and basil ($12) or a cheesy mushroom and corn quesadilla ($14) baked in the brick oven at this two-level space. Moist shreds of roast suckling pig ($26) are served with a cactus salad that's topped with crisp pork skin. On the side, try a Mexican street-food favorite: corn on the cob dabbed with chipotle mayonnaise, rolled in grated queso fresco and sprinkled with chili pepper.

You can reserve a place at the four-seat ceviche bar before or after the show to sample citrus-marinated seafood and more than 100 tequilas and sangrias.

Toloache, 251 W. 50th St.; 1-212-581-1818; www.toloachenyc.com

Braai
South African eatery Braai may be the ideal place to dine before catching The Lion King, especially for meat lovers. Braai (rhymes with cry) is Afrikaans for barbecue. Cubes of juicy, gamy ostrich soaked in a tamarind marinade are roasted on skewers with onions and apricots and served on miniature cast-iron skillets ($12); surprisingly tender venison steak is coated with a mushroom sauce ($24). The less adventurous may opt for pork ribs glazed with red tea and chocolate ($20).

On the side are flaky, buttery roti, mango and apricot chutneys and polenta (called pap) redolent of truffles. For dessert, try the malva pudding, a sweet, rich cake served with caramelized banana and ice cream, or the koeksisters (spiced pastry) with orange yogurt mousse and rooibos (red bush) ginger honey sauce. Tap into the exclusively South African wine list.

The stick-covered ceiling and wooden floors evoke the feel of a jungle hut, and the dark ambience can hit just the right soothing notes before the bright lights of Broadway.

Braai, 329 W. 51st St.; 1-212-315-3315; www.braainyc.com

Anthos
The flavorful Greek food at Anthos makes up for the bland room. The kitchen sends out so many complimentary teasers, such as lamb meatballs, fried cheese or tastings of cauliflower soup, that you probably don't need to order appetizers.

Still, the $18 raw meze platter is a must: cobia dotted with olive, peach and hazelnut; salmon with strawberry and chili; and tuna with feta cheese.

Traditional dishes include smoky octopus with hints of fennel and lemon ($18), grilled sea bass served whole ($30) and juicy lamb chops simply roasted ($38). A Greek-style risotto is embellished with green eggplant, lamb lardo and a farm egg ($34).

Desserts make use of honey, rose dust and fig. A semolina pudding is served with grilled peach and mastic, which is harvested as a spice from the resin of trees grown on Chios in the Aegean Sea. Chef Michael Psilakis and restaurateur Donatella Arpaia gained attention for venues that serve modern, upscale Greek cuisine, such as Kefi and Mia Dona in New York. They've honed their craft at Anthos and earned a Michelin star.

The three-course pre-theater menu that includes the raw meze and whole fish is a steal at $38, but it's served only until 6 p.m.

Anthos, 36 W. 52nd St.; 1-212-582-6900; www.anthosnyc.com

Taboon
Taboon's namesake arched brick oven is the very soul of this homey spot in Hell's Kitchen. From its depths come savory loaves of bread touched with olive oil and sprinkled with rosemary and sage, succulent meatballs of ground lamb ($24) and short ribs braised in Moroccan spices that melt off the bone ($26).

In the 65-seat, white-walled space, the chef applies unusual tweaks to an array of so-called Middleterranean dishes: Iraqi pastries brimming with ground beef and pine nuts, Greek yogurt with cucumbers and garlic and a Yemenite dip of jalapeno, garlic, cardamom and other spices that set our tongues on fire yet kept us asking for more. Chicken bursts from the oven with cured lemon, pesto and Persian rice ($23).

For dessert, a lightly sweet date sponge cake is topped with rum sauce and served with English double cream.

Taboon, 773 10th Ave.; 1-212-713-0271

Yvette Ferreol covers arts and culture at Bloomberg News in New York. yferreol@bloomberg.net

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