East of Eighth
When we first stumbled upon East of Eighth (and I use the word literally – I almost broke their glass door) we were blown away by their $16 prix-fixe special. And that was in 2002. Six years later, they have only raised the base price by $2 and the food has gotten even better. The startlingly diverse menu items also include tapas, pizza, burgers and full entrees. I had a martini at their sexy hammered-bronze bar last night while I was waiting for my friend Bari and chatted up the bartender, one of a rotating crop of delightfully engaging and practiced drink-slingers the place has on staff. EOE attracts an extremely diverse crowd of regulars, tourists, gays and straights alike. You can eat in the bar, in their lovely enclosed garden or upstairs in the main dining room.
For $18 we each had cumin-lemon marinated salmon to start, accompanied by spiced cucumbers and toast points. I went with the pecan-crusted salmon with corn relish, mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables for my entree, and Bari got the cranberry pork chops, also with veggies and potatoes. The portions are HUGE, and the flavors are bright and contemporary, but still evoke good home cooking, which was what we both wanted (it had been a long day and not the time or place for head-scratching experimental cuisine). We relaxed, enjoyed a couple of glasses of Pinot Grigio and took our time – the tourists next to us had had a few too many mojitos and were WHOOPING it up, but no one minded. For dessert – pumpkin bread pudding for me, flourless chocolate espresso cake for her. The bill was an extremely respectable $62 and we had doggie bags for the trip home (Bari’s may have actually made it home – mine generally do not).
East of Eighth will probably never get any Michelin stars, but it is truly a tucked-away treasure in the heart of Chelsea. I have met the owner many times, and he has been a longtime supporter of my non-profit organization SWiSH (Straight Women in Support of Homos). He has hit upon a really winning formula, and the clientele is fiercely loyal. In the summertime they have a $20 all-you-can-eat barbecue, and they also do theme nights (Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc.) as well as discount coupons on birthdays. It’s a total neighborhood spot, the last of a dying breed, and I hope it sticks around forever.
East of Eighth, 254 West 23rd Street between 7th and 8th Avenue; www.eastofeighth.com (take the C or E to 23rd and 8th, the 1 to 23rd and 7th, or the R, W, B, D to 23rd and 6th)
