Blue Fin: An Ocean in a Food Desert

I love going to the theatre, but I hate picking pre-theatre restaurants. There are such slim pickings around Times Square that I often say that I feel like it's a food dessert. Which is exactly what I was saying to my friend as we sat on the red steps of the TKTS booth, but then I looked past her and spotted Blue Fin. As if reading my mind she said "You know, there's actually a pretty good sushi place around here..."

FINally Blue Fin!

Lobster Roll

I remember the first time I went to Blue Fin- it was years ago when I was still in high school. My girlfriend and I were visiting New York City and my grandmother took us here for a pre-theatre dinner. I remember the awe of being in a fancy, modern restaurant in The Big City. So when I was going to see a show with my grandmother, The Mr, and my parents, I decided this would be a great place to revisit. Smack dab in the heart of Times Square, the location is perfect for a lot of theaters.

L'Ybane is Twice as Nice

L'ybane

A girlfriend and I needed a quick, impromptu pre-theatre meal, and I literally just walked around until I stumbled upon L'Ybane. A wine bar with hummus sounded very promising, so we decided to give it a go. 

Bonded to Bond 45

Bond 45 Exterior

Antipasto Bar

Bond 45 Interior

This is actually my second pre-theatre meal at Bond 45, so I knew what to expect going in. As you walk in the door you walk past the fresh and colorful antipasto bar which gives you a preview to your dining experience. This antipasto bar is so tempting that last time I came I just ordered an antipasto platter as my main dish. I really wanted to go this route again, but decided to check out some of the other options on the menu this time.

F is for Fantastic: Gordon Ramsay at The London

Filet of turbot rainbow Swiss chard, crosnes, baked oxtail Champagne sauce

An out of town friend wanted to meet for dinner before seeing The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular and I needed to pick a place for dinner. Last time she was in town, she picked Perilla, so the bar was set high. I knew I couldn't just bring her to any cheesy, touristy Midtown spot. Chef Ramsay has an excellent reputation, and his restaurant at The London had fantastic reviews so it seemed like a good selection.

Pre-Theatre at Marseille

I've visited Marseille a few times now for a nice meal before a show. While they are popular, I have not had problems getting reservations. Also, even though while they have a French influence, they have enough American food on the menu to not make it inaccessible. Throw in that they have great food and get you out the door in time for curtain and it's a perfect spot.

Marseille Burger

Moules Frites

Special: Butternut Squash Risotto

Pasta Pesto

The Mr. went in for the burger; my father ordered the Pasta Pesto, his staple; and I split the Mussels & Risotto with my mother. Mind you that the mussel plate pictured above is POST split. It is a huge helping of Moules Frites! We were all more than satisfied with the food and we all traipsed off to our show very satisfied.

Hurley's: Pre-Theatre Prix Fixe

Went to see The 39 Steps with some family members and needed a low-key, basic restaurant nearby the theatre. Hurley's had some good reviews on Yelp so I went ahead and made a reservation. The person who took my reservation actually had an Irish accent, which is a good sign for a place claiming Irish roots. We ordered off of the Prix Fixe Theater Menu and I went for the Baked Stuffed Clams, Veal Moran, and New York Cheesecake for $30.50. Was a really great deal because even though it looks like your run-of-the mill restaurant we were all very impressed with the quality of the food. We were also extremely satisfied with our waitstaff who helped get us out the door in time for our show even though one of the member's of our party was significantly delayed.