I've strangely been on a Broadway kick this year, seeing almost 5 shows this year which is x5 more than what I've seen in the past 5 years combined. The only downside with going to Broadway shows is the terrible food options in Times Square. But I forget that if you just walk one avenue block over towards Hells' Kitchen, there are so many better and classier options than the TGI Fridays and Bubba Gump Shrimp places.
Bar Centrale is tucked away on 46th street in the entrance of a brownstone - there is no sign or any visible notices outside, so you really have to keep an eye out for it. When you walk in, it's like being in someone's living room. It's dark and cozy and very inviting. Apparently a lot of Broadway folks come here, but I'm so not in the know with stuff like that but if you are a theater buff, keep an eye out. Paige and I stopped by here on a Friday night before seeing Oh Hello! We started off with some excellent cocktails - whatever drink you order, get it neat because it'll come in a cute beaker container.
Their menu is a bunch of small plates, so we shared the curried deviled eggs ($12), the lobster quesadilla ($22), cauliflower wings ($13), and the skirt steak ($21). The devil eggs were delicious - there were 5 of them and they were perfectly scooped out and had a nice creamy curry flavored mixture in it. I could have eaten a whole other order. Usually I hate ordering lobster dishes because there usually isn't a ton of lobster in it and you're paying up for it. But this one actually had a decent helping of lobster and you could actually tell that it was inside. I could have actually used a bit more cheese in it but otherwise it was a nice snack dish. The big buzz this year seems to be around the re-emergence of cauliflower and one of the most popular ways to make it is a la buffalo chicken wings. They were fine here but I've had better in other places. They weren't tempura/fried, so it was basically roasted cauliflower with buffalo sauce covered on top and then it was served with blue cheese dressing. While it wasn't a 100% substitute to chicken, it did feel like a slightly healthier way to get blue cheese dressing in my mouth. Lastly came the skirt steak (6 oz). It was sliced in a bunch of small thin pieces, cooked perfectly medium rare and served with salsa verde. I was pleasantly surprised at this dish - you don't really see skirt steak in a small plate menu but luckily this one was plentiful and well done.
The place does clear out around show time but it was a lovely way to spend a pre-show cocktail with some nibbles. It's nice to get away from the crowds and throng of tourists and have a quiet evening before heading into the madness that's known as Times Square. I wouldn't necessarily come here for a stand alone dinner but for a pre-theater outing, it's a great place to go. Definitely call and make a reservation in advance. Total bill: $160/for 2 people with tax, tip and drinks
Photo Credit: Yelp
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