Neighborhood Haunts

When I moved to New York I thought one of the more interesting relationships was between that of a diner and his or her usual haunt. I had formed my idea from books or tv, and was looking forward to those restaurants that I'd frequent, where, in the words of a theme song "everybody knows your name." It never happened.

Recently, a number of smaller inexpensive restaurants have opened in my area, taking over space left by boutique hat and furniture shops. And I've found myself hanging out at Hiroko's cafe, listening to the jazz groups she hosts Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and frequenting the Mooncake Diner rather than ordering from Nyonya. On the odd occasion I find myself at Cafe la Palette, where each time Claudia complains I haven't been recently. It's nice to support the local establishments, and, in this weather, it's nice to have cheaper options closer to home. In the past all the nearby places were more expensive and chic. Which isn't to say they're bad. Just not what you'd eat every night of the week. I was sad to see the smaller takeout Khin Khao go (replaced by a jewelry store), but I think these newer places more than make up for its loss. And I'm back to buying frozen dumplings from Chinatown on those nights I don't want to venture out at all. Posted by eku at January 20, 2004 11:32 AM