The Half King – New York City
Guest Author: Tonya Plank
Recommended Restaurant: New York City
My favorite hangout in New York is far and away the Half King, which manages to be both cozy and arty. It consists of several different rooms, providing for an atmospheric variety to suit your mood. For dining dehors, there’s both a front sidewalk area suitable for people-watching along busy 23rd Street, and a charming backyard garden, both open in warm weather. When you first walk in, you encounter the pub, with large comfy booths, a long bar with chairs (rather than back-ache-inducing stools!), and the requisite blaring music and television bearing screen subtitles. To the right is the restaurant area, quieter and filled with several tables and three large comfy leather couches. And there’s a small room in the back that resembles a diner, and is often used for parties.
Founded by three literati – Sebastian Junger, author of, most famously, “The Perfect Storm,” journalist and novelist Scott Anderson and filmmaker Nanette Burstein — it’s meant to – and does – evoke a Hemingway-esque ambience. It manages to have a low-key yet lively charm and feels much like how I’d think the café in Hemingway’s famous short story “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” felt. True to its literary heritage, the owners organize a reading every Monday night in the restaurant area. Recent readers have included Jonathan Miles (“Dear American Airlines”), Charles Bock (“Beautiful Children”), and winners of the national magazine writing awards. The most crowded I think I’ve ever seen it was when Junger himself read from a Vanity Fair article he wrote on assassinated Afghan anti-Taliban rebel, Ahmad Shah Massoud, right after the terrorist attacks in New York. The restaurant portion also showcases work by photographers, with the exhibitions alternating about once every six weeks. When a new exhibit opens, the restaurant holds a “meet and greet’ with the artist.
Situated in the heart of the West Chelsea art district, the restaurant is an ideal place to crash after a day of gallery-hopping. It’s also located close to several alternative concert dance venues, including Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet (which is housed in an old Annie Leibovitz studio on 26th Street), the Joyce Theater, and Dance Theater Workshop. So, the bar is also perfect for a post-dance chat with friends.
Finally, the food! The Half King serves basic American and Irish fare, albeit splendidly prepared. The mac and cheese with three cheeses, bacon and broccoli florets is my personal favorite. They also do a delicious roasted half-chicken with buttered corn and red-skinned potato salad, and beer-battered fish ‘n chips with the scrod juicy and firm not flaky and greasy. Their Irish breakfast is killer, not to mention enormous, and for sides their “hellfire fries,” which come with a very interesting hot sauce, are good for nibbling during a book reading. They also have inventive daily drink specials and delectable desserts. And prices are moderate for New York, with the average entrée costing about $15. The chef is Greg Baumel.
Thank you so much to my special guest author, Tonya Plank, a fantastic dance blogger. You can follow her on twitter @tonyaplank
Things to do in New York City
Website: The Half King
The Half King Bar & Restaurant
505 W 23RD ST
NEW YORK, NY 10011
