Though we understand their circumstances may have been a bit different, like Oliver and his clan of orphan boys, we’ve all fallen into a daze dreaming of “food, glorious food” at one point or another.
After all, it’s been said that food is the great equalizer, connecting us and bringing us together, either with family or friends, colleagues or companions, or any others from all walks of life, to dine often at a communal table or gathering space wherein we share stories and reveal the most authentic parts of ourselves.
In our continued effort, however, to find our way into others’ hearts (and stomachs!), sometimes it helps to venture beyond our tables and into the kitchens of others — especially in a city with such a diversified abundance of eateries as New York.
And of course, you can’t spell “theatre” without “eat.”
So, in our food-based series, we continue to poll some of the Great Bright Way’s best to “dish” (get it?) on where they love to eat, drink, and take in the vibes either pre- or post-show, while also answering why they love to sup there, sharing a favorite dish or two, and more.
Today, we’re confidently conferring with Broadway’s OG Juliet, Lorna Courtney, who’s soon to inhabit Westerberg High, but is first taking Joe’s Pub by storm with her solo show debut on May 18th and 19th. Titled Fear/Less, the two-night concert aims to honor those who came before her; through stories and song (and the help of special guests Avery Wilson & Rebecca Naomi Jones), she’ll touch on personal experiences throughout love and life, and explore how defying expectations, staying true to herself, and stepping into her own — “no matter how messy that is” — made her the strong(er) woman she is today. While she’s keeping specifics mostly under wraps, there’s one thing she can promise: a performance that is, aptly, “so much more than you’re ready for.”
In addition to her role as the titular Shakespearean heroine, which earned her a Clive Barnes Theatre Award and a 2023 Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, she’s appeared on Broadway in Dear Evan Hansen and West Side Story. Regional credits include Juliet in & Juliet’s pre-Broadway Toronto run, Mimi in the symphonic concert adaptation of Rent at the Kennedy Center, and Corey in Empire Records at the McCarter Theatre. And, of course, she’ll be the latest dead girl walking when Heathers: The Musical begins performances at New World Stages on June 22.
But where does Lorna like to eat?
(626 10th Avenue)
In a particularly vulnerable opening statement, Courtney reveals that she has an autoimmune condition known as Hashimoto’s Thyroid disease.
“Finding ways to control my stress is very important,” she continues. “Thankfully, I no longer deal with fatigue, brain fog and migraines,” which are critical byproducts of the condition, “but one of the side effects that I do still deal with is my sensitivity to gluten,” making it “harder to find restaurants that I can enjoy with my friends and family.” (“I even react to cross-contamination, like [menu items] sharing fryers,” she adds, “[so] a gluten-free kitchen, or, at minimum, [use of] separate fryers” is paramount for the performer).
Luckily for her, Senza Gluten by Jemiko guarantees both. Like a fellow gluten-intolerant performer polled before her, Courtney delights in the deluge of diverse options the relatively newfound establishment has to offer (again, reiterating that the entire restaurant is 100% gluten-free – “so nothing with gluten ever enters the facility.”)
“I love anything on the menu, really,” she gushes, adding that even the pre-meal table bread is “absolutely delicious.” But ultimately, her can’t-miss dish “has to be the gnocchi.”
Available as both a Bolognese – with imported Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil – and al Funghi – with sautéed wild mushrooms in a white cream sauce, drizzled with white truffle oil – it makes your tastebuds tingle in such a way that customers (and Courtney!) concur: it “feels as if [you’ve] been transported to Italy.”
To finish off, our subject recommends cleansing your palate with a tangy lemon sorbet – but if lemon’s not your thing, Senza Gluten offers a wide variety of flavors to choose from, both in ice cream & sorbet, and again, all gluten-free.
Lick it up, baby! Lick it up!
Senza Gluten by Jemiko is open Monday-Friday from 4pm-11pm & Saturday and Sunday from 11am-11pm. Weekend brunch closes at 3:30pm.
(856 8th Avenue)
“Another option I love — and that I relied on heavily during my run in & Juliet – was Dig Inn,” Courtney says, which, she notes, is today known, simply, as DIG.
A New York-based fast-casual chain focused on seasonal and sustainable ingredients, DIG was established in 2011 by restauranteur Adam Eskin.
With an emphasis on providing “healthy, fresh and nourishing options at very affordable prices,” DIG’s menu centers around build-your-own “marketbowls,” which start with a base like brown rice or greens and include assorted “market sides” – like herb farro, cannellini beans and cauliflower – that rotate with the season.
If it’s more your style, choose from a variety of prepared plates. “My go-to is the Classic Dig,” says Courtney, a dish consisting of charred chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, brown rice, and charred broccoli, with a garlic aioli served on the side.
(With the “mix-and-match” mentality to which the chain subscribes, allowing customers to swap out any protein for another in any bowl or plate on the menu, Courtney states she’d frequently substitute the chicken for salmon – “my absolute favorite!”)
Also popular is the Hot Honey Chicken – with the titular protein, carrots, charred broccoli, Jasper Hill mac-and-cheese and a maple honey sriracha on the side – or the vegan-forward Field of Greens, prepared with crispy tofu, avocado, mixed farm greens, and herb rice.
In addition to plates, a variety of soft drinks, salads, sandwiches, and desserts are also available.
Of note, the singing actress also “roars” about the franchise’s rewards program — “[for] every forty dollars you spend on the app, you get a five-dollar coupon [to use] toward your next purchase… you can imagine how many meals I ordered from [here] each week!” As an added incentive, as with most digital rewards programs, the app also takes five dollars off users’ first orders.
It's all in alignment with their mission: “to [create] a tight-knit community where everyone is welcome because we’re all working toward the same thing.”
“DIG [is] more than a restaurant,” Eskin declares, to that end, in a statement. “It’s a shared belief that access to good food — picked recently enough to enjoy its full set of nutrients, carried only as far as it needs to, grown and cooked by first names, and priced to feed a neighborhood — shouldn’t have to be a movement, an ethos, a privilege, or even a doubt.”
And while there’s no question Courtney champions that belief, it’s equally clear that others do, too. As of June 2023, the chain has 35 restaurants — in such cities as Stamford, CT; Bridgewater, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Boston, MA; and Washington, D.C., as well as several locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn — harvested over 250,000 pounds of organically-grown vegetables, partnered with over 100 independent farms, and taught thousands of people how to cook in DIG kitchens.
Ultimately, “it’s farmers, chefs, and guests,” Eskin boasts, when prompted to define the franchise. But at the end of the day, he maintains, above all: “it’s just good food.”
DIG has several locations throughout New York City (and the country), but Courtney prefers delivery from the Midtown/Theatre District location, open 7 days a week from 11am-7pm. For information and hours for the franchise’s plentitude of other locations, see website for details.
We’ll continue to present a new performer with a new restaurant and a new menu, so keep checking back to see who we poll and what’s on their mind at mealtime! Until next time, bon appétit!
