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 turn to Jeff Harnar, the dulcet-toned crooner who returns to Birdland on October 6 with his celebrated show, The 1959 Broadway Songbook, which simultaneously commemorates the re-release of its adjoining album, available to stream from PS Classics.
With help from a trio of musicians – including musical director Alex Rybeck, bassist Tom Hubbard, and drummer Dan Gross – Harnar will take his audience through a melodic mélange of the 21 musicals playing in 1959, a “magical year in New York theater” in the eyes of the artist himself. From Gypsy to Fiorello! And West Side Story to Once Upon a Mattress, the evening features over 40 songs – including an Overture and Entr’ acte, no less! – woven together to create a resplendent result, attributing the Golden Age of Broadway as only Harnar can.
In addition to his work at Birdland, the multiple MAC and Bistro Award-winning Harnar has appeared in concert at Carnegie Hall, as well as the “American Songbook Live” concert at NJPAC honoring Stephen Sondheim and “Remember: Songs of the Holidays” with KT Sullivan, both of which were televised for PBS.
In addition to The 1959 Broadway Songbook, his most recent albums include Jeff Harnar Sings Sammy Cahn: The Second Time Around, A Collective Cy honoring the work of Cy Coleman, and I Know Things Now: My Life in Sondheim’s Words, all from PS Classics and now available to stream.
But where does Jeff journey for a meal?
(234 W. 44th Street)
As it is for so many of our contributors, the allure of the iconic Sardi’s is equally enticing for Harnar.
“When we would visit New York City during my teens, my parents instilled in me the significance of this theatrical institution,” Harnar explains. Much like previous participants – and anyone else who enters the establishment – “I was immediately mesmerized then, as I am now, by those drawings.”
The drawings he refers to are the famed celebrity caricatures, courtesy of several dynamic artists, including the current Richard Baratz, who’s been sketching for Sardi’s since 1975.
The food, of course, is also an obvious draw. Harnar’s favorites – “beyond the bottomless breadbasket brought around throughout the meal with delicious selections in itself,” he laughs – include the Cobb Salad (with grilled chicken, crumbled bleu cheese, bacon, avocado, mushrooms, hard-boiled egg, and tomato, but customizable to ingredient preferences), and the “always reliable” Grilled Angus Burger, cooked to your liking, and served with Boston lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle alongside the classic French-fried potatoes. (Add American, Swiss, or Cheddar cheese for an additional charge). Rightfully topping the list, however, is the signature Cannelloni Au Gratin, an original family recipe first introduced in 1960, boasting Porcini mushroom-flavored beef and pork rolled in a French crepe and smothered with Sardi’s Supreme béchamel-based sauce.
Bonus pick: The traditional French Onion Soup, topped with a generous portion of Gruyère cheese, “which is everything one could hope for and more.”
But the most captivating element for him is its “old-time New York” vibe. “[It] can make me feel like I’ve stepped back into the Golden Age of Broadway,” he elaborates, “when people dressed up and filled the room with a communal, kinetic buzz unique to the energy conjured by having one’s mind, heart, and imagination ignited by live theater.” While one may argue that philosophy and fervor are still alive and well today, we can also acknowledge that there’s nothing like longing for the days of old… especially those in, say (as Harnar would)... 1959!
Final pro tip: If you have an Equity or SAG-AFTRA card, be sure to take advantage of their moderately priced Actors’ Menu, available post-show with proof of membership.
Sardi’s is open Tuesday-Saturday for lunch, dinner and late supper from 12pm-11pm.
(1515 Broadway at 45th St.)
“For a more informal dining environment, I enjoy Junior’s,” Harnar says, referring to the renowned cheesecake emporium whose name famously bears the decadent dessert.
Founded by Harry Rosen in 1950, who previously ran a family diner in the original Junior’s location under a different name, and named after his two sons, Junior’s Restaurant first began as a local diner, and, as the business experienced success, eventually became a full-scale restaurant in 1956.
Subsequently run by its namesake sons and today run by Rosen’s grandson Alan – and having since expanded beyond their Brooklyn beginnings to several locations across New York and Connecticut – Junior’s opened its iconic theater location on Broadway and 45th in 2006. Over time, it’s also become a prominent symbol of pop culture, having been the setting for a scene in the original Sex and the City movie (2008), LL Cool J’s 1995 music video “Doin’ It,” and the Robin Williams-fronted film, The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, among others.
For its signature dessert, the restaurant won first place in New York Magazine’s Cheesecake Olympics in 1973. In addition to “The World’s Most Fabulous Cheesecake” its menu now touts as a result of that victory, courtesy of original baker Eigel Peterson and based on a family recipe that spans three generations, Junior’s offers a variety of deli sandwiches, salads, burgers, and blintzes. (It’s also known for its signature pre-meal sides; whereas some restaurants may offer a breadbasket, Junior’s customers are greeted with pickles, coleslaw, and beets.)
Among its offerings, Harnar goes for BBQ Chicken Salad – “always a treat,” he says, with a smile – boasting red pepper, tomato, kidney beans, roasted corn, scallions, and cheddar cheese atop lettuce & barbecue chicken breast, drizzled with Southwestern Ranch. Hot on the menu is also the Pastrami Reuben – with the titular meat piled high on Rye among generous portions of sauerkraut and Swiss – a hit with customers since the restaurant first opened.
“And leave room to share a slice of their memorable dessert,” Harnar advises, thumbing the extensive menu, featuring over 20 varieties of the titular treat. For his part, the performer prefers the Brownie Explosion Cheesecake, highlighting “mounds of homemade brownies loaded inside and out” of their aforementioned original New York cheesecake recipe.
There’s no question lots has changed in New York since the 1950s; however, for someone like Harnar in search of pockets of the Golden Age, it’s safe to say that the city’s infamous hustle-bustle culture and penchant for old-age diners are eternal.
Thus, “if you want to see a real slice of New York,” the younger Rosen suggests: “you’ve simply gotta come to Junior’s.” No doubt Harnar would agree… and, doubling down and quoting a line from his show, courtesy of entertainer Jackie Gleason, he appeals: “Take me along!”
Junior’s Restaurant is open Sunday-Thursday from 7am-12am, and Friday & Saturday from 7am-1am. For hours at additional locations, including 49th Street and the original Brooklyn venue, see website for details.
We’ll continue to present a new performer with new restaurants and new menus, so keep checking back to see who we poll and what’s on their mind at mealtime! Until next time, as always, bon appétit!
