The soulful singer (and her daughter) share their fave food spots ahead of her anticipated solo show at the Green Room 42, which also marks her New York debut.
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.
Next up, we chat with Laurie Roldan, who lends her voice to “The Music of Karen Carpenter,” with her solo show, A Song for You, at the Green Room 42 this Saturday, May 31.
“I grew up laying next to my parents’ speaker singing to the Carpenters’ records,” the singer details, on the subject, when pinpointing the birth of her infatuation with this music (and thus, the birth of this concert). “That’s how I learned to sing… truly.”
With the help of music director Nicolas Perez, and some very special guest vocalists (including her own daughter, Bridgette Kinsella, who also got in on the fun providing an Eats endorsement), Roldan weaves the personal memories and anecdotes that make up her life story through a collection of Carpenter classics, including “Close to You,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” “Superstar,” and “Ticket to Ride,” among many others.
Based mainly in the Bay Area, Roldan has served as a guest artist at many special events throughout the West, including as a soloist with symphony orchestras, and as a performer across several Bay Area stages.
Notable roles include The Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Shellie Award nominee), Percy in The Spitfire Grill (Shellie Award nominee), Sarah in Guys and Dolls, Rose in The Secret Garden, and Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar.
Her voice can also be heard on her self-described inspirational album, Even That, initially recorded “to comfort those going through difficult times.”
But when it comes to eats, what does Roldan recommend?
(234 W. 44th Street)
As previous participants have proven (and as savvy stage luminaries know), Roldan recognizes there’s simply no restaurant like Sardi’s Restaurant to epitomize the epicenter of Broadway.
The established eatery, now synonymous with the Great Bright Way, has been around since 1921, first as The Little Restaurant, in the space now occupied by the St. James Theatre, and in its current location under its eponymous title since 1927.
“[During] my first visit to New York City, my parents took me to eat here after seeing Cats, my first Broadway show,” Roldan explains. “It was a huge treat for me and really made an impression on me as a young teenager.”
Among the alluring elements for her were the caricatures, gracing the walls of the interior, wrapped around the restaurant frame-to-frame: “I was immediately starstruck.”
As detailed prior, the famous Wall of Caricatures — boasting iconic portraits of entertainment’s best and brightest — was the brainchild of Vincent Sardi, Sr. himself; in an effort to promote business, the restauranteur commissioned Russian refugee Alex Gard to draw likenesses of the celebrity clientele in exchange for free food.
While several artists took up the pen following Gard’s passing in 1948, today’s caricaturist, Richard Baratz, has been with the restaurant since 1975.
But for Roldan, it’s more than just pretty faces; there’s a personal connection, too. “For many years, people [told] me that I look a lot like Bebe Neuwirth,” she shares, expressing her immense admiration for the actress and her work. “So, it was very serendipitous when I returned to Sardi’s with my husband years later and — by pure coincidence — was seated directly below Bebe’s caricature,” on two separate occasions, no less.
When it comes to the eats, Roldan meticulously plans a full meal. To start, “the Fruitwood Smoked Salmon appetizer” — served with multigrain bread and classic garniture — “is a longtime favorite.”
Next, she moves to the classic Cobb Salad, served Sardi’s-style, with grilled chicken, Maytag Blue cheese, bacon, avocado, mushroom, cherry tomatoes and hard-boiled egg on a bed of baby greens.
Finally, for dessert: Granny’s Apple Crumb. Exhibiting crisp Granny Smith apples stewed in brown sugar and cinnamon streusel, baked into a sweet cookie crust, and served alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it can’t be beat.
Top it all off with a Manhattan — here served traditionally with rye whiskey and sweet vermouth in a stemless martini glass — “not only because it’s delicious, but because [it] honors my dad,” Roldan says, with a smile. “This was his favorite cocktail, and he had taken me to Sardi’s for the very first time, so I always look to order it for him.” Bottom’s up!
Sardi’s is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 12pm-10:45pm & Wednesday and Saturday from 12pm-11pm; the restaurant is closed on Sunday and Monday.
(428 Amsterdam Ave.)
The first (and one of the only) sustainable seafood restaurants in the city, serving only wild caught & responsibly farmed seafood, Crave Fishbar aims to serve creative dishes in an upscale neighborhood setting, with global flavors and innovative dish preparations.
Founded by chef and owner Todd Mitgang in 2012, this fish-focused restaurant is seemingly refined enough to keep serious types satiated, while maintaining a laid-back, comfortable atmosphere that caters to those who need a break from the bustle of Midtown East.
“It’s definitely a place for everyone,” says Kinsella, who, admittedly, also works as a server at the establishment. “Customers range from big families to smaller groups of all ages, and we love seeing familiar faces and returning customers [who] come in almost daily for a drink or a meal!”
Among the dishes most of the repeat customers recommend are the Plancha Grilled Octopus or Barramundi; the former served with roasted sweet potato and fennel in a red wine vinaigrette, while the latter is drizzled with chipotle oil and a miso honey glaze, and served alongside jumbo asparagus.
Also popular is the Yellowfin Tuna (coriander adobo, Mexican corn, smashed fingerling potatoes, queso fresco, pickled onion & guajillo salsa, though preparation changes seasonally), and though, at a Fish Bar, it may be preferable to order the aquatic animal, the Homemade Cavatelli (with vine ripened tomato ragout, whipped ricotta, basil purée) or the Pat LaFrieda Cheeseburger (with Cabot cheddar cheese, pickle, lettuce, tomato, topped with truffle aioli, and served with hand-cut fries) can’t be beat.
Still, Kinsella insists, if nothing else, the absolutely meal-must is the “killer Lobster Curry,” a mainstay on the menu since Crave initially opened that remains one of the establishment’s most popular dishes today. A Thai-inspired Chu Chee curry, featuring gobs of lobster, amidst charred red onion, Japanese eggplant, Thai apple eggplant, and fresh bamboo shoots, “it’s got just the right amount of spice to satisfy your tastebuds,” she continues. “What more could you want?! Delicious!”
Aside from the dinner menu, also notable at the establishment is their “excellent oyster happy hour,” cheekily dubbed #Oystergram, boasting up to twenty varieties both East and West Cost oysters that rotate on the daily ($2-$2.50 each), as well as shooters, shellfish and other small bites, as is their Save the Reef special, which sees 100% of a customer’s donation goes to the Billion Oyster Project and the restoration of the oyster reefs in New York Harbor.
“We’ve also just rolled out our spring cocktails, too,” our subject notes, “including a cocktail I created called the Spring Fling, with tequila, hibiscus, and a hint of sparkling Rosé.”
And don’t forget about dessert; customers rave the establishment offers “one of the best chocolate chip cookies in all of NYC” — a top-secret (but generously ooey-gooey) recipe, served warm with a scoop of housemade vanilla ice cream.
Simply put, perfect for any occasion, be it a business lunch, family dinner, date night, or dining experience “just because,” in a vibrant, historic location, and with a wide variety of undersea offerings, whatever you crave (ahem, pardon the pun), Crave is sure to have you covered.
“It’s a crowd pleaser that has never failed us,” another glowing repeat customer review reiterates. “We know it won’t fail you, either.”
Crave Fishbar is open Sunday from 4pm-9:30pm, and Monday-Saturday from 4pm-10pm. Though Kinsella suggests — and works at — the Upper West Side location, there are also locations in Midtown (945 2nd Avenue) and on the Upper East Side (1462 2nd Avenue).
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!
