Maybe Happy Ending’s savviest Helperbot shares her favorite food spots before or after a show.
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 the eternally ebullient Savy Jackson who already stands by for Maybe Happy Ending’s Claire on the reg, but can be seen exclusively as the seemingly superior Helperbot through August 20th.
Jackson made her Broadway debut as the alternate for the eponymous role of Bad Cinderella in the show of the same name. Regional work includes Mythic (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Take the Lead (Paper Mill Playhouse), and The Little Mermaid at The Muny, while film credits include HBO Max’s Sweethearts. A talented singer-songwriter, she can be heard on the concept album for Caesar: The Musical, with an original single, “He Don’t Love You (As Much As I Do),” arriving on all platforms beginning August 28th, and much more music on the way.
But where does Jackson journey for a post-show meal?
(364 W 46th St.)
Co-owned by longtime Hell’s Kitchen residents Shane Hathaway and Jason Clark since September 2017, Hold Fast Kitchen & Spirits is a “true locals’ bar,” with “a nice dimly lit atmosphere that makes it perfect for winding down after a show,” according to Jackson.
“Hold Fast definitely holds a special place in my heart,” the actor continues. “I have been going to this spot since I first appeared on Broadway in Bad Cinderella in 2023. Every week, when friends and family would come to see me [perform], we would always head to Hold Fast after to celebrate and unpack the show. It became a routine and ritual for me.”
The homey Midtown establishment prides itself on “serving with a smile,” offering up delicious drinks and top-notch food at reasonable prices in a prime Midtown location.
“We’re both fortunate enough to live and work in this neighborhood,” Hathaway elaborates, “so we wanted to create a place for our community.” The two aimed to establish a beloved place, both for themselves and their guests, whether customers were traveling long distances into New York from another city, state or even country… or just wandering in from down the block. Whatever direction you’re coming in, “we wanted to make sure that you would feel like you are at home. And people do call this their home.”
Jackson, of course, included. “The staff is very kind, and the food is always served nice and hot,” she says.
And when it comes to the food, Jackson knows exactly what she’s ordering. “I’m always on the hunt for the best wings,” she declares, “and Hold Fast definitely takes the cake.” Like one of our former participants before her, she recommends the house wings — prepped with a signature dry rub, drizzled in Alabama white sauce, topped with cilantro and served alongside carrots for dipping. “And a side of sweet potato fries,” she appends, with a smile. Though she admits she never particularly preferred the side dish, “Hold Fast won me over instantly.”
Recalling the ritual established with her debut, Jackson says, “Now that I’m in Maybe Happy Ending, it’s such a beautiful, full-circle thing to be able to do weekly again!”
And she didn’t even need to ask to borrow a charger to get in!
Hold Fast Kitchen & Spirits is open Monday-Friday from 12pm-2am, and Saturday & Sunday from 11am-2am, with the kitchen closing daily at 1am.
(120 West 44th St.)
“There are definitely days where I don’t feel like cooking when I get home after doing a show,” Jackson laments. Luckily, Gatsby’s Landing, “a reliable hidden gem” perfectly positioned right across from the Belasco, “makes for the perfect post-show dinner spot [where] I can always get a nice healthy meal to fuel myself after the show.”
Evoking a “fine dining meets casual comfort food” feel, the establishment, outfitted with sparkling chandeliers, shimmering sconces, brass fixtures, and “a mirrored bar with pearlescent accents,” boasts a stylish, sophisticated, and “tastefully modernized” upscale vibe, all inspired, of course, by the novel — and, ahem, musical — from which it takes its name.
Lavish salads, flatbreads, sliders, brick-oven pizza, and entrées like pork chops and burgers fill the menu, showcasing primarily New American fare prepped with seasonal, organic, and farm-fresh ingredients. The Zucchini Blossoms, served with whipped sheep’s milk ricotta and drizzled with truffle honey, are a particular customer favorite, as is the Octopus Carpaccio, featuring Pesto Rosso, celery, olive oil, and micro basil. Drinks are also aplenty, with Gatsby’s Cosmopolitan (vodka, triple sec, white cranberry), and the boozier Lemon Thyme Bourbon topping many a recommendation list as well.
Jackson, however, goes for the Branzino, “seasoned to perfection,” and served with fennel puree and sauce Vierge on a bed of sautéed spinach (“so ‘yay’ for eating a vegetable, because I am so ridiculously bad at that,” she admits, with a laugh).
Her reasoning? “We have a family tradition of making a seafood buffet every New Year’s Eve,” she shares, elaborating on her dad’s exceptional knack for cooking seafood. She therefore considers any seafood dish worth its salt to be a little taste of home, and the Branzino – “one of my faves,” she reiterates – certainly does the trick.
You could say, in a way, it helps her not to be alone... which is, fittingly, just as Claire would like it.
Gatsby’s Landing is open Monday-Friday from 12pm-12am, Saturday from 11am-12am, and Sunday from 10:30am-10pm. Brunch is served on Saturday & Sunday; see website for complete 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!
