New York City: Charley O's (September 2002)

My spouse and I dined at Charley O's in September 2002. While Charley O's has the manufactured whiff of a chain—it’s part of a local franchise-owning restaurant group—this meat-and-potatoes saloon is also imbued with an olde Gotham slant, right down to the retro claim “fine food and drink.” The interior certainly recalls an earlier era: Warm-toned walls are hung with black-and-white cityscapes, and low-rent jazz ensembles play on weeknights. If the menu's formulaic and the prices inflated, that’s to be expected given the tourist clientele. At least the kitchen shows some flair: Charcoal-grilled chicken breast comes with garlic-flecked string beans and buttermilk potatoes mashed with the skins. And ultimately, ending your visit to this city or this restaurant with an airy wedge of Lindy’s cheesecake is never a bad thing.