New York City: Hurley's Saloon (November 2003)

My spouse and I had drinks at Hurley's Saloon in November 2003. Forsaking a century-long presence in Rockefeller Center for the glitter of Times Square, this upscale saloon moved in 2000 to a renovated building west of Broadway. Designed in a theme-park pastiche of Prohibition–era New York that’s meant to evoke the ghosts of daring flappers and dashing robber barons, the dining room features luxe, scarlet-cushioned booths tucked against walls of bumblebee yellow. A deep ground-floor bar hosts business folks during happy hour; the dining areas in back and on the second floor seat motley groups of tourists and other Times Square gawkers. Hurley’s aims for a swanky, steak-and-seafood theme, but huge portions and extraneous sauce evoke Applebee’s over the Astors. Still, prompt service and guest-friendly pricing suit Hurley’s for this part of town; everyone leaves satisfied and on time for their Broadway curtain. Red-meat basics, like grilled rib-eye steak or tender, moist ribs, are good, safe bets, but don’t skip the starters: French onion soup may be the best dish on the menu, with a gratinéed cheese top and buttery, sweet broth. Perfectly charred blackened shrimp, paired with a side of sugary mango chutney, offer an appealing alternative to otherwise beefy fare. In its old Sixth Avenue home, this midtowner was once frequented by radio and television stars from yesteryear like Steve Allen and Johnny Carson. When Mayor John Lindsay and Henry Kissinger had a party there, they had such a good time they were asked to leave.