PX This.

Welcome to: Where I Spent My Day Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"

So, what do you do in the industry?
I’m a Service Coordinator and Floor Manager for a [highly publicized] 150+ seater in TriBeCa.

And you have how many days off a week, generally?
Two.

What did you do for breakfast yesterday?
Had an english muffin (with butter) and coffee at home while watching the morning news.

Lunch?
Met a couple of friends at Ippudo on 4th Ave. They’re big fans of the ramen, and I think one friend even knows one of the cooks there. It’s usually packed (or rather, the wait is long) for dinner, so lunch is a better bet if you can make it there early enough. I used to be a fan myself, until a girl I was dating a while back had an allergic reaction which she attributed to MSG. I was surprised that a ramen house as well-known as Ippudo would still be using outdated and controversial ingredients like MSG, so when I got home I googled "Ippudo MSG." Even though I didn’t actually get a definitive answer, there were enough reports online of people with similar doubts and experiences to make me somewhat of a believer. I haven’t eaten at Ippudo since, and I try to warn my friends of the possibility of MSG in the food. Some friends care — others don’t.
Obviously, these particular friends still love it, but I stuck with two pork buns, piquillo peppers and a small bottle of sake. I hope the pork buns don’t have any MSG, but if it weren’t for my friends insisting on lunching there, I wouldn’t have gone back even for those.

And afterward?
Walked around Union Square with my friends, then went home to clean my apartment and catch up on the laundry.

Dinner?
Met another friend at Ed’s Lobster Bar in SoHo. She was craving a lobster roll, and Mary’s Fish Camp is too much of hassle (long wait) most nights. I also won’t go to Pearl’s because the staff has such an attitude problem there. Ed’s isn’t much better, but the irony is that at Ed’s the staff is nice, but the owners are real dicks. Usually whenever I see Ed or that other big guy through the window, I keep walking. But this time my friend was starving so I gave in.
I always try to get a seat at the counter as far away from Ed as possible. Sometimes he mans the front oyster/raw bar, and other times he darts in and out of the kitchen in the back. Unfortunately, this time there were only seats toward the front, and we had no choice but to plop ourselves smack in front of his surly mug.

The funny thing is I was bracing myself for a mediocre to downright awful experience, but I think Ed heard us talking and realized we were from the industry. He was unusually attentive, and no exaggeration, the lobster rolls arrived more overstuffed and perfectly prepared than I have ever seen before (more often than not, it’s a crap shoot). The fries were also perfect (ditto on the crap shoot) and even the little ramekin of pickles was practically overflowing. We also shared a Caesar salad to start, and even that was fresher and better prepared than it’s ever been. It ended up being the best meal I’ve ever had there.

And afterward?
Popped into Cafe Select to see if another friend of mine was working, but she wasn’t, so we dropped into La Esquina instead. Had two rounds of margaritas, which was one more than I wanted, but I know the girl that was bartending, so she refilled the glasses when we weren’t looking. We spotted Mischa Barton walking by, but I think I heard she’s there all the time. Also ran into a couple of other people we know.

How much did you blow today?
I treated my friend to dinner at Ed’s so all in all, about $190, including tip (which I gave the bartender at La Esquina a little extra for the sneak round). My friend paid for the first round of drinks at La Esquina. No cab fare all day which is one of the main reasons I mostly only go to places I can walk to (I hate the subway).

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