Tale of Two Stations
When you take the train and get off at either Penn Station or Grand Central Terminal, probably the first thing you want to do is get out and explore the city. After all, aren't the crowds around you doing the same thing.....rushing along to their next destination? Not so fast! While it might be true that everybody seems to be in their "catch a train mode", you should slow down....especially if you're hungry!
Penn Station
Before it was demolished in 1962, Penn Station was a Beaux-Arts masterpiece where passengers walked across pink marbled floors covered with a 150 foot tall glass-vaulted ceiling. Now completely underground with concourses connected by a maze of tunnels and Madison Square Garden on top, it may seem pretty dismal until you dig deep into the food offerings. At first glance, chains such as Nathan's, KFC, Dunkin' Donuts and Pizza Hut and some seemingly generic pizzerias and hot-pretzel vendors dominate the scene. Look further and you'll discover:
- Tracks Raw Bar & Grill serving fresh oysters, shellfish, fried calamari with remoulade sauce, and creamy New England clam chowder garnished with snipped chives and parsley.
- Island Dine, a Jamaican joint, has a steam table bursting with curried goat and stewed oxtails, two types of rice, salad, and an oven full of fried plantains.
- On the LIRR concourse, Rosa's serves pasta dishes and huge pizza slices to go. It's hard to decide between their ultra thick lasagna and eggplant parm..
- For sandwiches it's Le Bon Café, offering 15 varieties of panini grilled to order. My favorite is the Cuban: roast pork, Swiss cheese and choice of toppings.
Grand Central Terminal
Unlike Penn Station, not only did Grand Central escape the wrecking ball but it was completely restored in 1998 back to its original splendor. Look up and gaze at the Main Concourse ceiling. You are witnessing the results of a 12-year project that restored an elaborately decorated astronomical work originally painted in 1912 by French artist Paul César Helleu. Underneath the stars, five top-rated restaurants and cocktail lounges, 20 casual international eateries in the lower level Dining Concourse, and a schmorgasborg of gourmet foods at the European-style Grand Central Market are impossible to ignore. Everything ranging from BBQ to Indian is here and if you can't make up your mind, go to Zaro's Bakery located both in the Market and Dining Concourse and have a sandwich, soup or salad with your pick of over 300 different fresh baked goods including warm chocolate chip cookies, and just baked challah.