New York City: Chelsea
Retro diners, Cuban-Chinese greasy spoons along Eighth Avenue, increasingly trendy restaurants, and cute brunch spots characterize Chelsea . Perhaps the best and most reasonably priced offerings are to be had in the area's Central American establishments, though there is also a mosaic of international cuisines - Thai, Austrian, Mexican, Italian and traditional American.AMERICAN AND CONTINENTAL
Cafeteria
119 7th Ave (at 17th St) tel 212/414-1717.
Don't let the name fool you: while
Cafeteria
is open 24 hours and has great chicken fried steak, meatloaf and macaroni and cheese, this place is anything but a trucker's dream. Modern, plastic-designed and always packed with beautiful diners.
Empire Diner
210 10th Ave (between 22nd and 23rd sts) tel 212/243-2736.
With its gleaming chrome-ribbed Art Deco interior, this is one of Manhattan's original diners, still open 24 hours and still serving up plates of simple (if not much better than average) American food such as burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches.
The Old Homestead
56 9th Ave (between 14th and 15th sts) tel 212/242-9040.
Steak. Period. But really gorgeous steak, served in an almost comically old-fashioned walnut dining room by waiters in black vests. Huge portions, but expensive.
CARIBBEAN, CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICAN
Cuba Libre
200 8th Ave (between 20th and 21st sts) tel 212/206-0038.
Tapas, mojitos and hip-swinging music make this airy, reasonably priced eatery a Chelsea favorite with the predominately gay crowd.
Negril
362 W 23rd St (off 9th Ave) tel 212/807-6411.
An enormous aquarium and colorful decor add to the pleasure of eating at this Jamaican restaurant. Spicy jerk chicken or goat, stews and other dishes keep 'em coming, as do the reasonable prices (around $10-12 for an entree).
ITALIAN
Bottino
246 10th Ave (between 25th and 26th sts) tel 212/206-6766.
One of Chelsea's most popular restaurants,
Bottino
attracts the in-crowd looking for some honest Italian food served in a very downtown atmosphere. The homemade leek tortolloni (winter months only) is truly tantalizing.
Frank's
85 10th Ave (at 15th St) tel 212/243-1349.
Long-established Italian-American steakhouse, with pasta and other Italian dishes from $10 up. The casual atmosphere provides a real taste of old New York.
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