L’Express (***)
249 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10003 (Gramercy)
This place has been an oldie, but goodie, of mine for about 20 years. Man, I have been in NYC for a hot minute. Back in my grad school days, we considered this place a fancy (because of the French decor) 24/7 spot. I can remember stopping by L’Express at 2, 3, 4 am to grab pommes frites and a couple of Kronenbourg 1664 beers after club hopping. Sometimes L’Express was the highlight of our clubbing/lounging experience.
Although I do not club so much these days, I do try to visit L’Express a couple of times a year. The sad thing: for the past 20 (technically 19) years, I always get the same thing . . .
The Croque Madam
Maybe it’s not a sad thing because I’m going for what I know. I do not know why, but there is something about a croque madam that makes my mouth water. As a matter of fact, I could go for one RIGHT NOW. While the restaurant’s croque madam has been my go to for nearly two decades, I do enjoy the restaurant’s mussels (the wine broth is so AMAZING) and the steak tartare.
Run There, Drink That 