Post-piano lesson dinner with Mom and Kendrick at 44 1/2. You may have noticed the inordinate amount of time I spend at this restaurant and its sister restaurant, 44 & X (Julia’s become a convert too). The owners, Scott and Bruce, live above my parents in the building I grew up in, and over the years have become great friends of ours. My parents more or less use the restaurants as their kitchen, and whenever I make the trek over to their apartment we have dinner at one place or the other (Dad couldn’t join this time). So yes, I have a soft spot in my heart for these restaurants, but the truth is that the food at both is extraordinary – I never get tired of it – and the atmosphere is romantic, fun and casual, all at the same time.
The restaurants are also very special to me because I genuinely feel that in many ways they helped to initiate the remarkable transition that Hell’s Kitchen has undergone over the last decade or so. When I was growing up on 46th Street there were kids in my school who quite literally weren’t allowed to attend my birthday parties, because it was such a rough part of town. By the time I graduated high school, though, restaurants like 44 & X and stores like Domus (another local favorite of mine) had sprung up around the neighborhood – boutique, family-run establishments that honor the traditions of the area while taking it to another level. And when I moved back to the city a couple of years ago…well, let’s just say that rent prices in Hell’s Kitchen stand as testament to its popularity. I’ll always think of this as my neighborhood, and…it’s just nice to see it doing so well.
Above, I’m eating 44 1/2’s WATERMELON AND FETA SALAD. Super simple to make, and very beautiful (your guests will be impressed):
1. Slice a few tomatoes (alternating red and yellow looks nice) and arrange on a plate;
2. Over the tomatoes, arrange sliced or crumbled feta and watermelon cut into 1/2 inch wide by 3 inch long blocks;
3. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar;
4. Garnish with a few greens, or maybe a sprig of mint.
Dress by BCBG (purchased for $29 – !! – at TJMaxx. Yep.)
