Here is what Broadway stars order from their favorite NYC restaurants in-between shows
Theatergoers are always on the hunt for the perfect meal before or after a Broadway show in the Theater District. But celebrities, as they say, are just like us: they, too, have their favorite pre-show rituals and post-curtain cravings.
Take Lea Michele, who is currently starring as Florence Vassy in Chess. She was recently surprised with a salad named in her honor at one of Broadway's most beloved dining institutions, Joe Allen. During an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, the restaurant team unveiled the new addition to the menu: the Lea Michele Cajun Chicken Salad.
The tribute has roots stretching back more than three decades. In 1995, when Michele was just 8 years old and making her Broadway debut in Les Misérables, she frequently ordered Joe Allen's Cajun chicken salad, particularly loving its gorgonzola cheese. Now, years later, the restaurant has brought back a version of the dish as a nod to the Broadway star's longtime connection to the iconic pre-theater haunt.
Michele isn't the only Broadway favorite with go-to dining spots and signature orders. Here are seven other Broadway stars and the meals they swear by before or after the show.
Dylan Mulvaney, SIX
Galleghers Steakhouse at 228 West 52nd Street
Dylan Mulvaney heads to the Gallaghers Steakhouse, another famed spot just shy of its 100-year-old birthday, for the “charming waiters and the big booths,” the actress tells Time Out New York. Mulvaney usually orders the shrimp scampi but says that the mac and cheese is also a must. The actress will also enjoy a lemon drop martini if there’s no matinee the next day.
Gallaghers originally opened in 1927 as a Prohibition-era speakeasy for Broadway stars and gamblers. Known for its meticulously dry-aged steaks, the restaurant maintains an on-site meat locker to ensure every cut is aged to perfection. Its walls are adorned with photographs of famous guests that have dined throughout the years like Ethel Merman, the epitome of Broadway.
Ali Louis Bourzgui, The Lost Boys
Golden Hof at 16 West 48th Street
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To refuel after a matinee, Ali Louis Bourzgui picks up Golden Hof for its “suburb” Korean style dishes, he tells Time Out. The Tony Award nominated actor likes to order chicken wings, bento boxes and mini honey butter pancakes for dessert. The restaurant honors its Korean roots while reimagining the familiar bar and grill concept through a Korean American lens, the ideal no-frills destination on show day, if you ask us.
Alex Brightman, Schmigadoon!
Mermaid Oyster Bar Times Square at 127 West 43rd Street
Alex Brightman introduced Schmigadoon! creator Cinco Paul and the majority of the Tony Award nominated cast to the Theater District spot during tech rehearsals and “made lifers of them all,” he shares with Time Out. “The raw bar is unrivaled and the Lobster Knuckles are divine.”
Brightman says he’s been dining at Mermaid restaurants around the city for years and is so “lucky” there is one three blocks from the Nederlander Theatre.
The stars of the show here are the oysters, along with a 3:30–5:30 p.m. happy hour that lines up perfectly before an evening Broadway show. It’s well worth squeezing in, with a spinach and artichoke dip, mini New England clam chowder and salmon tartare among the discounted offerings. There’s also a kids’ menu, which includes an entrée and side for $14.
Julia Knitel, Operation Mincemeat
SUGARFISH at 210 West 56th Street
Julia Knitel loves the ritual of “sushi Sunday” between shows. She orders the Trust Me from SUGARFISH, which is a mini omakase featuring a curated selection of sashimi, nigir, and hand rolls.
One time, the delivery worker couldn’t find the stage door, “so I had to explain to the people waiting that I wasn’t coming out to sign just yet, but that I had to grab my sushi first from this delivery person who couldn’t find me,” Knitel tells Time Out. “To which someone (very quickly) replied, ‘Oh, so there’s a...fish mishap?’ It’s a line from the show and made me laugh out loud.”
John Lithgow, Giant
Orso at 322 West 46th Street
For a pre-show meal, John Lithgow orders the sautéed calf’s liver from Orso to his dressing room. The entrée comes with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach as sides.
Orso is the Theater District’s ultimate insider secret, tucked safely away from the flashing chaos of Times Square. Opened in 1983 by legendary restaurateur Joe Allen on Restaurant Row, this intimate Italian staple has spent decades serving Broadway actors, producers and clued-in locals. It’s a favorite of Jimmy Fallon’s, too!
Marla Mindelle, Titaníque
Parla Pizza at 320 Columbus Avenue
The “kooky crazy” Celine Dion hamming it up at the St. James Theatre heads to the Upper West Side for her indulgence: the Hot Hunny Pizza sans pepperoni that has her “in a choke hold” at Parla Pizza. “I’m not choosing this because it’s literally my name spelled with a P,” Mindelle tells Time Out. “It’s usually a treat to myself after a long week, which is quite frankly every single week. It’s the closest I’ve gotten to God since playing Céline.”
Jessica Vosk, Beaches
Jack’s Wife Freda at 116 8th Avenue
At the theater during her run of Beaches, Jessica Vosk was obsessed with the Maya's breakfast Bowl from Jack’s Wife Freda. The protein-packed dish is made with scrambled or poached eggs, red quinoa, kale, spaghetti squash, roasted tomato, radish and avocado. Instead of quinoa, Vosk opts for couscous and a “waffle on the side if I’m feeling frisky,” she tells Time Out.
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