Thursday: Art, Dinner & Drinks With a View
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robert restaurant at the museum of arts and design
Start your weekend early with a classic burger, contemporary art and cocktails with a view.
STOP 1: BURGER JOINT
Tucked away in a not-so-secret corner of Le Parker Meridien Hotel, the original Burger Joint is an affordable spot serving solid food in Midtown, a neighborhood with a surfeit of high-end hospitality and mediocre meals.
Burger Joint butchers its own beef and makes patties that are at the top of most "Best Burger" lists. As a result, the flagship location of this ever-expanding brand draws massive troops of tourists from all over the world, so long lines and wait times are almost universally unavoidable for dinner. However, if you go on the earlier side, you can get lucky and score a table without too much trouble.
burger joint
All orders are placed with the cashier and to help expedite the process, a sign warns customers to be ready, "or else you go to the end of the line." Those heeding the admonition can follow the posted step by step guide for ordering that reads like an instructional children's book (working title: Baby's First Burger). Seriously, if you need a sign prompting you to decide whether or not you want cheese at a place called "Burger Joint," you probably shouldn't be ordering for yourself anyway. Non-English speakers can refer to one of the several foreign language menus lining the hallway just outside the front door. No excuses, people.
About $18 will get you a cheeseburger with "the works" (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayo), plus a plastic pint of draft beer (there's your order right there). Is it the best burger ever? Not quite. Is it totally satisfying and worth a detour at least once? Absolutely.
STOP 2: MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN (MAD)
Museum of arts and design
gallery showing a richard estes exhibit at the museum of arts and design
After dinner, head over to the Museum of Arts and Design, which from 6:00pm-9:00pm on Thursdays, is pay-what-you-wish and not prohibitively crowded.
The museum celebrates the creative process in all its visual forms, showcasing contemporary work fabricated in a diverse range of media. In a single visit, one can view an entire gallery dedicated to modern jewelry, check out an exhibit on mannequin design and marvel at photorealistic paintings of New York City.* Given the somewhat nebulous curatorial platform, the Museum of Arts and Design will assuredly have something to peak every visitor's interest.
STOP 3: ROBERT
winter view of columbus circle from robert at the museum of arts and design
Finish off the evening with a stop at Robert, the museum's restaurant on the ninth floor.
The food is expensive and inconsistent at best, but the view is spectacular, with floor to ceiling windows providing Instagram worthy shots of Columbus Circle and Central Park, a perfect setting for a night cap.
Have a seat in the lounge area, order a cocktail or glass wine and toast to a terrific Thursday evening.
RECAP:
- Burger Joint: Classic greasy-spoon burgers served in a "hidden" room at the grand Parker Meridien Hotel.
- Museum of Arts and Design: A multi-floor space showcasing contemporary work created in a wide range of media. Pay-what-you-wish on Thursdays from 6:00pm-9:00pm.
- Robert: Museum restaurant with lounge seating and killer views of Columbus Circle and Central Park.
ESSENTIAL INFO:
-Burger Joint is located inside the lobby of Le Parker Meridien at 119 West 56th Street. The Museum of Arts and Design and Robert Restaurant are located at 2 Columbus Circle.
-Total Cost: About $40 per person for dinner and a beer at Burger Joint, a $5 suggested donation at MAD and a cocktail at Robert. Tax and tip included.
-Burger Joint accepts credit cards, but tips are cash only (which the cashier will almost certainly mention).
-As stated above, Burger Joint is almost always crowded. Get there before 7:00pm and you will have a decent shot of a short wait. If you're going with someone, have them stake out a seat while you stand in line to order.
-*Many of the galleries house rotating exhibits, so check out the website for up to date exhibition schedules. The photorealism exhibit featuring the work of Richard Estes is now over.
