It’s a family affair at Chez Napoleon, a restaurant in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen that opened in 1960. On its walls are oil-lamp sconces, framed jigsaw puzzles and old family photos of its current owners, the Brunos.
For theatergoers willing to walk an extra block or two before or after a Broadway show, numerous eateries west of Eighth Avenue and east, closer to Sixth, offer great food at prices lower than many central theater area restaurants.
At Chez Napoleon, the family’s 88-year-old matriarch, Marguerite, can still be found in the kitchen on busy weekend nights. Her daughter Elyane takes care of the front of the house, while grandson Guillaume mans the bar.
French bistro classics make up the menu: escargots ($8) or frogs’ legs ($23) in garlicky butter, coq au vin ($19), beef Bourguignon ($20), and rabbit in a mustard and wine sauce ($22).
A $30 three-course, prix-fixe menu is served all evening. The night we dropped in, main courses included a whole trout with brown butter and lemon juice, and pork medallions with mushroom sauce.
We ended with a fluffy Grand Marnier souffle ($16) large enough to share.
Chez Napoleon is at 365 W. 50th St. between Eighth and Ninth avenues. Information: 212-265-6980;
Kyotofu’s streamlined cream-colored space feels like a downtown nightclub with its dim lighting and thumping music, which needs some volume adjusting before we ever go back.
Still, we enjoyed tasting plates ($4 each) of barbecued eel in phyllo, pork sausage in puff pastry, grilled teriyaki chicken sliders, and a patty of curried rice, shimeji and shiitake mushrooms with arugula.
Cold green tea soba noodles came with scallion and wasabi ($8), an orb of soft tofu was served with a miso-dressed salad of greens, beets and onions ($9).
Great signature desserts included silken bean curd drenched with sugar syrup and green tea tofu cheesecake ($12), along with complimentary fudgy little cupcakes.
Kyotofu is at 705 Ninth Ave. between 48th and 49th streets. Information: 212-974-6012;
Kellari Taverna is the fanciest on this list, a warmly lit space with high ceilings, wooden beams and floors, and fresh whole fish displayed on ice. Go for the bargain $32.95 three- course prix-fixe menu served daily between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
We started with spinach and feta cheese pie and grilled whole sardines. Next, baked sea bass wrapped in grape leaves, orzo with shrimp, mussels and clams, or simple roast chicken with mashed potatoes. For dessert, honeyed walnut cake and fig ice cream.
Regular dinner main courses usually run from the roast chicken for $25.95 to a New York strip for $37.95. Fresh fish and other seafood are sold by the pound starting at about $26.95.
Kellari Taverna is at 19 W. 44th St. between Fifth and Sixth avenues. Information: 212-221-0144;
Utsav, which is Sanskrit for “festival,” serves dishes from various regions in India. Its $30 pre-theater menu is available daily from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Saffron-tinged fabrics are draped, tent-like, from the ceiling of the airy room. Request a banquette next to the large picture windows for a view of the sidewalk trees dotted with pin lights.
We started with deep-fried samosas and lightly battered cauliflower dressed in a garlic tomato sauce. Next, yogurt- marinated chicken in a tomato cream sauce or a tender lamb stew.
For vegetarians, there’s roasted eggplant, spiced spinach with cubes of soft cheese, or a mixed vegetable curry.
For dessert, an ultra-sweet rice pudding, and even sweeter kulfi, a frozen milk dish similar to ice cream.
Utsav is at 1185 Sixth Ave. between 46th and 47th streets Information: 212-575-2525;
Hell’s Kitchen is home to a number of Thai places that are easy on the pocket. For years we’ve headed to hole-in-the-wall Wondee Siam for its beautifully lacquered duck with tamarind sauce ($13.95) and beef sauteed with basil, garlic and onions. Friends swear by the rich oxtail soup with lime and chilies ($10.95) and rice with anchovy paste ($7.50) at Pam Real Thai Food.
We recently dropped by Q2, with newer, slightly sleeker decor than the other two. We liked its flat noodles sauteed with shrimp, egg and basil ($9.95) and its fried rice flecked with crabmeat, carrots and tomatoes ($9.95).
Wondee Siam is at 792 Ninth Ave. near 53rd Street, 212-582-0355; Pam Real Thai Food is at 404 W. 49th St. near Ninth Avenue, +1-212-333-7500; Q2 is at 788 Ninth Ave. near 53rd Street, 212-262-2236;
For a quick bite, there’s Five Napkin Burger with its eponymous dish ($14.95): over half a pound of ground chuck topped with gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and aioli.
We liked the pub-like atmosphere and quirky decor: Naked light bulbs and meat hooks hang from its high ceilings; weighing scales are scattered about.
Other sandwiches (all served with fries): the 5-foot-long dog ($14.95) with mustard, cheddar, relish, tomatoes, onions and pickled jalapenos; and the Buffalo chicken ($13.50) with hot sauce and blue cheese dressing. I thought about its dense chocolate layer cake for days.
Five Napkin Burger is at 630 Ninth Ave. at 45th Street. Information: 212-757-2277; .
At Eatery, we squeezed in with a crowd of skinny young people who nibbled on small plates and talked loudly to hear each other above the din.
We fed ourselves well with riffs on comfort food: greens with Southern fried chicken, cheddar cheese, corn, pecans and buttermilk dressing ($12.95), and baked macaroni with jack cheese and fried onions ($13.95).
Eatery is at 798 Ninth Ave. at 53rd Street. Information: 212-765-7080;
