The Plaza Food Hall 1 West 59th Street, Concourse A (lower level), New York, New York 10019

Recently during a short visit to New York, I went to the Plaza Food Hall, located on the lower level of the Plaza Hotel for lunch. I had read about its opening in June of last year, and wanted to check it out. I confess that I arrived thinking it might just be another food court, but my solo meal there far surpassed my expectations. I only ordered two things, but both were delicious. A watercress salad with an assortment of shaved, pickled radishes, served mounded atop a grilled goat cheese panini was beautifully balanced in flavors. A mere hint of lemon jam spread beneath the sandwich, lent just the right sweet and tart notes to this dish. A whoopee pie cupcake, a rich, tender chocolate little cake, topped with thin layers of cream and chocolate, and then coated in a dark chocolate glaze, was perfection as well.

I set at the pizza and salad station, but there were many other areas featuring varied fare. Among them were a sushi bar, an ocean grill, as well as another grill for burgers and sliders. You could also order charcuterie plates, tapas, and Asian noodles and dumplings. The Food Hall, the brainchild of celebrated chef Todd English and his partners, is a place I’ll return to again, especially for lunch when dining alone. It wasn’t inexpensive (over $20 for a salad, sandwich, and cupcake), but the food was well prepared and creative, and the servers were polite and helpful. “Eloise” would have liked it!