Midnight Marauder
I lucked out when I found an apartment in West Harlem that's near the train, a major grocer, bank, pharmacy...Yet none of these conveniences seem to matter when the munchies set in on the witching side of midnight. And my Jack Daniels-induced euphorias don't jibe well with standing behind a bulletproof partition at Popeye's Fried Chicken.
Most nights I forego convenient deep-fried fare and opt for a field trip south of 110th Street. I dream up dimly lit love dens with perfectly seasoned chicken sandwiches and steaming platters of fajitas. Hmm?if I were in my right mind I would be in bed.
When I'm in the mood to mingle with worldly, affluent patrons who value a bottle of sangria as much as they do Brooklyn Lager sans a snobby staff, I stop by French Roast on West 86th and Broadway. Its late night menu is not quite as good as its lunch/brunch menu, which you might be able to finagle a peek at if your server is easy-going, but I stick to the grilled chicken & mozzerella on a baguette ($9.50) and the fresh spinach with garlic ($4.00). The eatery's near perfect Americanos (American coffee) make the slow service easily forgotten by the last sip.
At this ungodly hour, the sterile, falsified Los Angeles-esque feeling of Cafeteria in Chelsea just might be what the taste buds ordered. The boy-girl eye candy makes passing the time on the outrageous line (standard 30 minutes) acceptable. But if people watching isn't for you, the promise of some of the best chicken and waffles ($14) with a side of mac n' cheese ($7) just might be. Crowd gazing at the lower bar isn't bad, either.
One night after waiting entirely too long on Cafeteria's line, I headed to Diner 24 on West 15th Street with a few of my out-of-town cohorts. Here, the big picture windows allow for the streetlights to illuminate the already amber-glowing room, and 8th Avenue's steady foot traffic makes for good entertainment. Get the Buffalo chicken dumplings ($9) or duck meatloaf sandwich ($14). Luckily, the fact that you're on display allows you to forget about the food, which takes its sweet time to arrive. Diner 24 is better at filling the room than feeding it.
If you happen to be hanging on the Upper East Side, the newly renovated The Green Kitchen on 1st Avenue at East 77th Street is now open 24/7. A pair of sandwiches hits the spot: either the Breakfast Club (fried eggs, double cut bacon, cheddar on a toasted brioche roll; $7.95) or Cuban Reuben (pastrami, turkey, Swiss, pickles and island slaw; $8.95).
Some nights I don't mind the private booths and party courtesy of DJ Sinatra that a stint at Pop Burger (Swiss Cheese Burger; $4.50) provides, and then on others, none of these eateries rival the ambiance of a few tea lights and a mixtape playing in the comfort of my Sugar Hill digs, because as you know, after the munchies are gone, there's nothing better than a nap-and not one in the back of a cab. With that said, you can always opt for sesame chicken with white meat, wonton soup and chicken fried rice with no egg ($19) delivered from Ollie's Noodle Shop on West 116th.