Post-Theater Dining

We've really warmed to the Spring Season on Broadway here at Cafe Drake, loving both The Pajama Game and Entertaining Mr. Sloane recently, and looking forward to upcoming visits to The Importance of Being Earnest and Threepenny Opera in the next weeks. But what to do about dinner? Especially if you're not at the moment up to the pricey prix fixe menus, or willing to suffer the bland cuisine of Times Square's endless restaurant chains. Two recent meals in the neighborhood were quite adequate but hardly memorable. Pasta and Pesce (536 9th Ave, New York, 10018 - (212) 594-5408) is an affordable option, and provided a warm and cozy atmosphere on a blustery April night. A decent wine list with many selections by the carafe is probably the saving grace here, as the menu is basic and the food on the same level. An assortment of roasted and grilled seafood ($15.95) is arranged on a round platter with great variety - prawns, calamari, halibut, tuna and salmon - all of which tasted pretty much the same. A side of spaghetti in butter sauce was suitably rich and the pasta was perfectly al dente.

Havana Express (West 46th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues) belongs to that category of theme restaurants the size of an airplane hangar, and the liveliest aspect of Havana is the calypso band and diners more than willing to dance. Decked out like a set from a Rita Hayworth movie, the interiors feel just as flimsy as the cardboard backdrops on an RKO soundstage. Mojitos were strong but burdened with browning mint leaves; skip the wilted herbs and go for the sangria ($7), available in a number of versions. An avocado salad was easily shared by two ($6), though the greens were of the supermarket-bagged variety and sided with bottled dressing. The Cubano ($9) was satisfying in its trademark excess of fat and sodium, though better interpretations abound throughout the city. Bonus points however for the sweet potato fries, crisp and salty and abundantly heaped on side plates.

No, we have another option. Eat at home. After the theater. It's no bother if you can assemble a quick meal while sipping wine in the kitchen and rehashing the play. Cookbooks from a more graceful time sometimes offer tips on such late-night casual dinners, and below you'll find one of our favorites.

QUICK THEATER STEAK

The best thing about this entree (besides its savoury taste) is that it combines a hearty meat and starch and salad all on one plate. You need only serve fruit and cheese after, or perhaps a slice of previously-baked pie.

2 1/2 lb. fillets of beef, sliced in half lengthwise / 3 T. butter / kosher salt and black pepper / 4 slices good bread, lightly toasted / 1 bunch watercress, washed and stemmed

1. Heat butter in skillet until smoking. Place steaks in skillet and fry 2-3 minutes per side, sprinkling liberally with salt and coarse black pepper.
2. Set steaks aside and keep warm, while deglazing pan with a splash of brandy or red wine if needed.
3. To assemble: place bread on plate and butter thoroughly. Arrange a small handfull of watercress atop bread, followed by the steak. Top with a spoon of pan juices and serve immediately.