Sunday, September 19, 2010

Indian Road Cafe

Location: 600 W. 218th St. @ Indian Road
Phone: 212.942.7451
Web: indianroadcafe.com
Music: Live music or entertainment almost every night

This is one my very favorite places in the entire city! Perhaps it is because it was shown to me on that same wonderful day I was introduced to Inwood Park; or perhaps it's because it's a nice big open restaurant - so unique to Manhattan; or maybe because it serves pretty damn good food and has a great wine and beer selection, as well as a complete coffee bar. In the case of Indian Road Cafe, the list kind of just goes on and on.

They have some kind of live music or entertainment pretty much every night of the week. The beer selection is fairly extensive and though the beer and wine are often pricey, Indian Road typically offers some kind of special — so if I am in the mood to travel to the northernmost point of Manhattan island and tie one on, I can usually accomplish this.

But this is no divey bar to get sloshed at, though that's always an option, Indian Road is really more of a family joint. The food is an always delicious mix of local, organic foods that range from steak and fish, to vegetarian and vegan recipes. This morning, after my favorite activity of walking through Ft. Tryon Park and then Inwood Park, I ended up here for a cup of French pressed coffee and a very filling and fulfilling breakfast burrito.

What's best about this place is what's best about the entire neighborhood of Inwood — it's kind of a quiet hidden secret. A gem.

Whenever I go there, especially after walking the hills of Inwood, or through the magic landscape of Ft. Tryon, I always feel like I am suddenly whisked away on some kind of vacation - far away from the city, mundanities of life, or some of the very lonely emptiness I've been experiencing lately. My friend who made the trip with me this morning said the same thing, that she felt she was no longer in New York city, possibly back in some neighborhood of California, or some other, greener, brighter, more natural place.

You get that feeling of revival uptown a lot of the time. And joy.

This restaurant is fantastic. If you live uptown and haven't heard of it or been, you better get your ass there asap. And if you do not live uptown, break your stupid rule of never rising above 14th street, or 72nd, or 125th, and have a yourself a nice little time at Indian Road Cafe.

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