Devilishly delicious
On the edge of that part of New York City known locally as Hell's Kitchen is a dining room that couldn't be located more appropriately.
The corridor leading to the Hudson Cafeteria, the restaurant designed by Jeffrey Chodorow for Ian Schrager's Hudson hotel, is dimly lit. Inside the high-ceilinged room, lighting is low, and the communal, refectory-style tables are hewn from dark wood, with throne-like chairs at the head of each. In the middle of the room is the open kitchen, where steam rises and grills sizzle. Around the top of the kitchen area is a frieze depicting human silhouettes being licked by flames.
New York's trendy crowd swarmed to the 160-seat Hudson Cafeteria when it opened in October 2000. As the hotel's dining room it is open throughout the day for guests in the 1,000 bedrooms, but it comes into its own in the evening. According to food and beverage director Mark Somen, the kitchen feeds 550 people on a busy night, taking first orders at 5pm and last at 1am.
The menu is in seven sections, plus side orders. Each section reflects the global approach to food that is typical of Chodorow's menus, with dishes from a variety of cuisines. Among the appetisers are a yellowfin tuna and Atlantic salmon tartare with kalamata olives, Moroccan spices, Spanish sherry, almonds, currants and fried yucca chips ($13.50/£9.37), and Vietnamese rock shrimp and lettuce wraps ($13/£9.02). The noodles, rice, beans and eggs section offers Italian flavours with lobster fettuccine ($28/£19.43), a trip to the South of France for cassoulet ($19/£13.18), or to Thailand for a tofu stir-fry with Thai black rice ($15.50/£10.75).
The heart of the menu, however, is a comfort food section, where macaroni cheese ($15/£10.41) and turkey and shiitake mushroom meatloaf ($17.50/£12.14) are the most popular items. Somen says: "This is what people in New York want. They don't necessarily want a gourmet meal."
However, homely macaroni cheese suddenly becomes exotic with the optional addition of seared foie gras ($26/£18.04). Somen calls the combination "awesome" but Chodorow is more low-key, saying: "I put the combination on because I like it and because the textures and flavours work." The dish can be combined more conventionally with grilled shrimp ($25/£17.35) or grilled chicken ($21/£14.57).
A fresh and more luxurious take on the traditional BLT sandwich is offered in this section, too - lobster BLT ($19/£13.18) is made with brioche, lemon mayonnaise, avocado, apple-smoked bacon and vine-ripe tomatoes.
The menu is tweaked occasionally rather than changed wholesale on a regular basis. Best sellers will remain. "Chop suey is Schrager's favourite, so that won't change, and nor will the macaroni or the meatloaf," says Somen. "We'll always have a burger and club sandwich, too."
In true comfort-food style, puddings, taken by most diners, include malted milk shake ($6/£4.16) and banana split ($7/£4.86). For chocolate lovers, the chocolate cupcake filled with chocolate pudding and served with pistachio ice-cream ($6/£4.16) is popular.
About 30 chefs work in the central kitchen and downstairs prep area, led by Owen Stewart, who joined the Hudson from Chodorow's China Grill restaurant. The kitchen brigade is supported by a front of house team numbering 25.
With dishes priced between $7 (£4.86) for a soup or lentil salad and $30 (£20.82) for lobster and chips, average spend is around $38 (£26.37) without drinks.
Selection from the Hudson Cafeteria menu
Italian onion soup with basil pesto crostini and Taleggio, $9 (£6.24)
Thai-style beef carpaccio, $14 (£9.71)
Pan-seared foie gras with caramelised mango and palm sugar glaze, $26 (£18.04)
Hearty beef stew, $19 (£13.18)
Grilled tuna steak with olive salad, fruit couscous and preserved lemons, $26 (£18.04)
Caramel crêpes, vanilla caramel ice-cream and orange syrup, $6 (£4.16)
Chocolate mousse trifle with almond cake, crispy meringues and rum sauce, $6 (£4.16)
Hudson Cafeteria, 356 West 58th Street, New York, NY 10019, USA. Tel: 00 1 212 554 6500
