Ming Lam and Truman Lam’s original Jing Fong shuttered in Chinatown earlier this year, but the Upper West Side location remains open, serving up Hong Kong-style dim sum just a few blocks away from the Beacon Theatre. Expect barbecue pork buns, har gow, siu mai, fried turnip cakes with shrimp and pork, as well as classic dishes like lo mein, fried rice, mapo tofu, and snow pea leaves with fresh garlic.

This New York Mexican chain is a decent option for a quick pre-theater snack. Drop by for a margarita as well as solid tacos made with carnitas, carne asada, and fried fish, all for under $6.50 each. There are also al pastor tacos filled with pineapple and crimson pork sliced from the trompo.

As Georgian food continues its mini-boom throughout the city, the Chama Mama folks have expanded from Chelsea to the Upper West Side. The uptown location, which opened in April, serves the restaurant’s signature breads and dishes from the Caucuses, including adjaruli khachapuri (open-faced cheese boat bread), imeruli khachapuri (folded cheese bread), merguli khachapuri (Western Georgian cheese bread), khinkali dumplings, lamb-stuffed grape leaves, chicken in walnut sauce, and giant $60 meat platters with pork, beef, and chicken skewers. 

Gray’s Papaya remains a wonderfully affordable and accessible staple in a city where just about everything feels increasingly exorbitant. The “recession special” remains a heck of a deal: two snappy griddled franks — preferably with onions, kraut, and mustard — and a tropical drink for $6.95, including tax. Those seeking a lighter pre-theater snack can order a single dog plus a drink (papaya, coconut, piña colada, banana) for $4.50.

This kosher Upper East Side (and before that, Queens) transplant turned heads when it opened a few months ago during the pandemic, and it generated long, socially distanced lines. It’s been a long time since the Upper West Side could boast pastrami this good. Matzo ball soup and hot dogs liberally smeared with mustard are tops, too. Like Gray’s Papaya, it’s located within quick walking distance of both Lincoln Center and the Beacon Theatre.

Parm is a solid Upper West Side hangout for a quick fix of classic Italian-American fare — in a much more affordable and casual environment than the group’s Michelin-starred sister spot, Carbone. Expect all the classics from the original Mulberry Street location: crisp fried calamari, vinegar-y Buffalo cucumbers, stretchy mozzarella sticks, chicken or eggplant parm platters, creamy rigatoni fra diavola, and a stellar house turkey sandwich.

El Mitote at first seems aimed at non-Mexican Americans, till you start ordering the food and poke around the corners of the menu. A case in point is the spectacular pozole in the Guadalajaran style, laced with dried red chiles and filled with chicken and hominy. It’s generously served with a bean tostada on the side. You can smell the oregano as the soup is brought to the table.

Half of the draw at Lincoln Ristorante is the avant-garde Diller Scofidio + Renfro space, with giant floor to ceiling windows propped up against a sloped lawn roof. There is where you go to enjoy a $17 negroni and look out over the Eero Saarinen-designed Vivian Beaumont Theatre. This is also where you also go for respectable pastas, even though the heralded tenure of chef Jonathan Benno ended long ago. Consider the trofie with Tuscan sausage and Calabrian chiles; also try the paccheri with short rib and black truffle when it’s available as an (excellent) special.

Around since 1974, Cafe Fiorello has long attracted theater-goers with simple Italian fare and its prime location right across the street from Lincoln Center. But here’s the thing: This chophouse by the folks behind Bond 45 in Times Square and Redeye Grill in the Theater District actually serves some darn good food. Fried calamari are among the top versions one might encounter, with delicately tender and bouncy squid mingling with spicy fried peppers. And the rigatoni alla vodka shines as well, balancing firm bites of pasta with lightly creamy tomato sauce and big hunks of smoky bacon. Other notable items include a whole lobster pizza ($44), classics cuts of beef and veal, and tiramisu. 

P.J. Clarke’s reopened last September after an extended pandemic closure, again giving theater-goers an opportunity to enjoy some of the city’s top bacon burgers and french fries. The location here is key; one could theoretically walk to the opera within three minutes of finishing up a strong martini and a fresh tray of chilled raw oysters or clams. Keep in mind, however, that this location still operates on somewhat limited hours; the restaurant is only open from Wednesday through Sunday and closes at 10 p.m.

This local chain founded by Josefina Howard in 1984 helped set the stage for New Yorkers to appreciate an ambitious and sometimes expensive version of Mexico’s diverse foodways. Among the highlights are the made-to-order guacamole, tortilla soup, budin de pollo with chicken tinga and layered tortillas, and grilled octopus tacos with chipotle aioli. Take note that a single frozen margarita should be strong enough to get you pleasantly buzzed before a show.

Michael Lomonaco’s steakhouse remains a reliably upscale option for a bite before Jazz at Lincoln Center upstairs. The menu features steakhouse staples like thick slab bacon, crab cakes, and dry-aged cuts, as well as fancy Lomonaco-esque touches like butter poached lobster. More expensive wagyu steaks are also available. Walk-ins can swing by the bar for a full menu.

Momofuku’s small plates spot doesn’t boast the same ambitious menu as it did when it first opened uptown — there’s no more salsa-slicked Dover sole — but the venue remains one of the more affordable and reliable spots in the pricey Time Warner Center. Standout dishes include lamb bing with white sauce, brisket buns with horseradish mayo, dry-spiced chicken wings, extraordinarily smoky pork ramen, and ultra-spicy cumin lamb noodles. This is where you go for a quick bite before Jazz at Lincoln Center a few floors up.