I had an incredible feeling of deja vu after walking into this cluttered, little joint. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, until it came to me halfway into my delicious soft-shelled crab dinner–it was Miracle Max’s cave from The Princess Bride. Everything in the place seemed handmade and slightly rundown. Multi-colored flyers decorate the front window and tons of junk, including the namesake hourglasses, line the walls. Apparently they actually use the giant hourglasses during the busy Broadway show times to get people in and out within an hour. There was certainly no need to limit time when we were there, as we were the only people there. The menu alone is worth the trip, with its hand-written listings of mostly French and European entrees and appetizers packed inside an old notebook. The prices are disturbingly low and the help seems like they probably live in a little family apartment in the back. I don’t know, the place is completely comical and unintentionally funny in a “shake your head because it’s so bizarre you can’t believe it exists in this century” kind of way. [MF]
373 W 46th St.
212/265-2060