After a lunch lesson, my good friend introduced me to a no frills but tasty restaurant a few blocks from Penn Station. Cooper's Tavern is located on 35th and 8th, in the ground floor of a hotel. The decor is reminiscent of an uninspired hotel restaurant (a far cry from the trendy restaurants popping up all over hotels in NYC). BUT what Cooper's Tavern lacks in decor, it makes up for in service and food quality.
Our server was attentive throughout our meal. We arrived at Cooper's Tavern ravenous and our server graciously refilled our bread and water while we made our selections and waited for our food to arrive.
The Cooper's Tavern menu offered dozens of options with a distinctly Italian bent. This restaurant is a great choice for someone in need of a quick, hearty meal in the Penn Station/Madison Square Garden neighborhood.
What to Eat:
Start with the Calamari Fritti with Tomato Aioli. I'm a pretty big eater but found the half order portion of the calamari was plenty. Save the full size order for a larger group. The octopus was lightly fried and served pipping hot. I loved that it wasn't greasy, heavily breaded or dried out. Cooper's Tavern tomato aioli dip was a nice change from the marinara sauce or bland mayonnaise commonly served with calamari.If you are very hungry, order the Chicken Pesto Mezza Rigatoni. The serving is huge and the pesto cream sauce is heavy. There is a generous portion of chicken in the pasta and a large dollop of savory home made Ricotta cheese placed on top. This dish is not for the lactose challenged. But Cooper's Tavern Chicken Pesto Mezza Rigatoni was sensational, one of the better pesto dishes I've eaten in NYC.
Hungry and killing time before your train? The food at Cooper's Tavern will keep you satisfied during your journey,
Your foodie friend
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