Buttons Undone
Pants at a Glance
- scene: dark wood and random artwork and signage; long lines waiting to order/sit, made up of everything from angsty NYU students, women in Lulu lemons and families
- sip: Coffee; also wine and beer
- savor: Nachos; the country salad; tuna melt; any egg dish that comes with the hasbrowns
- sit: By yourself! with the guy that slept over the night before, a girl-friend, anyone
- spend: $$
- address: 90 University Place (multiple locations)
- phone number: 212-414-4739
- website: www.thegreydog.com
The Grey Dog reminds me of a place that would have been in my college town, or in Singles-era Seattle, a place where people drink lots of coffee and brood. They project the no drama, we are loving hippiesters laid back vibe, as does their democratic seating policy. In short, it seems like the kind of place that I would maybe have no patience for. I am a cat person, after all, but the Grey Dog is very much a refreshing addition to my dining repertoire.
There are several outposts of of the Grey dog now, and we always go the one on Univeristy Place. I am generally not the type to withstand a long line to be seated in a cramped area, but the food at Grey Dog is honestly worth it. It is fresh, no nonsense, straight -forward food that you can eat any time of the day. Breakfast is especially delicious, and there is one item that stands out: Hash browns. According to DZ, they are ” a lovely little pop on the side of any egg dish. Shoestring with onions and potatoes. They are a perfect complement, adding crunch to the eggs and not a doughy potato element”. This is because of their unique texture and shape: they are sliced extremely thin, and served in a tangled stack of amazingness, so that phenadip.com they look like fried frizzy onions. Truly an all -star side. Besides the egg dishes, there is everything from salads, to pressed sandwiches and wraps, to heartier fare like steak dishes. I actually ordered the PB & J one day (at 6 bucks I know I could have made my own, but don’t judge) and I was pleasantly able to choose my bread, crunchy or smooth peanut butter (crunchy) and the flavor of jelly. For such a small and busy place, it is just proof that they make everything to order and pay attention to the details.
All of this deliciousness is served to you, and cleared from you, but the rest is all you: You will get your own napkins and silverware (at least it is not plastic, so Momma doesn’t have to bring her own cutlery), and you will get your own water in a plastic cup from the jug. One way to avoid all of this is to have delivery, which arrives hot and in good shape, even the homemade soups. We still may never know who let the dogs OUT, but this Dog is worth a stop IN.
PS- I once wrote a review of teh Lost Dog Cafe in college called “Good Eating, Doggy Style”, so just be happy that I exercised some restraint this time around…
