Graydon Carter Thinks ‘Restaurants Are the Soul of the City’ | Eater NY

"A longtime West Village dining room at 16 Bank Street (owner since 2006), known for burgers and chicken pot pie — food that Carter says ranges from good to "a complete disaster." The spot "remains tough to get into — unless you’re with people like Robert De Niro, Gwyneth Paltrow, or Taylor Swift (which also makes it prime for people-watching)." It is praised for excellent waitstaff and a winter fireplace and is described as "home to perhaps the city’s best restaurant mural." Carter recounts the cheeky menu epigraph and explains, "I wouldn’t have put something on the menu if he said something nice," about a Trump quote that reads, "[the restaurant] - worst food in the city." He adds that Trump’s son Eric was recently seated "in the best seats in the house. And I never heard any more of it." Framing his larger views on the city’s dining scene, Carter told Eater that it was "a mistake to tear down the sheds," that without outdoor dining restaurants "lose their beating heart," and that "restaurants are the soul of the city." "I love restaurant people," he also said. "I love the daily theater. Being involved in the place is one of my life’s great joys." - Melissa McCart