That's Good Roast Beast
ROLL-N-ROASTER, a new East Village roast beef joint with a 33-year-old Sheepshead Bay mother ship, has a genuinely sunny disposition. Yellow Formica tables, Tiffany lampshades, multiple neon signs and an orderly condiments stand seem quaintly out of place in the rowdy neighborhood.
I found its unapologetic cheeriness, announcing itself in not one but two signs in bubbly, Pac Man-shaped letters, intriguing. I also noticed that Roll-N-Roaster is often empty, and wondered if an utter lack of irony might be the thing keeping this square eatery down. It seems that Roll-N-Roaster's fate is in the hands of the 21-and-under crowd that loiters by neighboring Loews Cinema and Webster Hall, post-adolescent on-lookers, who, obviously curious about the place, peek in but seem hesitant to commit. Though well-positioned to scoop up the pre- and post-clubbing and movie-going crowds by staying open 24 hours Thursday through Saturday (until 3 a.m. on other days), Roll-N-Roaster doesn't quite fit into either the fast-food or a kitschy diner mold.
Regardless, after one visit, I was smitten.
Roll-N-Roaster is the 1950s fast food joint as I imagine it. In fact, I never knew fast food could be so good (qualification: I have never been to the famed In-N-Out Burger). I blame this on the current state of "fast" food, which has become code for that which is processed, low-quality and ultimately unrecognizable. With the glaring exceptions of the cottage fries, which are unexceptional, and the traffic-sign-yellow "cheez" (for which I must confess a naughty weakness), everything that I tried at Roll?N-Roaster was real, cheap and really good.
The star was the Roaster beef ($3.95), a juicy, thinly sliced stack of pink, tender roast beef with brown gravy on a fresh kaiser bun. A moment on the R-N-R bun: Theirs is not of the coffee-cart class. It doesn't disintegrate upon contact with your mouth and, what's more, it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the meat. It is sad when I have to praise bread for just tasting like bread, but this bun does exactly that; others, unhappily, do not. As for the sandwich, the meat was remarkably good. Try it with the hot mustard.
Another big surprise was the golden fried shrimp cup ($5.95), which I ordered against better judgment. They were remarkable. This is the kind of shrimp that you would expect to get at a Cape Cod fry shack, or for that matter, at a Sheepshead Bay fry shack. Humbly served with one wedge of lemon and a cup of Kraft tartar sauce, the shrimp was of surprisingly high quality-plump, meaty and sweet, rather than the shrunken and fishy norm.
In the good and so-so range are the hamburger ($2.95), served plain on a kaiser bun. It was a fairly flat patty, a bit greasy to boot, but it tasted like summer. The roaster turkey ($3.95) was as fresh as the roast beef, but drier and somewhat bland.
The very fine accoutrements include a fresh-squeezed orangeade ($2) with just the right ratio of sugar, water and juice, and a hollow orange half crammed inside (remember these come summertime). The black and white thick shake ($3.65) was pretty great as far as shakes go-icy and full of ice cream. The freshly baked apple pie ($2.35), served in sliced wedges on a plate-with real wedges of apple spilling out!-isn't mom quality, but it doesn't come in a cardboard box either. The crust is dusted with sugar and the filling is cinnamon-spiked, a fine end to this meal and more American than fast food itself.
PRIME BURGER Consistently lauded for offering one of the city's finest burgers, Prime Burger was recently blessed with even more recognition. At last week's 2004 James Beard Awards, the establishment was honored with the Gallo of Sonoma Restaurant award, which recognizes classic American institutions that have maintained their quality over the years.
Prime Burger, located across the street from St. Patrick's Cathedral, has been around since 1938-first as Hamburger Heaven, then as Prime Burger when it was bought and refurbished in 1965. The 60s-worthy makeover is still intact. Wood paneling on every wall and cone-shaped light fixtures are every modern-day interior designer's wet dream. Prime Burger's signature touch from the 30s remains-chairs with individual trays, like on high chairs or airplanes, is the seating of choice.
When I heard the news, I jumped at the excuse to visit Prime Burger. I was joined by two other writers whom, I had met at the Beard dinner: Toronto Star food columnist Marion Kane and Patty LaNoue Stearns, a former restaurant critic and food columnist for the Detroit Free Press, and a Beard Awards judge.
Over-what else?-hamburgers, our conversation was restricted to softened murmurs of appreciation. I had a Prime burger with bacon and cheese ($5.95), a hot and divinely fatty four-ounce burger with a remarkable toasted bun that never stopped crunching. The chocolate milkshake ($2.95) was the natural accompaniment, but the recommended mess of onion rings ($3.25), as attractive as they were in all of their oily glory, were too greasy for me. For that matter, none of the fries-curly, steak, and regular-left much of an impression.
The desserts, on the other hand, are classic. They've been baked here for more than 55 years, and exceed expectations. Try the enormous coconut layer cake ($2.95) with white cake, meringue frosting and shredded coconut. It kicks Magnolia's ass up and down 5th Ave. The cherry pie ($2.95) is also a winnerlow and squat, brown-crusted with lots of sour cherries.
Mid-meal, we were joined by a middle-aged, very petite man in large eyeglasses and an MTAPD cap. Jeff Schleicher has been ordering a Prime burger ($3.75) and soda ($1.65) for lunch every day for the last 15 years. I asked if he would ever consider going someplace different.
"Oh no," he said, scrunching his nose. "I think it's a good place. I like it here."
Prime Burger
5 E. 51st St. (betw. Madison & 5th Aves.)
212-759-4729