COCK AND BULL
23 W. 45thSt., New York, NY
Hours: 11 a.m.-12:30 a.m. Sunday-Tuesday; 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Wednesday-Saturday.
Menu: https://cockandbullnyc.com/menus/
Suitable for: Vegetarians, vegans, lovers of traditional British food
On the first night of our recent stay in New York, LeeLee and I were moseying about Midtown Manhattan, looking for someplace to eat after our taping of “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” when we stumbled upon an unlikely option. A British-style pub, with bangers and mash and all the fixins. Surely this could not be a place for us.
But wait! Our faithful use of the Yelp app (searching, as always, for “vegetarian”) didn’t steer us wrong. Sure enough, the sign outside said quite clearly, “Plant Based Options Available,” and the menu backed it up. Being lovers of all things English, we decided to take the plunge and go in for a visit. Two window seats beckoned, and we knew it was meant to be.
Now, first, before I go into all of that, can I just say that attending a live taping of a late-night show was something we had never done before, and I would highly recommend it! As soon as you plot out a trip to New York, start scoping out the ticket reservation system of your favorite late-night show, and as soon as the window for registration opens, hop to it. It’s free! YOU GET TO SEE A TAPING FOR FREE. And then you could potentially be famous in a wide crowd shot that evening. Or, at the very least, see a really fun show. And that “Applause” light is for real, y’all. It made my day.
Anyway. Back to the food.
We popped in, immediately ordered a pint, and began to peruse the menu. But where to start? There were so very many onetime favorites, sitting here all plant-based and whatnot just waiting to be eaten! So as we sipped our beer, we worked on hard decisions, and after much prayerful consideration, we came up with some options. I would have a vegetable pot pie. LeeLee would have the beer-battered artichoke “fish” and chips. We toasted to our ingenuity and good fortune and awaited our meal.
We didn’t have to wait too long. A few minutes of people-watching – both from our perch overlooking the street as well as keeping an eye on fellow patrons at the bar – and here came dinner, piping-hot and ready to eat. The veggie pot pie was so beautiful, I almost didn’t want to dig in! But I DID. And it was worth it. The gravy was succulent, so savory and slightly salty. The vegetables were down-home comfort food. And the crust! Both flaky and hearty, it made a perfect little ceiling for the dish, situated as it was atop the ramekin. Mashed potatoes came on the side, and oh, what a little slice of heaven it all was put together.
LeeLee’s dish, meanwhile, put the original version of fish and chips to shame. Neither of us was sure what to think about the use of artichokes to serve as the base of veggie fish, but boy were they flavorful! Fresh, tangy, an easy target for breading – they were in fact pretty darn “fishy” in spite of their vegetarian nature! And the chips were good, thick, hearty potato wedges, taking us back to our trip to London a couple of years ago. Good memories, all!
Menu items we decided to forgo but wish we could have had the stomach for: Vegan wings, Panzanella salad, cauliflower drumsticks and more. But not to worry. We’ll be back to devour them all. All in due time!
After we finished up our pints (plural – we each went back for one more) and settled up, we decided to wander around the city for a while, half to sightsee and half to burn off the meal we’d just devoured. Of course we had to stop into the lobby of the Algonquin Hotel to visit with Hamlet, their resident kittycat:
And I can’t think of a better dessert than seeing that sweet fellow!
:)