New York

Want to experience what dining was like in the Village when it was actually a...village? Ignore the trendy, new gastropubs popping up like rats at the local KFC/Taco Bell. They’re loaded with limo-arriving celebrities (see Spotted Pig, Waverly Inn) guaranteeing you or I won’t get in anyway. Instead head to Spain, where the classy old gents dressed in their finest ‘70s duds will treat you right even if you’re not Bono, a Clinton, or Jagger’s date. Grab a seat at the bar and let the free tapas flow (think tasty meatballs and fried potatoes). Or hit the dining room where they’ll bring you gratis tapas such as chilled mussels, pan fried chorizo, and ribs with a mystery brown sauce straight out of a Time-Life cookbook. If you haven’t noticed by now, this place is old-school (including the prices). If you're eating with a special friend, get one seafood paella to split. Now I'm not claiming this is gourmet food, but they make up for it in quantity. Think 17 shrimp, 12 clams, and 10 mussels mixed up with heaps of yellow rice and hundreds of canned peas. Spain is good food.

Photo:  Patricia Glowinski