Ryan's Hope's Restaurants
Soap Opera Magazine, March 1982
Article Provided By Wanda
(Edited for Brevity)Socializing is a necessary part of life on soap operas, and every city or town has its share of eateries and meeteries where characters go to see and be seen, to exchange news and gossip, begin (or end) a romance, and occasionally, to actually eat a meal or enjoy a show. There's as much variety in soap restaurantes as the people who work and eat there, so we decided to take a cook's tour and review some of the most popular dining spots.
No matter what kind of food you're craving, this is the place to find it. Ryan's Hope's regulars with a hankering for Eastern European cooking love the "Cafe Budapest," with its Hungarian specialties, candlelight and soft music, in a dark wood-paneled setting. You might run across Rae Woodard and Roger Coleridge having dinner there.
For a more elegant evening out, "the" spot is "Delia's Crystal Palace," located in Central Park, like New York's famed "Tavern on the Green." This is a very lovely, posh restaurant, with its treed outdoor terrace and attractive circular bar. The food is Continental, and quite good, and luncheon and dinner are both served. The Crystal Palace is popular with the theater crowd - celebrities like Otto Preminger, Christopher Reeve, Betsy Palmer, Van Johnson, Shelly Smith and others often drop in for dinner, and owner Joe Novak is always on hand to greet his guests. This is the place to wear that special outfit, or to host a private celebration.
For a much homier meal, with stick-to-the-ribs food, "Greenberg's" a standard Jewish deli, is a RH institution. All the Ryans go there, and Norma and Sol see that they get their favorites, in large portions. Greenberg's prides itself on serving the best cheesecake in New York.
Another popular ethnic cuisine is Chinese and RH's often stop in at "Lem's" for lunch or dinner. A typical neighoood Chinese restuarant, Lem's is done in shades of red, with lots of bamboo. There's a casual atmosphere, and nobody will laugh if you try your hand with chopsticks.
There's always something going on at Ryan's Bar, a typical Upper West side neighborhood tavern, with its authentic old mahogany bar and home-cooked food. There's lots of TLC dispensed here, and the bar's really a second home to friends of the Ryans and hospital staffers, who come as much for advice and a shoulder to cry on as for the corned beef and brew.
Of course the newest still unproven supper club is "Nigh Lights," which singer Lana Cantrell put on the map when she sang, I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way, on opening night.