![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thedowntownproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Alison-McDonald_WriterDirector_Head-Shot_20111-180x300.jpeg\" "\\"Alison")
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While away the hours in these SoHo institutions that have stood the test of time.<\/em><\/p>\n NY – I admire people who possess the energy and drive to ferret out the newest, edgiest and most exclusive underground hideaways.\u00a0\u00a0But that ain\u2019t me, babe.\u00a0\u00a0Like a pilgrim, I return to the places that soothe the soul and provide shelter from the storm — and don\u2019t soak you when the bill comes.\u00a0\u00a0What follows is a great day of time travel in SoHo.\u00a0\u00a0Bring a good friend, but leave your social networks behind.\u00a0\u00a0Remember, you\u2019re visiting sanctuaries, which isn\u2019t to say they aren\u2019t loud, but your ringing cell phone will definitely disturb the peace.<\/p>\n 1. \u00a0Opened in 1847 by Nicholas Gerdas, and later sold to the Fanelli family in 1922, Fanelli’s Cafe is actually just a humble pub with really great, and very reasonably priced, grub.\u00a0\u00a0Situated at Prince and Mercer, major SoHo crossroads, Fanelli\u2019s (the \u201cCafe\u201d is silent) is a bona fide locals\u2019 haunt — and as a result, has become a tourist magnet.\u00a0\u00a0Therefore, plan your pilgrimage during off-peak hours; have a late lunch or an early drink.\u00a0\u00a0Best to avoid the joint altogether during the summer.\u00a0\u00a0But go you must!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 2.\u00a0Follow my advice and take a scenic route to destination #2.\u00a0\u00a0Head south on Mercer and make a right on Spring Street.\u00a0\u00a0(Do\u00a0not<\/span>\u00a0walk down Prince, unless you want to be body-checked every step of the way.) \u00a0This isn’t the long way; it’s the Chanel<\/span> way (Spring & Wooster). \u00a0Stare, yearn, covet, but do not<\/span> enter; you have better things to do. \u00a0Head west on Spring until you reach Avenue of the Americas, then head north until you reach West Houston, where you\u2019ll hang a left.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You have now arrived at Film Forum, one of the most revered independent art-house movie theatres in the country.\u00a0\u00a0Best of all, Film Forum boasts the best popcorn on the planet.\u00a0\u00a0(It isn’t hyperbole, it’s a fact, and you\u2019ll thank me for skipping the fries at Fanelli\u2019s.)\u00a0\u00a0Get there early so you can peruse their quarterly bulletins that read more like cinema studies course listings. \u00a0Past retrospectives include: The Movie Musical (I was there every night for a week), The Newspaper Picture and Essential Pre-Code, a month-long tribute to fabulously wanton women.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s a cash-only box office, so I recommend buying your tickets in advance at the Film Forum website<\/a>.\u00a0 The most obscure seeming features often sell out.\u00a0\u00a0And, yes, I think\u00a0some<\/em>\u00a0people just come for the popcorn\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 3. Having seen perspective-altering cinema, you now need a haven in which to decompress. The best thing about Caffe Dante<\/a> is\u00a0everything<\/span>: its no fuss d\u00e9cor; its no hassle service (they\u2019re happy to let you sit there all day) and its low key vibe.\u00a0\u00a0Located just north of Houston, the 97-year-old cash-only cafe falls half a block outside the border of SoHo.\u00a0\u00a0And perhaps that\u2019s what explains its utter lack of pretension.\u00a0\u00a0The desserts, however, are grand — and, unlike in life, there are no bad choices.\u00a0\u00a0If you\u2019re into people-watching, you can certainly do it here, but remember that you\u2019re on hallowed ground.\u00a0\u00a0So turn off your cell phone, soak up the scenery and tap into the glorious sensation of time standing still.<\/p>\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thedowntownproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/bar-fanelli-photo-34.gif\" "\\"bar-fanelli-photo-34\\"")
There\u2019s plenty on the menu for carnivores to savor, but Fanelli\u2019s veggie burger is a bucket-lister, owing largely to the paradoxically sweet onion bun in which it\u2019s sandwiched.\u00a0\u00a0I always order my vb with cheddar cheese and saut\u00e9ed mushrooms, but Fanelli\u2019s stroke of genius is their pesto sauce, which comes standard.\u00a0\u00a0Do\u00a0not<\/span>\u00a0order the fries.\u00a0\u00a0As tasty as they are, you\u2019ll miss out on an exceptional house salad.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s the perfect alchemy of unfailingly fresh vegetables dressed (not doused) in a tangy lemon vinaigrette.\u00a0\u00a0The above feast for the senses will set you back only $13.00. \u00a0Note: Ladies, if you need to use the restroom, I highly recommend skipping across the street to the Mercer Hotel (take the elevator down to Level “K” for kitchen).\u00a0\u00a0The water closet at Fanelli\u2019s can barely accommodate Smurfette.<\/div>\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thedowntownproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/film-forum-at-night-300x246.gif\" "\\"film-forum-at-night\\"")
\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thedowntownproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/dante-2-300x242.jpg\" "\\"dante")