Serendipity 3

Yesterday, I ate at Serendipity for the 2nd time. It was upon the request of my friend that was visiting from LA.

Getting a table at Serendipity is the most absurd thing I've ever done to get the privilege of getting to pay someone to give me food. I wanted to get there early so as to avoid the lines to get in, so we (including AG) went there at 6pm. There was already a long line and a really long queue. We gave our names, and after it was added to the already lengthy list, we were told to come back in four, read it, 4 hours. While standing around, someone came by and asked their status on the list. "What time did you put your name in?" "1pm" "Ok, maybe another 30 minutes" How insane is that? I later learned that the place opens at 11am but a line starts forming at 930am. Wow!! But it's only like that because of the holidays and the tremendous influx of tourists coming into the city.

Anyway, we came back four hours later, and had to wait an additional 30 minutes. Outside. In the cold. When we were finally brought it, we had to wait an extra 15 or 20 minutes before we were finally given a table. A 5 hour wait for a restaurant!!!

During the 5 hour wait, we managed to go to Ferrara's, Gray's Papaya, and White Castle. So needless to say, we just ordered dessert. Their most famous item is the FFFrozen hot chocolate. So we got that and an order of Spudniks. The Frozen hot chocolate is an over sized sundae, topped with whipped cream. It is simply delicious. I don't know how to describe it. It overflows with the sweet chocolate taste and even gives you a brain-freeze moment or two (in my case, throat-freeze too!). The dessert was a meal into and of itself.

The Spudnik on the other hand is a plate of potato slices, with the skin, cheese and some other stuff. It tasted like it could have come from TGI....Fridays. It was nothing special and was honestly a disappointment. The highlight was definitely the dessert. Although a five hour wait is too much even for a dessert that large and good.

Prices were all right, $6.50 for the bland Spudnik and $8.50 for the sweet frozen hot chocolate.

The decors were very unique. Full of Tiffany lamps. The website, http://www.serendipity3.com/, gives a hint of the type of decors you'll find inside.

The place is an attraction, just like the line er, the crowd of people outside, and certainly does a lot to bring people to that area of Manhattan (225 East 60th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues).

I find it hard to believe that the movie, Serendipity, is the reason that so many people want to go there. I doubt that a romantic comedy can be so influential. If it is, it really shows the power, at it's best, of product placement in a movie. Andy Warhol used to frequent the place and used to pay for his meals with his drawings. I doubt that that's the reason for the crowds.

Also, it's called Serendipity 3 because it had 3 founders. It is not the 3rd restaurant.

My tired rating: 5 cereal boxes out of a possible 6.