Short Rib Goulash at the Library at the Public

A soul-warming dish perfect for the last act of spring

Can’t get in to Andrew Carmellini’s clamorous new Lafayette?  No drama—just take a walk across the street to the Public Theater.  You can eat the acclaimed chef’s food there, too, and you don’t have be a theater ticket holder to dine and drink at the cozy Library, hidden on the mezzanine level of NoHo’s most famous theater.  One dish that is currently enjoying an extended run thanks to the lingering chill in the air is short rib goulash ($26), a delicious assortment of tender, long-stewed beef, sweet carrots and earthy turnips in punchy paprika sauce, cooled by the anise scent of caraway sour cream. 

Dimly lit and furnished with books, banquettes and high-backed chairs, the room feels erudite yet snug, a place where professors with pipes might discuss the subtext of Shakespeare or the avant-garde antics of Richard Foreman.  Carmellini (also of Locanda Verde and The Dutch) established the dining program behind the renovated 19th century space, named for the building’s former life as the Astor Library, in the fall.  A tip: go during performance time—instead of pre-or post-theater—to avoid crowds. 

The Library at the Public
425 Lafayette St.
212-539-8777
thelibraryatthepublic.com