What do you mean, "There's no chips and salsa"?

Filet mignon and diners were never a combination I might have imagined had I not seen it and experienced it myself.

Lansky’s (http://www.lanskysnyc.com/) is a Jewish diner in the Upper West Side that serves coleslaw and pickles in place of the traditional chips and salsa Phoenicians are used to being served. I remember the first time servers brought coleslaw and pickles to our table last summer when we ate there. I didn’t understand why they brought it to our table, and Philip and I kindly explained, “We didn’t order this.” Apparently we didn’t need to.

We returned to the diner today and were again thrown off by the Jewish diner’s version of chips and salsa and respectfully declined because we’re not coleslaw or kosher pickle eaters. We did, however, return to the restaurant for burgers, mac ‘n cheese, and strawberry cheesecake, so we made sure to order all the right foods.

Half the 10 oz burger and mac 'n cheese

Anyone who knows Philip knows that pizza, burgers, and mac ‘n cheese would be the staples of his diet were they healthy enough to sustain him. But they’re not. They are, however, still a part of his diet, and Lansky’s has some of the biggest burgers in town and the best macaroni and cheese Philip’s ever had.

The smallest burgers on the menu? 10 oz. Yep, over half a pound! Don’t worry, Philip only ate half the burger.

Filet mignon, fries, caesar salad from a diner (only $14.95!)

I, on the other hand, tried filet mignon. It wasn’t the best filet mignon I’ve ever had, but then again, I wasn’t at a high end steakhouse and I wasn’t paying a high end price either. It was cooked more than I wanted, and it was too chewy and tough for my taste. For what it’s worth, though, it wasn’t bad, and I might even order it again the next time we go.