Hard Rock Cafe

There are a lot of theme restaurants in the "Big Apple" and the Hard Rock Cafe is one of them.  I had the pleasure of joining with a group that was lunching there on a field trip.  I approached the meal with trepidation as usually theme restaurants seem to be tasteless and the service is poor. To my surprise, as well as those I dined with, we had a great experience.  The service was hospitable and quick-perhaps because they were expecting a large group-or maybe it is always that good. I liked how the menu shared the calorie count of all of the food so you can make an educated decision -this is mandatory for NYC I hope it becomes required for Long Island as well. I had a simple pulled pork sandwich accompanied by a fresh coleslaw and seasoned fries. All done nicely and proportioned well. After the lunch we were invited to take and "impromptu" tour of all the memorabilia that surrounds each room. Some of the collection moves to other Hard Rock locations and some of it is permanent. One of the featured displays was of the Beatles collarless suits that they wore when they arrived in New York in the 60's complete with their monogramed TWA flight bags, Jim Morrison's leather pants, as well as John Bonhams (Led Zepplin drummer)original drumsticks. We found out the restaurant used to be the old Paramount theater, built in 1926, where the likes of Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland entertained the throngs of fans. If you are a fan of rock and roll and who isn't-or just like to take trips down memory lane I strongly reccomend this restauant in the heart of the theatre district.