I lived on the extreme outskirts of Manhattan. Living all the way over on east side close to FDR and living all the over on west side close to Hudson River Drive there is a difference in attitudes. Is there a different in culinary delights?

Some of us living in Manhattan have strong opinions of east verses west side. East is perceived at the old, stodgy and conservative. West is (was) gritty, raw, creative. It is apparent that younger affluent people are living on the west side rather than the east. East side seems to have more strollers and older folks. Migration pattern appears to have more people going west. This creates a tip in how the population is spreads out geographically.

So let’s imagine the variation in food. Way east we have more traditional types of dining experiences. West side offers more culinary exploration. Let’s compare two favorites of mine:

Penelope – even Penelope conjures up thoughts traditional old fashion that’s the type of setting you’ll encounter when you dine there. Yes, Penelope’s does have some yummy traditional eats such as luscious Joey & Jackson Chicken Pot Pie. Incidentally, I had it the other night it was a very delicious meal. It came with thick crusted top cover and lots of white meat chicken and fresh vegetable. It also came with a fresh green salad topped with cranberries. As I dug into the creamy sauce with chopped carrots, butternut squash, asparagus, and peas I had to use a spoon.

Penelope located at 159 Lexington Avenue at (30th Street), 212-418-3800

Eatery – the name along implies minimalist associated with modern. The interior has a modern look to it. Let’s look at the Turkey Meatloaf. Not your traditional meatloaf, because if it were traditional it would be made with ground beef with a side of mashed potatoes. But this Turkey Meatloaf comes with sweet potato mash, sautéed spinach, and Cheddar Fondue. Turkey Meatloaf is very delicious and very creative in presentation.

Eatery located at 798 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10019, 212.765.7080

There you have it two very different restaurants which reflect the differences between east and west dining. Both are my personal favorites.