Waverly Restaurant

On the Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) at the corner of Waverly Place in Greenwich Village is the Waverly Restaurant. If you are approaching it walking up Sixth Ave., the sign along the top of the plate glass windows reads “Waverly Diner.” I eat here on days I am late getting to the afternoon tour, or on rainy days, or when I am in the mood....

The menu is posted in the front window, and reads like a diner tome. Quite extensive in its offerings — breakfast is served all day — I turn to the specials page! Clipped to one of the interior pages, the specials offer a variety of foods, which I figure are fresh or why would they be “specials.”

Tables can be hard to come by; waiters will ask you to move inside for the next table, which means you are bumped up against those eating at the counter. Tables do turn over frequently; I ate at the counter only once because a table was not going to be available in time for me to eat and meet my next tour group. That day turned out to be interesting, by the way.

Getting situated at the counter is not easy for me — I carry a large messenger bag with a binder of photos to show tourists, a book of information, flyers about our other tours, transit maps, and whatever book I am reading at the time, with a water bottle slipped in the sleeve. Then, there is my coat — well in winter it was coat, scarf, vest, hat and gloves... So they most often seat me at a table so I can rest the rest of my stuff on the other seat.

The day I am talking about was sunny last December. The sun pores through the plate glass windows, so shades can be drawn to unblind those seated in the booths along the windows. I was eating my soup — talk about that later — when a sizable man approached the cashier to pay for lunch. I glanced to see why the sun was being blocked and I realized I know this man. Looking back at my soup for a second, I considered that he was larger than I had even thought. I turned my head sideways to get a glimpse, and Michael Moore nodded at me as I recognized him. I held my breath for a second and wondered if he was filming in the area. If so, I may have to reroute the tour group, if not, I may reroute to see where he was filming.

He went back to his booth — his size made it obvious — so I watched him to see if he had a camera crew with him. No, he was with a woman and two girls, whose ages I will not try to guess. Suffice it to say they were tall girls so they could be teenagers, or in their early 20’s. My mind raced...as soon as I get outside I will call my brother and tell him whom “I had lunch with...”

I should not be surprised since the walls of the Waverly Restaurant/Diner are lined with signed photos of movie stars, stars of stage and television, and of those who want to be. Many famous people call the Village home, but I am still amazed when I see one I recognize.

Back to my salad — oh, yeah — the Greek Salad is quite large and resembles Greek Salads I’ve eaten all over the East Coast. Generally, I eat the Spinach Pie: two flaky pieces of puff pastry filled with spinach and feta cheese...a large slice that looks as if it was baked in a lasagna pan. With the Spinach Pie I am offered a small bowl of stuffed grape leaves and marinated olives. I always eat these. I do not always finish the pie and usually take it home to eat on the train while I wait for it to leave Hoboken station.

The Specials page offers items costing $8 up to $15 — I stay in the $10 range. Soup comes with the special ordered. Most often the soups are chicken rice or Yankee bean. The vegetable lasagna, quiche, burgers, sandwiches ...all look good and taste just as one would expect. The only time I was disappointed was when I ordered the brisket — I knew I should have said “lean” but didn’t and I was not happy.

Several times at the Waverly Restaurant/Diner I have bumped into people from my morning tour eating prior to my afternoon tour...or just eating there because I recommend eating lunch in Greenwich Village.