Silvertone vs Chat'n'Chew: A Tale of Two Smacs

[Photo Credits: Cave Cibum and HJW3001]

In Manhattan, there’s a restaurant on 16th street right off Union Square called the Chat ‘n’ Chew. It is filled with a mix of 50s and cowboy memorabilia, and its menu cheerfully offers up diner fare done right – “not your mama’s meatloaf,” “holey cow” burgers, “uncle red’s addiction” fried chicken, tv dinners, greaseless sweet potato fries, dense and towery slabs of coco-cola chocolate cake, and what until last night I figured was the world’s best mac and cheese- chewy rigatoni tossed with cheddar for flavor and velveeta for fun, and topped with crushed potato chips. The mac and cheese at Silvertone is structurally quite similar to CnC’s, but it subs out the chips for bread crumbs and parmesan. A smart choice, for it clings to the noodles and absorbs the grease instead of adding to it.
Plus, Silvertone has drinks. Not that CnC doesn’t, but they’re not exactly a headlining event.
K and I both ordered the Joey Joe- Joe Jr. Shabadoo, a combination of Jim Beam, bitters, ginger beer, and a twist whose potency:price ratio was well worth its the effort it took to pronounce its tongue-twisting, dorky moniker.
Even the boy, who is depressingly steadfast to the dive bars of Cleveland Circle, had no complaints.

I can’t say I like Silvertone better than CnC- old favorites die hard, and the latter’s service is far friendlier.
But.
Silvertone is about 250 miles closer.
Win: Silvertone.

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