Ken's Restaurant

It is so hard to find a restaurant that still serves the full relish tray, so impressive to the under-twelve crowd, that harsh criticism seems to stick in one's craw. Ken's is the kind of restaurant that our parents took us to, and made us wear a tie. It is the kind of place that served a "businessman's lunch", with Manhattans aplenty. The food is mostly old-style and hearty, and the portions suited to that fabled businessman. Certainly the recipes have been lovingly handed down since the Eisenhower Administration. There are no surprises, and the familiarity is nostalgia-inducing. They are tolerant of children diners, and the waitstaff seems to have collective eons of experience. Prima-donna diners stay away; new-fangled notions of cuisine and atmosphere will not be tolerated. Is the food good? Yes. Is it comfortable? Yes. Is the service acceptable? Yes. Could Ken's be described as "hip","trendy" or in any way "nouveau"? Never, ever. The place is a museum of mid-century fine dining; they'll be griping about the smoking ban for decades. Wear vintage clothing and Brylcreem and you might have a total time-travel experience.