Cafeteria

Cocktails and cruising fuel the nonstop scene in the spare white dining room of this Chelsea mainstay. Cafeteria feeds fashionistas and the requisite wanna-bes with a roster of down-home favorites. There are three versions of mac and cheese—the traditional is nearly perfect, with a crunchy top and loads of gooey fontina—and gravy-heavy meat loaf with tomato-and-red-pepper relish makes you wish Mom’s cooking were this good. If you’re on a liquid diet, skip the dining room altogether and head for the tiny basement bar.