The 'Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)' company's guide to NYC

The new Broadway musical's cast, creators, and director recommend must-visit attractions and restaurants to help you plan your next Big Apple trip.

Summary

• The Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) cast and creative team recommended their favorite NYC restaurants and attractions
• Two Strangers is a new Broadway musical about a Brit and a New Yorker who go on a citywide adventure that leads to friendship and romance

For Dougal, one of the title characters in the new musical comedy Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), NYC is a magical place straight out of a movie. We longtime New Yorkers might take our city for granted, but there's no denying the endless lineup of new places to find around every corner, and the wonder of experiencing these discoveries as a first-time visitor.

In Two Strangers, the British Dougal (Sam Tutty) and NYC-born Robin (Christiani Pitts) meet en route to the same wedding and end up on a citywide adventure inspired by classic rom-coms. The musical's cast and creative team — which also includes writers Jim Barne and Kit Buchan and director Tim Jackson — may all be Brits with the exception of Pitts, but that makes them the perfect people to recommend must-visit attractions and restaurants in NYC for fellow visitors.

Many are located around the Theatre District, so you can plan out your itinerary when coming in to see Two Strangers on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre. Check out their recommendations below!

Get Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) tickets now.

Best NYC restaurants and bars

Can't decide on your pre-show dinner spot? The Two Strangers company share their favorite eateries — spanning various types of cuisines — to get you started.

Sardi's

Sardi's is the place to go for "the full-blown theatrical experience," said Two Strangers director Tim Jackson. This Italian restaurant in the Theatre District is lined with caricatures of famous actors, and it's been a go-to for Broadway fans and professionals alike since 1927.

"You can go and see all the faces up on the wall, and you can have your martini or your mocktail," Jackson said. "It's so steeped in history."

Recommended by: Tim Jackson
Address: 234 West 44th St. between Broadway and Eighth Avenue
Price: $$$

Dutch Fred's

NYC newcomer Sam Tutty has been letting his friends show him around, and Dutch Fred's was one of the first spots he visited. A block away from the Longacre, this cocktail bar and American eatery is a Theatre District favorite. Fun fact: It's named for the man who supposedly coined the name of Hell's Kitchen, the restaurant-filled neighborhood right next to the Theatre District.

Recommended by: Sam Tutty
Address: 307 W. 47th St. on the corner of Eighth Avenue
Price: $$

Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen

"We love Chinatown, and it features in the show, but there's amazing Chinese food around Broadway as well," said Kit Buchan, who wrote Two Strangers with Jim Barne. "We hadn't really appreciated that the previous times we'd come in."

They recommended Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen, a no-frills spot a block away from Two Strangers at the Longacre — perfect if you're in a time crunch before the show!

Recommended by: Jim Barne and Kit Buchan
Address: 811 Eighth Ave. on the corner of 49th Street
Price: $$

Añejo

This Mexican spot in Hell's Kitchen offers lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, making it a flexible option for either pre- or post-show dining. There's also a happy hour from 4-6 p.m. on weekdays, with discounted drinks and appetizers.

Buchan particularly recommended Añejo for vegetarians, as there are just as many plant-based options as meat and seafood dishes.

Recommended by: Jim Barne and Kit Buchan
Address: 668 10th Ave. on the corner of 47th St.
Price: $$

Blue Ribbon Sushi

Go 10 blocks north of the theatre and you'll find yourself in Columbus Circle, home to lots of shopping and dining — including Blue Ribbon Sushi in the Columbus Hotel. "They have an awesome rooftop, you've got to check it out," said Christiani Pitts.

Get a sushi roll for under $20, or splurge on a larger platter. Blue Ribbon Sushi is open daily from 7 a.m. until late, so you could get sushi for breakfast (if that's your thing), a late-night snack, or anywhere in between.

Recommended by: Christiani Pitts
Address: 308 W. 58th St. (6 Columbus Hotel)
Price: $$-$$$

Best NYC attractions

If you're coming to NYC for the first time like Dougal, you have to check out these iconic landmarks.

Central Park

"It always blows my mind how huge it is in the middle of this super-cramped city," said Jackson. You could spend a whole day exploring Central Park, whose many attractions include a zoo, a seasonal ice skating rink, an upscale restaurant, the Delacorte Theater, and more amid the lawns, paths, and ponds.

Jackson recommends biking around the park: "You escape the hustle and bustle for a little bit and find a bit of peace, and you're ready to go back into it and enjoy all the madness."

Barne and Buchan, meanwhile, recommend renting a rowboat at Central Park's lake, particularly as a date activity. "[Robin and Dougal] don't do it in the show, but they definitely should," said Barne. Boat rentals are $25-30 per hour.

Recommended by: Tim Jackson, Jim Barne and Kit Buchan
Price: Free (select food/activities $-$$)

Bryant Park

Overwhelmed by the size of Central Park? Check out Bryant Park, which is only two city blocks wide. Tutty "bumped into" Bryant Park on his first NYC visit and "just loved it," he said.

The park is adjacent to the New York Public Library, and it also has year-round food vendors, a seasonal ice rink and holiday market, and all kinds of free activities, classes, and performances. Not to mention famously nice public restrooms.

"Go to Bryant Park, clear your mind, and have fun," summed up Pitts.

Recommended by: Sam Tutty, Christiani Pitts
Address: Between 40th and 42nd Streets, and Fifth and Sixth Avenues
Price: Free (select food/activities $)

Grand Central Terminal

"As a railway enthusiast, it is the most romantic interior of a railway station," said Buchan. "Just stand there and soak it up."

Grand Central Terminal's gorgeous interior — including the celestial skyscape painted on the main concourse's ceiling — has been made famous by numerous movies, making the transit hub an attraction in its own right. It's home to the New York Transit Museum, shopping, and all kinds of dining, from to-go vendors to the upscale Campbell Bar and Oyster Bar.

Recommended by: Kit Buchan
Address: 89 E. 42nd St.
Price: $-$$$

Shopping in SoHo

Trade Midtown for downtown by taking the subway to SoHo. One of Manhattan's premier shopping districts, this neighborhood is also right next to the famed food districts of Chinatown and Little Italy. It's the place to "do it all," said Pitts.

Recommended by: Christiani Pitts

Statue of Liberty

Take the ferry to Liberty Island and see the city's most iconic landmark up close. For Pitts, going into the Statue of Liberty's crown is still on her NYC bucket list — but if you don't want to climb the 215 steps, you can just look at Lady Liberty from the ground or take the elevator up to the statue's pedestal, which doubles as an observation deck. Tickets are required.

Recommended by: Christiani Pitts
Address: Liberty Island
Price: $$

Best NYC entertainment

Whether you like theatre, jazz, opera, or anything in between, NYC has all kinds of live entertainment in some of the world's most iconic venues.

Radio City Music Hall

Want to have a fully festive day of entertainment? Plan a two-show day with Two Strangers — an original new musical set around Christmas — and the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall, a beloved holiday tradition since 1933. The show's stars, the Rockettes, are celebrating their own 100th anniversary this year, and seeing them is on Tim Jackson's bucket list: "As an outsider, it just feels so intrinsic [to] New York Christmastime," he said.

Get Radio City Christmas Spectacular tickets now.

Recommended by: Tim Jackson
Address: 1260 Sixth Ave. between 50th and 51st Streets
Price: $$-$$$

The Metropolitan Opera

"It is the most beautiful interior," said Buchan of the iconic opera venue. Even before your performance starts, the building itself is a sight to behold with massive Marc Chagall murals, ornate chandeliers, and a balcony that looks out over Lincoln Center. No wonder attendees dress to impress.

The Metropolitan Opera hosts a rotating lineup of classical and contemporary operas, plus abridged, family-friendly performances during the holidays. The American Ballet Theatre also performs there each summer.

Get Metropolitan Opera tickets now.

Recommended by: Jim Barne and Kit Buchan
Address: 30 Lincoln Center Plaza
Price: $$-$$$

Jazz at the Blue Note and Civilian Hotel

NYC is a jazz music haven. If you want to immerse yourself in music history, listen to live music at the Blue Note, a legendary NYC jazz club since 1981. There are nightly performances at 8 and 10:30 p.m. plus a Sunday jazz brunch, so there are plenty of options to fit your schedule.

If you don't want to leave Midtown, go down the block from the Longacre to the Civilian Hotel, whose Rosevale Kitchen + Cocktail Room has jazz nights from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Admission is $6.

Recommended by: Jim Barne and Kit Buchan; Christiani Pitts
Address: 131 W. 3rd St. (Blue Note), 305 W. 48th St. (Civilian Hotel)
Price: $-$$$

Broadway

"I've heard wonderful things about the Longacre Theatre. There's a show going on there right now called Two Strangers, so I think you should check that out," Pitts quipped. No matter what show you see, Broadway takes the cake as a must-do on your NYC visit.

Get Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) tickets now.

Recommended by: Christiani Pitts
Price: $$-$$$$