By Jay Shek

I moved to the UWS to an apartment on the same 81st Street block as St. James Gate when indoor dining was closed last year. I walked by it many, many times before wandering in, first for a drink, then for some casual meals. Paul and his staff are incredibly friendly and, after the first visit, they recognized and welcomed me every time. This is the kind of bar where they make every patron feel like a regular (and most probably are).

The food here is better than you would expect, and the meatloaf plate stands out. A couple of slices of tender meatloaf in gravy, a puddle of buttery potatoes, and just enough steamed broccoli to make it seem like a balanced meal. At $16, it’s a satisfying dinner for one chased down with a beer or a cocktail. Add a salad or an appetizer and this could be a lighter meal for two (or would be great to bring home for two kids to share.) This is ideal neighborhood comfort food.

St. James Gate
441 Amsterdam Ave (b/t 81st & 82nd Streets)
Featured Dish: Meatloaf
(212) 362-6202

Here’s the Dish is a reader-written feature that showcases the local dishes that people love. Please take a few minutes to send your favorite dish, with a photograph, to westsiderag at gmail dot com. Let’s keep Here’s the Dish — and our restaurants — going!

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