205008 Tue Nov 04 11:03:17 -0800 2003 2 18 Manhattan 0 1093071 I am going to the opera and would like to have dinner in a place near the Met that has a nice atmosphere, great food, not overly expensive and also not a tourist trap. Any recommendations? Tue Nov 04 11:03:17 -0800 2003 0 Karen 1 1093078 I have been recommending Compass, on W. 70th St., btw Amsterdam & West End Avs., for quite some time because it is one of our favorites when we go to performances at Lincoln Center. The new chef, Mark Andelbeadt, has been on board since the end of July, and the pre-opera dinner we had a few weeks ago was excellent in every respect. While the a la carte menu is on the expensive side, they do offer a very good value 3-course prix-fixe for $33. Service is friendly and competent. The contemporary decor is attractive, and the ambiance is conversation-friendly. I've provided a link to the menu page on their web site. Enjoy the opera and Bon Appetit! Link: http://www.compassrestaurant.com/menu.html Tue Nov 04 11:52:11 -0800 2003 1093071 0 RGR 1 1093174 My favorite pre-opera is Nick and Toni's (100 W 67th). It is simple, with wonderfully cooked food from their wood burning oven. The place is small and can seem crowded (oh, you know, when they bring you your roast chicken the couple at the next table leans over to see what you have got and you worry that one of them has dropped a loose eyelash onto your plate), but it soothes and nourishes. It has also, nearly, persuaded me of the wonders of french press coffee. Still can't make it that way at home, and am depressed by the residual grounds, but at N & T's it is wonderful. And it prepares one for the rigors of, say, three hours of Aida (which loses me in the desert, every time, without the coffee). Tue Nov 04 20:59:13 -0800 2003 1093071 0 Deb Van D