The new Planet Hollywood in NYC, opened two months ago, has surprisingly elevated its food quality beyond past iterations. Despite expectations of tacky dishes, the menu offers improved culinary options in a freshly designed venue. The restaurant, situated on a corporate block away from the bustling Times Square, disregards its original charm of film memorabilia, instead providing a colorful dining space with modern décor and a focus on local appeal. Celebrities have been drawn to the venue, but the quality of the food stands out as the real surprise for diners.
When I first reported in 2022 that founder Robert Earl planned another re-launch, he told me it would be 'more complex and more appealing to New York locals as well as tourists.'
Instead, I felt almost embarrassed to enjoy it - and other dishes vastly better than the ones from Planet's early years, when it was a culinary joke.
After friends reported having tacky, processed-tasting snacks at an opening party, I was ready to laugh my head off over menu oddities like 'L.A. Lasagna', an 'icon' from the original Planet.
The second Planet at 1540 Broadway closed in 2020. Now, the new venue is almost entirely without film posters, costumes and memorabilia that were the main draw at the original.
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