Our automat nostalgia is being rekindled in Grand Central Terminal, where the retro fast food experience has been recreated to promote NBC's America's Next Great Restaurant. As Grub Street's Daniel Maurer puts it, "Yes, it’s a publicity stunt, but we have a major soft spot for automats." The last automat closed in Times Square in 1991, but at their peak during the last century you could find dozens of the coin-operated eateries around town. (Bamn! tried to revive the concept a few years ago on St. Mark's Street, but couldn't stay afloat.) And while this rendering is sadly lacking in atavistic charm, it is currently the only automat in town, so we'll take it.
It'll be operational in Vanderbilt Hall today and tomorrow for lunch (11 a.m. till 1 p.m.) and dinner (5 till 7 p.m.). And tomorrow Bobby Flay and Curtis Stone are scheduled to appear to hand out free snacks from a menu inspired by concepts from the reality show, in which aspiring restaurateurs compete to turn their ideas into the "next great" chain restaurant.
