One more reason to miss Grand Central Terminal

Donatella Arpaia

I really miss the days when Amtrak ran trains from my Upstate neck of the woods at Albany/Rensselaer down to New York City's iconic Grand Central Terminal.

Besides simply liking trains since I was a kid, I looked forward to arriving there to get yet another look at the magnificent architecture and glamorous hustle-bustle. And, perhaps a bite to eat and something to drink at a quintessentially Manhattan spot.

But, since these days we have to suffer through the soul-sucking sheer ugliness of Penn Station, we're down one on the Small Pleasures List. And now, there's another reason to be jealous of those train riders who still get to use Grand Central: they can have wine-to-go in adult sippy cups.

Well-known restaurateur Donatella Arpaia, who shuttered her restaurant Prova in the Chelsea neighborhood last year, has just opened Prova Pizzabar on the terminal's lower level, offering full-service dining as well as takeout and a full liquor license. Customers can get their pizzas or slices to go with wine, or cocktails, packaged and prepared for commuters.

“We have really cool adult wine sippy cups. We’re really excited about it,” Arpaia said in a New York Post interview. “This is my first foray into upscale quick service. Our pizza chef hasn’t slept in weeks.”

Of course, eat-in or take-out service is not limited to train riders. As is the case with such other eateries in Grand Central as the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant and Michael Jordan's The Steak House, Prova Pizzabar is open to the general public seven days a week, with 45 seats in the 1,500-square-foot space plus seven seats at the bar. (For the uninitiated, Grand Central is located at 89 East 42nd Street in Manhattan.)

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