Day Four - Fancy, Smancy In The Basement Of The Sheraton LaGuardia

So you want upscale in Flushing? Check this out, yo!

There's draped four person booths, plush carpeting, chandeliers, antique furniture, a waterfall, wine racks, even a "chef."

Some would call the place upscale. Others might say pretentious. I'm one of the others.

Deluge is a restaurant in the "lower level" (basement) of the Sheraton Laguardia Hotel, on 39th Avenue just off Main Street.

On a recent weekday at about 1 p.m., I took the elevator down two flights from the hotel lobby to the restaurant. I noticed the cavernous restaurant had few customers.

The hostess, who I'm intentionally not naming, eyed me suspiciously while I took notes.

When I told her I was writing about the restaurant for a school project, she asked me if I could
do that legally without the restaurant's permission. I mumbled something about the first amendment.

"Should I tell my manager," the hostess said.

"I can interview him if you want," I said.

"He's busy," she said curtly.

Despite drawing inhospitable stares of the wait staff, I did manage to get the hostess to give me a menu. I later learned it was both the restaurant menu and the room service menu. Deluge doubles as the kitchen for the hotel.

The offerings are rather pricey - as you would expect for a room service menu. A "char-broiled Black Angus burger, Apple wood smoked bacon and Brie with hand cut steak fries" (a fancy bacon cheeseburger deluxe) is $16. "Peppered N.Y. sirloin and frites" (steak and fries) costs $28.
A basic breakfast of two eggs, toast, home fries and sausage sets you back $10.95.

The hotel bar doubles as the restaurant bar, the hostess said.

When I asked how long it would take to serve an order, the hostess dryly said "20 minutes."

I left.

Deluge - Rock bottom at the Sheraton Laguardia Hotel - 39th Avenue off Main Street; 718-670-7400

Next: Day Five - Italian Oasis on Farrington Street!