Monday, July 13, 1998 Anyway You Slice It, Rudy Prefers Pizza So you want to have dinner with Rudy Giuliani? Get ready for a culinary blitz of steakhouses, pizzerias and Italian restaurants. But don't expect too much quality time -- the mayor will constantly man the phones and dispatch the troops as you dine. Nearly half the New Yorkers surveyed in a Daily News poll said it would be fun to break bread with Giuliani. Well, make that thin and crispy pizza with peppers and pepperoni, Hizzoner's favorite. "Second only to pizza is a hot dog from Nathan's in Coney Island," said Cristyne Lategano, the mayor's communications director. The mayor has a list of preferred eateries in all five boroughs -- and he'll often whisk his dining companions to neighborhood joints from East Tremont and East Harlem to Bay Ridge, Bayside and Tottenville. "Even at the dinner table, the work will continue," said Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari. "He'll never stop dealing with the crisis of the day." Molinari says he watched in awe last week as the mayor wolfed down a plate of linguine puttanesca at La Fontana Restaurant in Oakwood, S.I. and simultaneously fielded phone calls, signed autographs, shook hands and bantered with diners. When the mayor isn't feasting on pasta or pizza, he often can be found at some of Manhattan's finest steakhouses -- like Smith & Wollensky, Frank's, Old Homestead, Gallagher's and Ben Benson's. "A heavy-cut sirloin, medium rare, broccoli sauteed with garlic and oil, a baked potato, chopped salad and, if time allows, a shrimp cocktail," said Marc Sherry, owner of the Old Homestead, ticking off a typical mayoral banquet. Giuliani goes light on the libations, but he likes to down a single-malt Scotch before his steak or a glass of Italian or American red wine with his pasta. And he likes to fire up a cigar after dinner, when possible. Average tip -- close to 20%. Also on Rudy's List:
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