On Broadway, she’s playing the Ghost of Christmas Present, but LaChanze, a Florida native, remembers a snowy Christmas past, her family’s first in New England: “Me and my brothers and sisters ran outside barefoot, not realizing that snow was cold!” The Tony winner lives in Westchester County these days, driving into the city to perform in “A Christmas Carol,” several blocks from where daughter Celia Rose Gooding stars in “Jagged Little Pill.” LaChanze tells The Post about her favorite haunts.
On Saturday mornings, I like to go for a nice run before I come into the city. One of my best friends lives on the Upper West Side and we have a favorite spot: Bin 71. It’s a wine bar, but they have a delicious brunch. We know everyone who works there — a couple of them are young actors — and they have this meatball sausage soup that warms you up well in the winter.
We love to window-shop, and shop! My girlfriend has a degree in fashion, so I love going around with her. Lately, we’ve been going to this new, fabulous Nordstrom on 57th Street, where every single floor has a place where you can grab something to drink. They’ve made it an experience, which is what we need. We do so much online these days, it’s nice to be social.
We used to go to Landmarc restaurant and share a little Champagne before we went shopping. That’s gone now, but there’s a new hotel in Times Square, the Edition. It’s got this absolutely beautiful restaurant [the Terrace] that’s completely covered in foliage — it’s like you’re walking into a jungle! We decided that’s going to be our new spot.
I love the Meatpacking area for shopping. One of my favorite stores is All Saints, a sort of hip, New York type of store that has very neutral, comfortable clothing in a funky, asymmetrical style — very edgy-looking. And I love Rag and Bone. Fashion is one of the things I spend too much money on. Once my girlfriend and I leave the shops, we go to the Standard Hotel. One of the best burgers I ever had in my life is at that restaurant — it’s nice and thick and flavorful.
I’ve been trying to cut out processed sugar for a long time. I love it, but then I discovered Chloe’s, a soft-serve frozen fruit shop. It’s a nice alternative to dairy, and they pile on all the good stuff — coconut, blueberries, kiwi, dark-chocolate chips. No matter how cold it is, when I’m in the Union Square area, I go in and get that frozen-fruit soft serve!
