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One day Steve and I were wandering around the Lower
East Side. (We do that a lot.) We came around a corner, and Steve
stopped dead. "That's where it is?" "Where what is?" I
looked around and saw nothing but a battered restaurant canopy that said
"Sammy's."
"That's
Sammy's Roumanian Restaurant. It's world-famous - one of the
most amazing places. Great food, music. That's where it
is?"
Sure enough, that's where it was.
New York is full of amazing restaurants - many of them
ethnic. I can't tell you how to get a reservation at "21" - I've
never been there. But I can tell you about some of my favorites.
Primorksi 
Once or twice a summer, we get out to Brighton Beach,
otherwise known as Moscow on the Hudson. There are lots of
Russian restaurants and food shops, and the overheard talk has a
distinctly Russian accent.
I've always wanted to eat at one of the beachside cafes (I
love Pelmeni, Siberian-style dumplings, with vinegar
and/or sour cream). Somehow, though, we always end up at
Restaurant Primorski, on Brighton Beach Avenue.
It's a huge place - see photo below - and it's really set up
for big parties with Russian-style banquet food. But the
two of us are always welcomed graciously and seated at one of
the few small tables.
The food is great. Best cole slaw in the world (yes,
really!). Be warned - even the lunch special is a lot
of food. Speaking of the lunch special - although it's
advertised outside, you won't get the special menu unless you
ask for it. I'm sure their hope is that once you look at
the full menu, with its mouth-watering dishes, you'll forget
about the bargain lunch menu. But, at least once, try the
lunch special - it's great!
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Crowded, noisy and fun - Primorski Restaurant is Russian (Georgian Jewish) to the core. |
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Chumley’s has an interesting history. It’s a former speakeasy
(a “hidden” bar where alcohol was sold during Prohibition), and it is
still invisible, with no sign outside. The back entrance opens into an
alley, though they don’t like customers to use that entrance any more –
I guess it disturbs the neighbors.
The first time I went there, we were following up on an ad for a
lobster special. (They still do the lobster special, but it’s gone up
in price, of course.) We had an address, and the name of the place, but
when we got there, there was nothing to be seen. Eventually, we figured
out where it had to be, opened a door, opened another door, and found
ourselves in a busy restaurant. We investigated further, and found
memorabilia of famous writers all over the walls, fireplaces (the place
is fabulous in winter), and the best juke box in New York. And the
dogs.
Later, we found the alley entrance, and the joke became, “Imagine
explaining to a visitor to New York. ‘Well – you go to the corner of
Bedford and Barrow, then go around the corner, down an alley, and open
the door at the end of the alley – the one with no sign on it.’ Can you
imagine their faces?”
Update: Last I heard, Chumley's was temporarily closed. They
were doing renovations and had a partial building collapse. No
word that I've heard on whether or when it will re-open.
Breakfast in New York
Where do you eat breakfast if you're
visiting a new city? Well, probably you eat near the hotel, so you can
get a good start on the day.
Well, folks, I work in Times Square, and
I just can't believe the prices tourists pay for a coffee shop breakfast
in that neighborhood! I understand that when you're on holiday, you may
be willing to spend more, just because you're on holiday, and because
you don't know where else to go.
But where I live, a quick bus ride from
midtown, that $8 eggs and coffee is $3. I'm not suggesting you go there
for breakfast - the $4 for the bus ride there and back would pretty much
wipe out your profit! But you might consider, if you're going downtown
for the day, for example, having breakfast there instead of at your
hotel. Trust me, there are plenty of inexpensive places to eat
downtown!
The Times Square neighborhood does cater
to tourists, though. Just this morning, I heard a waiter giving
detailed directions to his customers - "Go down to 57th Street, across
to 8th Avenue, then take the C train..." Later, I heard him asking some
French-speaking customers if they would like him to add the 15% service
into the check for them. They were appreciative.
Just a few days earlier, though, some
other visitors were not so appreciative. I heard them discussing the
check in German at the next table, and asked if I could help. They said
no, they were just very annoyed at the way the waitress had circled the
"Service is not included" message on the check. I explained that they
are used to dealing with Europeans who assume service to be included,
and just wanted to call it to their attention, but they were still
annoyed. Apparently waiters kept pointing it out to them, and they
knew it already. They felt they were demanding a tip.
Sometimes you can't win!
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UPDATE: I am so, so reluctant to say this, but
yesterday we spent the afternoon at the Bohemian Hall Beer Garden, and
it really wasn't fun at all.
It was mobbed. The crowd was
loud, and the staff overwhelmed. It may be because they had an
event ("Water for People")
that had brought in a lot of new people, so we'll probably give it
another chance. But otherwise, we may have to wait until October.
I'm not sure whether the
Bohemian Hall Beer Garden belongs under
eating or drinking - their beer is great, I'm told (I don't like beer),
and the food is excellent.
"Oh, I love that place!" That's what everyone says when we
tell them about Bohemian Hall. I always think we're introducing
them to something new, and they always know about it.
The Bohemian Hall Beer Garden is the last "real" beer garden in a
city that once had hundreds. It's in Queens, an easy subway ride
or one bus stop from Manhattan. The staff, the food and the beer are
Czech, and the beer garden is big, and shaded with oak trees - a
wonderful place to spend a summer afternoon. And in late September, they
do a great (but very crowded) Octoberfest - see photos below.
There's a stage where musicians of all kinds perform, and little
kids run around on it when nobody's performing.
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Crowds fill the beer garden at Bohemian Hall in Astoria, Queens, on summer afternoons.
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Vegetarians may not feel comfortable at the Bohemian Hall Octoberfest!
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Peek-a-boo!
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Fun for all ages.
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One, two, three...
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Czech folk dancing
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More Czech folk dancing.
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The "hat dance" - last one with a hat wins.
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The sun goes down, but the fun goes on.
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Oops!
In a bar, a customer carries an elaborate birthday cake,
complete with lit candles through a bar (not the Bohemian Hall),
through the back room, past the pool table, and opens the back
door to the backyard patio. (Yes, they have them in New York.)
“H A P P Y B I R T H … oh, shit.”
We assume the breeze on the patio blew out the candles.
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The Blind Tiger is a
favorite with its neighbors in Greenwich Village - a place where you can
easily get into a “pub-style” conversation at the bar. There’s a wide
range of beers, and, while they don’t serve food, on the weekends
there’s a table full of bagels, cream cheese in various flavors, and
fixin’s. And if the bagels tend to be a little salty, there’s always
another beer. (No doubt that's the idea.)
Update: The Blind Tiger has moved to Bleecker Street.
The free bagels have been replaced with gourmet food (though it looks
good), and the beautiful (if stand-offish) calico cats that used to hang
out in the window and on the bar are gone. (Illegal to have
animals where food is served.) Nothing stays the same in New
York...
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