No Reservations - Disappearing Manhattan - The Follow Up
>> Tuesday, February 24, 2009
As you may recall, on Monday I told you about an episode of No Reservations focusing on classic New York eateries that are slowly vanishing off the radar...well I watched it...
As your expert in all things culinary (HA!) I feel it is my duty to guide you through the episode in case you missed it; here are the highlights...
- Hell's Kitchen - Esposito's Pork Shop - Sweet mother. Pork-lover's heaven.
- Hell's Kitchen - Manganaro's Groceria - Italian grocery store. I feel I would do a disservice to my people if i don't eat there.
- Harold's Square-ish - Keen's - Apparently this is a true New York steakhouse.
- Lower East Side - Russ and Daughter - Fish store that started as a push cart and looks like it packs a mean Lox.
- Lower East Side - Katz's Deli - This has been on my list for a lonnnnnnnng time and now I have a completely irrational sense of urgency to eat there soon. Close to now. If I could right now.
- Flatiron - Eisenberg's Sandwich - Soda pop and sandwich shop. Looks adorable.
- Upper East Side (Yorkville) - Schaller and Weber - Wow. I'm awkward that they serve beer in a glass shaped like a foot, yet oddly intrigued. The pork shank looks ridiculous.
- Chinatown - Hope Kee - I have to be honest, I am SO excited about this. With so many Chinese restuarants it's impossible to know which ones are good and which ones are just deep fried meat, full of MSG and thick syrups. I will say this - I always knew there were two menus at Chinese restuarants because that is the one that my dad ALWAYS orders off of.
- Midtown East - Le Veau Dor - French eatery that appears to have never been changed...the man who runs the restaurant (Robert') looks beyond adorable. I mean I would go there just for him. He is like a sassy Grandpa. And he carves table-side! Too cute!
- East Village - McSorley's - Again, a place that I have wanted to go for a long time. I actually took a picture of this for my mom because she loves Irish pubs, and aparently this is one of the oldest in Manhattan. I'm not actually sure that is where he went, but they showed it a lot.
Well there you have it, 40 minutes of TV wrapped up in a neat little bow. Since I haven't eaten at any of these places I can't suggest them, but as soon as I do, I promise I'll let you know!
6 comments:
Such a great show!
We knocked Katz Deli off the list this weekend. Soo good! But DO NOT go if you are hungover. Holy chaos!!! I had the pastrimi on rye and french fries. Soo perfect for hangover food..sooo I guess if you can handle the chaos then go for it! You can sit where Meg Ryan did the orgasm (awk) scene!
I think you and your reader may rethink visiting Manganaro's after they've read the experience we just had there.
We went to Manganaro's Groceria because like many other people we had seen it on the 'No Reservations' TV show. We had hardly walked eight feet into the store when a sour-faced shrew of a woman pounced on us from behind like a vulture and spat out a curt "May I help you?" We turned around, smiling at her politely, and went on to say that this was our first time here, we had seen them on TV. Before I even finished my sentence, she interrupts me with, "Are you going to have lunch?" I said, "Oh, no, not this time, but w--" I was going to tell her that we live four blocks away and were thinking of getting some of their sliced meats. But I didn't have a chance. As soon as I said we weren't going to eat she replied with, "Then have a nice day," while MOTIONING TOWARD THE DOOR. We got the point and started leaving, and I said, "I guess we never will have lunch here after all. You are rude." Her response? "I just said have a nice day, that's all..." I go, "Yes, while pointing us to the door, ma'am?" And she just shrugged her shoulders and went, "Yeah, well..." What. a. god. damn. BITCH.
What in the world would possess a business-owner to behave in this manner? Do they expect you to walk in with your cash in hand, immediately stating your business lest you be kicked out? Did she think we were tourists and that since we weren't going to eat, it wasn't worth even letting us browse around (we actually live four blocks away)? Did she have a problem with us being an interracial couple? I simply cannot think of one good reason for this kind of commercially suicidal behaviour. Look, folks, we have all dealt with the occasional crazy living here in New York. I've been snapped at by MTA employess, ignored by restaurant waitstaff, given a bad attitude by cab drivers--this is all flies over your shoulders when you're a New Yorker. BUt I have never in my life dealt with such a deliberately absurd and disgusting attitude as this woman gave us the other day. When I told this story about Manganaro's Groceria to my mother, who has been in the food service industry for thirty years, even she was left speechless!
To think we walked in there considering given them our money nearly makes me nauseous. Every cent in my pocket is the result of my having sold my time--an irreplaceable commodity--in exchange for that money. When I spend it, I am in effect saying this service or good was worth a small part of my life. It makes me sick to think I even for a moment considered giving it to this ungrateful, rude, and revolting woman. Dear reader, if I may say, Manganaro's Groceria does not deserve your hard-earned dollars. However long they may have been there, it's obvious they have run their course and the best thing to do now is simply ignore them and let them die off gracefully. There is a reason the TV show segment of 'No Reservations' in which Anthony Bourdain visited this restaurant was called 'Disappearing Manhattan.' Good effin' RIDDANCE.
See my post. These are 2 evil bitches. Not only will I never, ever, ever give them my hard earned money, I need to tell others. It's not right.
www.ForkNewYork.com
I enjoyed readding your post
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