11/24/2023 0 Comments Nectar cafe east side nycThe luncheonette you either get or you don’t But-possibly recognizing that it has become “a destination”-this place has raised its prices to near-gourmet level. The Lexington Candy Shop, on the corner of 83rd Street, founded in 1923, has wisely left its nostalgic interior and convivial staff intact. Little Poland is a favorite in the East Village, Eat Here Now on the Upper East Side, Manhattan Diner on the Upper West, the Mansion Restaurant on York Avenue, and the Waverly in Greenwich Village. Surviving luncheonettes, by contrast, seem like time warps: The Capitol Restaurant in Inwood dates back to 1900. Not to overlook competition from the corporate “bowl” joints-Sweetgreen and Dig Inn are two-serving coconut chip-festooned acai bowls-and from the slew of gourmet coffee shops (whose edibles are trucked in). That’s a problem for the owners-that and rent hikes, plus the cost of maintaining short-order cooks and other staff while keeping prices down. While millennials value luncheonettes’ authenticity, it’s the pre-boomers and boomers, like me, who are the most loyal. Perfect for eat-and-run solo diners or friends having an informal meal together, luncheonettes do made-to-order dishes, served by waiters or waitresses, and were and still are frequented by diners of all ages. The Brooklyn Diner on West 57th Street is another-frequented by unsuspecting tourists who think it’s the real thing. Formerly a people’s eatery, it went out of business, only to be resuscitated as a pricey, chef-run semi-gourmet spot with self-conscious décor. I think of that place as one of the un-dead (like the Game of Thrones’ White Walkers). Instead we’ve seen the rise of faux luncheonettes, like the Empire Diner in Chelsea. We’ve lost so many: Big Nick’s on the Upper West Side, the Stage and the Kiev in the East Village, Moondance in Soho-to name just a smattering. And what could be better than consuming such a crunchy-smooth delight on a swivel stool, facing the short-order cooks in their jaunty Nehru-style white caps as they do their flipping on the grill?īut the luncheonette is an endangered species. Never have I tired of a BLT skewered with a frilled toothpick and accompanied by a zesty sour pickle and pleated paper portion cup of cole slaw. New York’s quintessential eateries may be a vanishing species, but Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop is one that has a knack for hanging on.Įisenberg’s Sandwich Shop, on Fifth Avenue across from the Flatiron Building.
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