Posted by Jenn Sit, October 10, 2008 at 12:00 PM
With the autumn chill setting in and one too many jacketless mornings, I landed a pretty nasty cold. Yesterday, after a lunch of Theraflu and cough drops, I decided to spare my cubicle neighbors the operatic sniffling and sneezing and left work early to get some much needed bed rest. On my way home, I stopped into Cafe Edison for the classic cold remedy: a big bowl of matzo ball soup.
Cafe Edison is known for its tasty soups. I can only hope that the rest are as good as the matzo ball. The matzo ball soup consists of big chunks of chicken, egg noodles, and a broth in which bob two massive matzo balls. The matzo balls are tender to the spoon. As I whittled my way through the first, the best part was that there was another just waiting for me to dig into. Feeling warmed, I realized the $5 I spent at Cafe Edison probably did me better than the $15 I'd just spent on cold remedies.
Cafe Edison
228 West 47th Street, New York NY 10036 (b/n Broadway and 8th Ave; map)
212-840-5000
Posted by Joe DiStefano, August 27, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Russ & Daughters has been hand-slicing fish on Manhattan’s Lower East side for more than twice as long as I’ve been alive—since 1914 to be specific. As a lover of smoked fish and caviar I’m ashamed to admit I’ve only been there twice. This is due to an incident that occurred about 10 years ago. On the advice of a Chowhound poster I ordered top-shelf smoked salmon with wasabi-flavored flying fish roe and cream cheese on an everything bagel. The counterman gave me much tsuris and proceeded to tell me that I was crazy for ruining the salmon’s delicate flavor with horseradish. About five years later I went to R&D for caviar and was glad to see a different person minding the store.
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Posted by Ed Levine, June 11, 2008 at 1:00 PM
The short line outside Barney Greengrass this morning.
I wasn't going to eat anything. I swear. This morning I decided to check out the scene at Barney Greengrass, which is celebrating its 100th birthday today by rolling back its prices to 1908 levels. I went up there at 9:30 expecting a mob scene. Surprisingly there was just a very short line.
A bagel sandwich with sturgeon, Nova Scotia salmon, cream cheese, onion, and tomato; and pastrami on rye.
I looked at the day's menu. I saw my favorite Barney Greengrass sandwich, sturgeon, Nova Scotia salmon, cream cheese, a slice of onion, and with any luck a slice of non-salmonella-inducing tomato. For freaking $1.90. Normally, as in tomorrow, it would be $18.75. My plate of breakfast heaven, the sturgeon scrambled with eggs and onions, was just $1.75 instead of $17.00. A pastrami on rye, which is not something I usually order at Barney Greengrass, but was recently touted by a serious eater, was $0.75 (usually $9.50).
I couldn't resist. I ordered all three from my typically wisecracking waiter, along with a medium fresh orange juice (only $0.40 instead of $3.75). "Talk to me, babe," he said to me with a shrug. "And make it fast."
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Posted by Ed Levine, December 24, 2007 at 3:46 PM
Though there's lots being said about the Jewish tradition of eating Chinese food on Christmas Day, no one has suggested what Jews and other people who don't observe Christmas should eat on Christmas Eve. I have a couple of suggestions:
Treat yourself to a pastrami sandwich, french fries, and mushroom barley soup at the newly reopened Second Avenue Deli. Beware of long lines, even at off hours. I have no idea how it will be on Christmas Eve. If the lines are too long, head for Sarge's, Katz's (skip the french fries and the soup there), the Carnegie Deli, Artie's, or Pastrami Queen.
Have pizza, but treat yourself to really good pizza. That would mean Una Pizza Napoletana (alas, they are closed today), Franny's, Totonno's, DiFara, Nick's, Lucali's, and perhaps Sal and Carmine's. Slice master Kuban swears by the pies at Peppe's in Park Slope.
Have a banh mi. I don't know why I say this, but somehow it seems right.
Perhaps you have a better idea. Please let us know.
Posted by Ed Levine, May 30, 2007 at 6:44 AM
In a move certain to infuriate upscale chefs and restaurateurs in New York (who mistakenly believe that the Times restaurant critic should only review fancy-pants restaurants, Frank Bruni devotes his review today to a delicatessen. Not just any deli, of course. But the beloved institution Katz's.
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