Quintessential New York Restaurant

[Ozzy]

btw... Since you mentioned it.... Glenns Bar is the starting point of the biker "Toy Run" held around this time of year and heads down Woodhaven and Crossbay Blvds to the childrens hosp in Howard Beach. My guess it it's probably one of these weekends coming up.

 

[justlooking]

I've wanted to try that place for a while.

It's not that there aren't better places to eat (although dv&d is very good). It's just that it's someplace that you really can't picture being anywhere but New York.

 

[Mr. Wet Wooly]

It's not that there aren't better places to eat (although dv&d is very good). It's just that it's someplace that you really can't picture being anywhere but New York.

Who on earth is Donatella?

Okay, she's someone who put up a lot of money to be a partner in a David Burke restaurant--but how did she get her name on it?

Guess that was a lot of money. Guess that really is quintessentially New York.

 

[justlooking]

She's an attractive woman, which sets her far apart from most other restaurant investors.

 

[Ozzy]

That leaves out Donatella Versace.

 

[Monk]

If we are going to classify the "Nathan's" of the world as "quintessentially New York" then how about Yonah Schimmel's?

 

[Mr. Wet Wooly]

Word on the street is that Yonah's has sucked for 20 years. I went recently and it lived down to the low expectations.

If you think that's a good knish, don't worry. Consider yourself lucky in that you didn't spend much of your childhood in places like Rego Park and Riverdale.

 

[Monk]

I was thinking of it more as a New York experience, but you're right, of course. The fact that they haven't updated the place in 60-70 years is a plus, though.

 

[Mr. Wet Wooly]

When the knishes taste like they've been sitting around for 70 years, it ain't such a plus.

 

[Monk]

In France they'd call it "teroir" and charge extra.

 

[justlooking]

That's if they've been sitting on the ground for 70 years.

 

[vermeer]

Actually they would have to be growing out of the dank, rat shit, and cat piss cellar. That subtle rodent feces on your pallet? taht's terroir.

That's if they've been sitting on the ground for 70 years.

 

[vermeer]

That's because you were eating from the white folks menue.
btw, did you notice the faint taste of diarhea in your food, courtesy of themexican busboys?

I'm glad I'm not the only person who feels that way. All I heard for years was how great Sylvia's home cookin was. Politicans and celebs flocked there and raved about this African American success story in the heart of Harlem and how her place was as good as the best in the city. I finally went there after a Yankee game in the early 90's and the southern fried chicken was so dry and over cooked that the crust turned to dust when you pinched it. The greens were so bitter I thought they came out of a can and everything else was so filthy and horrible I thought I was in the wrong place. I went back around 2001 or so cause I was on a job site up there and figured I'd give it another try for a quick lunch..... I think I called Bender just to be sure I had the right place and it was worse than the previous time I was there.

 

[vermeer]

why don't you tell these fine folks about how your twat got banged by vermeer's hebrew hammer in the basement? All it took was a $5 tip.

What about Dojo's? An old East Village favorite for thrifty people. It's currently closed by the BOH now but the west one is still open. I worked as a hostess there many moons ago and got to seat Joey Ramone.

 

[Traderdave]

I did not know vermeer was kosher

 

[Ozzy]

That's because you were eating from the white folks menue.
btw, did you notice the faint taste of diarhea in your food, courtesy of themexican busboys?

Unless they shit in batter, I only had the fried chicken. I wouldn't trust anything else in that fucking shit hole.

 

[Mr. Wet Wooly]

Ozzy,

On the rare occasion that Big Charlie is there actually making the chicken, Charles's Southern Fried Chicken on Frederick Douglass Blvd (8th Ave) btwn 151st and 152nd is outstanding. The best in Harlem.

And even when he's not there, it's still better than Silvia's.

 

[10012]

What I think is wrong with nominations like this is that, we're all New Yorkers. When was the last time you went to the Oyster Bar? I would think that a qunitessential New York restaurant would be a restaurant New Yorkers actually go to (and that's unique to New York in its vibe or food or something). That's part of life in New York as it's lived now. The Oyster Bar might have been quintessentially New York a hundred years ago. But now it's just a relic.

Sorry to jump in so late but I agree with the Oyster Bar as being up there on my list. I eat there at least every other month, possibly more when entertaining out of towners. Its one of my favorite regular spots

 

[10012]

Ozzy,

On the rare occasion that Big Charlie is there actually making the chicken, Charles's Southern Fried Chicken on Frederick Douglass Blvd (8th Ave) btwn 151st and 152nd is outstanding. The best in Harlem.

And even when he's not there, it's still better than Silvia's.

Damn...I rarely find myself within 50 blocks of Charlie's but if I'm anywhere near the place, I find the appetite to stop in.

Anyone that says Silvia's is good hasn't been to Silvia's. The food is horrible and full of tourists looking for their "I went to Harlem" story. My first and last visit there, there were secret service guys observing for hours. When we were paying the bill, the then Sec of State Madeleine Albright walks in to have dinner with a few people.

 

[Mr. Wet Wooly]

Charlie has a restaurant on the UWS, Rack & Soul, but the fried chicken is not so great. Go for the ribs.