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SPONSORED LISTINGS
The Upper West Side Gets to be a Foodie Destination
- by aliciak
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- July 25, 2009
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The Upper West Side used to be considered a wasteland when it came to food or drink, dotted with frat-ish bars and restaurants that you went to purely because you unluckily found yourself in the west 80s at dinner time. There was nowhere to get a decent lunch near my workplace; granted my allotted lunch time was about 3 minutes, so I more often that I want to admit, I subsisted on snickers bars from the basement vending machine. Times have changed, however! The Upper West Side is, dare I say it, a dining and drinking destination?
*The UWS Foodie Scene*
Only a few years ago, I don’t recall it being big news if a restaurant opened on the Upper West Side. It just didn’t really happen in the first place! And if it did, it was uninspired venue or run-of-the-mill menu. Why the wasteland? But if you recall, Jerry Seinfeld and crew went to the same diner, Monks, or a Chinese food place for most meals. There was Elaine’s “big salad” phase, but beyond that, the Upper West Side food scene was just as lacking as it appeared on TV (okay okay they only have so many number of sets, but still!)
EXCEPT for all the fantastic grocery stores: Fairway, Zabar’s, Citarella. Fortunately, the dry spell is over and the “best food” is not relegated to a supermarket cheese selection (woot woot Zabar’s!)
Zabar's Cheese Shrine
I hardly remember the days where I thought choosing a cheese meant comparing cheddar, mozzarella and american cheese options, and that’s it.
Little Manhattan
I first saw this movie at a summer screening in Central Park, where part of the film actually took place. The other part? The Upper West Side! It’s a kid’s look at love, dating and the tumultuous inherent in both.
Oldies But Goodies
Okay, lest you get confused, the UWS was not devoid of good restaurants, but the dining scene was sparse. Luckily, when that’s the case, these good restaurants really shine and see a lot of business—where else are you going to go?!? How will these oldies do now that there’s competition? Step it up a notch? I don’t think so, as they were serving up some high-caliber grub already, and not just by UWS standards.
Good Enough To Eat
483 Amsterdam Ave Frnt A, New York, NY 10024
Beer-battered chicken fingers and a white picket fence—I’m sold! It’s such a quaint little place and almost doesn’t belong in Manhattan, but for comfort food done well and not diner-style, Good Enough To Eat serves up food that is better than good enough.
Beer-battered chicken fingers and a white picket fence—I’m sold! It’s such a quaint little place and almost doesn’t belong in Manhattan, but for comfort food done well and not diner-style, Good Enough To Eat serves up food that is better than good enough.
Ruby Foo's
2182 Broadway, New York, NY 10024
Once popular with the under-21 crowd, because of their ahem “serving” the young’ins, Ruby Foo’s is the Asian fusion standby of the UWS. The menu is long, and a mix of Chinese food, dim sum, sushi, gluten-free dishes, teas, sake and a dessert called “Asian Nachos Sundae,” which quite frankly, scares me a bit!
Once popular with the under-21 crowd, because of their ahem “serving” the young’ins, Ruby Foo’s is the Asian fusion standby of the UWS. The menu is long, and a mix of Chinese food, dim sum, sushi, gluten-free dishes, teas, sake and a dessert called “Asian Nachos Sundae,” which quite frankly, scares me a bit!
Telepan
72 W 69th St, New York, NY 10023
Pricey prix-fixe, but arguably the best restaurant on the UWS?
Pricey prix-fixe, but arguably the best restaurant on the UWS?
Cafe Lalo
201 W 83rd St, New York, NY 10024
Hands down one of my favorite places in New York City and maybe the world! European flair, hundreds of pastries and desserts, superbly made espresso-based drinks, attractive wait service, and yes, a feature in the Meg Ryan Tom Hanks flick, You’ve Got Mail!
Hands down one of my favorite places in New York City and maybe the world! European flair, hundreds of pastries and desserts, superbly made espresso-based drinks, attractive wait service, and yes, a feature in the Meg Ryan Tom Hanks flick, You’ve Got Mail!
Cafe Lalo!
Baby steps, Upper West Side, baby steps.
Newbies on the Block
A gastronomically great destination at last! Well, getting there at least. It’s not the East Village or Tribeca or the West Village, but the Upper West Side has made some serious headway in its quality of dining in only the past few years. Interestingly, a lot of the “newbies” are technically oldies, imported from other Manhattan neighborhoods; in other words, new outposts of old favorites are cropping up uptown. We can’t complain though, because having another Magnolia and Shake Shack far away from the too-popular originals is definitely a good thing.
*Sugar Rush on the UWS*
The Upper West Side has always laid claim to some fine, fine bakeries, including Crumbs and Levain, but there are some new competitors that are probably already familiar to your sweet tooth. Watch out giant Crumbs Bakery cupcakes, Magnolia is not far away…
Magnolia Bakery
200 Columbus Avenue New York, NY 10023
If you haven’t stood in the Magnolia Bakery line, you’re not a true New Yorker. Or not a true tourist? Either way, it’s probably wishful thinking to assume that another Magnolia outpost will help abate some of those line issues.
It’s not where Carrie and Miranda nibbled on cupcakes, but they ARE the same cupcakes.
Magnolia Bakery
Num num num.
Grandaisy Bakery
176 W 72nd St, New York, NY 10023
Not too far from Buttercup is Grandaisy, which even with the high ceilings feels a little austere and too cool for school. Maybe I’m just sad that the original Grandaisy took over the Sullivan Street Bakery space and I like the latter’s name better.
Not too far from Buttercup is Grandaisy, which even with the high ceilings feels a little austere and too cool for school. Maybe I’m just sad that the original Grandaisy took over the Sullivan Street Bakery space and I like the latter’s name better.
Jacques Torres Chocolate
285 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10023
The chocolate guy! Who makes tasty ice cream sandwiches out of cookies and lets you see the chocolate-making process in action.
The chocolate guy! Who makes tasty ice cream sandwiches out of cookies and lets you see the chocolate-making process in action.
Buttercup Bake Shop
141 W 72nd St, New York, NY 10023
The owner of Buttercup was one half of the original team behind Magnolia, a partnership that was severed not so amicably. So far there are two Buttercups to Magnolia’s three, but both of them use way more frosting than I think is necessary. Yum yum but tsk tsk.
The owner of Buttercup was one half of the original team behind Magnolia, a partnership that was severed not so amicably. So far there are two Buttercups to Magnolia’s three, but both of them use way more frosting than I think is necessary. Yum yum but tsk tsk.
Cupcake @Buttercup
Restaurant Fare
At last, more than a few choices on the UWS!
West Branch
2178 Broadway New York, NY 10024
A sleek brasserie/gastro-pub that only opened around Halloween time, think oysters and burgers, gnocchi and steak tartare.
Shake Shack
366 Columbus Avenue New York, NY 10024
Yet another line in New York you are bound to stand in many times over! The original Shake Shack in Madison Square Park is a right of passage, and it feels a bit wrong to open up a more brick and mortar version. Lots more kids at this one and still those lines!
October 19
Cafe Blossom
466 Columbus Avenue New York, NY 10024
Chelsea’s vegan mecca Blossom just opened its cafe version uptown. It doesn’t have the dimly-lit romantic feel of the original, but then again it’s going the cafe route as opposed to the upscale dining for veg couples route.
Mermaid Inn
Somewhere in there is a lobster sandwich.
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