Zabar's
When I lived on New York’s Upper West Side in the late 1970s, John Lennon resided at the Dakota, and gentrification wasn’t yet a gleam in many a developer’s eye.
Anchored by Lincoln Center to the south and Columbia University to the north, the neighborhood included an unsavory stretch of Amsterdam Avenue. The vibe was unpretentious, edgy, and laid back, a far cry from the snooty East Side or manic Downtown scene.
Flash forward. Columbus Avenue now has so many Big Brand chain stores (Kenneth Cole, Lucky, Swatch) that it has its own website and free maps to help you melt down your credit cards from 65th to 83rd streets. A recent visit to my old neighborhood, however, reconfirmed my original allegiance. The Upper West Side is still the Real Deal, filled with magnificent architecture, museums, eclectic boutiques and enough sidewalk cafes to rival the Champs de l’Esyee.
Gentrification has attracted the new without edging out the old. My stomach couldn’t have been happier.
Gray’s Papaya, a fruit juice and hot dog vendor at 72nd and Broadway, was still putting the squeeze on fresh oranges. This institution was ranked as offering the number one weiner in NYC by Time Out New York, and featured in an episode of Sex and the City. Yes, folks, Carrie Bradshaw ate here.
Barney Greengrass at 86th & Amsterdam, is a no-nonsense Jewish deli that has been around so long it catered Noah’s Ark. Ba-da-boom. This is where the glitterati go for sturgeon and lox combos. (Leonardo DiCaprio gets his schmear here.) The décor dates back to the 1950s and so do most of the waiters.
Zabar’s at 80th and Broadway is to food what Tiffany’s is to diamonds. For over 70 years, the Zabar family have created a gourmet paradise. Known for its coffee, smoked fish and baked goods, it has a café on the corner for a quick bite. Don’t miss the “Knish Corner” in the back and kitchen equipment on the mezzanine. Go on weekends for the free floor show of wise-cracking deli men playing to the crowd.
Photos by Stacia Friedman
Amsterdam Avenue between 80th and 86th is buzzing with upscale cafes and restaurants, too. At Sarabeth’s, a brunch spot which also serves lunch and dinner, I enjoyed fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. Another brunch mecca is Popover Café which does things with eggs your mother never dared. Its Creole Scramble combines andouille sausage, garlic, onion, horseradish cheddar and tomato. Or, try the irreverent Wassanova, lox and bagel with wasabi cream cheese, red onion and watercress.
“Transcendental sushi” is the name of the game at Gari Columbus, 370 Columbus Avenue. Not your ordinary sushi eatery, Gari’s is a yupscale, Zagat-rated restaurant with prices to match. Expect to pay $50 per person . . . and be happy you did.
Given the Upper West Side’s proximity to the Theater District, it has always been home to a colorful mix of actors, dancers and musicians. Besides John & Yoko, it wasn’t uncommon to see Diane Keaton or Paul Simon strolling down the streets. Some things haven’t changed. As I passed Ducale, a trendy café at 392 Columbus, I noticed a man at a sidewalk table sporting a dashing beret and aviator sunglasses.
Damn. He looked just like Al Pacino. Then I heard his voice. It was Al Pacino.
Whatta neighborhood!
One good book: Mike Colameco’s Food Lover’s Guide to New York City
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