Ducale: It Won’t Stay Empty For Long.

In the B. R. Guest dominated area surrounding the American Museum of Natural History it’s hard for a new restaurant to get a start. It would seem that that is the explanation for the scarcity of patrons when I dined at Ducale. But it could also be its location, on the south west corner of 79^th and Columbus, where an older restaurant establishment boasted a cigar bar on the second floor (which smelled like it was on the first) and a bad concept of how much bread to order per evening (always running out). After dinning there three times now I can attest to the fact that it is not their food that keeps patrons away. I always find it interesting to observe crowd mentalities, where diners would rather wait thirty to forty minutes outside Ocean Grill than be seated right away at Ducale (those followers are missing out).

Ducale features a more authentic upscale Italian menu including grilled (not fried) calamari, bronzino, and spaghetti with mozzarella di bufala. I have yet to try their pizzas but from a far they appear to be styled after the true Italian thin crust, brick oven style. The staff is very accommodating (even for complicated, substituting dieters) and the atmosphere is pleasant (though a little misguided between the music and the photos, they don’t really match up).

Overall if you are looking to dine on the Upper West Side and are game to try some place new, give it to Ducale.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 3 Straws (A reliable Italian choice for the neighborhood).

Price: $$$traws, Average ($40-50 depending on whether you order pasta or entrée dishes).

Atmosphere: Casual and welcoming (The staff is very accommodating).

Overall: 3 Straws (A place I will return to).

The Details:

Website: N/A

Location: 392 Columbus Ave, at 79^th street.

Phone: (212) 787-7150

Reservation: No need. But they are on Opentable.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Daily: 11:00am- 11:00pm

Georgia’s Cafe: French in the Wrong Way

From a far Georgia’s Cafe appears to be a symbol of the new Broadway in the 80s and 90s. Its full service kitchen and waiter service tables signals the new type of cafe scene propping up in replace of the New York classic delis. The Columbia region always had its outdoor dining and so did the heart of the Upper West Side in the 60s and 70s. But poor old Broadway in the 80s and 90s throughout most of the 1990s was missing out (caution: don’t get confused between street references versus date references as I just did). That’s not to say that here and there there were restaurants without door seating (French Roast and the now deceased Time Cafe always did) but they remained full restaurants, they weren’t sit-and-have-a-cup-of-coffee places. Georgia’s Cafe is just that, you can sit for hours, undisturbed, and enjoy a decent (emphasis on decent) coffee.

Outside Facade View of Georgia's Cafe

When Georgia’s opened a few years back I really wanted it to succeed. I am one who fell in love with the cafe culture while studying abroad in Paris and was excited to see it migrate to the Upper West Side finally. As good as Starbucks “can” be, I would much rather be at a place where I am served coffee in a real cup, maybe have something to eat, and be able to work without interruption.

But as much as Georgia’s attempts to fulfill this void, it falls short. Arguably its biggest offense, and what makes it the least French, is that most of its food is premade. Now I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to be told you cannot get something without cheese because it has already been made, especially when you are on a diet. Second is the fact that these premade sandwiches cost more than the ones offered at Starbucks (and frankly I don’t really see a difference since they are both made not to order). Thirdly, though their coffee is decent (and by decent I mean acceptable but not sought after) their wine list is a joke. I dream of the day that a cafe can hold its own with both the morning and afternoon crowd, Georgia’s can’t.

Lastly, and here is what the title refers to, their service is utterly frustrating to deal with. Yes it is really nice to be left alone while reading or working, but not while trying to actually pay and leave. Their staff needs to be a lot more attentive of the needs of the diner. When I am looking up and around while holding my wallet that probably means I’m ready to go. This last comment also was inspired by the simple fact that I had to ask for water as well.

The first time I was there was at breakfast time, a time when Georgia’s provides nothing for the dieter except an extremely over priced fruit plate. But as I research now for this review I’ve noticed no fruit plate on the menu so perhaps they’ve removed their only dietetic option. The second and third time I visited I had lunch. The first time I ordered the special penne with tomato and mozzarella, as is (I wasn’t dieting then) and found it enjoyable. They didn’t over do the dish and kept it simple. The most recent visit however was when I discovered that their sandwiches were all premade (I tried to order the grilled chicken breast without feta cheese and was turned down). Thus I had to settle for the $13 Caesar salad with balsamic vinegar on the side. The salad was certainly an entree size if not too big (neither my friend nor I could finish our meals).

All in all it is a leg up from reading at a Starbucks but if I was looking to eat lunch while working I would choose Edgar’s Cafe instead.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 2 straws (The special pasta was alright but they need to work on their sandwich options).

Price: $$$traws, Expensive price ($20 will cover the average lunch but $30 and over will have to cover an average dinner).

Atmosphere: Pleasant and cute. This part they have down. It is easy to work or read without getting distracted here. In the winter it’s soothing to walk in out of the cold and find a table with a warm cup of coffee while in the summer they have outdoor seating with enough space to enjoy an ice coffee.

Overall: 2 straws (The atmosphere does not make up for the frustrating staff and disappointing food. Georgia’s I challenge you to do better: increase your wine selection by adding more exotic (South African wines are really excellent these days, as our South American wines from Chile or Argentina) and local choices (since Vineyard closed we need a good place to get NY wines), make your sandwiches as they are ordered and increase your salad options (make some originals), greatly increase your tapas menu and avoid the boring typical choices (a cheese plate with parmesan, manchego, and brie, can you get more typical than that?), and after you do all that perhaps you can give Cleopatra’s Needle a run for their money with a better (and younger) evening scene.)

The Details:

Website: N/A

Location: 2418 Broadway (corner of 89th).

Phone: (212) 362-2000

Reservation: I have never needed one. But I have been there when it is full. Perhaps call ahead of time if you are going during peak dining hours.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Weekdays: 7:30am- 9:30pm

Weekends: 8:00am- 9:30pm

Pink Pony: The (Possible) Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

One problem with getting too comfortable with your favorite brunch places is that you become unwilling to try something new. In my case it’s the allure of Popover, its close by, amazing, and it has popovers. But the reality is that there are many upon many of possible locations for brunch in this city. Recently I was invited to brunch with three friends in the Lower East Side, a place I have frequented at night many times but rarely in the morning for brunch. The Pink Pony was my friends pick.

Before I begin the review I have to again mention that this review reflects only the establishment’s brunch menu, not its dinner service or entertainment.  Here is where the title comes in; I was very intrigued by both the restaurants atmosphere and its menu’s suggestiveness of the late night scene this place may sponsor. So before I even get to the brunch experience I can already say I will be returning during the evening hours to experience the other side of the Pink Pony.

The brunch menu was comprised of mostly omelets with the traditional pancakes, French toast, and granola with fruit. As you may know if you’ve been following my posts I have started a diet. This is one of those super diets where should you chose to go out you become that pain in the ass patron who orders one thing that turns into something completely different. Anyway… I went into this brunch with that concept in mind and began that excruciating process of selecting an item on the menu and turning it into the healthiest (tasteless) dish possible. And to my pleasant surprise this was not difficult at all. Yes the place does egg whites and yes they allow substitutions. I ordered the spinach and cheese omelet without the cheese and egg whites only. It was delicious and came complete with a side salad. Coffee wasn’t bad though they didn’t refill it (not a good trait). In fact the service in general wasn’t exactly speedy, but wasn’t exactly slow either. It was very much a laissez-fair style of service, giving us the time and space to eat and socialize at our own pace.

Overall we were all satisfied with our meals and left planning on returning (at a different hour though). If I lived in the area I could see myself choosing this as a brunch to patronize but seeing that it is a little far away for the morning meal I would rather choose Popover or Edgar. That being said it was at a far better price range than the Upper West Side locales. Lastly, and keep in mind this is speculation, the Pink Pony appears to be one of those select few places that is attempting (and maybe succeeding) at providing both for the morning and evening crowd. We will soon see if that’s true.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 3 Straws (They met my needs, the group was satisfied, and the food good).

Price: $traws, Cheapish price (about $13 for a main course and a beverage which was enough for me but were this a weekend brunch visit I would have wanted to order more).

Atmosphere: Quiet and personal. We were given a corner by the window and we were left alone with plenty of space to enjoy our meals. The décor is something to see, it is reminiscent of the hidden cafes of Montmartre in Paris. I am excited to see what it is like at night.

Overall: 3 Straws (Very satisfying brunch and it left me wanting to come back to experience the Pink Pony evening).

The Details:

Website: http://www.pinkponynyc.com/index.html

Location: 176 Ludlow Street, between E Houston and Stanton Street.

Phone: (212) 253-1922

Reservation: We didn’t need one and it didn’t seem like one would.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Daily: 10:00am- 2:00am

Edgar 2: The Sequel

Let me start by saying I grew up with Cafe Edgar. It was (and is) just off of Broadway on 84th street heading toward West End. Though visitors to New York rave about Cafe Lalo (I think mostly because it was in You’ve Got Mail) this place in my mind had the best cheese cake. Dimly lit and boasting its literary theme, Cafe Edgar never appeared to attract the tourist crowed but rather the locals (to a kid from the neighborhood that’s how it looked). So that being said, I have not been back since high school so I do not know how the original may have or have not changed. But this review is not about the original which I plan on getting reacquainted with soon. This review is about the surprising sequel of a cafe to appear on Amsterdam Avenue between 91st and 92nd street.

As mentioned in an earlier review and what soon will take focus for many of my posts to come, I am now on a strict diet and thus could not ideally indulge the way I would have liked when visiting this café. But note this as well, that the café experience is not necessarily about the food, though it can’t hurt to have a good menu. It is more about the environment, the attitude of the staff, and the accessibility for independent activities (i.e. outlets for comps, wifi, or simply comfortable chairs). Also this café features waiter service, an expectation when patronizing a café in Europe but a rarity on the Upper West Side. For this reason I am linking this review to our restaurant review section and not our café section, it is my opinion that an establishment with a full menu and service is essentially a restaurant despite its name.

That all being established lets dig into Edgar. The menu is fairly interesting, and by interesting I mean nothing familiar to fall back on. The salad and sandwich options are all infused with an abundance of ingredients (I reminded of my posts on the gloriousness of simplicity in pizza) perhaps suggesting the higher price range of all their culinary options. Though the salad I ordered I had changed to accommodate my diet (dressing on the side and no cheese) the ingredients were all fresh and the combination (well the healthy parts of it at least) worked swimmingly. Also I should note that the staff was very accommodating to my dietary needs and provided me with plain balsamic vinegar in replace of the vinaigrette.

Beverage wise they fit the European café profile much better. Though I am convinced my iced, skimmed latte was served with whole milk (I could easily be wrong but my stomach said otherwise, that or their espresso is strong stuff) it was an excellent iced latte complete with foam and a dusting of chocolate powder (which should I have known I would have asked to be left off, but in the end was a pleasant surprise). Their selection of specialty espresso beverages was near a page long and consisted of some familiar items as well as some unfamiliar items such as espresso tranquillo (calm) and espresso corretto (add a shot of a liquor). These aren’t necessarily new to a café, in fact just the opposite, but it is nice to see the language and the care given to the creation and presentation of it (that or I’ve been spending too much time in Starbucks).

Last but never least with a café is the atmosphere and staff. As it still has its roots as a café I came with the full intention of staying and reading once finished. The staff is in no hurry to turn tables and is near encouraging for long relaxed stays. In that sense it is extremely European, when you do want the check you will have to call them over for it. But I don’t see this as a problem; this is how a café should be.

Overall I will say this; I have finally found a place close by to replace my Starbucks trips.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 2 straws (I was not impressed by the menu and its combinations. Furthermore my meal was overpriced, even for New York. But I am aware that I did not try the dishes as they were imagined and I do plan on going back to do just that).

Beverages: 3 straws (Again here the espresso selection is significant and the latte I ordered was strong and bold in its flavors, but it wasn’t anything extraordinary).

Price: $$traws, Expensive price ($20 will only cover one beverage and a main course. The menu selections are mostly over $10 and their drinks are comparable, if not more expensive, than Starbucks).

Atmosphere: As mentioned above this place fits the bill for the café scene. It has the indoor/outdoor feel as the interior is decorated to remind you of the aged piazzas of the Italian Renaissance cities. The seating too fits the outdoor café persona but ironically they do not actually have outdoor seating, just the quaint, metallic, and uncomfortable icons of the European café. The staff is very amiable and almost too eager to meet your requests.

Overall: 3 straws (I am going to give it that extra straw because the atmosphere really does go that distance and for what it is designed for it does well. As a restaurant I would bypass its culinary options but as a café for a lengthy period of time it is perfect. No extraordinary experience but an excellent neighborhood choice for revisiting.

The Details:

Website: N/A

Location: 650 Amsterdam Ave (between 91^st and 92^nd street).

Phone: (212) 595-6261

Reservation: No need, I went during lunch time and it was half to mostly empty.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Sunday- Thursday: 8:00am- 12:00am

Friday & Saturday: 8:00am- 1:00am

The Shake Shack: The Starbucks of Burger Joints

Many before Coffee Straws have reviewed the famous Shake Shack. Some have described it as a disappointment (BOTM club) while others have been surprisingly satisfied (Frank Bruni of the NYtimes) by the unassuming look of the more flattened and petite burgers of Shake Shack. The original Shake Shack has become an icon of lower Manhattan while the new uptown version is quickly growing in popularity as it has already established its “out-the-door-lunch-time-wait.” This review will focus on the uptown version which is a relative new arrival (October 2008) to the company of restaurants surrounding the Museum of Natural History.

On my first adventure into this new location I ordered what was explained to me as the signature dish, the Shack Burger with a side of fries. The Shack Burger begins with the meat purchased from Pat LaFrieda (the famous supplier of many of NYC’s top burger joints) it is then followed by American cheese, lettuce, tomato, a potato bun, and the special Shack Sauce (a mayo-based sauce which adds to the burger but does not overshadow the meat’s taste). The fries on the side (they don’t come with the burger) are a throwback to the old crinkle cut French fry. With this initial meal I selected to enjoy the unique Shackmeister Ale which, as a pale ale, did accompany the meal nicely.

So before I was able to consume the actual burger there was the second line wait, that which is served by those waiting to pick up their order at the counter. In no way am I suggesting this is a long wait but it is still a wait (but worth it… just wait). Once our order was ready (signified by the use of paging devices) we were one of the lucky groups to acquire a table (this is not an easy task for the faint of heart) and with ketchup ever so slightly added to the center of the bun I grabbed (with one hand) the burger sandwich still nicely pocketed in its plastic bag, and took that first initial bite…

Do not let the size of these tiny monsters fool you, this is a complete meal. The burger is cooked to medium by default and is in every sense what the ideal fast food burger should be. The Shack Burger can be described as a combination of the original fast food design with a Starbucksesque attention to quality (and I should add that I mean again the original idea of Starbucks, that idea of quality over quantity… I really don’t know what Starbucks is these days).

But that is not all! On my second visit I ordered the same thing (I mean you have to, while waiting in that line and seeing it be prepared, the kitchen is right behind the service counters, you can’t do anything but order that delicious burger) but this time I ordered a shake to go with it. Now my shake of choice is a strawberry shake, can’t really say why that is but that is, and I tend to order them everywhere they are available (given the desire to indulge in a shake). Again remember that size is not what this place is about, the shake that arrives is smaller than the typical fast food size of “regular” but it is no less delicious and superior. It brings you back to what I would imagine (because I wasn’t alive then) the shakes of the 1950s malt shops tasted like. This was made with real ingredients and was prepared on site.

On a side note: I have begun a fairy strict diet for myself and attempted to return to the Shake Shack with that in mind. Being on a diet I blindly (and stupidly) ordered the ‘Shroom Burger thinking it would be something healthy (given it was vegetarian). This was a mistake, the ‘Shroom Burger consists of two Portobello mushrooms breaded and fried and surrounding a liquid center of Muenster and cheddar cheese, god did it look good, but sadly not dietetic. Yes I know I should have asked about it upon ordering, but being the overly confident New Yorker, I assumed I knew. Lastly though in my defense, the menu on the wall does not describe the details of the various items.

Overall this was a fabulous meal and a burger stop I would easily return to. Though I have heard that Five Napkin is getting a lot of publicity for its oversized and messy (but very very delicious) burger (Time Out loved it!), I would rather choose the throwback GREEN “European” sized burger of the Shake Shack. (Don’t be offended Five Napkin, if it was dinner time I would go to you, but that is because you are a full service restaurant).

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 4 straws (This is a burger not to pass over, and a style that is reminiscent yet progressive–> visit and you’ll understand what I mean).

Price: $$traws, Moderate price ($15 will cover the burger, fries, and a beverage, I will add that this is expensive for the sizes you are provided, but remember it is about the quality not the quantity).

Atmosphere: Green and futuristic, after all the entire establishment is wind powered. But more importantly it is crowded and a wee bit stressful if you are a group. The staff is very friendly and for a fast food place it is extremely clean.

Overall: 4 straws (This is a serious burger that isn’t to be taken lightly. The establishment has a very progressive outlook on its operation and is extremely clever in its marketing. It’s like visiting a theme park for lunch: you take a step outside of the real world and enter the Shack world, after waiting in line of course).

The Details:

Website: http://www.shakeshack.com/

Location: 366 Columbus Ave (at 77^th street). This is the Upper West Side location which this review primarily focuses on. They have two other locations: the original Shake Shack on the southeast corner of Madison Square Park (Madison Ave and 23^rd street) and a third location in Citi Field in Queens (12301 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing).

Phone: (646) 747-8770

Reservation: No reservations and come expecting to wait, especially during lunch time.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Daily: 10:45am- 11:00pm

Popover Cafe: Brunch’s UWS home.

For the rebirth of Coffee Straws the Popover Cafe was chosen for a dual review. The Coffee Straws team met in NYC last weekend and as the resident New Yorker I had to select Popover as our Saturday brunch/lunch spot to discuss the return of CS. While at this brunch we (for obvious reasons) selected Popover as our special return review. What makes this a special review? That is where the duel review part comes in. Both members of the CS team will be sharing their thoughts on this historic UWS landmark.

Personally I’ve avoided reviewing Popover because it is such an established locale of my neighborhood but as is the tradition of New York, all traditions need to be evaluated. Now I know I will probably have a bias when reviewing this place unlike Washdcgirl who experienced for the first time this past weekend. Regardless, let’s dive into this review.

Now it goes without saying that at the center of the Popover Cafe is the Popover, which is tricky to define, eggy, bread pudding-esque accompaniment served with strawberry butter and now strawberry jam too apparently. If for nothing else, the experience of indulging in one of these makes the journey here worth it. This is arguably the best brunch amenity I’ve ever seen come with a meal, though you can also order them on their own.

Popover’s menu is another tradition of its own. Each different section has its own time frame of service making it potentially difficult to navigate for first timers. The Griddle (where you can find various breakfast favorites such as challah bread French toast and whole wheat flapjacks) ends at 11am on weekdays but goes until 5pm on weekends (a perfect length for weekend brunches). The morning specialty, one might say, of Popover is their Eggcetera menu. This portion of the menu consists of all their egg based dishes including many uniquely named omelets as well as specialty items such as the special scramble with smoked salmon and cream cheese and the famous flopover (an eggy crape filled with various sliced fruits and topped with sour cream). To top that off, egg fans will find that this part of the menu is all day long.

Once that afternoon hour arrives (well actually starting at 11:30) the sandwich and salad options become available. Here is where the tradition and personal adoration comes in because I can mark my own history by what I would order growing up. When I was younger I loved the breakfast menu, in particular the flopover and the French toast options. But as I grew up I discovered the Special Scramble (see above) and the lunch options. Some favorites include: The Mad Russian (ham, turkey, gruyere and Russian dressing), The Granny (akaTAB) (Turkey, apples, bacon, cheddar and a raisin-horseradish dressing), and Sandy’s Favorite (classic BLT with a hardboiled egg and Russian dressing). And that is only a taste of their sandwich/melt options. On the salad front their portions are huge and they are extremely flexible with ingredients.

Here I must confess, though I am a lifetime patron of Popover, I have yet to visit for the evening menu. Personally I believe that that is due to my love of their signature item, the popover, and I have some reservations against eating it at night (it’s like mimosas and lox and bagels, these are morning items!). So in some ways this review is incomplete or better put it is only concerning the breakfast/brunch/lunch aspects of the establishment.

Overall this deserves its place in the list of hotspots of the Upper West Side and furthermore is my go to place when entertaining visitors to the city, example being Washdcgirl’s visit last weekend.

Quick Note: As a local I am very good at avoiding the line waits but if you waltz in to Popover at brunch time on a weekend during the year (summer always sees many New Yorkers leave for the weekends) expect a LONG wait with you waiting outside because the entire (tiny) waiting area is filled, ironically mostly with strollers. But it is worth the wait, I promise you that.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 4 straws (The choices are all infused with a unique touch, the menu is evolving over time, and with the addition of the unique creation that is the popover this need that fourth straw).

Price: $$traws, Moderate price ($15 to $20 will cover the average brunch of a popover, coffee, and a main course).

Atmosphere: Relaxed yet bustling. There is no question that Popover is popular and because they don’t do reservations the waiting area can get hectic and cramped. But the dining areas themselves are somewhat spacious for an NYC restaurant and the décor echoes the age of the restaurant.

Overall: 4 straws (There is no question that were someone to ask me for recommendations of places to eat at while in New York I would strongly recommend if not demand that they go here for brunch. This brunch is in it of itself an experience for visitors and yet has that familiarity for locals. Do not leave New York without eating here.)

The Details:

Website: http://www.popovercafe.com/index.html

Location: 551 Amsterdam Ave (corner of 87th).

Phone: (212) 757-2277

Reservation: No reservations and come expecting to wait if going during meal times, especially brunch.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Weekdays: 8:00am- 10:00pm

Weekends: 9:00am- 10:00pm

Popover — My Take

Recently, the Coffee Straws team met in NYC to visit, but more importantly, to plot the revival and relaunch of Coffee Straws.  CSmale, as I like to refer to him, was in charge of choosing a brunch place, and CSfemale (that’s me) knew that whatever he chose, it’d be great.

I love places where I want the whole menu — this menu was exactly that.  I wanted everything on it!  The salads looked fabulous and so did the sandwiches.  The menu was huge, but finally I decided on the Sorry Charlie.  The sandwich was open faced, with a scoop of tuna on really grainy whole wheat toast, topped with avocado, tomato, and melted cheddar cheese.  Sometimes a tuna melt can be a little soggy, but Popover did a wonderful job of keeping the toast crunchy and mixing all the fresh flavors together.  The avocado was firm and fresh, and just writing this makes me want to go back to order another.

CSMale got a the Granny AKA Tab — fresh turkey breast, a sliced granny smith apple, turkey bacon, melted cheddar, red onion, and raisin-horseradish dressing.  This. Was. Amazing.   Highly recommended!

We also got a popover (of course), and it is a fluffy eggy bread (see CSMale’s review), and comes with a fresh strawberry jam and strawberry butter.  This also was simply delicious.

In three words: recomend, recomend, recomend!  It was a fabulous lunch and outing.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 3 straws (I haven’t been enough times to give it 4 straws, but it is well on its way.  The food was creative, inventive, and fresh, and I would return even with bad service for the food.)

Price: $$traws, Moderate price ($20-$30 will cover the average brunch of a popover, coffee, and a main course).

Atmosphere: A relaxed and comfortable, homey diner.  You can come in wearing gym shorts or a sundress, casual is the way to go.

Overall: 4 straws (I had a great time and would return. I give it 4 stars based on my partner’s love of the place — I know he wouldn’t keep going back to a place that wasn’t 4 stars)

The Details:

Website: http://www.popovercafe.com/index.html

Location: 551 Amsterdam Ave (corner of 87th).

Phone: (212) 757-2277

Reservation: No reservations and come expecting to wait if going during meal times, especially brunch.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Weekdays: 8:00am- 10:00pm

Weekends: 9:00am- 10:00pm

Five Napkin Burger: America on 9th avenue in the theater district

In its current incarnation, the theater district, though always touristy, has expanded to encompass (in its overly crowded and well-nigh impassable streets) not just 7th and Broadway but now 8th and almost 9th as well. 8th avenue has now for a while been touristized, don’t come here for XXX shops and cheap one night stands anymore, this has become part of Broadway. And because of its transformation, the more student budget eating as well as the more interesting and diverse culinary locales have moved to 9th avenue. That all being said the subject of this review is a relatively new joint on 45th and 9th. Five Napkin Burger opened earlier this summer and though at first glance may appear to be that tourist trap locale we have become accustomed to in this area, it has far more depth to it.

My experience at this restaurant was typical for a Wednesday night in Time Square. We were on the hunt for a place that would offer us a pre-theater dinner at a reasonable price that wouldn’t just be to fill our hungry bellies but would also entertain us for that portion of the evening. Now entertain is a hefty word, it could have so many possibilities therefore let me clarify a little better. We had met up at 6:30 and had nothing to do until 8 when the curtain went up, an hour and a half is a long time to wait, especially after a long day of work. Thus we used Open Table’s mobile option and found what was described as a classic burger joint, perfect for a burger and beer in the early evening of a bustling city.

Upon reaching our destination we were lucky enough to be seated right away at a table for two fashioned in the very popular Parisian style of both seats on one side of the table, thus allowing us to both enjoy the people watching (which, if I might add, was in full swing and highly entertaining as 9th ave never ceases to deliver a diverse assortment of personalities). Our server was more than jovial and provided us with everything we needed, including good unique beer recommendations. Now as provided by the name of the establishment I ordered the Five Napkin Burger and was thus presented with nothing less than a burger that required five napkins to be enjoyed. I can promise you a mess with this meal, there is no avoiding it. But should you be seeking an enjoyable, large, well sided burger with the accompaniment of a unique Five Napkin brew then this is the place for you.

I went out that evening looking for a place that would certainly not feel stuffy or speedy (as is the style of the tourist traps of Time Square) that would also feed us well. I found it five fold (or five folded napkins) with Five Napkin Burger.

Be advised: do not engage in the eating of the Five Napkin Burger if you are sensitive to making a mess with your food while eating with your hands.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 2.5 Straws (The burger was good but our appetizer (warm artichoke and mozzarella dip) was only okay).

Price: $$$traws, Expensive price (about $30 or an appetizer, main course, and a bottle of beer).

Atmosphere: Noisy and friendly, the dining room looked noisy and crowded but where we were, outside, was comfortable (we weren’t crammed into the sidewalk space like you see in other restaurants, they had only one row of tables).

Overall: 3 Straws (We felt like bringing it up the extra half straw for the friendly staff who both demonstrated concern for providing us with everything we wanted and engagement with communicating with us. Overall an enjoyable experience and one I will remember next time I am in the area to see a show).

The Details:

Website: n/a

Location: 630 9th Avenue (corner of 45th & 9th).

Phone: (212) 757-2277

Reservation: We didn’t need one but the place did look crowded, based on my observations of the dining room I would suggest making one, especially since they participate with Open Table.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Weekdays:11:00am- 4:00pm Lunch, 4:00pm-12:00am Dinner.

Weekends: 11:00am- 4:00pm Brunch, 4:00pm-12:00am Dinner.

A Starbucks for your thoughts or Why are there so many Starbucks around me?

In honor of the recent opening of a new Starbucks in my neighborhood and the not so recent closing of two others I feel it is about time I list the Upper West Side Starbucks’ and describe their importance to me. Perhaps there is reason to have more than one in the end, or perhaps not.

First before we can start we have to define the neighborhood. In technical terms I live in Morningside Heights which actually begins at 86th street on the West Side. But for the purposes of this study we will be looking at an area of space that stretches from 66th street and the West Side to 106th street. The reason for these two limits is simple, that encompasses an area of New York in which I am very familiar with the Starbucks’.

With this mile radius block one would find 13 Starbucks’ (please comment if I have missed one).

Here they are:

1. Broadway btwn 87th & 88th
2394 Broadway
New York, NY 10024
United States

-A new Starbucks which I have not had the pleasure of entering and utilizing just yet. It is tucked away within an apartment building and appears to have balcony seating on a second level.

2. 86th & Columbus
540 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024
United States

-This Starbucks is symbolic of my own childhood. I went to school not far from here and would many a day get coffee here before and after school. My friends and I had a unique relationship with this Starbucks in particular because we had this bizarre and just flat out weird style of studying where we would wake up extra early the day of a test and meet up at this location at opening (ie. 6 in the morning). This was done with some regularity throughout the year and thus the morning manager was convinced we were part of some alternative lifestyle group that would finish our nightly extravaganzas at a Starbucks. Back in the day this place had sofas and leather chairs as well as a plethora of plugs for computer use, now it has been consumed by the wooden tables and chairs and airportesque style of many a Starbucks of late.

3. Broadway @ 81st
2252 Broadway
New York, NY 10024
United States

-This is a very popular and almost always busy Starbucks. It has the appearance of being a large cubical and in recent years has greatly reduced the more interesting seating in favor of more chairs and tables. Some of you may remember this Starbucks appearing in You’ve Got Mail, but again the seating arrangement featured in that movie is no longer available at this Starbucks. It is decent as far as Starbucks’ go; service is pretty quick and there is a lot of seating, though don’t expect to always be able to get a seat. Personally I find this one to be too loud (considering the set up of a giant cube) and less conducive for work or leisure reading. In short this is a meeting Starbucks, many come here to talk.

4. 93rd and Broadway
2498 Broadway
New York, NY 10025
United States

-Completely opposite of the Starbucks on 81^st street, this Starbucks can be very quiet, even in the front where the registers are. I have found in the past that when looking for a Starbucks to get a lot of work done in a quieter environment this is my pick. Again though as is the case with pretty much all the Starbucks’, the seating has gotten much less comfortable. One thing that does set this one apart form a typical Starbucks experience that I have had is that its service tends to be slower and the lines can form here pretty easily.

5. 81st & Columbus
444 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024
United States

-Once in my life have a ventured in to this Starbucks to actually stay and talk there. Mostly I see this Starbucks as a place to pick up drinks after eating at any of the Natural History Museum restaurants (The B. R. Guest restaurants that refuse to work with Open Table, I’ll talk about this in a post to come). It’s a smaller Starbucks with less storefront windows. Beyond that its location is important to note as it is, as mentioned, right near the American Museum of Natural History as well as the 81^st street entrance into Central Park, which is very popular during the summer months because of Shakespeare in the Park.

6. 95th & Broadway
2521 Braodway
New York, NY 10025
United States

-This one I have always believed to be completely and utterly unnecessary, though it does get a line in the morning. I see it as unnecessary because when standing in front of it you can see one Starbucks two blocks south at 93^rd and Broadway and another Starbucks three blocks north at 98^th and Broadway. Nevertheless I have found reason to utilize this Starbucks, as have many other morning travels. I guess one reason that it gets use is its location right near the Subway entrance, though you can see the two other stores, both are a few more blocks from the express stop at 96^th street. Second to that is its location on the west side of the street. With its addition to the neighborhood I do not have to cross to the east side of the street to obtain a coffee and then back to the west side to go home. This is an extremely lazy technicality but it deserves mention for that regardless.

7. 75th & Broadway
2140 Broadway
New York, NY 10023
United States

-I am less familiar with this Starbucks but that does not mean I haven’t visited it a few times here and then. It has had the purpose for me at least of being a rest stop on the way from Lincoln Center back to Morningside Heights. In this respect its bathroom is very nice as are the lines for ordering, but on occasion those lines have been long and the service slow.

8. 76th & Columbus
338 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10023
United States

- I can’t really comment on this one as I have been here maybe once. I just don’t use Columbus when traveling uptown or downtown, mostly because Broadway has that convenient curve to it that helps get me directly to Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle, Time Square, and Union Square.

 

9. 98th & Broadway
2600 Broadway
New York, NY 10025
United States

-Due to its location it has been my Starbucks of choice. My friends and I would meet here in the mornings when going to school (on days that we weren’t getting up at 5:30 to go to the one on Columbus to study). It is at this Starbucks that I always find myself reading the paper, eating breakfast (from Lenny’s Bagels across the street of course), and blogging. The service is always dependable and most of the time I can find a seat, but it isn’t easy. Though it’s a newer addition to the Starbucks trend I do greatly appreciate its location and have utilized it on a fairly regular basis, their lattes are always well prepared.

10. 73rd & Columbus
267-275 Columbus Ave
New York, NY 10023
United States

-A Starbucks I can’t say I have entered in more than once if that. Again its location on Columbus puts it out of the way for my needs but I’m sure it is just like any old Starbucks.

11. 70th & Broadway
2045 Broadway
New York, NY 10023
United States

-With this one I am going on record and saying that I believe Starbucks has made a typo with the address of this Starbucks. It is located just south of the intersection of Broadway and Amsterdam and I believe it is on the Amsterdam side of that intersection. Regardless if it is the Starbucks on the Amsterdam side and I am not missing another Starbucks in that area it is a fairly large one that is mostly dominated by a younger crowd who are either one their way or coming from the Sony movie theater on 68^th street. Because of the crowd it draws I have utilized it less and less of late, it is not good for anything productive. But in the good old days when I was impatient waiting for a movie to start I would venture in here for a drink. That is if I didn’t head over to the one on Columbus and 67^th street.

12. 103rd & Broadway
2690 Broadway
New York, NY 10025
United States

-I believe this one is the newest member to the Starbucks crew and is doing a fine job of getting established. We will see how it fares in that area, it is the second to move into the Broadway in the low 100s block, the first one closed and became a bank. It is good to have a coffee shop up by many choice restaurants as well as the Silver Moon Bakery which in it of itself is a destination to visit. We will see if it lasts.

13. Columbus @ 67th
152 – 154 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 100235921
United States

-This Starbucks wraps up my high school years with it being closer to the 68^th street movie theater and frankly a little better than the Starbucks on 70^th and Amsterdam. I find that it was better because it had more comfortable seating (back in the day not now) and had the room to do the stuff that we liked to do, such as play a rousing game of Monopoly or hold an eight person plus discussion of the hidden meaning within the third Matrix movie; The Matrix Revolutions.

So those are the Starbucks in my life and the different purposes they have had. The real point of discussion here is the number of Starbucks within just a mile radius defined by 86th and Broadway. What are the uses you have for Starbucks? Or are you one of the many who are annoyed by the abundance and uniformity of the Starbucks system that you have boycotted them all together? Whatever your opinions are share your thoughts:

 

What does Starbucks mean to you and how do you define its role in your community? Is it the destroyer of the small coffee shop? Or the savor who finally created an evening location for young people that doesn’t include alcohol.

 

Discuss:

Acqua: Real Italian pizza in the middle of the city that invented American pizza

Everyone has that quest that they go on in the town or city that they are from to find the superlative for their favorite food groups. One of those journeys for me was to find the one or two restaurants in New York City that offered what I considered to be the best Italian style pizza. Now it is important to define what I mean by Italian style, and I use it pretty loosely to mean thin crust pizza cooked in a brick, open flame, oven. The pizza produced from this cooking style cannot be enjoyed in the classic New York sense of the one hand fold over, rather this pizza sometimes even requires a fork and knife because its crust is just that fragile and thin.

In my search I have identified two places (both on the Upper West Side) that I feel have met my challenge and have risen to a level deserving of a joint superlative stating that Acqua and Nick and Toni’s (to be reviewed soon) have the best thin crust pizza in New York City. I invite our readers to suggest a competitor for them, but for now these are my two picks.

Now Acqua will be the subject of this review. I first introduced Acqua when reviewing Regional as a destination I would choose over Regional unless the weather would not permit the extra travel. That sentiment is still true as I now approach the Acqua review. That all being said lets begin the review:

Acqua is situated on the southwest corner of 95th street and Amsterdam. Its facade allows for both interior and exterior seating (a joy when the weather is nice). The restaurant’s design presents it as a large single room dining environment with a somewhat tightly packed bar at the entrance. The staff have always been extremely accommodating and I have never once had an issue with either the service or the speed of the restaurant. Acqua can only be considered as a truly authentic Italian restaurant. Do not visit Acqua if you are looking for the thicker type of pizza you can enjoy with a fold over and the use of only one hand.

As the menu demonstrates this is not just a pizza place. Though my go to section is the pizza section they also have a wonderfully simple yet delicious pasta selection, there is something to be said about a simple but well prepared rigatoni pomodoro.

Now I know that much of the rhetoric we have used here at Coffee Straws has revolved around how much of a neighborhood place a restaurant is, and I believe that is because the attribute of being a neighborhood place is something we highly value, especially in a place we feel has return value. Thus I will use that adjective again when describing the feel and environment of Acqua. From the Italian wines recommended by the staff to the always delicious and yet seemingly rustic pizza this place is welcomed addition to a street that has seen its fair share of restaurants go under.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 3 Straws (can’t complain, its a good meal).

Pizza: 4 Straws (We feel that the pizza deserves a separate ranking due to its deliciousness and authenticity).

Price: $$($)traws, Moderate/Expensive price (about $30 for an appetizer, pizza and glass of wine, but the pizzas are fairly sized and can be a meal just alone making the restaurant a moderately priced place at around $20 a meal).

Atmosphere: A community atmosphere, very welcoming. Its corner location allows for (when the weather is just right) an indoor/outdoor setup.

Overall: 3 Straws (Acqua very much resembles a neighborhood Italian restaurant and responds to that craving for Italian cuisine. Whenever I am in the mood for some good Italian cooking along with Italian wine, Acqua is my choice).

The Details:

Website: n/a

Location: 718 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10025

Phone: (212) 222-2752

Reservation: No Need.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Weekdays: 4:00pm-11:30pm

Weekends: 11:00am-11:30pm