Upper West Side! WAKE UP! This is a call for Loyalty

News pertaining to the effects of the Recession are in no short supply, every day the New York Times is filled with segments on the fallout of this major economic disaster. But one article from yesterday stood out with me and this blog. Popover Cafe’s founder and owner, Carol Baer, fell victim to Bernie Madoff’s devastating fraud. Ms. Baer is one of many to feel both the sting of Madoff’s despicable lies and the loss of a consumer base from this lingering Recession. But the article, by Susan Dominus in her Big City column, is not sad or depressing. Rather Dominus’ article focuses on the gratitude Ms. Baer feels for the support she has been given by her patrons.

Too many times now we have seen restaurants and other businesses fold on Broadway do to higher rents and greedy developers. I am still morning the loss of Prestos, Time, Carne, Aix, and Docks (the last of which closes in part because of this most recent Recession) as chains and banks replace them all (except for Carne which was replaced with an excellent restaurant: Toast). But Amsterdam is holding on.

Which brings me to the point of this post: We, as the Upper West Side, MUST NOT LET OUR NEIGHBORHOOD FALL! On August 19th Popover Cafe, and others, will be hosting a Neighborhood Gratitude Event to thank us for our patronage.

The list of involved businesses include:

• The Popover Cafe
• Good Enough to Eat
• Darryl’s Boutique
• The Robert Stuart Salon
• Super Runners Shop
• Avventura

Upon visiting any of these establishments on August 19th you will be welcomed to various gratitude events including free giveaways and raffles.

The message to take away here is the importance of local establishments and the responsibility of us, as a community, to protect them by patronizing them. We cannot let the Upper West Side become a branded super mall. In the spirit of You’ve Got Mail, we must save the Shop Around the Corner.

So please join me in supporting our businesses and come out on August 19th.

Lastly if you are aware of other participating establishments or perhaps a website devoted to this event please let us at Coffee Straws know by commenting to this post.

Here is to a locally run Upper West Side.

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

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.