This month, I took a break from the larger fine dining establishments about which I usually write, and concentrated on smaller spaces; those little neighborhood joints that get New York’s day-to-day trade. Here are a few...
YO! Sushi
One of the newest small, fast-casual restaurants in New York’s Flatiron District is Yo!Sushi, a narrow, modern space, featuring a ‘kaiten’ conveyer belt which carries color coded plates of sushi and other cold dishes past your seat at the counter, or your table. Their selection of hot street foods is prepared in their kitchen and brought to your table by cute, friendly servers.
Located at 23 W. 23rd St, Yo!Sushi is about a block away from my home, so I asked my friend Frank to join me for lunch. Now, I know that the concept of conveyer belt sushi might sound strange, but everything we tried - and we tried a LOT - was tasty and super fresh, or ‘shinsen,’ as they say in Japanese. Of the sushi, we really enjoyed the Spider Roll - tempura soft shell crab, with yuzu tobiko and sweet chili sauce, the Shrimp & Yuzu - poached shrimp, ponzu mayo, and rocket cress, the Scallop & Ama Miso - lightly seared scallop, sweet white miso, amaranth cress and rocket cress, and the Salmon & Ikura - seared salmon, ponzu mayo, ikura and rocket cress. All delicious! Of the Japanese street food, the Chicken Katsu Sando - Panko breaded chicken thigh, tonkatsu sauce and karashi mustard was a standout, with the spicy mustard delivering a sinus-clearing kick! And my personal favorite was the Takoyaki - deep fried octopus filled dough balls topped with mayo, bonito flakes, and pickled ginger. I had always wanted to try takoyaki, but considering I won’t be getting to Osaka any time soon, these were really excellent!
We tried a few more dishes and racked up a pretty decent bill. Sadly, we never got to try the tempting Strawberry Kakigori dessert - shaved ice with strawberry syrup, strawberries, blueberries, mochi, condensed milk, and vanilla ice cream. Oh well...maybe next time. I’m glad they’re close!
For more information, go to www.yosushiusa.com/new-york
Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop
From a new, ultra modern space straight out of Japan, we go to an old-school, ultra New York-style joint that’s been serving up good, solid, traditional deli food in the very same spot since 1929!
I live practically across the street from Eisenberg’s but hadn’t tried it until recently, and I’m glad I finally did. The place itself isn’t fancy - in fact, it’s a bit of a glorious wreck. In New York terms, it has tons of character. Another narrow space, there are tables in the back, and a few tables to one side, but the best place to experience Eisenberg’s is at one of the red leather stools at the counter.
Owners Josh Konecky and wife Bonnie Taylor bought the place in 2005, hoping to keep a bit of old New York alive. And trust me, this food is old New York! They serve breakfast all day, there are coffee shop staples like burgers, chef salads, and omelets, but the real magic is in the soups and deli sandwiches! So far, I’ve tried the Cold Borscht and the Matzoh Ball Soup - both delicious in their simplicity, the Hot Brisket Sandwich - one of my favorites, and the Tuna Melt - a simple mix of tuna and Hellmann’s mayonnaise, topped with American cheese, and toasted in the sandwich press. The best sandwich, however, was the Chopped Liver on toasted rye! Rich and satisfying, with just the right fattiness from rendered chicken fat known as schmaltz, I was told the chopped liver was Konecky’s mother’s recipe - it even says so on the menu: ‘Bubbe’s Original Recipe!’ Oh, and when you go, be sure to order one of their dynamite Egg Creams! To the uninitiated, an egg cream has nothing to do with eggs or cream. It’s just a yummy, fizzy mixture of seltzer, milk, and chocolate syrup.
I’ve only visited Eisenberg’s a couple of times, but as soon as I had posted my visit on social media, friends contacted me from all over the country, telling me how much they loved the place and giving me suggestions on what else to order! That kind of customer loyalty says a lot!
With so many classic New York businesses disappearing, it’s nice to know Eisenberg’s is still here, raising New York’s cholesterol, as their slogan goes!
For more information, go to www.eisenbergsnyc.com
See’s Candies
I was contacted recently by a friend of mine; a former resident of San Francisco, who was terribly excited because he’d stumbled on a new little shop on 8th Street in Greenwich Village.
He’d found the brand new See’s Candies shop! He’d long been a fan of See’s Candies, and he was thrilled, because for many years, See’s was mostly West Coast based, with most of their shops located in Los Angeles and San Francisco. See’s has been available in NYC, but only in locations like Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, and Grand Central Station.
See’s has been making delicious, high-quality candies since their first shop opened in 1921. Mary See made all the candy from her own homemade recipes, using only the freshest ingredients. Today, there are over 200 shops across America, and of course, their candies are available online as well.
I attended the Grand Opening of the New York shop - my first See’s experience...but I know it won’t be my last! The shop itself was small and quaint. Inspired by Mary See’s kitchen, the decor, with its sparkling white walls, black & white checked linoleum floors, and old-timey uniforms, created the illusion of stepping back in time. And while the space was small, the selection of yummy chocolates, truffles, handmade lollipops, and even chocolate cigars - See-gars, as they call them, was pretty mind boggling! And this is the first See’s location in New York to feature a candy counter, where customers can create their own custom boxes of chocolates. Oh, and the shop carries on the tradition of giving out free samples to every guest! Yum!
I fell in love with See’s Candies practically on the spot! The candies themselves were smooth and delicious, still made from scratch in their own factories in Los Angeles and South San Francisco, and sent to their shops across the country. When you buy See’s Candies, you know you’re getting “See’s Quality.” In other words...the best!
The day my friend came upon the See’s shop, it was still early in the morning, and they hadn’t opened yet, but the staff saw him, opened up just for him, and he was able to buy a one pound box of chocolates. He said he wasn’t surprised they had gone out of their way for him like that. “After all,” he said, “that’s the See’s way!”
For more information, go to www.Sees.com
YoSushi, Eisenberg’s, and See’s Candies. See? Bigger isn’t always better!
