BARNEY GREENGRASS & ZABAR'S: UPPER WEST SIDE ICONS OF THE APPETIZER
As a citizen of the Sixth Borough (i.e. Miami ), I occasionally get caught up in the whole romance/rivalry thing with New York . I love the alphabet city, but take pride in what my beloved Magic City has to offer.
NYC’s climate can’t hold a candle to MIA’s sunshine and balmy breezes, but New York definitely has us beat when it comes to delis. Back when there was a Wolfie’s on the Beach and the Rascal House, Miami was a contender. But those days are long gone.
Which is why, when I come to the Big Apple, my stay isn’t complete without a trip to Barney Greengrass. On my last visit, my dining companion and I ordered two Greengrass classics: chunks of flavorful sturgeon folded into scrambled eggs on a bagel and lox and cream cheese. The fish was heavenly and the bagels, perfection. Plus, we got to feel like real Upper West Siders, brunching while perusing the New York Times.
Brunch was followed by leisurely walk south along Broadway. Before we’d ambled even 10 blocks, we happened upon Zabar’s, the speciality grocery and food emporium referenced in a zillion and one movies and TV shows. We strolled the aisles with the best of intentions – to feast only with the eyes – but the sights and smells of this iconic “appetizing store” soon overcame our restraint. Before we knew it, we were feasting on those all-too-rare-these-days baked goods: those that taste as good as they look. A couple of creamy lattes went well with our decadent desserts.
The experience got me thinking about where I would find comparable gourmet cheeses, exotic olives, and first-rate baked goods in Miami . The answer was Epicure Gourmet Market, the newest location of which is on the site where the Rascal House once stood. Which brings me back full circle, ever-loyal to Miami but begrudgingly bewitched with New York.
www.barneygreengrass.com
www.zabars.com
--LA PEQUENA HABANA HAYDEE
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