Thursday, March 25, 2004
Takeout adventures on 14th Street
LOOKING AHEAD by Wally Dobelis
East 14th Street, once a disaster area, has had a rebirth in the past decade. Drug-infested flophouses and shady street-level businesses have closed, thanks to community activists, concerned businesspeople, schools and institutions. The lawsuits and neighborhood improvement actions were spearheaded by the 14th Street-Union Square LDC/BID (now Union Square Partnership). The active neighborhood preservationist group is Union Square Community Coalition.
A hundred plus years ago 14th Street was the home of Luchow’s German Restaurant, rival of Delmonico’s, where Diamond Jim Brady entertained Lillian Russell and other ladies of the stage. He was the master salesman whose barbed wire turned the Wild West into a cattle pasture. Four decades ago, when our group of antiquarian book hunters met there for lunch before dispersing into the Book Row, my favorite was Luchow’s cream herring appetizer, ordered as a main course (Marvin Mondlin of the Strand, in his new Book Row volume - soon to be reviewed here - describes the Fourth Ave scene and the fascinating odd savants running the stores).
There was also the Academy of Music (most recently the Palladium), Steinway Hall and a slew of theatres for every taste, from vaudeville to opera. Movie houses abounded, the wreck of the last, Jefferson Theatre, was turned into an empty lot only a few years ago. The Academy and Luchow’s sites are now NYU dorms and Richards & Sons electronics emporium. Among more recent losses are Tad’s, the late lamented sizzling steak grill, across from the Zeckendorf Towers’ Food Emporium, and the street's only Philippine restaurant, at 325, Manila Garden, closed only a few years ago.
As for the bars on 14th Street, they are not for food. There is a range of styles, from the mod rock-and-roll playing Beauty Bar at 231 (with the original Thomas' Beauty Salon sign still hanging outside, and an interior walls decorated with metal hair dryers),Barmacy at 538 (with displays of the implements and wares of the old pharmacy which it replaced) and Kings Head Tavern at 220, to the old-timers, O'Hanlon's Bar at 349 and the Blarney Cove Bar at 510. In this context, Looking Forward offers its best birthday wishes to old friend Edward K. Kane, Esq., of East 22nd Street, aka Old Curmudgeon, who was once the area's foremost expert on bar life.
East 14th Street, from Fourth Ave to Alphabet City.
Amid the dorms, near Fourth Ave, is Amore Pizza, at 104 East 14th Street, (212) 420-8287. It also has also calzones, pastas and other Italian fare. Free delivery.
East of Third Ave, Red House, Chinese cuisine, at 203 East 14th Street (212) 228-8288 has a huge menu, all items under $10. Happy Family is a dish that mixes crab, lobster, chicken, beef and pork. Mei fun (deep-fried), ho fun (fried flat noodle), vegetable and weight watcher dishes abound. Free delivery.
The Original New 211 Taco Grill at 211 East 14th Street (212) 353-3728 has a tortilla machine, offers fajitas singly or by the pound,, hard and soft shell tacos, cheese quesadillas (tortilla sandwich), burritos and Mexican pizza. Free delivery.
Daphne's Caribbean Express, at 233 East 14th Street (212)228-6144, is the plain cousin of Daphne Mahoney's luxurious Bamboo restaurant at 243 (212) 358-0012. The latter, featuring a Jamaican ambiance, is known for its pure lump crabcakes, and shrimp and red snapper in coconut sauce, serve to guests seated on couches amid tropical greenery. No takeout . Daphne’s offers a less upscale full Caribbean fare, with jerk chicken and fish and the sharp Jamaican ginger beer, takeout, free delivery.Anna Maria Pizza & Pasta, at 238 East 14th Street (212) 505-0979 offersclassic Italian cuisine, pollo or vitello sautéed a la Parmigiana, Marsala,Saltimbocca (sage, spinach & prosciutto), Scarpariello (lemon garlic sauce),Capricciosa (pan-fried), and Francese (egg batter). Free delivery. Dizzy Izzy’s New York Bagels at 250 East 14th Street (212) 614-9515 also has hot sandwiches, classic burgers, bagel breakfasts, omeletes, wraps and salads. Free delivery.
Fresh Tortilla, Tex-Mex kitchen at 328 East 14th Street (212) 420-1755,features tacos, priced from $.99 up, and the usual varieties. Free delivery.
Rainbow Pizza Café at 347 East 14th Street, between 1st and 2nd Aves, (212) 529-3067 offers grilled chicken with pita or as dinner , also kebabs, couscous, calamari, gyro, falafel and more Mediterranean delights. Free delivery.
Shing Lung Chinese Kitchen at 424 East 14th Street near Ave A (212) 979-2603 has a huge illustrated partly bilingual menu. Many items are available by pint or quart. Free delivery.
J & J Coffee Shop at 442A East 14th, (212) 475-7682, open 24 hrs exceptMondays 'till 8 pm, has burgers and sandwiches, Greek and Italianspecialties, salads, chicken, pastrami, meatloaf and salads, waist-watcherdishes and fountain splurges. Late breakfasts, free delivery.
Pete’s-A-Place, pizzeria and restaurant at 502 East 14th Street (212) 473-0671 offers also pastas, heros, calzones and buffalo chicken wings. Free delivery.
Our Kitchen, catering and takeout service at 520 East 14th Street (212) 677-8018, featuring exotic Singapore Pan-Asian cuisine, is proud of its favorable media reviews. Cilantro soups, tofu dishes (General Tao’s tofu and broccoli), sesame veggie-chicken. Free delivery.
East 14th Street, once a disaster area, has had a rebirth in the past decade. Drug-infested flophouses and shady street-level businesses have closed, thanks to community activists, concerned businesspeople, schools and institutions. The lawsuits and neighborhood improvement actions were spearheaded by the 14th Street-Union Square LDC/BID (now Union Square Partnership). The active neighborhood preservationist group is Union Square Community Coalition.
A hundred plus years ago 14th Street was the home of Luchow’s German Restaurant, rival of Delmonico’s, where Diamond Jim Brady entertained Lillian Russell and other ladies of the stage. He was the master salesman whose barbed wire turned the Wild West into a cattle pasture. Four decades ago, when our group of antiquarian book hunters met there for lunch before dispersing into the Book Row, my favorite was Luchow’s cream herring appetizer, ordered as a main course (Marvin Mondlin of the Strand, in his new Book Row volume - soon to be reviewed here - describes the Fourth Ave scene and the fascinating odd savants running the stores).
There was also the Academy of Music (most recently the Palladium), Steinway Hall and a slew of theatres for every taste, from vaudeville to opera. Movie houses abounded, the wreck of the last, Jefferson Theatre, was turned into an empty lot only a few years ago. The Academy and Luchow’s sites are now NYU dorms and Richards & Sons electronics emporium. Among more recent losses are Tad’s, the late lamented sizzling steak grill, across from the Zeckendorf Towers’ Food Emporium, and the street's only Philippine restaurant, at 325, Manila Garden, closed only a few years ago.
As for the bars on 14th Street, they are not for food. There is a range of styles, from the mod rock-and-roll playing Beauty Bar at 231 (with the original Thomas' Beauty Salon sign still hanging outside, and an interior walls decorated with metal hair dryers),Barmacy at 538 (with displays of the implements and wares of the old pharmacy which it replaced) and Kings Head Tavern at 220, to the old-timers, O'Hanlon's Bar at 349 and the Blarney Cove Bar at 510. In this context, Looking Forward offers its best birthday wishes to old friend Edward K. Kane, Esq., of East 22nd Street, aka Old Curmudgeon, who was once the area's foremost expert on bar life.
East 14th Street, from Fourth Ave to Alphabet City.
Amid the dorms, near Fourth Ave, is Amore Pizza, at 104 East 14th Street, (212) 420-8287. It also has also calzones, pastas and other Italian fare. Free delivery.
East of Third Ave, Red House, Chinese cuisine, at 203 East 14th Street (212) 228-8288 has a huge menu, all items under $10. Happy Family is a dish that mixes crab, lobster, chicken, beef and pork. Mei fun (deep-fried), ho fun (fried flat noodle), vegetable and weight watcher dishes abound. Free delivery.
The Original New 211 Taco Grill at 211 East 14th Street (212) 353-3728 has a tortilla machine, offers fajitas singly or by the pound,, hard and soft shell tacos, cheese quesadillas (tortilla sandwich), burritos and Mexican pizza. Free delivery.
Daphne's Caribbean Express, at 233 East 14th Street (212)228-6144, is the plain cousin of Daphne Mahoney's luxurious Bamboo restaurant at 243 (212) 358-0012. The latter, featuring a Jamaican ambiance, is known for its pure lump crabcakes, and shrimp and red snapper in coconut sauce, serve to guests seated on couches amid tropical greenery. No takeout . Daphne’s offers a less upscale full Caribbean fare, with jerk chicken and fish and the sharp Jamaican ginger beer, takeout, free delivery.Anna Maria Pizza & Pasta, at 238 East 14th Street (212) 505-0979 offersclassic Italian cuisine, pollo or vitello sautéed a la Parmigiana, Marsala,Saltimbocca (sage, spinach & prosciutto), Scarpariello (lemon garlic sauce),Capricciosa (pan-fried), and Francese (egg batter). Free delivery. Dizzy Izzy’s New York Bagels at 250 East 14th Street (212) 614-9515 also has hot sandwiches, classic burgers, bagel breakfasts, omeletes, wraps and salads. Free delivery.
Fresh Tortilla, Tex-Mex kitchen at 328 East 14th Street (212) 420-1755,features tacos, priced from $.99 up, and the usual varieties. Free delivery.
Rainbow Pizza Café at 347 East 14th Street, between 1st and 2nd Aves, (212) 529-3067 offers grilled chicken with pita or as dinner , also kebabs, couscous, calamari, gyro, falafel and more Mediterranean delights. Free delivery.
Shing Lung Chinese Kitchen at 424 East 14th Street near Ave A (212) 979-2603 has a huge illustrated partly bilingual menu. Many items are available by pint or quart. Free delivery.
J & J Coffee Shop at 442A East 14th, (212) 475-7682, open 24 hrs exceptMondays 'till 8 pm, has burgers and sandwiches, Greek and Italianspecialties, salads, chicken, pastrami, meatloaf and salads, waist-watcherdishes and fountain splurges. Late breakfasts, free delivery.
Pete’s-A-Place, pizzeria and restaurant at 502 East 14th Street (212) 473-0671 offers also pastas, heros, calzones and buffalo chicken wings. Free delivery.
Our Kitchen, catering and takeout service at 520 East 14th Street (212) 677-8018, featuring exotic Singapore Pan-Asian cuisine, is proud of its favorable media reviews. Cilantro soups, tofu dishes (General Tao’s tofu and broccoli), sesame veggie-chicken. Free delivery.
# posted by Wally Dobelis @ 6:47 AM 
