My fried egg sandwich ($9.50) wore a big arugula smile, happy in the company of tomato and parmagian cheese. The country fries cuddled up against them were a mix of moist and crisp; might have been a little bacon in there, too.
Regional
2607 Broadway (98th-99th Sts.)
212-666-1915
www.RegionalNYC.com
(This venue is closed.) From the outgoing message on the answering machine of this longtime neighborhood butcher: "Unfortunately, we will be suspending our operations at 2606 Broadway until we can find another location in the neighborhood."
Oppenheimer Meats
2606 Broadway (98th-99th Sts.)
212-662-0246
www.OppenheimerMeats.com
At first, I didn't recognize the french-fry holder for what it was.
Special-occasion cakes are its stock in trade, so this little bakery's pies, tarts, croissants, and other pastries are less well-known than they should be. This blueberry scone ($2.50) was modest in appearance, but it was also moister than most, and that vein of berries ran deep.
Soutine
104 West 70th St. (Columbus-Amsterdam Aves.)
212-496-1450
www.Soutine.com
It's "country," but it's not coarse.
I've put my foot in it, too.
It's so salty that your waiter will try to talk you out of it.
It's the best burger on the Upper West Side.
Artichoke: It's not only for Artichoke.
For Earth Day (or any other day), here's a napkin-saving proposal.
It's become a fixture in the neighborhood, almost literally.
The chicken shnitzel on challah ($5.99 at lunch) is low-key but well-composed.
Simply disappointing.
Perhaps I deserved some dinges. That's a Flemish word for waffle toppings including strawberries, whipped cream, Nutella, and Belgian fudge ($1 each, or $3 for as many toppings as you'd like). Adorned only with powdered sugar, the liege cinnamon royal ($4) was dense and chewy but otherwise pedestrian.
Wafels and Dinges truck
Saturday and Sunday, Broadway near 75th St.; other times at other locations
866-429-7329
www.wafelsanddinges.com
(This venue is closed.) Sure, it's easy enough to see now, when we're both sitting down. But the other day, when I walked up on this restaurant from the right, the word that came to mind was something I saw not long ago in a Chinatown market, among the specialty meats: a package labeled "ox pizzle." I never ate at Garlic Bob's, so no, I can't tell you if they served slices.
Garlic Bob's Restaurant & Pizzeria
508 Columbus Ave. (84th-85th Sts.)
212-769-2627
That's the view that John and Yoko might have seen 30 years ago, when they walked over from The Dakota. Café La Fortuna, which opened in 1976, will close its doors by the end of February due to an increase in rent, according to a staffer I spoke to on Tuesday. (Thanks to the reader whose comment, which you can read by clicking on the link below, broke the sad news. Another reader, and several news reports, stress that the final day is February 24.)
Stop by once more, if you have the chance; you can't say "nobody told me."
Café La Fortuna
69 West 71st St. (Columbus Ave.-Central Park West)
212-724-5846
www.cafelafortuna.net
Come to think of it, rugelach is one thing of theirs I haven't had.
I wandered lonely as a cloud/That floats on high o'er vales and hills/Till someone peeled away my wrap/And held me snug, and had his fill.
Not on an empty stomach, mind you, or that cloud would've had company. Vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting ($2.25).
Magnolia Bakery
200 Columbus Ave (at 69th St.)
212-724-8101
Also 401 Bleecker St. (at West 11th St.)
212-462-2572
www.magnoliabakery.com
Can't decide between pasta and pizza?
It's unclear whether J.M. Horton — which was acquired by Borden in the late 1920s — actually operated a business at this location. According to The New York Times, the inscriptions on many of these pediments were intended as advertisements directed at passengers on the Columbus Ave. elevated train. Also known as the Ninth Ave. El, it reportedly stood, at least in part, until the 1950s.
Surviving signage from the J.M. Horton Ice Cream Co.
302 Columbus Ave. (74th-75th Sts.), rooftop level
Pretty Peruvian, generously portioned, with Americanized flavors.
I like to think of it as Murray's Snack Shop.
(This venue is closed.) The owner's home country is easy enough to guess from the mention of the famous mountain in Rio. For the time being, Brazilian offerings are limited to flan, passion fruit mousse, and catered hors d'oeuvres, but soon they'll serve the cheese bread called pão de queijo, said the counterman, who happens to be Venezuelan. Would arepas be too much to ask?
Sugar Loaf Coffee
711 Amsterdam Ave. (94th-95th Sts.)
212-749-2636
Medium rare? With a lamb "burger," often it's hard to tell.
My cinnamon butter brioche ($3) was all I expected, but still I thought about the chocolate chip brioche that got away.
