Eating In Translation

Taste of Jewish Culture

Coriander, juniper, and sage, bay leaf, black pepper, and chile pepper. Grocers Original (the red one on the right, 12 fl. oz., $3), from Court Street Grocers, might be the world's only soft drink so fully flavored by a blend of pickling spices. Could you use it to braise a brisket? Outlook good. Would you enjoy it straight from the bottle? Signs point to yes.

At a prior festival: I rarely do shots in the afternoon. But presented with chilled borscht from Peck's, not only did I down mine in the middle of the street — when the only kick comes from horseradish crème fraîche, the police look the other way — but ultimately I also wiped my shot glass clean, discreetly, with a finger.

For more photos from multiple years of this event, see my album.

Taste of Jewish Culture
Sixth Ave. between 48th and 49th Sts., Manhattan (one block of a larger, otherwise humdrum street fair)
www.Circle.org/event/2017-taste-of-jewish-culture-street-fair
(The 2017 Taste of Jewish Culture was held on June 18)

Burger Joint

Momentarily empty booth — insert burger here.

Burger Joint
119 West 56th St. (Sixth-Seventh Aves., inside Le Parker Meridien), Manhattan
212-708-7414
Also at 33 West 8th St. (at MacDougal St.)
212-432-1400
www.BurgerJointNY.com

E&J Burke

The brothers Edward and John Burke were "Irish distillers, brewers, bottlers and (in New York especially) importers," notably of the dry stout that shares its name with their grandfather Arthur Guinness. Their partnership, founded in Dublin in 1849 when the Burkes were in their early 20s, expanded to New York a quarter-century later.

Although the brothers did not live to see the 20th century, their namesake business was successful enough to commission this headquarters building, completed in 1913. A menu from that same year, by the handsome St. Denis Hotel, offered a pint of "Guinness's Stout, E&J Burke" for the then-stately price of 30 cents. The building served as headquarters and for storage only briefly, however, until 1922, when the company moved its Prohibition-era enterprises from Manhattan to Long Island City, Queens.

E&J Burke resumed brewing operations in the 1930s, after Repeal, but despite the company's strong ties to Guinness, its fortunes never fully recovered. The company ceased operations in 1954 — only a few years after Honda (whose Westside dealership appears in the first photo) began a similar journey, kickstarting a business overseas before expanding to these shores.

E&J Burke
Surviving signage, 616 West 46th St. (Eleventh-Twelfth Aves.), Manhattan

Carnegie John's

Burger (with cheese), fries (recognizably potato), ketchup (extra napkins included, $7 all in).

Carnegie John's
Slightly to the south of Carnegie Hall, West 56th St. near the northeast corner with Seventh Ave., Manhattan
Monday through Friday, lunchtime and afternoon only

The Humans

The 2016 Tony Award winner for best play is set on Grand St. near Eldridge, if I heard the dialogue correctly, but the artwork outside the Helen Hayes wanders farther afield through Manhattan's Chinatown, along East Broadway especially. This photo montage is more fanciful than literal, not only for its juxtapositions but also for its hint of harmony. Onstage, during a holiday meal in a small city apartment, the fabric of a "happy family" wears thin all too quickly.

The Humans
Artwork outside the Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 West 44th St. (Seventh-Eighth Aves.), Manhattan
www.Broadway.com/shows/the-humans

Preview Sandwich Shop

From across the way, this sign is totally hidden by the awning of Hello Deli; it's visible only from up close. Perhaps this older showbiz-themed business premiered sometime in the 1960s. Exactly when, and just how long a run it had before the lights went dark, is unclear.

H/T Jeremiah's Vanishing New York

Preview Sandwich Shop
213 West 53rd St. (Broadway-Eighth Ave.), Manhattan
212-489-7832

McHale's Bar & Grill

Special: a Cuban sandwich with German ham and Swiss cheese on Italian bread, accompanied by French fries, promoted on a Dutch-branded menu board, served at an Irish bar that proudly flies Old Glory. Didn't try it — I was on my way to meet some friends for Japanese.

McHale's Bar & Grill
251 West 51st St. (Seventh-Eighth Aves.), Manhattan
212-957-5138
www.McHalesPub.com

Syrup of Figs

Offered here in a double dose, syrup of figs is the generic name for a type of laxative; the brand name itself is illegible. Previously, elsewhere, an ad for what seemed to be a different brand was accompanied by an inadvertent and very apt visual aid.

Syrup of Figs
Surviving signage, West 56th St. near the southeast corner of Eighth Ave., Manhattan

Simit Sarayi

(This venue is closed.) In Turkey, the classic simit resembles a heavily encrusted sesame bagel, with proportions that suggest a game of ring toss. Though a simit loaf loses traditional appeal, it gains in versatility: It more easily accepts fillings like olive ($4.25), and, when need be, more securely holds a sandwich.

Simit Sarayi
435 Fifth Ave. (38th-39th Sts.), Manhattan
646-922-7876
(First U.S. location of this Turkey-based worldwide chain)
www.SimitSarayi.com/en_US

Cafe Edison

(This venue is closed.) Last meal at the "Polish Tea Room.": a roast beef and chopped liver club sandwich (above and first photo below, $11.25). Previously, from several of numerous visits: matzo brie (rhymes with "Midwood High," and more often spelled matzoh brei), bland despite lots of salt and pepper; a pastrami sandwich; cheese blintzes. It's the trio of blintzes, also filled with cherry or blueberry, that many folks say they'll miss most.

Cafe Edison
228 West 47th St. (Broadway-Eighth Ave.), Manhattan
212-840-5000
www.EdisonHotelNYC.com/default.aspx?pg=cafe-edison