HUNGRY GERALD

HG’s children and grandchildren have asked 95-year-old HG what New York was like when HG–in the 1950’s–was a young journalist. It was a totally different city–affordable for young folks from the United States and internationally to realize their ambitions in The Big Apple. The changes have been cosmic–but HG will narrow observations to the food and restaurant scene many decades ago. Immigration and wars enriched New York’s culinary choices. In the ’50’s New York had one (yes,one) Mexican restaurant and it was lousy. There were two Japanese restaurants (Suehiro was HG’s choice). No sushi in NYC. No Korean, Indian, Cambodian restaurants. On the positive side, New York had many Greek and Spanish restaurants. There were many traditional French bistros in the theater district and elsewhere on the West Side. Of course, there were over 100 Italian restaurants in the boroughs and much Jewish cuisine –“appetizing stores”, delicatessens, bakeries, seltzer dispensers, kosher butchers, kosher and non-kosher Jewish restaurants; Jewish style eateries like Tip Toe Inn, Lindy’s, Reuben’s; knish joints. There was one Chinatown and it was in Manhattan. Chinatown restaurants were inexpensive and served great food. It was the “go’to” neighborhood for everyone with big appetites and limited means. Best Germans were Luchow’s (14th Street)and Blue Ribbon (in the theater district and a favorite of Marlene Dietrich and Eric Maria Remarque). Irish: Dinty Moore’s (theater district–ultimate corned beef and cabbage), Connolly’s Bar & Grill (E. 23rd Street–a favorite of Police, it served one dish–sublime pot roast in a lush gravy). Irish bars all over Manhattan served steam table corned beef and cabbage—good, bad and splendid.  Yes, you ate well in New York if you ate Italian, Chinese, German, Irish and Jewish food–the cuisines remain HG favorites today. But, HG has added Mexican, Japanese, Middle Eastern dishes to suppers  (these and many, many others are cooked daily by BSK, a talented, creative and innovative cook). BSK removes the necessity of dining in restaurants. Her food is better.