Turn, Turn, Turn…

[ahr]

Quote of the day:  “…the pupu platter features a nice assortment of appetizers that can satisfy two appetites: $1.95.”  This refers to Madras Woodlands, an Indian restaurant.

Second Installment

EAST SIDE 34th –42nd STREET

Akasaka

Bowl O’Rice

Dosanko Larmen

La Maison Japonaise

The New Korea

Shanti

Soup Tureen

Szechuan D’Or (1 of ?)

EAST SIDE 42nd-59th STREET

The Back Street Restaurant

La Bonne Soupe

The Brazilian Pavilion

Broodje

Chick-Teri

Electra

Ganges

The Indian Pavilion

Khyber

Madras Woodlands

Monya’s Home Cooking

Mr. Yakitori

Shanghai Deli

Take-Zushi

EAST SIDE 59th-86th STREET

Atran

The Carrot

Chez Netta

East River

The Ideal Lunch and Bar

Nataraj

Nisho

Oscar’s Salt of the Sea

Let Petit Pavillon

Pinocchio

Schaefer’s

Takis

Tip Top

EAST SIDE 86th-126th STREET

Ponce de Leon

San Juan

WEST SIDE 14th-34th STREET

Asia de Cuba (no, not that one)

The Carving Board

Cuisine of Szechuan (2 of ?)

Gefen’s Dairy Restaurant

Hershey’s

Jamuna

Mesón Flamenco

Paddy’s Clam House

Szechuan Seventh (3 of ?)

La Taza de Oro

Woo Dong

WEST SIDE 34th-42nd STREET

Alanbess

Café in the Cradle

Dining Commons

Mabuhay

Manganaro’s Grosseria Italiana

Manganaro’s Hero Boy (relegated, interestingly, to the “Short Takes” capsules in the rear)

Paradise Inn

WEST SIDE 42nd-59th STREET

Bangkok Cuisine

Belcrep

La Bonne Soupe

Brazilian Luncheonette

Cabana Carioca

Château Brasil

La Españolita

Hide Sukiyaki Restaurant

Mamma Leone’s

Max’s Restaurant

Mediterranean Fish Company

La Milonga Bar & Restaurant

Molfeta’s

Moon Garden

Peruvian Restaurant

Pierre au Tunnel

La Potagerie

Pot au Feu

Rincón Argentino

Sushi Ginza

Sushiko

Syntagma Square

Towne House

WEST SIDE 59th-86th STREET

Amy’s

The Cherry Restaurant

The Front Porch

Sultan’s Table

Szechuan Royal (4 of ?)

Szechuan Taste Restaurant West (5 of ?)

Taco Villa

WEST SIDE 86th-126th STREET

Bombay India

Dollar de Oro

Fairmont Viennese

Green Tree

Harbin Inn

Ideal

Mi Tierra

El Mundial

Szechuan (6 of ?)

Taco Villa

La Victoria China

Keep those pledges rolling in. I’ll need a bit more enthusiasm if you folks want me to keep on typing.  The Village and Chinatown are last.

[Pan]

Please continue!

The Madras Woodlands in New York (was east, IIRC) was a very pale shadow of the branch in Delhi (or, I assume, the original branch in Madras).

Harbin Inn was an old standby Cantonese that served Chop Suey and Chow Mein. A childhood girlfriend's mother took me there with some frequency. I remember it being old, somewhat dirty, and cheap.

[Wilfrid]

"Oscar's Salt of the Sea" - what a fabulous name.  Up there with Danny's Grand Sea Palace.  I didn't recognize so many of these - a lot of casualties there, I suspect.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Oscar's Salt of the Sea was one of the great restaurants in NYC. It is the type of seafood/fish place that doesn't really exist anymore. Sort of like what Legal Seafooods in Boston was in the old days. It closed before I moved into Manhattan from Queens. But we used to go there for big occassions. I think we even spent a New Years Eve or two there. Otherwise it's amazing how few places have lasted.

[Wilfrid]

I have read about Legal Seafoods.  In a nutshell, I have noticed good seafood restaurants in New York where the fish is carefully worked into elaborate and sophisticated dishes - Cello, Le B. - and restaurants where simpler preparations of a wide variety of fresh fish and seafood are offered.  I have had a lot of disappointments with the restaurants that fall into the latter category.  Would I be right in guessing that Oscar's was a good example of the latter kind of restaurant?

[Steve Plotnicki]

Correct. Oscar's was the best of the latter. In fact it probably was the last of the latter that was any good. Somewhere in the late 70's, fresh fish went out of style in this town. I think it had to do with organized crime controlling the fish market. The only fish available was under their control, and fresh fish wasn't exactly on their agenda. Other things have suffered in the same way over the years. This town used to have multiple places which made good pizza, then all of a sudden everybody was getting the same crappy sauce and cheese. Le Bernadin actually started to reverse the trend. I don't exactly have my dates straight but, I think a little research would find that the Feds cracking the organzied crime ring at the fish market and the emergence of Le B happened around the same time.