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Dining Out
www.theconnectionsnj.com (7 82(3,(0&( ,0 %45 %46%. ,0,0* 1/( +(&- 65 63 (%.5+9 +1,&(4 )13 60&+ %0' ,00(3 ! $ ! $ " "! Hours: Monday-Saturday 11am-9pm, Sunday 12pm-7pm .. %563%. 3(4+ 0*3(',(054 Voted Semi-Finalist Best Burger Joint Burger by NJ.com 5 (5+(. 1%' #%33(0 3&+ .%:% ,0 5+( (05(3 1) !170 777 !63)0 63) 63*(3 &1/ Readers’ Pick Best Bang for the Buck 09 63&+%4( Cannot be combined with other offers. Expires 10/31/16. )1..17 64 10 ,045%*3%/ 563)0463)7%33(0 51 4(( 42(&,%.4 5%459 46**(45,104 %0' &6451/(3 &3(%5,104 The Lower East Side is Old and New By: Linda Seigelman I recently spent time on the Lower East Side (LES) and was again reminded how much I enjoy the neighborhood and all it has to offer. Once home to the city’s largest Jewish population, the LES is now a mix of boutiques, lounges, restau- rants and hotels interspersed among landmark buildings and a sadly dwindling number of mom and pop storefronts that reflect its immigrant roots. Because of this diversity, the Lower East Side is a wonderful place to explore day or night. Stretching from the Bowery to the East River and from Canal Street north to Houston, the Lower East Side can be reached in less than an hour. Orchard Street, the heart of the LES, is a shopping haven with small stores offering every- thing from clothing, furs, leather goods and shoes to fabrics, trim and cigars. On Sundays, Orchard becomes a pedestrian mall where local merchants set up tables and rolling racks on the sidewalks creating a festive shopping atmos- phere for bargain-hunters of all types. Recalling the area’s heritage and providing interesting historical context is the Eldridge Street Synagogue, which was originally built in 1887. Now lovingly restored and a National Historic Landmark, the Synagogue is a wonderful museum offering tours, exhibits and educational programs that highlight the history and culture of the Jewish experience and the immigrant pop- ulation in general (se e www.eldridgestreet.org for details). A short walk away is The Lower East Side Tenement Museum where you can tour typ- ical turn of the century apartments and view life as it was lived over 100 years ago. Discount tick- ets for entrance to both museums are available. It is easy to eat your way through the neigh- borhood. A stop at one or more of the famous LES food spots is a must: sample a corned beef or pastrami sandwich at Katz’s deli, a knish at Yonah Schimmels or a bagel and lox from Russ & Daughters. Economy Candy will put a smile on the face of kids of all ages. Visit the Essex Street Market to take home some delicious cheeses and other provisions. Around the corner is the Donut Plant. Don’t pass by without getting on line; the donuts are worth the wait. In the evening, the Lower East Side offers some of the best of New York City nightlife. The streets fill with locals and tourists heading out for drinks, dinner, music or a movie. Whether you want to listen to music at an intimate club like the Rockwood, enjoy the scene at a boutique hotel like the Ludlow, or find a dinner spot to meet a group of friends, the Lower East Side is a wonderful choice. SOME FAVORITE SPOTS Clinton Street Baking Company, 4 Clinton Street (bet/ Stanton & Houston) – great spot for brunch, breakfast served all day, many come for the pancakes Donut Plant, 379 Grand Street (bet/ Essex and Norfolk) – worth the trip for the donuts alone, try the square-shaped jelly, the blackout cake, the seasonal specials, a personal favorite Economy Candy, 108 Rivington Street (bet/ Ludlow & Essex) – a LES treasure, every childhood candy and then some: Bonomo Turkish Taffy, Chuckles, Candy Dots, Pez dispensers, etc., you name it they have it, bulk candy for parties and events too Katz’s Delicatessen, 205 East Houston Street (at Ludlow) – NYC’s oldest deli, famous for top notch pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, crisp hot dogs, and that scene from “When Harry Met Sally” Il Laboratorio del Gelato, 188 Ludlow Street (at Houston) – excellent gelato and sorbet, classics and seasonal flavors, a refreshing stop The Meatball Shop, 84 Stanton Street (bet/ Allen and Orchard) – pork, beef, chicken or veg- etarian meatballs, in sliders or heroes, with pasta or vegetables, good food and prices Russ & Daughters, 179 East Houston (bet/ Allen and Orchard) – for over 100 years, the best of NY appetizing and more: lox, white fish, sable, herring, babkas, take a number, take some home Russ & Daughters Café, 127 Orchard Street (bet/ Rivington & Delancey) – finally a sit-down restaurant serving the classics: salmon, herring sable, sturgeon, caviar and blinis, eggs all day (yes they make a LEO – lox, eggs and onions), potato latkes and knishes, blintzes, excellent soups and borscht, try the chocolate babka ice cream sandwich for dessert, egg creams and a full bar Saxelby Cheesemongers, 120 Essex Street (Essex Street Market) – purveyors of high quality American cheeses from small local farmers, a real treat to bring home Shopsins, 120 Essex Street (Essex Street Market) – famed for ornery owner Kenny Shopsin, eclectic breakfast/lunch menu with over 900 items, a few tables and a counter The Stanton Social, 99 Stanton Street (bet/ Orchard & Ludlow) – great selection of interna- tional small plates for brunch or dinner, fun drinks, still very popular Sweet Chick, 178 Ludlow Street (bet/ East Houston & Stanton) – excellent fried chicken and waffles, BBQ pork and duck sliders too, casual, fun, reasonably priced Yona Schimmel Knish Bakery, 137 East Houston (bet/ 1st & 2nd) – original home of the potato knish, now many other fillings as well, the perfect street foodPAGE 46
