In the 1970's, restauratuer Jerome Brody took over the Grand Central Oyster Bar, which was opened with the beautiful terminal in 1913 but had fallen into disrepair and bankruptcy by the 1960's. After bringing the bar and restaurant back to its former glory (and confirming relationships with fishermen) by 2001, Brody passed away. But he left the restaurant to 14 of its employees, who still run the business today.
The What:
This palace to seafood is really a throw back to when New York Harbor used to be home to half the world's oyster population. Today's selection doesn't yet come from these waters, but fresher waters on the west coast and further out east. The space, which was designed by Raphael Gustavino, features breathtaking vaulted ceilings and Gustavino tiles throughout.
And it is a perfect and iconic place to visit when waiting for your train to head to Connecticut or upstate New York. We get to gawk at this building and talk more about the secret history of it on our Midtown Sights & Bites tour.
with spectacular Gustavino tiles and
The inventive cookie flavors rotate depending upon the day of the week and the season. Currently, for the holiday season, you can find the beautiful Dirty Peppermint (a dark chocololate cookie with peppermint cream cheese frosting) and the Egg Nog (a sugar cookie with eggnog frosting and cinnamon). Both taste like Christmas in cookie form. Santa would be very proud.
Throughout the year, you can also taste surprising cookie creations like Sweet Corn (corn flour cookie with cranberries and pecan bits) and Maple Bacon (candied bacon piece with maple syrup and toffee bits). And for the purist, the Chocolate Chip is about as classic as it gets.
The small storefront is always bustling with locals picking up some cookies or other treats (like brownies and macaroons) in the bright and cozy shop.
The Why:
It's hard to find small local businesses in this tourist-packed neighborhood of Midtown. Schmackary's is down a side street so people often miss it, but this is the kind of delicious local business we tell folks about on our Midtown Sights and Bites tour. The cookies are quite different than your usual varieties, but even more delicious. It's surprising, fun, and tasty. And knowing that this is the official cookie of Broadway (Zach's cookies have been delivered to almost every Broadway theater) makes us want to sing with glee!
The Where:
Schmackary's
362 West 45th Street,
New York, New York 10036
(646) 801-9866