Thursday 1 November 2012

Manganaro Kitchen Inspiration

We went to NYC four years ago.
I remember because T kept UK time all week and then got sick, finally I got some sleep but slept through Barack Obama wining the Presidential Election.
Earlier in the same week I made my way to New Jersey to see a good friend who has married an American and settled very happily and is making herself a family.

I love New Jersey and want to go back there more than anywhere on the planet actually.

I walked down 9th Avenue to Penn Station to get the train out, on the way I found a gem called Manganaro Grosseria Italiano.
Worried that I might miss my train I only stayed long enough to scan the place but ended up going back in on the Sunday with a hungry NJ in tow to get her a sandwich.
The reception was frosty, tomato and mozzarella was going to be difficult because the proprietor had only just switched the grill on.

You apparently can't get everything you want in NYC neither can you park except in the
Croatian Church car park in Hells Kitchen although you might have to wait for the congregation to go home for your space to become unblocked.

Whilst looking for kitchen inspiration I searched Manganaro's, over the years better photos have appeared on line, for a long time there was nothing.





http://greenwichvillagenydailyphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2008/08/manganaros-old-world-italian.html

(Ken Mac - apologies I can't make contact for permission so I am just going to jump in)

This is the front of the store and then at the back you can eat.



http://realnooyawkaseat.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/armoire-for-sale-at-manganaros.html


Can you see on the back wall there are white tiles with black tile shapes. do they say FISH, no? you can see more if you go to a You Tube interview, and I watched both English and Italian which wasn't necessary.

G is so not going to go for that look at all.


Jeremiah Moss knows what is really going on with the traders of old New York and I gasped to find out that after 119 years Manganaros has served it's last pate of spaghetti and red sauce.
Selfishly my heart skiiped when I read that what contents weren't sold were chucked out into the skip
AAAARrrrrrgggHHH!

Not the big Toledo Scales?!

http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/manganaros.html

He then goes on to talk about The Elk Hotel. Follow the link it really is a page turner.
We stayed next door to the Elk in the big bad Orion Building with its 50 floors of shiny windows and Olympic concierge service (that would be another Obama related tale).




The Elk Hotel was like something out of a movie set and any information that I might have tried to gain was cagey.
All questions now very well answered thank you very much Mr Moss.

Anyway this post was supposed to be about tiles but I think went off a bit.

I finally spoke to New Jersey today via Skype. With no power and a freezing cold burst following in behind Sandy she has gone to stay with relatives.
I knew she would be alright although she was worried about the tall trees in her garden, I suggested she put a helmet on the baby, jokingly but as the news reports went by I began to think that wasn't such a bad idea.
Maybe she could write a guest post here about all that happened?


Very tired and looking forward to the weekend
CM

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