NY Miscellany: Kalustyan's, Nathan's, Grand Central Oyster

These New York institutions have little in common other than they've all been around a long time and none has received more than a brief mention here.

Kalustyan's, in business since 1944, is the baby of the bunch. Anyone who has looked at Saveur's The Pantry: A Guide to Resources section is probably familiar with Kalustyan's, Manhattan's great spice shop. It's their go-to source for seasonings, especially form the Middle East. I would count it as one of New York's essential culinary destinations, good for several hours of exploration. From preserved lemons made in house to harissa in a tube, from Fee Brothers rhubarb bitters to naga jolokia (world's hottest chile), it's all crammed into those aisles.

I didn't realize Kalustyan's has a small deli upstairs. We stopped for a basturma and labneh sandwich and a vegetarian plate.





Pretty good food but I don't know if I'd consider it destination dining. I loved their hot sauce, a smooth brick-colored liquid with an incredibly complex background of spices.

Somehow, in all my visits to New York, I never managed to visit Nathan's, at Coney Island since 1916.







Nicely griddled snappy frank, good tomatoey stewed onions, tasty brown mustard (but they won't put it on for you; you have to add it yourself from an inconvenient mustard faucet). I would have preferred the sauerkraut to be more cooked and less crunchy but it still was a nice accompaniment. And, hey, only 297 calories!

There's a real oddity on Nathan's menu: a chow mein sandwich. I can't believe I didn't notice it while I was there. Maybe I should be thankful; it's almost guaranteed to be repulsive. But it's cool they keep this relic of an earlier era on the menu. I can't imagine it's much of a moneymaker.

Grand Central Oyster Bar is another oldtimer (1913) that I never visited. On my way to or from the trains I often looked longingly at the cavernous dining rooms, one of the most striking dining spaces anywhere.







We got seats at the bar, right by the steam kettles they make the oyster stew in. I had a plane to catch so needed to keep it simple. As much as I wanted to start with a platter of oysters, I wasn't sure I could risk it. So I settled for an oyster pan roast (oyster stew with tomato). That's a bowl of scallop stew at the left. Both were simple and good. Only when I was finishing my stew did I notice something on the raw bar list I would have risked missing my plane for: fresh Maine sea urchins (only $2.25 each). These were served simply, top cut off, with lemon. I don't think they are currently on the menu.

To round out my tour of Olde Newe Yorke I stopped at Katz's Deli (1888) for corned beef and chopped liver. Sandwich was good, not spectacular but the atmosphere can't be beat.



Then over to McSorley's Ale House (1854) to hoist a few pairs. I always feel privileged to stand under those dusty wishbones, drinking in the history.

Kalustyan's
123 Lexington Av
New York NY
800-352-3451

Nathan's Famous
1310 Surf Av
Brooklyn NY
718-946-2705

Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Station, Lower Level
New York NY
212-490-6650

Katz's Delicatessen
205 E Houston St
New York NY
212-254-2246

McSorley's Old Ale House
15 E 7th St
New York NY
212-474-9148

Rene G wrote:To round out my tour of Olde Newe Yorke I stopped at Katz's Deli (1888) for corned beef and chopped liver. Sandwich was good, not spectacular but the atmosphere can't be beat.

Did you hit Russ and Daughters while you were on that block? Absolutely the best fish anywhere. I prefer there sturgeon to Barney Greengrass but it is a close call. If you missed it put it on your list, est. 1914.

Russ & Daughters
179 East Houston Street
New York, NY 10002
Tel 212.475.4880
www.russanddaughters.com

Rene,

The Oyster Bar is probably the place I visit most in Midtown; it checks a lot of boxes - nice enough for business, good beer selection, central location. It's as good as you'd hope. I like the cavernous, sterile main rooms (if there were ever a dining establishment that benefits from the look of a Victorian surgical theater, it's a shellfish joint), however I much prefer the clubby, New England themed back tavern. Same giant menu.

About those live urchins: I'm a huge sea urchin fan, but I've been somewhat disappointed with the OB shuckers' hand with the critters. Twice I've ordered them, and twice the delicate, expensive roe has been fairly mangled and marred with bits of spikes.

I just read the piece on Grand Central Oyster bar in Mark Kurlansky's excellent new anthology of writings from the WPA's never-completed America Eats project (it was set to go to press right when Pearl Harbor happened and the Federal Writers Project was terminated in favor of more pressing needs), The Food of a Younger Land. As Kurlansky notes, it's practically the only establishment or tradition captured for the book which is still around. I think it was probably the first meal I ever had in New York and there's really no place like it-- so evocative of the oyster culture of the 19th century and the railroad culture of the early 20th, yet absolutely a going concern in 2009. (Or whenever the last time I went was.)

Anyway, as one of the six people for whom such a book was written, I recommend it to Rene G, one of the other six...

I love Kalustyan's and also always wish it was a closely-guarded secret; something to come home to, the plethora of lustrous beans, the aisle of paprikas. I had no idea there's a deli upstairs! Kalustyan's is a part of a typische visit to Midtown; ...see a friend at the lab, pints at Desmond's Tavern, pop in to get my favorite smoked paprika at Kalustyan's(which I am so fond of that a dear friend supplements my addiction by picking me up several grams every time she's in the city), and, then a drink at that basement bar that which no longer is...used to be a couple stores up(down) from Kalustyan's...until they moved to Red Hook.

Kalustyan's is in my blood.

The Oyster Bar at Grand Central was where I first ate oysters. As a young pup from the midwest I was taken under the wing of a fellow college student who was a Manhattan native, who showed me how to eat a pastrami sandwich, what an egg cream was, how to catch a cab, dim sum at Hong Fat's and not the least oysters in Grand Central, often the last stop before catching the train back to Poughkeepsie. Good times.

iblock9 wrote:Did you hit Russ and Daughters while you were on that block? Absolutely the best fish anywhere. I prefer there sturgeon to Barney Greengrass but it is a close call. If you missed it put it on your list, est. 1914.

Russ & Daughters is one of my favorite shops in NY but I didn't visit last trip. I wasn't heading straight home and didn't feel like carrying a bag of smoked fish around all night. I miss Ben's Cheese Shop next door.

JeffB wrote:About those live urchins: I'm a huge sea urchin fan, but I've been somewhat disappointed with the OB shuckers' hand with the critters. Twice I've ordered them, and twice the delicate, expensive roe has been fairly mangled and marred with bits of spikes.

That's too bad about the urchins. Even knowing that, I would have taken a chance on a couple at $2.25 apiece. I don't know the going rate for sea urchins but that struck me as a very fair price.

Mike G wrote:I just read the piece on Grand Central Oyster bar in Mark Kurlansky's excellent new anthology of writings from the WPA's never-completed America Eats project (it was set to go to press right when Pearl Harbor happened and the Federal Writers Project was terminated in favor of more pressing needs), The Food of a Younger Land. As Kurlansky notes, it's practically the only establishment or tradition captured for the book which is still around. I think it was probably the first meal I ever had in New York and there's really no place like it-- so evocative of the oyster culture of the 19th century and the railroad culture of the early 20th, yet absolutely a going concern in 2009. (Or whenever the last time I went was.)

Anyway, as one of the six people for whom such a book was written, I recommend it to Rene G, one of the other six...

Thanks for the reminder. I heard something about it on the radio recently and meant to look for the book but forgot. It sounds very interesting.

Some years ago I bought a copy of Nelson Algren's contribution to America Eats. I remember wondering what became of all the other contributions. It's nice to find out they weren't lost forever.

Christopher Gordon wrote:I love Kalustyan's and also always wish it was a closely-guarded secret; something to come home to, the plethora of lustrous beans, the aisle of paprikas. I had no idea there's a deli upstairs! Kalustyan's is a part of a typische visit to Midtown; ...see a friend at the lab, pints at Desmond's Tavern, pop in to get my favorite smoked paprika at Kalustyan's(which I am so fond of that a dear friend supplements my addiction by picking me up several grams every time she's in the city) . . .

I think the deli is fairly new but I'm not sure when it opened. You should definitely check it out on your next visit.

I was a huge fan of smoked paprika (usually from The Spice House) but I overused the spice and finally tired of it. I'm ready for more and this time vow to use it more responsibly. I notice Kalustyan's has several varieties. Is there one in particular you recommend? I'll probably be going back later this summer.

Rene G wrote: I would have taken a chance on a couple at $2.25 apiece. I don't know the going rate for sea urchins but that struck me as a very fair price.

Must be sea urchin season. At that price, I would have ordered a bunch and hoped for the best too.

Rene G:

as for types...it's the plebian MOR smoked paprika...no half sharp, etc. I also am enamored of The Spice House product and, as well, overused it...there's something about Kalustyan's(the color, the soft scent) that is more passport than product...so maybe I evangelize a tad...

for me; The Spice House wins hands down, not only because I used to live just a few blocks away and would walk over when my oz. cache drizzled out(or I had to get a haircut at the barbershop a few doors up)...The Spice House is Chicago to me and it's closer in land miles and spirit than Kalustyan's which offers it's own immense, florid sense memories.