Barney Greengrass—where the Sturgeon King still rules - Review - New York - The Infatuation
"Barney Greengrass was coined “The Sturgeon King” by a New York State Senator in 1938—the same year they moved to their current location on the Upper West Side. The appetizing store, which originally opened in Harlem in 1908, is nothing short of a New York institution, and their silky, fatty, smoked sturgeon deserves its royal moniker. But the fish isn’t the main highlight of a morning meal at Barney Greengrass. That would be the servers, cracking the same jokes they’ve been perfecting since the day they started here, pushing you to order latkes, and asking the entire dining room at once if anyone wants a coffee refill because it’s “too much to ask you all individually.” photo credit: Heather Willensky photo credit: Heather Willensky The fine-tuned shtick is why we love coming back to Barney Greengrass again and again. And we’re not alone. Walk up to the cash-only spot for brunch on a weekend, and there’ll be a line of eager Upper West Siders waiting to be seated by a fourth-generation Greengrass family member. The dining room is elbow-to-elbow, the tables practically on top of one another, and the deli counter and space behind it is piled high with boxes of whatever dry goods they just got in. It’s a magically chaotic place, where servers dance around each other to get platters of Jewish comfort foods to those patient, faithful customers. photo credit: Heather Willensky photo credit: Heather Willensky photo credit: Heather Willensky The menu is long, though it mostly revolves around a few core components: cured meats and fish, eggs, bread, bagels and schmear. Focus 90% of your attention on the smoked fish. Besides the famous sturgeon, we especially love the funky whitefish salad and salty nova—whether in platter form, or on a bagel with cream cheese, onions and capers. There’s a solid chance your meal might end with a server bluntly letting you know that they need your table back. Lingering doesn’t really fly at Barney Greengrass. But that’s OK, because the wait for a spot is never too long, and you can always come back, again and again, until you’re a sturgeon duke or earl yourself. But you’ll never be king—there can only be one, and that position is filled. Food Rundown photo credit: Heather Willensky Sturgeon Scrambled with Eggs and Onions Though Anthony Bourdain famously preferred his Barney Greengrass eggs scrambled with nova, we like the version with sturgeon just a smidge better. Rich, smoky, and sweet from caramelized onions, this is one of those menu items that’s so inextricably tied to the place it comes from that not ordering some version of eggs with fish would be unforgivable. We like to scoop the egg mixture onto a cream cheese-schmeared bagel, which comes with the dish. photo credit: Heather Willensky Barney's Famous Smoked Fish Platters Barney Greengrass is an appetizing store at heart. Get an appetizing platter to see what they do best. It comes with bagels, cream cheese, onion, tomato, and capers, and your fishes of choice. We go for sturgeon, Nova Scotia salmon, and whitefish. The sturgeon is flaky and fatty, the whitefish salad is extra smoky and pungent, and the nova is salty and rich. The bagels here are a bit dense, but they provide a good backbone for the fish—the main star. photo credit: Heather Willensky Hot Pastrami Sandwich Barney Greengrass is the sturgeon king, not pastrami king (or Queen). That said, if you come here frequently and are looking to switch it up, you won’t be upset with their pastrami. It’s sliced thin, peppery, and served on caraway-studded rye bread with a swipe of brown mustard. photo credit: Alex Staniloff Latkes If your waiter tells you to order latkes, you order the latkes. The off-menu ones at Barney Greengrass are excellent. The potatoes are cut into uneven sizes—some shreds, some chunks—and deep fried, leading to a fluffy interior and shell-like exterior. Alternate between apple sauce and sour cream for dips. photo credit: Heather Willensky Knish We like the latkes here better, but the knishes are a perfectly fine form of potato at Barney Greengrass. Get the spinach, for a bit of green flavor. photo credit: Heather Willensky Babka Barney Greengrass sells rugelach, halva and black and white cookies. But you should get the babka. Take Jerry Seinfeld’s advice and go with cinnamon, which puts any “lesser babka” logic to rest—though the chocolate version is no slouch either. They're both moist and sticky, and you should take one to the next housewarming party, bris, or shiva you’re invited to. Fresh Squeezed OJ Usually orange juice wouldn’t get it’s own food rundown write-up, but the big glass of OJ here is really good. Get one along with your coffee." - Will Hartman
