ACME FISH

ACME FISH

Some of my blogs and tours seem to have an emphasis on food. Why not?! In New York City with it myriad of cultures, it is only natural that foods of the many people in this City play a major part in their lives and the lives of New Yorkers. While it use to be considered exotic to eat Chinese food (It’s really American), now you can find samples of foods from nations around the world. However, there are still local old style standouts to be found that have been around seemingly forever and still excite the salivary glands of New Yorkers. One such establishment is the Acme Smoked Fish Corporation factory in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. You haven’t heard of it?!!!. Then let me tell you about it.

If you buy smoked salmon (Lox, Nova, Gravlox and others), it probably is made by Acme. It started in 1902 when Harry Brownstein went to work in the smoked fish business. Through marriage, the Caslow family joined the ranks and began a smoked fish company in Brownsville, Brooklyn. It wasn’t until 1954 that Harry Brownstein decided to open his own smoked fish plant at its present site at 26 Gem Street. The rest is “lox” history.  

Acme is a major supplier to establishments large and small such as some well known bagel stores in Manhattan and large ones like Costco. While it is mainly a wholesale establishment, you can go there on Friday mornings  and purchase either pre-wrapped or fresh cut smoked fish. For tasty smoked fish like this, it is definitely worth the trip into industrial Greenpoint.

Acme can be hard to find but a trusty guide like Ben Bagel can not only direct you to it but take you there as well.  Sign on to Ben and Marty's Bagel Tours for a tasty tour to "Gems" like Acme. And remember, everyone who goes on a tour with us starts off with a fresh hot bagel (especially when you will be going to Acme Fish for some of their incredible smoked fish!!!)

VANISHING NEW YORK

VANISHING NEW YORK

One of the many purposes of my tours is to show people how New York was and how it has evolved to what you see today. While there are many remnants of the New York that I grew up in, much of it has changed into the thriving trendy metropolis we see today. It’s the City that attracts people from far and wide to live in and visit. However, there is the other New York that existed that either has changed or has vanished from our presence and memories. Not only buildings but people, their cultures and whole industries which no longer are here to see and experience. The ones that helped build New York into a major city through grit, hard work, suffering and hope that there would be a better tomorrow. There was a better tomorrow for many but for some, it was just a way to force them to relocate because they couldn’t compete with new forces and people who gravitated to this greatest of cities.

There is a great website named “Vanishing New York” that show pictures of the sights of New York that are no longer there. The views of New York that many of us along with our parents and grand parents remember. This is one of the reasons that I started Ben and Marty’s Bagel Tours of New York. I wanted to show people neighborhoods and sights of New York as they are now but also to give them an historical perspective of what is was like. This is true for the Lower East Side that was the American cradle of civilization for many ethnic groups who arrived here (and still is). Its true for SOHO that was for many years a major industrial site for manufacturing goods and now it is now a trendy shopping area. The same goes for the High Line/Meatpacking district that is now also a very trendy area with only minor examples left of its prior industrial and food market activities. Grand Central Terminal on the other hand is an example of a major symbol of New York that saw better days but was recognized for its grandeur and historical significance to both New York and America and was rehabilitated to reflect this.

These are the areas that Ben Bagel can take you to. They show the best of New York and what they represent to the City as well as the nation. You learn about the history, culture, architecture and foods that made them well known. And, most importantly, you have fun when you explore them with Ben Bagel. If this doesn’t entice you to come along, I don’t know what will. Check out our website and sign up for a tour of New York .

Egg Rolls and Egg Creams

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EGG ROLLS AND EGG CREAMS

Chinese and Jewish Culture comes together on Eldridge Street on New York

A street fair was held today in New York to celebrate the cultures of two immigrant groups who are part of the neighborhood New Yorkers know as the Lower East Side. The fair was held on Eldridge Street where the Historic Eldridge Street Synagogue stands. It was opened in 1887 for congregants made up of Jews who immigrated from Russia and Poland for a new life in the United States. With its soaring 50-foot ceiling and exuberant Moorish-style interior, the Eldridge Street Synagogue provided an inspiring contrast to the crowded tenements, factories and shops of the Lower East Side. By the 1940’s and on, many of the Jewish immigrants and their children began to leave the Lower East Side to get away from these same slums and tenements. The synagogue managed to survive with a few worshippers but the building itself began to deteriorate. In 1997, an effort was made to raise money to restore it. The Synagogue was declared a national landmark and  by 2007, the restoration work was completed for what was to become the Eldridge Street Synagogue Museum with a still functioning Orthodox congregation. 

While this took place, the neighborhood changed. What was a predominately Jewish neighborhood became Chinese. Street signs, originally in Yiddish and Hebrew, now are Chinese. Chinese had become the lingua franca now for its inhabitants. The two cultures are side by side and to celebrate this, the Egg Rolls and Egg Cream Street Fair was held. Ben Bagel and his family included the Fair as part of their own Lower East Side Walking Tour. Members from both communities both local and from far and wide came to celebrate. Crafts such as chinese knot tying, yamakule decorating and others were on display. Most importantly, both the classic egg cream along with egg rolls were served up. Also, Chinese classical music concerts were conducted both on the street and in the Synagogue itself (if only the Rabbis and Cantors of years past could have seen and heard this!).

Everyone had a fun time. Quick quiz: What do both the egg roll and egg cream have in common? They both have no eggs in them! In fact, the Chinese refer to them as spring rolls. However, I am sure that many Jews would consider egg rolls to be true Jewish ethnic food but this is a topic for another blog.

To get to know the Lower East Side with its history, culture and food, as well as  other historic neighborhoods of New York, take a New York City walking tour with Ben and Marty’s Bagel Tours of New York conducted by none other than Ben Bagel himself.

Battle of the Bagels

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BATTLE OF THE BAGELS

The Bagel, the iconic symbol of New York has been thoroughly ensconced as the dominant morning pastry for all New Yorkers. It has outgrown its roots on the Lower East Side and has transcended religion, nationality, race and geography to be the ultimate breakfast food. But now that illustrious status is about to be challenged by a new boy on the block – the SIMIT!!!

The Simit is half bagel, half pretzel with similarities to what New Yorkers know as a Flagel. It comes from Turkey and, while new to America, is common in Turkey, other parts of Central Europe and the Middle East where it can be found in stores and on pushcarts. It is soft and chewy on the inside with a twisted crust on the outside that is covered with sesame seeds. The Simit is being introduced to America in a chain of stores opening in New York named Simit and Smith.

The Simit can be viewed as one of many cultural delights of New York (they can even be smeared with cream cheese with Lox in the middle) or can be viewed as a potential challenge to the Bagel we all know and have come to love. The competition between the two might even become a titanic battle for the hearts, minds and taste buds of New Yorkers. Perhaps this battle will be as big as Mohammed Ali versus Sonny Liston, the New York Yankees versus the Boston Red Sox, Godzilla versus King Kong (will Mortha be the bialy willing to take on the winner?) Or will the two learn to peacefully coexist?

Stay tuned you fans of Ben and Marty’s Bagel Tours of New York. The battle between the Simit and the Bagel has just begun!

Pastrami Rules the Day on the Lower East Side

Katz’s, New York’s famous delicatessen on the Lower East Side celebrated the 125^th   anniversary of its opening with a pastrami eating contest this past Sunday. What better way to highlight one of New York’s favorite food attractions for both locals and tourists. 

The founders of Katz’s probably never envisioned that it would become a favorite New York establishment, so much so that there are now lines around the corner on Ludlow Street just to get in and “smell” the action. Katz’s was opened in 1888 by the Iceland brothers on Ludlow Street. The name was changed to Katz’s when Willy Katz bought in to the establishment and the named changes to Iceland and Katz. The present name Katz’s came about in 1917 with a further change in ownership and has remained the same ever since.

Throughout its history, Katz’s has always been known for its pastrami that is consistently highly rated by its pastrami fanatics and food critics alike. It was also known for it’s slogan originated during World War II, “Send a Salami to Your Boy in the Army”. Even today, salamis have been sent to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s also known as the sight of the famous “orgasm” scene from the movie “When Harry Met Sally” filmed there in 1989.

Katz’s remains one of the now few remaining vestiges of the old Jewish Lower East Side. What better reason then to celebrate this venerated citadel of pastrami, corned beef, hot dogs and other deli treats than to have a contest for how much pastrami a person can eat in 10 MINUTES. No doubt this contest got its idea from the famous Nathan’s Coney Island Hot Dog Eating contest but hey, this is pastrami and Katz’s we are talking about.

The contest itself was held one block over on Orchard Street, once the scene of pushcarts and stores run by immigrants selling shoes, clothing, fabric and other knick knacks. Now the pushcarts and most of the original stores have been replaced by boutiques and restaurants/bars for the new hipster crowd. No matter, Katz’s still rules the neighborhood. For the contest, a big stage was built with two tables for the contestants. They were lined with mustard and ketchup dispensers along with plates of recently carved pastrami sandwiches ready to be quickly consumed. Many of the contestants were “the heavyweights” of food eating contests (hey, one guy was over 360 pounds!). 

They were from New York and all over the country. They lined up in front of the table and the master of ceremonies, wearing a summer jacket and boater hat, gave the go signal for the contestants to start eating the pastrami sandwiches (no taking off the bread allowed). There was great tension in the air and yells of support from the contestant’s supporters. In the end, the winner was Joey Chestnut, a veteran of food eating contests (he was the winner of this year’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest), who ate 25 sandwiches in the 10 minutes allotted and won a cash prize of $3750. And as they say, a good time was had by all.

Katz’s is just one of the unique places that make New York what it is and what better way to explore them than through Ben and Marty’s Bagel Tours of New York, a New York walking tour that offers Lower East Side food or “nosh” tours and other neighborhoods as well such as SOHO, the High Line, Grand Central Tours and others.

Our next blog will be about a new and serious challenge to the primacy of the bagel. Its called the Simit and it’s coming to New York. Look for Ben Bagel’s blog next week to find out about this coming war of the bagels.