Flavors of New York:
Bloomingdale Neighborhood Food Tour
If you are a Bloomingdale neighborhood resident or regular, you already know that our community is absolutely teeming with authentic, locally owned restaurants that offer a wide array of cuisines. We recently worked with Flavors of New York to highlight some of these businesses—some new to the area, others that have been a neighborhood staple for years—all serving up unique and delicious dishes that you’ll just have to taste for yourself. We certainly found some new favorites during this experience, and we hope you’ll do the same! Come along with us as we eat our way through the Columbus-Amsterdam BID and learn more about the small businesses that give our community its distinctive flavor...
The Calaveras
949 Columbus Avenue
The first stop on our tour of the district is the Calaveras, located on Columbus Avenue between 106th and 107th streets. We met with owner Victor Martinez, who served us some amazing al pastor nachos and a tasty mango martini. Victor recommends visiting on Taco Tuesday, when you can get three tacos and a margarita (he recommends the passionfruit or hibiscus) for only $20! Watch the rest of his interview to learn about the Calaveras story and the incredible food they bring to the neighborhood.
Crepes on Columbus
990 Columbus Avenue
Next up is an old favorite of the BID’s, Crepes on Columbus, which you can find on Columbus Avenue between 108th and 109th streets. We opted for one sweet and one savory crepe to try: a classic Nutella crepe with strawberries, and their mushroom, goat cheese & caramelized onion crepe. Next, we tried some Nepali momos, and as manager Puja Nanu notes, this blend of French and Nepali cuisine is something that could only happen in New York. Their unique offerings are a testament to the diversity and creativity that makes our neighborhood special.
Trudy’s
975 Columbus Avenue
After Crepes, we visited Trudy’s Ice Cream, a new addition to the area and a sister store under the same ownership as Crepes on Columbus. Trudy’s can be found on the corner of Columbus Avenue and 108th street, and it is clearly an after-school favorite for local families, offering homemade, old-fashioned ice cream as well as shakes, sundaes, splits, frozen bananas, and more. Try their pumpkin pecan flavor to get into the fall spirit—bonus points for getting it in a warm, just-made waffle cone that they prepare in-house.
Dive 106
938 Amsterdam Avenue
Dive 106 was our next stop, where we got to chat and eat with owner Howie Kaye. Located at Amsterdam Avenue and 106th street, Dive 106 is the newest in a family of four dive bars that has been a fixture of the Upper West Side for over forty years. Howie was proud to talk to us about how Dive 106 strives to set itself apart from your “average bar” with an expansive beer and whiskey menu, locally sourced ingredients, and regular events such as trivia and open mic nights. If you make your way over, you won’t want to miss their signature cocktails on tap: we recommend Smokey the Bandit, a delicious mezcal drink featuring a homemade bell pepper simple syrup.
Curry King
942 Columbus Avenue
Finally, we ended our night at Curry King, located on Columbus Avenue between 106th and 107th streets. You might already be familiar with this spot as its remarkable food and shockingly reasonable prices have made it a fan favorite among thrifty college kids and Bloomingdale locals alike. While we ate, we were able to speak to owner Abdul Choudury about the store of the restaurant as well as with several regulars who vouched for Curry King’s consistently high quality and wide selection. We were able to try their chicken biryani, tikka masala, and chicken curry alongside a tangy mango lassi—and we quickly realized exactly why so many of our neighbors have made it their go-to for delicious Indian and Pakistani food. You’ll just have to try it for yourself.
Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too
366 West 110th Street
Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too is next on the list, one of the first restaurants that appeared in the Bloomingdale area when it opened over two decades ago. Owned by caterer and former Wilhemina model Norma Darden, the story of Miss Mamie’s is steeped in hers and sister Carole’s family history, tracing many of their recipes back to their mother, Miss Mamie Jean Sampson Darden’s, Alabama kitchen. A brief look around the room tells the story of a West Harlem icon, with articles and awards adorning the walls: recognizing her for everything from her food to her influential work in the fashion world, to her status as a community leader. We tried the Miss Mamie Sampler, recommended by none other than former president Clinton during his own visit to the restaurant. We absolutely loved their award-winning fried chicken, tender short ribs, and smoky collard greens. All these recipes are replicable at home using Norma and Carole’s best-selling cookbook, Spoonbread and Strawberry Wine, but there’s something about being served home cooking in their cozy dining room that makes everything taste so much better. This is an iconic spot that you truly do not want to miss.
Our trek across the Columbus-Amsterdam BID certainly added some new favorites to our list! But as good as the food looks on camera, we simply cannot do these restaurants justice in a video. We hope that this series has shown that eating locally is not only a reward for your tastebuds, but it also helps the lovely friends featured in these videos to do what they do best. As chains and corporations continue to stifle local competition and personality, it is the mom-and-pop shops such as these that keep our neighborhood a unique and engaging place to live, work, and play in. Our only wish is that this series has demonstrated the spirit of eating local for flavors of the world. Now go chow down!
Special thanks to Jenn Trepeck and Alan Goldsher from Flavors of New York.
