Gothamist: Serving Up a Manhattan Special

rickbang

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:54:24 -0500

Okay, I did it myself. Here is an incomplete map of stores reported by Gothamist readers to sell Manhattan Special.

cucarachita

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:14:21 -0500

It's delicious, but last time I looked there was some nasty preservative in it. Maybe sodium benzoate. That's why I stopped drinking it. But very tasty.

drtmuir

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:09:42 -0500

NYCSniper, maybe I missed something. What the hell does it have to be with being cool? I thought it was about enjoying a special treat that many of us have fond memories of, are glad to be able to get again, and to be able to share it with friends who didn't grow up with it. It was a special treat for me as a little girl in Brooklyn-- it was an adult kind of thing, since it wasn't too sweet. It goes great with pizza. I didn't see it for about thirty years. Now I can pick it up at the Foodtown on McDonald Avenue.

rickbang

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:36:07 -0500

Gothamist should work these responses into a map; I fruitlessly looked for Manhattan Special in 20 places last time I was in NYC.

rickbang

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:32:36 -0500

Bleecker St. Deli on Bleecker right off of 6th Ave.

Snoopy

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:19:11 -0500

Time out here people. The beverage is made in Brooklyn and they call it Manhattan? HUH?

snessnyc

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:54:11 -0500

last summer, when I saw that my supermarket (the Associated on 14th betw 1st & A) had it and that Trader Joe's had their own brand of coffee soda, I did my own side-by-side taste test (I love coffee soda, obviously). NO contest - Manhattan Special is far, far better. I think that it's probably the cane sugar - TJ's uses that crappy high fructose corn syrup. Search this out -it's really good.

selmerboy

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:32:46 -0500

It's definitely an acquired taste, but great in the summer when you don't want a hot coffee. In Jackson Heights at the Italian food store on 80th St. and 37th Ave. Also in Astoria at the Italian place up on 30th Ave. near 44th? 45th?

funkforfree

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:36:59 -0500

i used to live right across from the factory on manhattan ave in williamsburg. For a manhattan special and the best slice in town, hit up Carmines on Graham Ave b/t metropolitan and conselyea.

Linus

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:32:13 -0500

The Key Food at Atlantic Avenue and Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights has it. Sounds to me like someone hired a publicist and distributor and is making a push.

JacqueMehoff

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:32:07 -0500

decades ago the grocery stores in chinatown had them. it was pricey then as I'm sure it is now. it's not for kiddies, its very very sweet and not very carbonated. I see they changed their label.

Snoopy

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:27:47 -0500

"Mingna" sorry for the mispelling.

amuccigr

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:00:14 -0500

Bagel Boy - 80th and 3rd in Bay Ridge.

Snoopy

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:59:49 -0500

Mingia they still keep Focacceria's open after the Spitzer thing?

twakum

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:55:20 -0500

The gas station on 4th ave and Douglas in Brooklyn, plus the Pizza joint with the good slices right by the r train at Union and 4th. The deli that has the corner entrance at John st downtown also has it. I keeps my eyes open to spies it, ya see...

mzito

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:47:41 -0500

D&F Deli in Astoria on Broadway between 35th adn 36th street. Also makes amazing sandwiches.

PBRK

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:00:40 -0500

If I wasn't making an effort to avoid eating crap I would still be drinking this. Unfortunately it is little better than sugar-water.

jink

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:58:40 -0500

sal's pizza on lorimer street. why not get a nice slice too, while you're there?

AvenueHebrew

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:53:49 -0500

I think they occasionally have these at Lee's Deli outside the Q train Avenue H station.

sidenote

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:51:28 -0500

Eli's Manhattan & the Vinegar Factory carries it as well, if you happen to be on the UES.

1987porsche944

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:51:11 -0500

Strangely enough, it exists at Giovanni's Italian Deli in Little Silver, NJ...for anyone else who's stuck working out here and needs the boost... My parents used to buy this stuff for me as a kid. What were they thinking?

NYCSniper

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:50:11 -0500

Greatest NY soda. But please, this story is SO ten years ago... back when drinking Manhattan Special really was cool. AND WHAT'S WITH THE NEW PACKAGING? BLECCHH!

Sommelier

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:49:47 -0500

Fernando's Focacceria in Carrol Gardens has it... ON DRAFT!!!!! If that's not a good enough reason for living in Brooklyn, fuggedaboudit!

camera_club

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:27:44 -0500

tastes like coffee flavored soda

dagblad

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:23:45 -0500

Does it taste good?

joelz

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:20:47 -0500

Key Foods (at Prospect Ave and 11th in Windsor Terrace/Park Slope/Brooklyn) has got it as well.

jackdonaghy

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:06:33 -0500

Pane Peppe, a terrific Italian sandwich shop downtown on Greenwich and Chambers Street also has the Manhattan Special.

AnnaZed

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:04:40 -0500

"....is appearing in more stores, it's not so easy to find..." Er, um, OK!

amsci

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:03:55 -0500

Pat's Salumeria on Liberty Ave and 112th St. (So. Ozone Park). When I saw the bottles there as a kid, I was really baffled by it. I figured it was fancy stuff though because of the swanky grownups on the bottle. ;)

BQE

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:02:21 -0500

It's made on Manhattan Ave. (hence the name) in the Italian section of Williamsburg.

ides_of_march

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:01:54 -0500

Better go buy one before Nanny Bloomberg bans it.

camera_club

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:56:58 -0500

It must be made in the area, becasue all around Graham Ave in Williamsburg you can find it. every pizza shop and deli

sangyulbae

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:55:19 -0500

You can pick one up at Parisi Bakery on 198 Mott (btw Spring & Kenmare).