Thanks to the brand spanking new (100 years in the making) Second Avenue Subway, the Upper East Side has suddenly become more accessible and (relatively) relevant. Not since Mayor de Blasio deigned to relocate from Park Slope to Gracie Mansion has the neighborhood gotten so much attention from the rest of the city. We gave Hizzoner some dining recs then and we're going to do it again, now, with a guide to eating off one of the Q train's new stops.
96TH STREET:
There are a few solid pizza options in the vicinity of the northernmost (for now) stop on the Q, starting with San Matteo, an authentic Neapolitan pizzeria and restaurant. The de Blasios heeded my earlier recommendation to check out pies like the Patate e Porcini ($16), a potato and mushroom offering, and the many others made with fresh, homemade mozzarella. Also of note: the panuozzo, yeasted dough folded over fillings like Prosciutto Cotto, Smoked Buffalo Mozzarella, Chiodini Mushrooms ($16). 1739 2nd Avenue, (212) 426-6943; sanmatteopanuozzo.com
For New York-style pizza, try Nick's Restaurant and Pizzeria for thin crust pies out of a gas-fired brick oven and Delizia 92 for one of the city's best grandma slices. Nick's is located at 1814 2nd Avenue, (212) 987-5700; nicksnyc.com // Delizia 92 is located at 1762 2nd Avenue, (212) 996-3720; delizia92.com
The area also boasts two notable South American restaurants. Libertador specializes in Argentinian fare, especially different types and cuts of meat cooked on the grill. Their peppery and herb-crusted Prime Sirloin for two ($49.95) comes with salad and crunchy Provencal-style fries. Zebu Grill, meanwhile, offers Brazilian food like Feijoada, Brazil's national dish of beef, pork and sausages in a black bean stew accompanied by rice, collard greens and a toasted cassava flour mixture called farofa. Libertador is located at 1725 2nd Avenue, (212) 348-6222; libertadornyc.com // Zebu Grill is located at 305 E 92nd Street, (212) 426-7500
As for bars, the diminutive Biddy's Pub is good craic, while The Milton's is the spot for craft cocktails and fancy bar food. Biddy's Pub is located at 301 East91st Street, (212) 534-4785; biddysnyc.com // The Milton's located at 1754 2nd Avenue, (212) 369-1900; themiltonnyc.com
86TH STREET
Poke around what's left of Germantown at a trio of dining establishments that've withstood the test of time. Heidelberg Restaurant serves gut-busting Germanic fare like pretzels, cheese spaetzle, wurst and schnitzels in a beer garden-style atmosphere straight out of Baden-Württemberg. Two storefronts away is Schaller & Weber, a butcher and charcuterie shop operating since 1937; they also recently opened a little sausage window for ready-made sandwiches. Finally, there's Glaser's Bake Shop, a family-owned bakery that's been turning out cakes, cookies and pies since 1902. Heidelberg is located at 1648 2nd Avenue, (212) 628-2332; heidelberg-nyc.com // Glaser's Bakery is located at 1670 1st Avenue, (212) 289- 2562; glasersbakershop.com
For further quality sweets, there's also Two Little Red Hens, a small bakery located between Schaller & Weber and Heidelberg's, known for their cakes. 1652 Second Avenue, (212) 452-0476; twolittleredhens.com
There are lots of quality tippling options in this part of the neighborhood, too. On the casual end, there's kitschy Ryan's Daughter, notable for its movie poster decor, bar games and free potato chips. For excellent pub grub, head to Rathbones, especially for their weekly special like 2-for-Tuesday deals and fantastic French dips. Ryan's Daughter is located at 350 East 85th Street, (212) 628-261; ryansdaughter.nyc // Rathbones is located at 1702 2nd Avenue, (212) 369-7361; rathbonesnyc.com
On the upscale end, there's Caledonia, a Scottish pub with an extensive whiskey collection, and The Penrose, a gastropub and cocktail bar. Caledonia is located at 1609 2nd Avenue, (212) 734-4300; caledoniabar.com // The Penrose is located at 1590 2nd Avenue, (212) 203-2751; penrosebar.com
72ND STREET
This section of the UES is chock full of Italian eateries—and beware that this part of the neighborhood tends to be more expensive. Per Lei's a chic spot for pan-Italian dishes like Linguine con Vongole ($19) and Veal Saltimbocca ($25), while Campagnola's doing old guard, family-style Italian at a slightly elevated price point. Petaluma's the homiest of the three, serving up dishes like Nonna's Fried Pasta ($15) with angel hair and Nonna's meatballs. Per Lei is located at 1347 2nd Avenue, (212) 439-9200; perleinyc.com // Campagnola is located at 1382 1st Avenue, (212) 861-1102; campagnola-nyc.com // Petaluma is located at 1356 1st Avenue, (212) 772-8800; petalumarestaurant.com
The Persian fare at Persepolis includes lots of succulent skewered meats, like the Soltani Lamb ($27) or Ground Chicken Kubideh ($18), both of which come with one kind of rice, including basmati rice with sour cherries or basmati rice with dill and fava beans. A La Turka, meanwhile, also serves kebabs in addition to Mediterranean fare like grilled branzino and Manti ($19), Turkish beef dumplings in a yogurt sauce. Persepolis is located at 1407 2nd Avenue, (212) 535-1100; persepolisnewyork.com // A La Turka is located at 1417 2nd Avenue, (212) 744-2424; alaturkarestaurant.com
Along with some neighborhood pubs, there are several great drinking/dining establishments close to the 72nd Street station. For an English gastropub experience, there's Jones Wood Foundry, serving classic British fare like Scotch Egg ($10), Welsh Rarebit ($9) and meat pies. Uva's a great wine bar that also serves Italian meats, cheeses and dishes, with special late night menus. And Ziggy's, a newcomer to the area, brings mezcal and Mexican seafood specialties to a former Brother Jimmy's. Jones Wood Foundry is located at 401 East 76th Street, (212) 249-2700; joneswoodfoundry.com // Uva is located at 1486 2nd Avenue, (212) 472-4552; uvanyc.com // Ziggy's is located at 1485 2nd Avenue, (646) 678-6200; eatatziggys.com
