Mercato Trattoria

Once upon a time, this building was a decrepit old church populated by prostitutes and addicts. It took a woman with a vision to recognize that she could make No. 260 into something spectacular. When Madeline Castelloti visited this location in the 1990s, she knew immediately that she had stumbled upon the perfect home for her dream pizzeria. After two years of demolition and construction, while still preserving some of the charm of the church, John's Pizzeria was opened. In 1997, John's was the self-proclaimed largest pizzeria in the United States. Each pizza is made to order in coal-fired brick ovens that retain residual matter like cast-iron pots and pans - meaning that the weight of history flavors each pizza now made. The Manhattan Sideways team can attest to the fact that the results are superb having sampled several of them. Madeline passed away in 2004, however, her daughter, Lisa, has kept her dream alive and extended it to Jersey City and the Bronx. It is rare, today, that at almost any hour there isn't a line extended to the door, but the wait is always worth it.

I have had two exceptional experiences at Etcetera Etcetera both within a few weeks of one another. The first was when a group of family and friends dined here on a Saturday evening. The wait staff entertained and enticed us as they guided us through each of our stupendous courses. The second time I visited, I was with Esteban, the photographer, and we had the pleasure of meeting Daniele Kucera, the charismatic owner. As he explained his philosophy behind creating Etcetera, he also took us into the immaculate kitchen where we observed Chef Marco Hernandez constructing numerous complicated dishes with great precision, artistry and confidence. Behind every terrific chef there must be a well-orchestrated team... and it appeared to us that at each station, people were performing their magic in perfect harmony. There were beautiful salads being put together... Portuguese octopus had been slowly simmering making it tender before it was then plated with red peppers, fingerling potatoes and topped with a saffron mayo... The sea bass was served in a tomato broth with chipotle onions, zucchini, olives and cherry tomatoes surrounding it... Beef tenderloin was sitting atop "pepperonate, " a mixture of peppers, olives, onions and served with polenta croutons. The splendid pastas and focaccia are made on a daily basis as are the decadent desserts including "grandma's chocolate pudding. " Daniele remembers his grandmother making this on a wood stove in Italy as he stood by her side beginning at age five. Having worked in the food industry for many years after his arrival in the States in 1992, Daniele with two other partners opened Vice Versa in 1999. In 2005, he decided to go it alone and launched Etcetera Etcetera. He explained to me that for the first five years, no one came. "I wasn't on the heavily populated avenues and this part of 44th did not attract the crowds. " But Daniele continued to cook impeccable food and eventually the word spread. As his reputation grew, people were also beginning to venture farther west. Today, the restaurant is filled with dining enthusiasts, many who are visiting the city and come based on a hotel concierge's recommendation. There are plenty of regulars, too, who initially came after reading the rave reviews but now continue to come back time and time again. Daniele's approach to his dining room is to make it feel like a home. He has created a warm ambiance with reds and grays, and almost ten years later, he continues to strive to make it the best it can possibly be every day.

Jonathan Boyarsky, fourth generation owner, has found himself a terrific niche on 39th by being one of the only menswear shops to remain on the ground floor. Over the years, he watched as companies moved upstairs into offices in the garment district, or even overseas, but he chose to remain where people could easily spot him. Although he feels that he has remained "under the radar, " at times, when people come in they are "ecstatic" with what he has to offer. His family began their men's clothing business on the Lower East side back in 1919. Over the years, members of the family spread out and opened related businesses offering either custom made shirts, suits or fabrics. At No. 257, Jonathan has combined it all. He describes it as "double dipping. " They used to sell only the fabric and then send people elsewhere to have their clothing made. Today, within the three floors of space at Fabric Czar, customers can select from some of the finest cloths, and then meet first class tailor, Steven Tabak, of Beckenstein Bespoke, where their clothing is designed... and, everything is constructed on the premises. "We are one stop shopping, whatever a customer needs, we can make it for them. " And for Jonathan, it is only about quality craftsmanship.

There are intriguing spaces sprinkled throughout the city that invite corporations to utilize their facilities, but stepping inside Offsite is a unique experience designed specifically for the business meeting clientele. The brainchild of Patrick Everett and Shawn Kessler, they have created a stunning turnkey facility where all day conferences can be held. Companies are invited to bring their employees together for a productive 9am-5pm meeting in the three levels of fully equipped space, which can then be flipped effortlessly into an appropriate venue for an evening event. The rooms are configured so that some forty people are able to sit around one gigantic table or be rearranged into smaller units. Attendees never have to feel confined to one space, as they can move around freely on each floor, dividing up into smaller breakout sessions, when necessary. The rooms are versatile and technology oriented, fully outfitted with AV equipment - as Patrick referred to it, "plug and play. " Endless pens and pads, drinks and snacks, including large jars of enticing candy, are provided throughout the day. The partners have paid attention to every detail, taking into consideration exactly what they believe their clients will require, including a small executive office that allows for a private phone conversation and a myriad of white walls that are actually whiteboards. Offsite works with some of the terrific catering facilities in the area to provide top lunches and dinners for groups, and everything is served on their attractive dishes. While being given a tour, Patrick told me that he had been an event planner. When he discovered that there was something important missing in the corporate world, he found his niche. As he began to imagine the possibilities, he worked diligently on his concept with Shawn. Basically all one has to do is book the space, and the rock star team at Offsite will handle the rest.