East Village's oldest luncheonette scores high!

Subject: Heavenly tastings among NYC's melting pot

Restaurant Critique

B&H Dairy

127 2nd Avenue New York, NY

Pamela Goldman

Photos: Gerald Feldman

Patch.com

Having the experience of writing many reviews, tasting all sorts of
cuisines, internally I am always on a quest. This quest, when I am
lucky, leads me to find that one bite of food which lifts my soul and
life experiences to a whole new realm. Some would say the state is
nirvana, others would say this is an example of a divine or heavenly
happening. Whatever the phrasing, some of you may know what I’m
talking about.

Whether eating the perfect grilled cheese sandwich on a cold, winter
afternoon or having your mother’s delicious brisket, a recipe
handed down through the generations, it’s an experience of sheer
joy. Also hard to put into words, and probably why we have the sense
of taste as a means to explore that which can be a truly other
worldly, taste can connect us to a way in which we can come closer to
the presence of the divine within ourselves.

Last week, my partner and I visited a luncheonette that dates back to
1938. B&H Dairy is one of the oldest kosher dairy lunch counters
in Manhattan. Opened by Abie Bergson and Jack Heller, the interior
and exterior have remained the same through the years. In 2017, the
restaurant was designated a landmark by the Greenwich Village Society
for Historic Preservation, as such it is protected by the laws of
NYC.

Some patrons refer to this tiny place as “a secret factory of
happiness.” Purchased by Fawzy Abdelwahid with his wife, Ola in
2003, the restaurant is still run as it was intended, as a kosher,
dairy restaurant despite its owners being Egyptian (Fawzy)and Polish
(Ola). They keep the guidance and rabbinical blessings of the food
and adhere to the laws of kashrut. New York City is certainly a
melting pot and surely a wondrous one.

Returning to my quest for the perfect taste of heaven, I surely experienced it
here. My partner and I ordered cheese blintzes, potato pancakes,
borscht and vegetarian matzoh ball soup. With the first item, the
cheese blintzes, we were unknowingly about to enter culinary heaven but

first a little background information.

Traditionally, cheese blintzes are simply crepes folded into pockets filled with
farmer’s cheese. They are an eastern European traditional food. At
B&H Dairy, my description can barely touch upon the joy we
experienced eating their version of it. The farmers cheese filling
was sweeter than most as well as whipped to a light and airy
consistency. The crepe was crisp and extra thin which it could be, because the filling

was so light. Some would interpret the experience of eating these as
“orgasmic,” others possibly “a taste of Paris,” I think I call it perfection.

Tasting it, you were transported to a place of dreams. I feel so fortunate

that I can recognize a masterpiece when I taste it.

Having had the ability to find this humble abode, and to experience a taste
of heaven from their kitchen was pure luck. In this little corner of
the world, there is a transcendence of race, religion and status.
It’s a luncheonette going full speed into the future with its eye
in the rear view mirror, never forgetting its roots. It appeals to
all ages and has become a hot spot for the Millenials.

Notable people found eating here through the years are actors: Shelley
Winters, Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Jack Klugman and more recently,
Nicole Kidman and Helen Mirren. Many NYU students following in the
footsteps of generations of hippies, bohemians, artists and musicians
keeping this place alive and well. If you visit, don’t forget to
bring cash.(no credit cards accepted.) B&H is open Sunday – Thursday from 7AM to 11PM and from 7AM to 12AM on Friday and Saturday. The entire restaurant can be reserved for private evening parties–magical soirees that are held there at night in a chic and understated way. The rest of the food we ordered was great but definitely go for the blintzes. They are the best of the best!