Disappearing Manganaro Grosseria

Anthony Bourdain's Disappearing Manhattan was one of our favorite episodes of No Reservations, not only because he took us around one of our favorite cities, but because we are supporters of restaurants that might look a little rough around the edges but come with history and compelling stories, that are family owned and operated, that have charm and character and grit, that are trying to hold on to their place in the middle of an absurdly increasing, bullying New York real estate market.

We're sad to report on this windy Monday that one of the restuarants on that list will be disappearing: Manganaro's. When Bourdain filmed the Disappearing episode, he wrote "Manganaro's is a bit of vintage Italian-America that people raised on a more al dente, post-Batali, Northern-inflected, lightly sauced, meatball-free, Italian might not appreciate. But it's a vital step back in time, another world, and an essential one to remember and cherish." We couldn't agree more. Mangaro's is an iconic New York dining spot that helped pioneer the hero sandwich, with roots going back to the 1890s, and its mere presence in a city of expensive businesses that keep coming and going without making much of a mark is irreplaceable. We just wish the brothers, whose feud is the stuff of legend and who haven't spoken in 30-something years, could have put their differences aside. That, and maybe they could have treated their customers nicer - as we found out first hand, not everyone gets the Bourdain red carpet treatment.

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