Shopsin’s General Store

I turned up at Shopsin’s for breakfast at opening time. Hidden in one corner of the almost 70 year old Essex Street Market of the Lower East Side, the diner is decked out in the style of an old time general grocery store. The Chef-Owner Kenny Shopsin perched himself with his paper on the a chair by the entrance which to the unit which, with two “booths” and a 2 person bar could sit no more than 10 people itself. Table and chairs spill out into the indoor market area but there can’t be space for more than 10 more people. I perched myself at the bar which looked onto a kitchen no larger than a thimble. Especially for an establishment that has a menu at reads like Gordon Ramsay’s worst kitchen nightmare menu, with 200 to 300 items on offer. Sandwiches include the “jewboy” – bbq pulled beef, brisket, grilled onions and swiss and “jihadboy” – beef, pomegranate, olive, sheep feta, pistachio, tahini, making just two of the 25 “name plate sandwiches”. Breakfast could be the QT, one of 40+ completely unique “breakfast name plates.” It is a shrimp guacamole, chili/egg quesadilla, caramel roll-up. The menu is as mad as it is brilliant. My choice of the “Slutty Pancakes” was loaded with enough sugary goodness to send a 9 year old loopy for 24 hours. Thick pancakes with glazed pumpkin, dollops of peanut butter and dotted with whole pistachios. That’s not to say that everything on Kenny’s menu is a hit but that’s not the reason for going here. Listening to the grumpy early morning banter between Kenny and his staff, I feel like this is New York. In fact, I had arrived 10 minutes early and they basically told me to go away, I feel like I am part of New York.

Shopsin’s is cash only. I spent about 20 dollars. No photos of food I’m afraid, I was also told not to take photos… If you want to see an incredibly bad photo of the pancake taken with my blackberry…

Shopsin’s General Store
Stall 16 in the Essex Street Market
120 Essex Street (Delancey Street)
Lower East Side
New York

http://www.shopsins.com/

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Technorati Tags: pancakes, new york, eating, lower east side

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