By Darrell Morris, owner
Growing
up during the 60' s and 70's on the upper eastside, the feeling
of living in a neighborhood was wonderfully evident. Back then
the upper eastside was north from 59th street to 86th street and
from 5th Avenue to East End Avenue. Small Hungarian bakeries,
Italian pizzerias, teashops, cheese shops and butchers filled
the storefronts of this area -- not to mention all the locksmiths,
tailors, shoemakers, and druggists. It was a real mix of cultures
and businesses that added a sense of belonging in my life. I knew
the people in these small shops by name and they knew me.
Today the neighborhood-owned store is fading from view. Small storefronts have been absorbed by the one-stop-shop franchises. Mainstreaming has speeded things up in an already swift-paced city. I feel what we lose is greater than what we gain. Nowadays people living in the city need more of a connection with their neighborhoods. Places where people know your name and know 'just how you like it' . . . a place you could leave your keys off for someone to pick up later, or you can owe a dollar or two until tomorrow.
Beanocchio's Café is one of those neighborhood locations. Its neighbors make up the warmth and charm of the café. Beanocchio's is dedicated to creating a place where our customers can come to relax and receive a high level of service and freshly prepared foods. It's been referred to as a neighborhood 'meeting place.' What better compliment than to be a part of the lives of the people in your community. It is our hope to continue to serve and cater to our neighbors' needs for years and years to come.
At
the age of 14 my mom came to NYC and settled on the upper eastside
of Manhattan. She co-owned a restaurant with Art Heyman. A former
first draft pick for the NY Knicks on 76th Street and First Avenue
called Gobblers Knob. This is where I got my first taste of the
food business. I started out as a busboy and by the time she sold
the restaurant I was a young waiter of 18. I knew then that this
was the business I wanted to be in. I attended The University
of Houston for Restaurant Management, all the time waiting tables
to pay my way.
Later in the early 80's I found myself back on the Upper Eastside. I continued to wait tables while attending The New York Restaurant School to study the art of cooking. I also took classes at the Anna Marie Cooking School for vegetarian cooking. My goal at the time was to learn every aspect of food service. I thought to do this I would have to start in the kitchen and work my way out onto the floor. I started cooking at The Westside Tennis Club in Queens, Lincoln Center on Columbus Avenue, and small but popular Vegetarian eateries in The Village. I decided after three years of cooking it was time to try the front of the house as a manager. I started out as a steward at Rockefeller Center. At that time for The Sea grill, American Festival Café and Savories. Long- hours-with-little-money-in-return-for-an-education-in-food was my mantra. Moving more into management I worked at The Cadillac Bar, Horn and Hardart owed Dime-O-Mat and Eli's E.A.T. on Madison Avenue. It was working for Eli that tied all my past experience together. I later went on to The Vinegar Factory as general manager and continued for 13 years.
For a mentor in the food business, there is no better teacher than Eli. I learned about presentation, freshness and quality, and that changes are good' and the customer is king. Of course when we opened Beanocchio's Café in June of 2001, I took with me all the things I learned over the years in the food industry and applied them to my own style of operating a small Café. I love this business. It's challenging work and there are many adversities to overcome on a daily basis. Beanocchio’s is a people person business and gets it’s satisfaction from a day filled with new challenges. So, if you’re ever on the upper eastside, drop by and let us take you back a few years to a unique period of time. Forgotten but not lost here at Beanocchio’s Café.