Uncut Gems

Change is bad

One of my first jobs in New York City was on 6th Avenue and 16th Street in Chelsea. On normal days I would get breakfast at one of the two bodegas on the block. If I was particularly hungover I would order from Eisenberg’s. On the surface it was not particularly quaint or special restaurant. The room was old and interesting, if not a little dilapidated. Sitting anywhere other than the counter seemed like a bit of a downgrade. Lunch was often a BLT and a Lime Rickey. Or if I was willing to suffer indigestion I would order a rueben. I would say the food was just ok. What made the place interesting was the fact that it was really old and also stuck in time. (You don’t see Egg Creams and Lime Rickeys much.) It was just one of those places that made you appreciate living in New York. Thank God no one was trying to make it cool.