So George Burns used to tell Jolson how great he was, mainly because he used to share his sturgeon with him. George Burns used to tell a story, how he used to be friends with Al Jolson because Al Jolson got Barney Greengrass, my grandfather, to send sturgeon to The Hillcrest Country Club down in Los Angeles. We don’t like to publicize, but the ones that have been associated with us over the years are Jerry Seinfeld, Alec Baldwin, and if you want to go back in the day, Al Jolson. It’s no secret that you’ve got some famous fans of the shop-any stories you can share? But if you want to try a different sandwich, try whitefish and Nova with vegetable cream cheese, tomato, and onion on a toasted bialy.
What’s your personal favorite thing on the menu? I worked on the weekends-one day a week or something. I worked here when I was in high school and in college. How old were you when you started working at Barney Greengrass? Gary, an opinionated man with an staunch commitment to serving the best smoked fish imaginable (we suspect he’s much like his grandfather), chatted with us about the restaurant’s famous fans, the Knicks, and why no one can recreate the magic of the place.Īs I understand it, you’re a third generation owner. We stopped by the shop recently and spoke with third-generation owner Gary Greengrass, whose grandfather opened the shop-affectionately known as “The Sturgeon King of NYC”-more than a century ago. In the face of gentrification and a changing NYC, Barney Greengrass reminds people of what this city is, in its essence. Since the Upper West Side deli and appetizing shop opened its doors in 1908, it’s become of the the city’s most cherished institutions-everything from the paper-thin slices of smoked lox to the waiters’ old-school efficiency makes this restaurant the apotheosis of the Jewish delicatessen. All photos by Liz Barclay ( Greengrass is near and dear to many New Yorkers’ hearts.
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