Comments on: In Defense of Manganaro’s Grosseria

By: Old Timers: Manganaro’s to Shutter After a Century on 9th Avenue | 5BSC.COM

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:00:17 +0000

[...] of the neighborhood) and the more recent arrivals of places like Whole Foods and Zabar’s. The notoriously surly attitude of the waitstaff may not have [...]

By: Friday NOM: Meatball Parm Sandwich, Manganaro’s Grosseria « Found Connections

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:50:53 +0000

[...] for the famous abrasiveness of the store’s proprietors, yeah, it’s there. Just grow a thicker skin and roll with [...]

By: wrayb

wrayb — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:40:32 +0000

Yesterday morning I was trying to google to see if Manganaro’s is open on Saturdays and came across this blog and the interesting comments (including the Hoboken suggestions I will keep in mind). The older lady does roar, it is like eating at your aunt’s house.

I am still a newbie, having first gone to HeroBoy, not knowing they were separate. Had nice meal at Heroboy, chicken with garlic sauteed spinach with small rigatoni and tomato sauce. I had seen the old store featured on Bourdain, my lunch companion was not enthusiastic about going into the old dingy looking place. So we chose HeroBoy, him getting prosciutto & cheese hero. We had our glasses of wine and relaxed.

Finished and dived in next door thinking that the two were connected. I looked around and was intrigued. I bought a couple of cheeses. As I was paying the elder sister my co-worker commented that they must be doing well since the tv show. She bristled, they’ve been doing well for a hundred years before the tv show. As I was handing her the money she out of the blue said something about the Mexicans and Thai are here for dollars dollars dollars. Upon returning to the office we shared our adventure with others. I was amazed to hear that the two businesses were separate. I googled enough to have some clue of the division. I decided to next try eating at the Grosseria. The younger sister served me. I got lasagna. Really really really good. A few days later I tried the lasagna at Heroboy. Bigger piece. About same price. Not near as good as at the Grosseria. If hadn’t had the Grosseria lasagna I would probably been satisfied with my “pretty good” big plate of lasagna. But since I had, when I went to Grosseria yesterday I made sure to get lasagna as well as to try something new by having a dining companion whose order of gnocchi was good too.

My advice, don’t speak of TV, speak of good food.

By: hfreeman17

hfreeman17 — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:43:01 +0000

I went there last week for the first time after having a roast beef hero from Hero Boy (also first time). I wanted to get some antipasto for my staff for a mid-afternoon meeting. I made cardinal sins by (a) asking advice on the amount I should get, especially since I reduced it from the gargantuan platter they wanted to sell me, (b) not realizing it was cash only and having to use the ATM at front after getting the requisite eye rolls, (c) telling them to have a nice afternoon. Saying “thank you” will get you only “you’re welcome,” as though they have bestowed some magical power or even everlasting life on you.

The food was good, but I was not seizing up in ecstasy.

They could pull off the attitude if there was humor, of which there was none, or if they engaged you as a human. They obviously believe they sell to lesser species.

By: growler

growler — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:13:37 +0000

God, this review is so wrong. The one time I was there, the place was filthy. One of those two carved a new asshole into a Hispanic worker for not stirring the rice enough. Then complained to her sister about some ex employee who they fired for being a smack addict. My lasagne and sauce were reheated in a microwave. They are surly, and the lasagne at Hero Boy is much better (though that place lost its charm when they remodeled, going from a cool, rundown cafeteria look to that of a suburban fast food place).

By: sandra

sandra — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:00:41 +0000

@5DollarQueen – I feel like there’s a difference between the typical “NYC service” and downright rudeness. You do find friendly service, but the majority I’d say is just indifferent. I’m OK with that though – as a native myself I expect people to not go out of their way to be friendly. But, I rarely encounter places that are outright rude and unless they have STELLAR food that overshadows it, I won’t be back.

Plus, the fact that these women complain about customers in front of other customers just turns me off. It’s a huge customer service no-no.

By: pigiron

pigiron — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:31:16 +0000

@Zach: My favorite sandwich at Hero Boy is the veal parm. Contrary to the rest of the world, it’s not pounded paper thin. The veal is prepared nearly as thick as most places serve chicken cutlets. Certainly not a typical way to serve breaded/fried veal, but I really like it.

I also think their eggplant parm is fantastic.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:15:17 +0000

Somebody’s gotta go in and get some vid to throw up on YouTube showing these ladies in action… it will probably become just has popular as bum fights and cats peeing vids.

By: Goats

Goats — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:04:01 +0000

@ nowImhunry: Fiore’s was really good for bread, but I preferred Lisa’s sandwiches.

By: stevenp

stevenp — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Reading these comments, I’m almost tempted to stop in there and start talking about how Hero Boy is so much better anyway. Just to liven things up a bit. Maybe the next time I’m hanging at Rudy’s…..

Seriously, the food doesn’t seem to be all that good to warrant the attitude they have.