UWS CHEAP EATS: FINE & SCHAPIRO

By Kara Rota

One could argue that Fine & Schapiro Kosher Restaurant & Delicatessen on West 72^nd Street doesn’t fit neatly into the “Cheap Eats” category. One of the double-decker King Size Combination sandwiches will put you out between $15 to $20. But that wouldn’t be taking into account that one of those sandwiches, supplemented with pickles, fries, onion rings, and/or kasha varnishkes, makes a very hearty lunch for two.

Fine & Schapiro became one of our favorites quickly after moving to the UWS (in part because my boyfriend inexplicably enjoys Cel-Ray soda) and we’ve exhausted a good selection of the menu. Despite experimenting with other sandwiches (#9, the brisket and fried onions on club bread, is probably the best hangover cure this side of Big Nick’s) I always come back to #6: pastrami, brisket and red pepper on soft rye, with the magical mustard that comes in a plastic cup alongside Russian dressing, which I ignore. The rye isn’t as good as Zabar’s, but the pastrami is spot-hitting every single time.

One of the higher-priced sandwiches is the Hot Open Romanian Tenderloin Sandwich, which is well worth the investment for excellent steak – and be sure to fork over the extra dough to have it served on garlic bread. The fries that come with it are standard deli fare, but the onion rings come in a tangled mass of crispy-fried goodness, almost like a collapsed version of the Dallas BBQ’s onion loaf.

The pickles are the best I’ve found in the neighborhood. And, pro tip – if you ask nicely, they’ll always throw in extras for free.

Fine & Schapiro Kosher Restaurant & Delicatessen
138 West 72nd Street
(212) 877-2874

Photos by Kara Rota.

Kara is a professional food enthusiast at Cookstr, a freelance food writer (about.me/kararota), and a sporadic livetweeter @karalearota. She lives across the street from the AMNH with her boyfriend and their cat, Mel.