By Carol Tannenhauser
When the Pier 72 diner closed on the southeast corner of West 72nd Street and West End Avenue in November 2020, the neighborhood viewed it as the loss of another institution. Loyal customers were so bereft they launched a petition and fundraiser to save it. Who could ever replace Jimmy and Georgia, who had run the place together, like family, for 42 years?
Well, hold onto your hats, because another institution, known throughout the city and country, is coming to that spot: Kossar’s Bagels & Bialys.
WSR heard the news from Harriet Flehinger, who sent the above photograph and wrote, “My husband is very excited. He will finally be able to get his ‘bialy of blessed memory’ from childhood.” We immediately called the manager of the original, 86-year-old, Lower East Side store about the new Upper West Side outpost. Sharon said she was too busy to talk, but promised to send details as soon as possible. What she did say was, “Kossar’s is at the stage where we’re opening locations throughout Manhattan, and we had to be represented on the Upper West Side.”
While we wait for her email, savor the downtown menu here.
We’ll update soon!
Kossar’s is probably about the best replacement that could have happened.
But I still hope it takes decades for the landlord to breakeven on the two years of rent they lost due to their greed.
Don’t let the facts get in the way of your trolling…
I live in this building. Jimmy decided to take a well-earned retirement, as reported by others, including WSR. Empty shopfronts help no one. Our coop is working hard to support our 5 commercial tenants during Covid and beyond. I’m happy that we finally have a great new tenant and I guess _some_ of our neighbours are too.
This is just not true. Diner was offered below market lease to stay. Jimmy wanted to retire and none of his kids wanted to run the restaurant. This all happened during the height of
COVID so those added pressures also led to jimmy’s decision not to renew his lease.
I know a couple in this building and they validated the WSR report at the closing: this isn’t due to “greed”, but Jimmy didn’t want to renew his lease. He retired.
There was another tenant who had a “deli opening soon” but they fell through after a year.
I don’t understand your need to vilify our neighbors. There’s no greed, I imagine the co-op is doing fine and happy to have a tenant and we get a bagel shop. This is great news.
Awesome! Couldn’t be better news or bialys!
I went to Kossar’s years ago and loved it, but it’s so far away! So glad they will be opening a location close to home.
While I love Zucker’s, I’m looking forward to amazing bagels even closer to my apartment and a short walk to Riverside Park.
This place is going to be a delight!
I live across the street and I’ve already gained 7 lbs just reading this news.
Funny !
What are you talking about? This is a new addition, which is good news. There is no abandoned building.
WSR – I know you censor quite a bit – why did you post this non-sense?
Darn; I was hoping for a bank to take over that space so I didn’t have to walk an extra half a block. 😉 Finally some good news!
Funny !
If you want the best bialy you’ll ever have in your life, go to Bo’s Bagels in Harlem.
Wonderful news – 72nd St. has some great places now with Charles Fried Chicken, Pastrami Queen, Zuckers around the corner. I will miss Pier 72 as it was great diner with very reasonable prices but this is a nice replacement. Was sad when Zuckers replaced that great Deli but Zuckers does a great job as well.
I think we lost a lot in the trade of Gotham Deli for Zucker’s. Their stuff is just ok, but they seem to actively hate their customers.
and close so early! A deli was available for us all the time.
Sadly although Kossar’s bialys are pretty awesome, they definitely are not the Kossar’s bialys of yesteryear. The original LES Kossar’s had onions in the center of each bialy. Today’s bialys are kind of a faded version of this…although Kossar’s still rules 🙂 and this news is exciting, thank you!
Also, for those who are interested in bialys and their history, I’d like to recommend a beautiful and evocative book: The Bialy Eaters by Mimi Sheraton.
Good book. I agree that the bialys from Kossar’s “aint” what they used to be. Less flavor. We went to Grand St in the summer. Even though it was right out of the oven, it seemed to lack flavor. For too long I’ve been disappointed when I toast my bialys. Now I buy them infrequently, but always preferred them to bagels. I haven’t tried Kossar’s bagels. Will give it a try, maybe.
Yours truly,
An “Ahlter,ahlter” Kokker 🙂
If they stop using frozen onions in the center we. Still have a chance
You’re absolutely right. The bialys of yesteryear from Kossar’s were great. Today, they are a pale imitation…
and are not good at all.
Yes, good choice…BUT instead of reading an entire book, check out Wikipedia’s “List of Jewish Cuisine Dishes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_cuisine_dishes). As it did for m’self, it will provide a fascinating trip down memory lane, referencing all the foods that we probably heard our parents/grandparents talk about: Pletzel! Gribenes! Kasha Varnishkas! Cholent!
And that’s just the Ashkanazim foods; there’s another list of Sephardic dishes like Baba Ghanoush Hummus (yes!) and Couscous.
I still remember my grandmother’s home-made Pletzels!
The Bialy Eaters is a wonderful read! And Kossar’s after the first sale/resurrection was fairly horrible. It’s slightly better now but as someone else pointed out, Bo’s has a far superior product. I’m a big fan of Absolute’s bagels as well, but they don’t do bialys (but they do egg bagels!)
This is good news. I believe the kosssrs owners are relatively new and bought the Essex St location from the original owners. The 14th street location was already closed.
In my one visit to Kossars on Essex since new ownership I found their bialys not the same. Does anyone know if the recipe or cooking technique was changed?
Woo hoo! Now if only the Pickle Guys would follow. We need them on the UWS!
Is it Kosher certified?
It can’t be, look at this menu item: Roast Turkey, Double Smoked Bacon, Lettuce Tomato, Swiss Cheese & House made Russian
I just saw a new Kossar’s by the new Hudson Yards. It was small and had pretty limited selection of bagel flavors. But still better than the rude employees at the H&H in Moynihan station.