By Scott Etkin
Utopia Restaurant, the diner at 267 Amsterdam between 72nd and 73rd Streets, is living up to its name. This Thanksgiving the UWS staple will give away 40 traditional meals to people in need.
“Since the pandemic I see a lot of people struggle. I feel so bad, I want to try to help,” said Mike Sabry, owner of Utopia.
The meals being distributed will be the same quality as the ones he’d normally sell for around $50. The package will include stuffing with cranberries, chestnuts and pine nuts, white and dark turkey, sweet potatoes, vegetables and soup.
Mike started doing meal giveaways last year, when he distributed Christmas dinners. “This year I [will] try to keep the tradition, as long as I’m here.” This Thanksgiving, Mike will give out take-out only meals from 7am and 9am to the first 40 people in need.
Utopia, which is full of blue booths and what look like regulars, opened in 1983. Next year will be its 40th anniversary.
“I’m going to serve a regular [Thanksgiving] dinner with dignity and love and respect,” he said. “It makes me feel good to see I helped someone.”
What a beautiful and kind gesture!
Owner and staff at Utopia at Utopia are very nice and good people.
I was a Saturday morning regular when I lived a couple blocks away. Waiter Jordan always made me feel like family .
Please support our local businesses!
Best wishes to Mr. Sabry and Utopia
Another reason I love Utopia!!
Thank you, Utopia!
The folks at Utopia Diner are some of the best New Yorkers I know, as is evidenced by this beyond lovely gesture. Way to Be!!!!
Mike is a Mensch!
His staff is wonderful. They always have a smile on their faces.
I was wondering around one Christmas, maybe 5 years ago; it was very cold and everything was closed. Walking by Utopia I noticed there were people in Utopia so I stopped in to warm myself with a cuppa.
“We’re closed; we are not customers, we’re family. ” they said.
“I was just looking for some tea to go but okay” I turned to leave.
“Of course; come sit”
So I warmed myself with the tea and their familial manner. When I went to pay they refused to take anything from me.
I never forgot that warm gesture and ate there just a couple weeks ago. A fine place,
full of neighbors & neighborliness; well and truly named.
What a wonderful story
Agree with all the favorable comments. The staff at Utopia is friendly, and most of them are standup comics, to boot. Manager Mike’s gesture to the less fortunate makes me want to support Utopia all the more. The cost of dining out has gone up, but hey, at Utopia it comes with entertainment.
How utopian.
Thank you for your generosity and kindness. I am so glad to be a patron of Utopia diner for years 🙂