The Farmer’s Breakfast.
Pickpockets & the Farmer’s Breakfast
on Sauerkraut Boulevard.
A couple of days ago I noticed the outline of my husband's wallet in his back pocket. It's funny how a familiar sight can evoke a long ago memory. Immediately I thought about the Ideal Restaurant, a luncheonette on East 86th Street in the Yorkville neighborhood in Manhattan where we lived for around 15 years after moving up to NYC from Washington, D.C. The reason it struck a chord is that the Ideal is one of the reasons my husband stopped putting his wallet in his back pocket so many years ago. Pickpockets. That used to be a thing. And the Ideal, with its long counter was an ideal "picking" ground (pun intended). There was a long counter that ran the length of the front of the restaurant, with diner type stools. People from all walks of life were perched there eating the delicious foods prepared by 3 cooks working on the other side of the counter on large commercial stoves. As you can envision the scene, patrons would be thoroughly absorbed in their meal with their back pockets facing out in perfect picking position. At the same time, a line of hungry diners would form behind them, waiting for a stool to be vacated. There was just enough room for a person to walk between the backs of the diners and the people waiting. Aside from the pocket issue, my memory quickly turned to the delicious food they served. My husband and my twin brother often went there for breakfast and would order the "Farmer's Breakfast," a huge plate of eggs, onions, potatoes, bacon, and cheese, with toast on the side. And coffee. The Ideal was a last holdout in "Germantown," comprised of local stores and restaurants serving German specialties. Among them were Bremen House, Schaller & Weber (still there!) Elk Candy (known for their marzipan), and Glaser's Bake Shop to name a few. In fact, East 86th Street was known as Sauerkraut Boulevard back then.
Indeed, time flies on the wings of the wind.
