For nearly three years, Reggie Nadelson has documented a century or so of Manhattan history through visits to her favorite long-running restaurants, bars and shops in a column called the 212 for T: The New York Times Style Magazine. Now she has compiled many of them in “Marvelous Manhattan,” a book in which she describes the beginnings of places like Raoul’s, Fanelli’s, Barney Greengrass and Bemelmans Bar. It’s a timely read, recapturing Manhattan as it struggles to return to normal. Her reporting, all from a personal lens, is up-to-date with how various places are responding to the pandemic. Like chocolate chips in a cookie, the book is studded with delicious photos old and new, including Al Pacino exiting Caffe Dante and Giorgio DeLuca shopping for cheese at Di Palo’s.
“Marvelous Manhattan: Stories of the Restaurants, Bars and Shops That Make This City Special” by Reggie Nadelson (Artisan Books, $24.95).
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