Cosmopolitan (cocktail)
The "Cosmopolitan" cocktail (also called "Cosmo") was probably invented in San Francisco. It was popularized by Odeon bartender Toby Cecchini in the late 1980s. He recently…
Archive for 01/2005
Fraudway; Queerialto; Double-Crossroads of the World
Fraudway (for Broadway) and Queerialto (for Rialto) and Double-Crossroads of the World (for Crossroads of the World) are some of the cynical Broadway nicknames from the 1920s that didn't…
Vincent’s Sauce
The Original Vincent's restaurant is in Little Italy at 199 Mott Street. Vincent's proudly declares that it's been around for a century, since 1904. I don't particularly care…
Root Beer Float or Ice Cream Float
It has been said that the "root beer float" or "ice cream float" (ice cream plus root beer or cola or other soda) was invented in New York City. This cannot be verified, but…
Manhattan Special Espresso Coffee Soda (from Brooklyn)
Manhattan Special ("since 1895") proudly proclaims on its web site (www.manhattanspecial.com) that it makes "the world's most famous espresso coffee soda." Other sodas…
Gyro
"Gyro" is the Greek version of New York's Italian "hero" sandwich. I've traced the "gyro" citational origins to the 1960s and the Parthenon Restaurant in…