“At last there’s a definitive guide to the living, breathing artifacts of New York’s past that’s as charming and singular and useful as the places themselves.”—Kurt Andersen

“Judging from the title, you'd expect this little book to be about New York's shopping and dining institutions. Not so. It's a jewel box that yields the gems of a bygone era, polished afresh. It's a treasury of cafes, frame shops, fishmongers, hardware stores, Jewish delis, stationers and gourmet shops, without which New York would not be New York. It's a long-overdue thank-you note to the immigrants whose pushcart businesses grew to become the city's living landmarks. Measuring a little more than 10-by-15 centimeters, this gift-worthy hardcover is thicker than a Porterhouse from Delmonico's, which, by the way, got its start when a pair of Swiss immigrants determined that America of the 1820s was a culinary wasteland. The six-table sweets shop they opened would go on to invent baked Alaska and coin lobster a la Newberg, the latter under not altogether honest means. Other juicy gossip here: Al Capone stocked his library with books from Weitz, Weitz & Coleman. Sarah Bernhardt always used Cucumber Cold Cream from Caswell-Massey apothecary shop. Tiffany & Co. was located at Broadway and Broome when Abraham Lincoln bought pearls for his wife. And it wouldn't be a proper New Yorker's book if it didn't give savvy shopping advice - you simply must buy your ribbons at Hyman Hendler - or do some good, old-fashioned bragging, such as: Capitol Fishing Tackle Company has the largest assortment of said stuff in the Northeast, and Lombardi's Pizza, which still cooks its pies in a coal oven, may have been the first pizza parlour in the country.”—Chicago Tribune

“The Historic Shops & Restaurants of New York lists more than 150 Big Apple establishments that have bucked the odds and stayed in business a century or more. The book's longest section is “Saloons & Wine Shops.” Among the entries are:
Chumley's: (86 Bedford St.) Its patrons include Dos Passos, Steinbeck and Hemingway. “Warm and cosy, especially in the winter when logs are crackling in the fireplace.”
Mare Chiaro: (176 Mulberry St.) This is where Frank Sinatra came after a show or a lovers' quarrel. “Smoking, preferably a cigar, is all but mandatory.”
White Horse Tavern: (567 Hudson St.) It had already been going more than 75 years when Dylan Thomas drank himself to death in it in 1953. ‘Still popularly considered something of a writer's hangout.’”—The Ottawa Citizen

“The Historic Shops and Restaurants of New York is aimed at New York buffs who want to test their knowledge of local legends and find new (old) haunts, or Big Apple neophytes who want to go beyond the tourist traps. What do Bloomingdale's, the Plaza Hotel and Steinway & Sons have in common? All three have been NYC fixtures for more than 100 years, and they're still lightening our wallets. Authors Ellen Williams and Steve Redlauer, both born-and-bred New Yorkers, reveal the histories of these and other well-known commercial successes, as well as many more esoteric establishments, ranging from apothecaries and bookbinders to haberdashers and tobacconists. The little 350-page hardcover (a little heavy, but it measures just 4 by 6 inches) is a lovely travel companion.”—Washington Post

“From The Little Bookroom: This small New York publisher is producing some of the most innovative, beautiful and rewarding guidebooks on the market. 'The Historic Shops and Restaurants of New York' is a compendium of establishments at least 100 years old, from Kiehl's pharmacy to the Paris Bar and Grill. Need ribbons? Head to Hyman Hendler on 38th St., where some of the merchandise is 50 years old.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune