From A to Zeytinz: A Gourmet Deli for all Food Moods – Review of Zeytin
BY CAROLYN ONOFREY
Zeytinz
Murray Hill
24 West 40th Street
212.575.8080/zeytinz.com
A recent relocation via my day job landed me on a busy corner of Bryant Park. With no refrigerator or microwave in the office (is that even legal?) I have had to brave the cold concrete jungle in search of lunch every day. My first day out I happened upon Zeytinz. At first glance Zeytinz looked like a small, gourmet grocery store. This immediately caught my attention and I headed in. I was a little disappointed at first because it was not a gourmet grocery store, but I quickly perked up when I realized that it was, in fact a gourmet deli.
I took a walk around the place, taking in the sights and smells of pizza, the homemade soups, and the hot and cold buffet tables. The interior space was rather minimal and like nearly every deli in New York City, could use an update, but the sleek white marbled tile and black accents were a nice change from the normally dingy décor of most. I headed back to the hot and cold buffet and piled some surprising delights into my to-go container. Among them, healthy items like asparagus with chicken and sun dried tomatoes and vegetable stuffed tofu and buffet staples like roast chicken and sausage and peppers.
I took my food to the upstairs seating area and was surprised to find a little country type shop complete with baskets and wooden birdhouses for sale, a pleasant addition to the large, sunny space looking out over Bryant Park.
The food was a step up (or two or three) from your average deli food (you know, the kind that sits like a lead weight in your stomach for hours), and the prices completely reasonable for the quality of food (ranging about $7.00/lb for the buffet, and $6-7 for a Panini and other deli-type sandwiches). I have since been back to Satins, a nice retreat in the middle of the day for pretty much anything I’m in the mood for, whether it be a warm homemade soup, a slice of gourmet pizza, or even a sushi roll or two.
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