Ottomanelli Butcher Shoppe
“Staple products such as bread and milk are charged at New Jersey rather than Upper East Side regular prices.”
“There is often sawdust on the floor which I find particularly charming.”
“If you ask nicely, the guys will gladly heat up your soup, and there is a bench outside.”
Ottomanelli Butcher Shoppe
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I'm one of those people who doesn't eat to live but rather lives to eat.
So you can imagine that grocery shopping is a pretty important part of my life.
Luckily, it's something that I enjoy. Picking produce is relaxing but buying meat is what really excites me.
There's nothing like serving up a prime steak or burger and Otto's has 5/5 star steaks. My personal favorite is the skirt steak (but I prefer mine unseasoned).
Another thing I really enjoy about coming here is how lovely the service is. The gentleman (and I do mean gentleman) who helped me last time went above and beyond and actually sliced the chicken thin for me. He did it with a great attitude and a genuine smile. It's rare to find service like that these days.
I don't review every single place I've ever stepped into. Usually just the ones that inspire me to, either with really good or really bad experiences. I usually have really good experiences here at Ottomanelli's.
Great service, great meat selection, and don't miss the sandwich offerings at the back counter. Classic, down to the sawdust on the floor. Quintessential butcher shop, without wacky prices. I recommend the meatball hero, just come hungry b/c it's no pushover. Love that someone took a photo of the brass cow set into the sidewalk out front. I also love the Otto van that's always looking for parking. I don't know why I love it, I just see it all the time, it's one of those neighborhood standby type things.
A great old-school butcher shopo – and deli meats (eggs, cheese and milk) too.
Great service – and (for the UES) decent prices.
I got sandwiches here from time to time back in the late '90's and early 2000's.
Sometimes I would get meat or poultry here, too.
I was really looking forward to this as I'd been craving a good Italian sandwich for about two weeks now. I passed by Ottomanelli on a walk this weekend and vowed to have one of their sandwiches to fulfill my craving.
(!) WHAT I ORDERED: Italian combo @ $9.95
(!) HOW IT DID: It was enough to split for later but I don't think it'd last that long due to the bread. The sandwich is pretty stacked and I couldn't get my mouth around it. Add the fact that the bread was stale; it became difficult to bite down on it. Like on a sandwich stale scale, with 0 being mad soft and 10 being hard as a rock, this was a 6.5. All in all, the meat and cheese were good and the balsamic vinegar was a nice touch, although it could've held back a bit on that.
(!) TIDBITS: Will probably be back again to try the chicken parm people keep talking about but I'll be looking elsewhere for my Italian sub fix. For all you sandwich-ordering points-lovers, sign above the register says there's a $10.00 minimum for card transactions. Shouldn't be a problem to meet that though. Should you need cash though, there's a 7/11 up a block or two and a Chase on 86th.
They were so helpful here and cut me a beautiful slice of sirloin. I had no idea how much meat to get for dinner and they were able to help me out and asked me how many people it was for and cut me a slice that was appropriate. It is definitely pricey here compared to just buying your meat at a grocery store but its so worth it.
I love to patronize small businesses but sometimes Ottomenilli's makes it difficult for me to love em'
The Good:
–Chicken Parm hero.
–Pre-prepared fresh pastas (i.e. Ravioli).
–Cold cuts if sliced correctly dependent upon the employee's mood.
–Steak burger chop meat.
–Pretty cow diagram carved on the street in front of the door.
The Bad:
–Sausage, egg, and cheese.
–The foods in the open fridge section take on the strong smell of the deli/butcher atmosphere and I don't like my milk container smelling a damn deli (I'm a jerk).
–Stale bread.
–Closed on Sunday, which I understand but most Italian shops I grew up with were open in the AM on Sunday, so I always think I can come here to pick-up pasta on a Sunday and they're shut.
The Ugly:
–Handful of grumpy Italian men seem disinterested in serving me an more preoccupied with what's going on behind the counter or a customer they are more familiar with. (This of course does not discount some of their friendlier employees that tend to be in the back portion of the store.)
Overall, this is a factual and somewhat boring review. This butcher/market is hit or miss and I would stick mostly to purchasing meat or frozen fresh pastas.
Old School Italian Butcher Shop
Delicious Homemade Chili
Take a trip back in time, and visit Italy when you're on the Upper East Side. Walking down the street one fine afternoon, I couldn't help but notice a "Delicious Homemade Chili" sign, which tugged at my taste buds. With high hopes, i decided to venture in and grab a bowl. Two chicken fingers, one container of chili, and a mixed green salad later, I found myself sitting on their bench watching people walk by.
The chili was DELICIOUS!! Not too thick – hearty. The roasted red peppers balanced out the flavor perfectly. Their chicken strips, are entirely too addicting. Thin and long, the strips have a nice consistency. They are fairly thick and have a crunchy texture, with just the right amount of saltiness. If you like chicken strips, this could become a regular addiction. The green salad was decent, thankfully it did not have iceberg lettuce.
The food here is served cold, and available for pick up / delivery. If you ask nicely, the guys will gladly heat up your soup, and there is a bench outside. As this is a butcher shop there is no seating, their drink selections are limited. I had visited Ottomanelli many years ago, and was glad to re-discover it again.
Great job guys!!
Thank you for being so sweet – I'll definitely be back.
The Scene: Traditional, Italian
Destination Rating: 5
Date Rating: N/A (Perfect for ordering in)
Hob Nob Potential: 4
Strong Suggestion: Try the chili – it's delicious!
"I need a HERO!
I'm holdin' out for a hero 'til the mornin' light
He's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life!"
Well, actually, I don't have to hold out, given that Ottomanelli is in my neighborhood, and the heroes here are larger than life! The guys here are also my heroes; very accommodating, they will make your sandwich any way you like. I like my chicken cutlet hero with fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers. Well, sometimes, I like it with provolone. They certainly do not skimp on the meat or the cheese, and the sandwich is too big for even a hog like me.
This is another UES old school New York establishment that gives me hope that all is not lost; New York will retain is sui generis character as long as we have these delis and butcheries. These heroes save our great city from the fate of becoming the soulless, "vanishing New York" that many of its residents continue to forebode.