When I opened up Yelp, I saw a woman had called this "FABULOUS" and a great place for a quick lunch. I have never seen a buffet here and in this area, people aren't usually concerned with prices or value so it is impressive that hedge funders, major corporate law people and other capital gains fans all express HORROR at the prices.
But I do love their tuna salad. I had plans for a great dinner so only had a light breakfast before dance class and started sipping wine at 4 in anticipation of a big night out.
Starving, I went down for the 40 calorie Arnold's bread (which I wish we had in Santa Barbara or West LA) and this great tuna. I also sprung for a 5.99/lb stem tomato which was pretty good and now I won't be starving before my movie at Landmark down on Houston.
7 bucks for enough tuna to make three generous sandwiches, plus loaf of bread and tomato for 13 bucks. Not bad.
I saw some Pop Chips (I like the BBQ) and the same bag you get in a normal LA market for 1.50 or so is 3.99! It's truly offensive and again, the old joke about the Uper East Side was that to raise a family of 3 kids you needed a million a year. Even with this crowd, including retired hedge fund CEOs, the place just boggles the mind.
Coffee is passable which is good because Burger Heaven across the street–which I love both for the burgers and the coolest people, who warmly welcome me back every two months and know my name–is notoriously abysmal. They should just call it "bilge water" because that's what it tastes like, on top of having no pep at all (just like decaf).
Lots of people in the hood get their morning papers at Smiley's and tonight there was a clearly very wealthy man with crocodile loafers, an elegant cashmere overcoat and beautiful salmon scarf, who came in for something and said he forgot to take the Post he paid for this morning (as always).
I won't even discuss the cigarettes as Mayor Bloomberg, aka the soda and smoking fascist, is to blame for outrageous prices on smokes. Duane Reade sells American Spirit for 13.20 and they are 15.25 at Smiley's.
Lean Cuisine, oddly, for those living in small studios (like me) with no kitchen and just microwave, toaster and hotplate, is not too frightening.
The grocery half a block away (whose name I can't remember) is a far better establishment with decent sushi, sandwiches, salads and deli food.
Smiley's is an inevitability because sometimes you just need some OJ or iced tea.
But it is an outrageously overpriced corner grocery, even for the Upper East Side.
When I opened up Yelp, I saw a woman had called this "FABULOUS" and a great place for a quick lunch. I have never seen a buffet here and in this area, people aren't usually concerned with prices or value so it is impressive that hedge funders, major corporate law people and other capital gains fans all express HORROR at the prices.
But I do love their tuna salad. I had plans for a great dinner so only had a light breakfast before dance class and started sipping wine at 4 in anticipation of a big night out.
Starving, I went down for the 40 calorie Arnold's bread (which I wish we had in Santa Barbara or West LA) and this great tuna. I also sprung for a 5.99/lb stem tomato which was pretty good and now I won't be starving before my movie at Landmark down on Houston.
7 bucks for enough tuna to make three generous sandwiches, plus loaf of bread and tomato for 13 bucks. Not bad.
I saw some Pop Chips (I like the BBQ) and the same bag you get in a normal LA market for 1.50 or so is 3.99! It's truly offensive and again, the old joke about the Uper East Side was that to raise a family of 3 kids you needed a million a year. Even with this crowd, including retired hedge fund CEOs, the place just boggles the mind.
Coffee is passable which is good because Burger Heaven across the street–which I love both for the burgers and the coolest people, who warmly welcome me back every two months and know my name–is notoriously abysmal. They should just call it "bilge water" because that's what it tastes like, on top of having no pep at all (just like decaf).
Lots of people in the hood get their morning papers at Smiley's and tonight there was a clearly very wealthy man with crocodile loafers, an elegant cashmere overcoat and beautiful salmon scarf, who came in for something and said he forgot to take the Post he paid for this morning (as always).
I won't even discuss the cigarettes as Mayor Bloomberg, aka the soda and smoking fascist, is to blame for outrageous prices on smokes. Duane Reade sells American Spirit for 13.20 and they are 15.25 at Smiley's.
Lean Cuisine, oddly, for those living in small studios (like me) with no kitchen and just microwave, toaster and hotplate, is not too frightening.
The grocery half a block away (whose name I can't remember) is a far better establishment with decent sushi, sandwiches, salads and deli food.
Smiley's is an inevitability because sometimes you just need some OJ or iced tea.
But it is an outrageously overpriced corner grocery, even for the Upper East Side.