For a company that only arrived in Manhattan eight years ago, FIKA is doing a pretty good job of showing the coffee world how it’s done. It’s already the largest privately owned coffee company in New York and the fastest-growing coffee company in New York City history. In 2015, FIKA will open its flagship store in one of downtown’s most coveted locations: on the ground floor of Tower 4 in the new World Trade Center. Overlooking the memorial, the new location is expected to draw more than 55 million visitors a year—a far cry from the one-location company founded in 2006 by Swedish native Lars Åkerlund, whose sole goal was to bring to New York the Swedish concept of “a daily FIKA” (a coffee break, often accompanied by a sweet or savory snack).
Åkerlund’s coffee shop—FIKA 58th Street—remains in its original location at 41 W. 58th St., but the company has added eight more locations since 2006. It’s also added two more partners: Åkerlund’s wife, Lena Khoury, whose background includes five years with Hermés, and chocolatier Håkan Mårtensson, a Culinary Olympics Gold Medal winner. Mårtensson joined the FIKA family in 2009; today, you’ll find him behind glass windows that offer a view of the chocolate production process inside FIKA Tribeca & Chocolate Factory (450 Washington St.), where he supervises one full-time staff member and six interns while retaining his well-deserved status as a chocolate artist.
Mårtensson, born and raised in Sweden, knew from an early age that he “didn’t want to be sitting behind a computer all day,” and that he “liked to eat.” When it came time to pick a vocational training path, his creativity and facility with his hands led him to a pastry and baking-design course, which he took from ages 15–18. After graduation, he worked with leading Swedish pastry chefs (cue Muppets theme) and developed a love of all things chocolate, particularly chocolate carving and design. That remains his specialty today.
At FIKA Tribeca & Chocolate Factory on a Thursday morning, Mårtensson took me on a tour of the various sculptures in progress in the factory. There was the chocolate Yoda that my co-worker had urged me to steal when he discovered I’d be taking the tour (alas, it would have been too obvious); a giant chocolate dinosaur Mårtensson has been working on for weeks; and a dragon that Mårtensson considers his favorite kind of figure to carve. “Whatever you do, no one can ever say it’s wrong,” he says. “I can use my imagination completely.”
When asked if he’s bothered that his name isn’t on the door (like other chocolatiers around the city), Mårtensson doesn’t skip a beat. “FIKA is a much stronger word than my name,” he says, referring to the Swedish concept. (Mårtensson, Åkerlund, and Khoury are all Swedish, and all three deeply identify with the idea of “taking a FIKA.”) And when I asked him what he thought of the pastry chefs and dessert shops that have a habit of making a name for themselves by coming up with quirky, trendy products (cough, cough, cronut), he was similarly nonplussed (perhaps a Swedish trait).
“I have things people have never tried before, but it’s all part of a consistency of being innovative and creative, not to be different,” he says. “I could do a smoked-salmon truffle and make it taste good, but do I want to be known as the smoked-salmon truffle guy? No.”
As for the future, there are big plans for FIKA—even bigger than the flagship store at the World Trade Center. Next month, the company will open FIKA Tower, its largest location yet, at 55th Street and 10th Avenue. The three-story building will house a catering kitchen, a bakery and pastry factory, and an event space. They hope to open 5–10 more stores in Manhattan, then branch out to Brooklyn, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Seattle. No small dreamer, Mårtensson says the ultimate goal is 50 stores in the US within the next five years, and then to set their sights on the global market. “Chocolate is one of those things that knows no boundaries across the world,” he says.
But in the here and now, Mårtensson is simply doing what he does—though in a spectacular fashion that makes it quite obvious that he loves every second of it. Tall and quiet, his usual presentation is anything but showy. But watching him prepare chocolate and then finish truffles by hand in the factory, it’s impossible to miss the almost imperceptible smile on his face.
FIKA Tribeca & Chocolate Factory is located at 450 Washington St., New York, NY 10013. They are open Mon–Fri from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sat. from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sun. from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. In addition to a full range of chocolate products, FIKA serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus a full wine list. Visit http://www.fikanyc.com/ for more information.
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Food & Drink in Yonkers
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La Bella Havana
Cuban Dinner Cuisine at La Bella Havana (Up to 43% Off). Two Options Available.
New York Times–lauded paella, empanadas stuffed with shrimp, chicken marinated in garlicky Cuban sauce, and pork with rice and okra
Downtown Yonkers
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Southeast Yonkers
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Italian Cuisine for Two or Four at San Martino Ristorante (Up to 51% Off)
San Martino Ristorante
Northeast Yonkers
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Italian Meal with Dessert for Two or Four, or $10 for $20 for Italian Food for Lunch at Luciano's
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Colonial Heights
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Italian Meal for Two or Four with Prosecco at Tombolino (Up to 50% Off)
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Southeast Yonkers
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Select Local Merchants
Rarely do two burgers at Burke's Restaurant and Bar ever look the same. Not only do diners get to choose from four buns?including pretzel buns and english muffins?but they can also crown their burgers with more than 16 toppings, such as chipotle mayo and Irish bacon. Burgers, however, are just one of many options available at Burke's, whose remaining menu sports everything from chicken parm sliders to Irish chicken curry. Bartenders complement hearty feasts with myriad libations, from 19 draft beers to liquor-spiked milk shakes, which visitors can sip while watching games on 14 flat-screen TVs and two widescreen projectors.
645 Bronx River Rd
Yonkers,
NY
US
Route 100 Wine Bar & Grill’s high-quality ingredients and generous portions have earned the bistro accolades in the New York Times, which praises the eclectic cuisine as “creative" and "carefully presented.” Italian pasta dishes and sauces dominate the menu, but chefs sneak in Asian flourishes such as ponzu sauce and wasabi-mashed potatoes. Polished hardwood floors reflect wall-mounted wine racks loaded with hundreds of international vintages and the occasional neglected genie bottle.
2211 Central Park Ave
Yonkers,
NY
US
In a historical building that once housed a printing press, the smell of ink and newspaper has been replaced with the enticing aromas of Italian food. Zuppa Restaurant & Lounge's executive chef, Pasquale Dedi, oversees a refined menu of small plates, pizzas, and seasonal entrees made from traditional recipes with a modern twist and the freshest ingredients available. Pastas, such as the signature wide pappardelle with veal bolognese and mint, are all made in-house with the TLC of a loving nonna, and many of the main-course meats come from organic or wild sources.
Located in Yonkers's downtown waterfront district, Zuppa's warm, modern decor and sophisticated use of a former industrial space creates the ideal dining atmosphere. There are three dining areas here?the bar, the main dining room, and the private wine cellar. Each offers an intimate eating experience facilitated by helpful servers, knowledgeable sommeliers, and ghosts of the mythological Print Age.
From the Press
- The New York Times described the restaurant as "a dining and drinking spot with sophisticated Manhattan style and Westchester spaciousness," and dubbed it "a standout beauty."
- Zagat gave Zuppa a rating of 21, praising the eatery for its creative dishes and knowledgeable staff and noting that it's "not your typical red-sauce joint."
- Westchester magazine named the Italian eatery one of the Best of the Decade, lauding its owner, Robert Leggio, "for recognizing Yonkers?s up-and-coming potential early, and being one of the first institutions to pioneer its revitalizing waterfront."
A Welcoming Wine List
When first perusing Zuppa Restaurant & Lounge's 19-page list of libations, diners may be intimidated by the eatery's wine inventory. The wine list, however, is just as accessible as it is extensive. Here are a few tips for navigating the menu.
- Listed by the glass, then the bottle?each of which is each divided into whites and reds?each Italian-heavy category runs from light-bodied to heavy-bodied.
- If you want to try a new style, check out the recommendations for similar alternatives to cabernet, chardonnay, and merlot.
- Wine connoisseurs should be sure to check out the restaurant's reserve list of boutique wines. The 2001 Dominus?a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, petit verdot, and merlot grown in Napa Valley?and Solaia Toscana Rosso, a red blend with berry and spice notes, are among them.
59 Main St.
Yonkers,
NY
US
Wielding knives and sword-like skewers, the servers at Texas de Brazil seem prepared for impromptu duels. However, they only brandish the blades to replenish dinner plates, slicing meat from their spears at the behest of each table. The cuts of steak, lamb, and brazilian sausage are all slow roasted over an open flame in traditional churrascaria fashion—a technique that stems from the campfire meals of Brazilian gauchos, and one that fed the family behind Texas de Brazil during their life in Porto Alegre. In an effort to bring the South American style to the States, they established their first restaurant in Texas, thereby merging down-home charm with Brazilian spice.
Today, Texas de Brazil has expanded to several award-winning locations across the country. Despite the lofty ceilings and chandeliers that characterize their venues, the staff remains rooted in ranchers' habits. They conscientiously grill and season their meat, bake brazilian cheese bread in-house, and pass classic cocktails and loaner saddles over the bar for cowboys who consider chairs unnatural. To complement savory bites, guests can browse more than 50 gourmet sides at the salad bar—a compendium of soups, vegetables, and appetizers such as imported cheeses. They can also ask the resident wine specialist for recommendations on suitable pairings from the cellar.
70 Market St
Yonkers,
NY
US
Star chef and restaurateur Peter Xaviar Kelly opened his first restaurant, Xaviar’s in Garrison, when he was 23. Since then he has battled Bobby Flay, cooked at the James Beard House, introduced Anthony Bourdain to the Hudson Valley's bounty, and opened more restaurants. At his latest, Xaviars X2O on the Hudson, the Zagat-rated menu mixes Asian embellishments with Italian and Spanish touches and traditional French techniques. Thai barbecue, for example, spices the grilled portuguese octopus appetizer, and a brown-sugar-cayenne crust plays off the béarnaise sauce that tops aged-and-grilled cowboy rib eye steaks. In the Dylan Lounge, chefs slice sushi rolls into edible artworks such as jalapeño hamachi with pumpkin-seed oil.
An active turn-of-the-century Victorian pier hosts Xaviars' dining room on the Hudson. Vaulted 25-foot ceilings take support from three walls of glass that grant sweeping views of the Tappan Zee and George Washington Bridges, pepper dinners with sunsets over the Palisades, and allow guests to keep eyes out for approaching giants. Inside, dark-wood furniture, mod lighting, and stark white tablecloths set an elegant stage for edible performances.
71 Water Grant St
Yonkers,
NY
US
A lot of restaurants discourage special orders, but the chefs at Riverdale Diner have been welcoming them for the past 40 years. The made-to-order eatery operates what it terms an "open door policy", encouraging customers to add and subtract ingredients as they please and to ask for their favorite dishes, even if they don't see them on the menu. Finding something that falls into that last category may prove challenging, as the already expansive bill of fare seems to cover nearly every culinary category imaginable. Baby back ribs? Check. Romanian steak? Check. Mofongo? Check. All the usual diner favorites are there too, from giant one-pound burgers to breakfast that's served all day. Of course, there may come a day when only a carving board roast turkey dinner and laffy taffy-flavored martini will do. Or maybe a broccoli and ricotta brick-oven pizza, paired with a giant goblet filled halfway with strawberry daiquiri and the rest of the way with pina colada. So Riverdale Diner made sure to cover those fronts too. A final stop at the dessert case offers up an impossible choice between sweets—from fried cheesecake to linzer tarts, hot pecan pie to Jello—and there's even a selection of diet-friendly desserts for those who are watching their weight or being watched through binoculars by a personal trainer in the parking lot.
3657 Kingsbridge Avenue
Bronx,
NY
US
