We went to Manganaro's Groceria because like many other people we had seen it on the 'No Reservations' TV show. We had hardly walked eight feet into the store when a sour-faced shrew of a woman pounced on us from behind like a vulture and spat out a curt ""May I help you?"" We turned around, smiling at her politely, and went on to say that this was our first time here, we had seen them on TV. Before I even finished my sentence, she interrupts me with, ""Are you going to have lunch?"" I said, ""Oh, no, not this time, but w--"" I was going to tell her that we live four blocks away and were thinking of getting some of their sliced meats. But I didn't have a chance. As soon as I said we weren't going to eat she replied with, ""Then have a nice day,"" while MOTIONING TOWARD THE DOOR. We got the point and started leaving, and I said, ""I guess we never will have lunch here after all. You are rude."" Her response? ""I just said have a nice day, that's all..."" I go, ""Yes, while pointing us to the door, ma'am?"" And she just shrugged her shoulders and went, ""Yeah, well...""
What in the world would possess a business-owner to behave in this manner? Do they expect you to walk in with your cash in hand, immediately stating your business lest you be kicked out? Did she think we were tourists and that since we weren't going to eat, it wasn't worth even letting us browse around (we actually live four blocks away)? Did she have a problem with us being an interracial couple? I simply cannot think of one good reason for this kind of commercially suicidal behaviour. Look, folks, we have all dealt with the occasional crazy person living here in New York. I've been snapped at by MTA employess, ignored by restaurant waitstaff, given a bad attitude by cab drivers--this all flies over your shoulders when you're a New Yorker. But I have never in my life dealt with such a deliberately absurd and disgusting attitude as this woman gave us the other day. When I told this story about Manganaro's Groceria to my mother, who has been in the food service industry for thirty years, even she was left speechless!
To think we walked in there considering given them our money nearly makes me nauseous. Every cent in my pocket is the result of my having sold my time--an irreplaceable commodity--in exchange for that money. When I spend it, I am in effect saying this service or good was worth a small part of my life. It makes me sick to think I even for a moment considered giving it to this ungrateful, rude, and revolting woman. Dear reader, if I may say, Manganaro's Groceria does not deserve your hard-earned dollars. I saw the reviews below of people saying they ordered two $7 sandwiches and were suddenly charged $35 and it made my skin crawl, like yours probably is right now. However long they may have been there, it's obvious they have run their course and the best thing to do now is simply ignore them and let them die off gracefully. There is a reason the TV show segment of 'No Reservations' in which Anthony Bourdain visited this restaurant was called 'Disappearing Manhattan.' Good effin' RIDDANCE.
PS. If you need still more proof, make sure you also check out the reviews of this place over at Yelp.
Pros: Zero
Cons: Hopefully they will soon be gone forever
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