TheJournalNews.com:
The line extends almost out the door of this newly opened restaurant in the East Village. Inside, the tables are full and dozens of people wait expectantly for their food under the peculiar orange and yellow lighting.
But a celebrity chef does not own this buzzing sliver of space. The menu is not dotted with trendy, grass-fed lamb, overpriced fish or organic staples like heirloom tomatoes and beets. You can’t even get wine - not yet anyway.
No, this is S’MAC - Sarita’s Macaroni & Cheese (photo), the newest niche eatery in New York City. ‘It’s been awesome,’ said Sarita Ekya, who started S’MAC with her husband, Caesar. ‘We didn’t realize how popular we’d be.’
Across the country and especially in New York City, tightly focused menus that serve a variation on a single theme are prospering and spreading. From cereal to peanut butter, rice pudding to gourmet dumplings, haute desserts to grilled cheese, restaurateurs are trying to cash in on comfort food.
‘We thought it would do well because we’re selling a product everybody loves,’ said Kenneth Rader, who opened The Cereal Bowl in Miami in February with his brother, Joshua. ‘There’s no one who hasn’t grown up on cereal.’
While niche restaurants continue to pick up popularity in the world of mainstream dining, Rader and the others certainly didn’t invent this savory concept.
In the Chinatowns of New York and San Francisco, dumpling joints have long been food de rigueur. Taquerias and pupuserias, along with falafel stands, can be found on many street corners in multi-ethnic neighborhoods. Perhaps the greatest, and most lucrative, of these one-food wonders is the revered pizza parlor. Carry on reading.
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