Day 3.2: John's of 12th Street Redux

I wasn't going to post again about John's of 12th Street, since I already covered it recently, but I just have to make a few comments. Again, the food was awesome and the service was great, up until the end when we had to wait a bit for the check.

This time, though, we got to sit right next to the candle! Last time, we didn't even go in the candle room. I'd forgotten all about it (even with a card on the table about "the candle") and thought it was a wedding cake. This time, we couldn't have gotten any closer.

We also tried their other specialty, the veal meatballs, which were delicious. Our John had their other specialty, the Tuscan Ragu, which I had last time. Marsha's favorite was again the tiramisu, which is more like a pudding.

Everything was just terrific. But the best part for me is always the location itself. Real-life mobsters like Joe "the Boss" Masseria actually ate there, which is why both The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire have filmed there. Boardwalk now twice. I just spotted it again in another recent episode. Can't miss that candle. I also love that they've embraced their heritage with the Mob and Prohibition.

I had to go to the bathroom this time to see if there was a gun hidden behind the toilet. There wasn't, but that didn't stop me from coming out with a finger gun anyway to take out Salozzo and Captain McClusky.

John's of 12th Street? Fughetaboutit!

Three things I truly love in life: gangster movies, old restaurants, and great food. Not necessarily in that order. John's of 12th Street on the Lower East Side of NYC hits all three notes perfectly.

We first heard about John's on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network. They've been open since 1908, it looks a lot like the restaurant where Michael plugs Salozzo and the Chief, they make their own pasta by hand, and have a giant mountain of wax that's been dripping from candles since 1932 to celebrate the end of Prohibition. Before the episode was over, we just knew that we had to go there. Turns out that was easier said than done, but it was definitely worth the wait.

Our first attempt was summer of last year  (2012). We spent the week in NYC before heading up to New England. We spent one day walking across the Williamsburg Bridge, then all over the Lower East Side to Chinatown and Little Italy.

We realized something was up when Marsha tried all day to call to ask if they took reservations and no one would answer the phone. When we finally arrived, tired and hungry, we immediately realized why. There were several trucks and a small crew of people and equipment outside. 

It was a film crew.

I've seen enough movie trucks in my day to recognize them right away. Besides, we were almost late for our dinner reservations two nights earlier because Ben Stiller's Walter Mitty production had blocked our path and we had to completely backtrack (sadly, we didn't spot Ben or Kristen Wiig).

When we inquired about what was shooting (and what had squelched our dinner plans), I was happy to learn that it was for a Season 3 episode of Boardwalk Empire. If anything was going to cost me a dinner I'd been looking forward to for several months, that was a great option. We ended up eating at another little Italian place down the street (don't remember the name, but it was pretty good). 

After dinner, we went back by John's to see if we could spot Steve Buscemi, Martin Scorsese, or anyone else, but no luck there, either. The crew was packing up, but we did manage to peak through the windows to get a glimpse of the place. 

I eventually learned that the scene filmed was for the "Sunday Best" episode. It was where Gyp meets Joe "the Boss" Massaria after Nucky and Eli have celebrated Easter together. Judging from an article I read, they seemed to have also shot a scene out front with Michael Stuhlbarg (Arnold Rothstein), but that must have ended up on the cutting room floor.

Months later, we finally got to eat dinner there. The food was great -- just good Italian food, period. Nothing too fancy, with prices to match. I had one of the dishes they showcased on Triple D, Tuscan Ragu over Homemade Pappardelle, and it was awesome. Next time we go back, I'm getting the other dish they showed -- the veal meatballs.

For dessert we had Tiramasu, which was more like a pudding than a traditional Tiramasu. It was served in a tall glass with a spoon. Usually, It's not one of her favorite desserts, but she loved this one so much she dug out every last bite.

The decor is pure Old Lower East Side Italian, and it looks like it's changed little in the 100+ years that it's been open. Lucky Luciano actually grew up nearby, so it's easy to imagine that he had to have dined there a time or two.

We recognized one of the owners from Triple D. The service was excellent as well, with multiple waiters checking on us. They run a tight ship there, which was the only slight downside. There was an older woman there (Owner? Manager?) who fussed at the waiters right by our table, even though they were doing a great job.

Our main waiter even chased us down the block in the cold drizzle when Marsha forgot her earmuffs. We wanted to go back in and leave him an even bigger tip.

Thanks to a sign in the window, we also learned that The Sopranos also shot there. In one of the very last episodes of the series ("The Second Coming"), Tony barged in, beat the crap out of a guy, stuck a gun in his mouth, then busted out a few of his teeth against the footrest on the bar. Badda-bing, badda-boom! Also in that scene was Greg Antonacci, who plays Johnny Torrio on Boardwalk Empire. Small Mob world.

Can't wait to go back. Not just for the food, but to look for a gun behind the toilet.