Once Upon a Stove, 325 Third Avenue (between 24th and 25th St.) is one of the most unusual — yet nicest — places you’ll visit. Imagine a restaurant and antique shop combined. The very chair you sit in can be sold from under you or the table your sitting at taken from in front of you. Imagine falling in love with a Tiffany lamp overhead and deciding you’d like it for dessert instead of a delectable eatable on the menu. Really! There are bird cages, portraits, instruments, a 150-year-old printing press, old washing machines, stoves and countless other items, all, of which, are for sale.
Once Upon a Stove is divided into four dining rooms
Divided into four dining rooms, Once Upon a Stove is rare indeed. From the street you enter the “Front Room” where you are easily deceived that this is the entire place because of its size. There you’ll find a 1905 Glenwood stove that owner Hank Sgrosso purchased many years ago. It’s the investment that sparked the name of his strange Once Upon a Stove. There are many chandeliers centered over round and square oak tables. A long bar at one side and innumerable artifacts lined along the floor, the walls and mantles.
If you venture further, past the kitchen, you’ll come upon a rather sober, quaint room. Nothing more in it than half a dozen small tables, which in this otherwise crowded place, is in its own way startling. It’s as if the diner had chanced upon a totally different restaurant.
At the end of a backyard passageway there is a dual-leveled “Victorian Room” (formerly an old church). Here private parties of all sizes are held.
Behind a bookcase is a hidden stairway leading to the “Valentine Room.” On weekends the waiters and waitresses entertain a packed dinner crowd. Twice weekly other entertainment is found here. Dinner is served here on weekends only.
Once Upon a Stove is menu choices are flavorful and eclectic
The cuisine at Once Upon a Stove is flavorful and eclectic. Keeping with the trend, there is no skimping on the portions here. Both the luncheon and dinner menus are extensive. Luncheon : Mushroom and Fine Herbs Omelet ($3.50), Crêpe of Seafoods ($4.75), and Stuffed Baked Clams en Casserole ($4.25). Dinner, Baked Seafood Provençal (shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops, touch of garlic butler, trickle of wine, topped with marinara) ($7.95), Boeuf au Fromage (Sirloin sautéed with a sauce of Roquefort and Parmesan cheeses) ($7.75), and Breast of Chicken Cordon Bleu (ham, cheese and Sherry sauce) ($6.25).
For an appetizer, we tried Ratatoulli Crêpe Parmigiana (eggplant, zucchini, green peppers and tomatoes) ($1.95) and Seafood Crêpe Parmesan ($2.95) and found each just cheesy and delicious enough to leave us with that, wish-we-had-another-bite, feeling. All of the seafood dishes were very good. Thick scallops and large chunks of shrimp and crabmeat. If the menu said it was filled with fish, then it was filled with fish. Mussel lovers weren’t slighted either. Those served were both plump and tasty.
Desserts for sweet tooth cravers
There is a list of desserts for sweet tooth cravers. Those we tried were quite good. Some possibilities: Chocolate Mousse ($1.50), Pecan Pie ($1.75), hot Apple Crumb Crêpe with Cinnamon ($1.60), Homemade Walnut Cheesecake ($1.75). Cheese Pudding with Blueberry Sauce ($1.50), won out as my favorite. It’s made with small sweet blueberries and has a cheesecake flavor. Sample it. That’s if you can find the room.
Once Upon a Stove offers daily gourmet specialties — Chicken and Shrimp Parmesan or Chicken Topped with Crab meat with Hollandaise sauce. Check with your waiter before making a final choice. Wines can be has by the glass, carafe or bottle; prices range from $1.50 to $6.
Whether you’re really hungry or just seeking a quick bite, Once Upon a Stove is an eatery you should try. The menu choices will delight taste buds, and, the atmosphere will intrigue you. Lunch — Monday to Friday 11 am. Dinner — 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. — Sunday to Thursdays — 5 p.m.- 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday — midnight.