I left work at around 11:30pm, Tuesday night, June 17th. I took my usual E train and as usual got off on 42nd and 8th Ave. As usual, I then take the bus and go straight home to West New York. But this time I did not go straight home. I was hungry and so I walked to Kodama sushi, my favorite sushi restaurant. Unfortunately (or fortunately I should say), Kodama sushi was already close. But I was hungry and determined to find a place where I could eat something healthy and delicious at the same time.
I know that as a healthy eater, eating close to your bedtime is not ideal and definitely not recomended. I regularly try to have my last meal three to four hours before my bedtime, however not tonight. Tonight I was hungry and wanted to eat. Since Kodama sushi was closed, it’s not like I had many options at this hours of the night (it was past midnight), but then again, I was in New York City—the city that never sleeps. I stepped into Iron Bar. Many times before I have passed by this place, yet I had never attempted to go in, but tonight I did. They serve food until 2 am. Yes, I know we are into healthy eating and not eating very late, but sometimes we eat late.
What was so special to me about this place, was that as soon as I walked in, Pierro, the host was so naturally hospitable. I am very critical of hospitality as it is my field of expertise. Pierro handed me a menu; I took a look at the options. I noticed that among their selection of dishes, they had some salads and gourmet pizza with smoke salmon. I wanted to eat some fish (that’s why I had originally headed to Kodama sushi), but I definitely did not want to eat pizza, especially at this late hours. So I asked Pierro if they could do a salad for me with the smoke salmon. Pierro very kindly asked me which salad did I want and he even suggested one of the options—the beet salad.
Once I decided to go with his suggestion, he then introduced me to Jason, the restaurant manager. He asked Jason if they could make a special order for me. Jason shared this was the first time they were making this change (the salmon is only used on the pizza with smoked salmon), however, he did not hesitate and immediately sought to make the special order—the beet salad with the smoked Salmon. Jason then had a server assist me to a table. When I received my salad, I was not disappointed. They exceeded my expectations. This is one of the best salads I’ve ever eaten. I also enjoyed the ambience of Iron bar; it is very inviting. The décor is an open floor plan with tall windows; wide doors that make you feel the outdoor is part of the indoor, and high ceiling. On the bar side, it has a series of TVs aligned for sports fans.
Thank you to the team at Iron Bar for accommodating my needs, to Pierro in particular for giving me such a warm welcome when I walked into the place. I for sure will be back.
Thank you,
Querin