Many of you told us customer service is a lost art on the Lower East Side. A lot of places got one or two mentions, but no restaurant earned a vote of confidence from our readers in this category. We’re not talking about white-glove treatment here. Customer service, as far as we’re concerned, means that you get some kind of acknowledgement upon walking through the door, that you’re served in a timely manner and that someone asks whether everything’s OK.
A decade ago, Schiller’s Liquor Bar opened on Rivington Street and, in spite of serious misgivings on the part of many locals, swiftly won over much of the neighborhood by putting the customer–especially the ones who live in the neighborhood–first. If you saddled up to the bar more than once, the bartender knew your name and your drink of choice.
In the last couple of years, it’s been fun to watch the owners of a new spot embrace this philosophy and make it their own. At forgtmenot, on Division Street, Paul and Abby Sierros and Adam Heinbach created a totally authentic, laid-back community hangout for a rapidly growing circle of new and old friends. The food, including a delicious lamb pita, sauteed shrimp and a great burger served on an English muffin, is way better than it needs to be for a neighborhood watering hole.
But the food is not really the point. People keep coming back to forgtmenot because the owners make them feel welcome. So far, so good: this winter, the tiny restaurant is expanding into an adjoining space on Canal Street.
Forgtmenot 138 Division St. 212-431-8080Back to Best of the LES
