@slatecafenyc / Instagram
Slate Cafe, a Manhattan-based cafe and coffee bar with locations in Nomad and Midtown, plans to open at 2109 Broadway (between 73rd and 74th streets) on February 5.
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The all-day cafe was founded by husband-and-wife duo Zach Israel and Ashley Jaffe, former Upper West Side residents who now live in Battery Park City with two small children. Sensing the need for an establishment that offered the rare combination of great coffee and exceptional food, the couple opened their flagship location on East 30th St. and Madison Ave. in 2015, with the Midtown East location following in 2019. The eatery was originally called Blank Slate but became Slate Cafe in June of 2023 following a contentious legal scuffle with Blank Street Coffee.
Situated at the foot of the historic Ansonia, the UWS location will feature nods to the neighborhood and the building following an extensive renovation that included breaking down walls to create more room. The space was previously home to Margot Patisserie which closed its doors in May 2022 after serving the neighborhood for almost three decades.
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“We fell in love with the building,” Jaffe told ILTUWS. “We saw the Ansonia and said, ‘What is this building? We need to be a part of it.'”
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The effects of the pandemic on the commuter rush in Manhattan influenced the couple’s decision to expand to the UWS. Early on in the cafe’s history, the primary focus was the Midtown work crowd: coffee in the early morning and mid-afternoon with the lunch rush sandwiched in between. But the realities of remote work led Jaffe and Israel to explore busy neighborhoods outside of the Midtown area in the search for Slate Cafe’s third location.
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Breakfast menu highlights for the Broadway location are expected to include avocado toast with spicy honey, bacon scramble (aged cheddar, caramelized onions with toasted country bread), and the breakfast bowl (warm farro, kale, wild mushrooms, butternut squash, feta cheese, avocado, sunny side up egg with pepita cilantro drizzle). Lunch will feature bestsellers like the pesto chicken bowl, rustic chicken sandwich, and brussel sprout caesar. Small plates rounding out the menu will include an all-new BLT flatbread and green goddess chicken salad sandwich.
Once open, Slate Cafe’s hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. For more info, visit the website at SlateCafe.com.
Margot Patisserie inside The Ansonia will be sorely missed for years by this Upper Westsider….their quiches and especially their coconut croissants were to die for. Yes, I know nearby Epices Bakery on 70th, just off Columbus, has incredible French-style baked goods but I’ve never seen nor heard of coconut croissants anywhere but Margot. I shed a tear every time I remember that they’re no longer open. I wish Slate well but the post-Covid rents being charged many of these new Upper Westside establishments from new bar/restaurants to dine-in bakeries cum coffee and salad bars are so high they have no way to recoup it except for charging ridiculous prices for the wonderful savory and sweet baked goods they make in the back. I try to support them as best I can but the ludicrous prices — like the drink prices at Scarlet, Michael Imperioli and wife’s new price gouging bar/cafe — make it impossible to go beyond a first or second visit. $24 drinks translates to $30 drinks with tax and tip = sheer insanity. Quitting alcohol or abstaining from dinking outside the home is what it’s leading to and I suppose that’s not a bad idea all things considered.
I agree. It used to be possible to go to Patisserie Margot and get just an espresso, or an espresso and a small pastry. I bet that won’t be possible in the new café.
Do we all yearn for the days of Patisserie Margot and stopping in for an espresso and croissant?? Yess of course we do and as much as I shed two tears every time I think of it being gone I know that we must move on and welcome this new business because frankly that is what Margot would want us to do. So this Upper West Sider will definitely be giving Slate Cafe a chance in hopes that it becomes our “nouveau Margot”.
The article about Slate Cafe opening at the Ansonia is super exciting! It’s awesome to see a cafe founded by a husband-and-wife team who are passionate about bringing great coffee and exceptional food to the Upper West Side. Their journey from the flagship location in Nomad to expanding across Manhattan is inspiring, especially after overcoming legal challenges. The menu sounds delicious, with highlights like avocado toast with spicy honey and the breakfast bowl, making my mouth water already. Plus, the dedication to incorporating local flavors and the neighborhood’s vibe into the cafe’s atmosphere is really cool. I can’t wait to visit Slate Cafe and experience their cozy ambiance and tasty offerings firsthand!