Order On and Off the Menu at Barney Greengrass

Barney Greengrass, the self-proclaimed Sturgeon King, is one of my favorite stops in Manhattan. The cramped, two-room restaurant looks like it's hardly changed since its beginnings in 1908.

You don't want to pass up the smoked fish at Barney Greengrass. Nova, whitefish or sable. A platter is served with potato salad or cole slaw, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, lemon, cream cheese, and two bagels or bialys. Get the bialys.

On my last visit, my family and I couldn't resist the blintzs. They looked terrific, and they tasted even better. We were stuffed.

But then I saw a plate of potato pancakes pass by. If only I had known about the latkes, I would have ordered them too. But they weren't on the menu. On the weekends, people in the know order off-menu, and they order latkes. Next time I will too.

--Tracy Schneider