The Corner Store (Part 2)

Food: 9 | Atmosphere: 8.5 | Service: 10

Published September 1st, 2026

Well, well, well…. It’s been a while! (For me being active on an Ate Here profile, not necessarily on Substack, as this is the second post! Yay! Exciting things!) But do not worry! I still haven’t been cooking, and my phone is filled to the brim with images from places I visited this summer (RIP NYC Summer 26’). Oh, so many places. Oh my god. I’ve spent so much money.

Now, the restaurant we’re talking about today has been featured on @ate.here’s Instagram, but not yet on Substack (because there are only two posts. Duh). So if you find yourself wanting to hear more, be sure to hop on over there.

A reappearance is a treat for this specific restaurant, because it’s hard to get a reservation as it is, but for me? Well, now I’ve been twice! Call it luck, call it fate, call it persistence and your friends knowing the right people- whatever the case may be, maybe it’s a combination of all three, but I went to the Corner Store for a second time.

(My slutty little martini and Hector)

The first time around, in celebration of my graduation with two other people and Hector, was interesting, to say the least. This time, it was just Hector and me celebrating our departure from the job where we originally met. Just fyi, Hector and I were on a food bender that weekend, starting that Friday night with Daunt (our second time there as well) and ending the night on Sunday at Employees Only (to be continued on that...)

The first time Hector and I went to the Corner Store, we were both late. This time we showed up 30 minutes early to our reservation, to my dismay. And it’s not like I’m disrespectful and plan to show up late to reservations (I only do that for dates); it’s more that I don’t like waiting, which goes hand in hand with my dislike of waiting in lines. Time is precious; why waste it waiting? (Within reason) So as a compromise for my hatred for waiting and Hector’s goody two-shoes nature, we walked around SoHo arm and arm for 15 minutes while trying not to spoil the dinner conversation (catching up) and then waited inside by the bar for the other 15 minutes. We were promptly seated at our reserved time (something I pointed out to Hector, because we could have spent the additional 15 minutes doing something else besides waiting. But I digress.)

​Our first time at the Corner Store, we were seated at the table by the bar, probably because we were all late and were being punished. And this time, maybe because we were on time, maybe because Hector’s connection to our reservation was our waiter, we were seated in a beautiful back corner booth, somewhat concealed by red curtains with a mirror of sorts on the wall that I, of course, continued to look at myself in for the rest of the night. I love a slutty little back corner. Yum.

The Corner Store is known for many things, but one of the main ones, and one of the important ones, is their savory martinis. Last time, I stuck to only Pornstar Martinis, my tried and true, but this time around, I wanted to be just like all the other girls with their little martini drinks.

( Featuring: The Wagyu French Dip)

At this point, I have a working document called “something to know about me” because that is my most used sentence in these posts. So, something to know about me: I love prosciutto. I adore it. Since I was a child, I used to eat it by itself, straight from the package. Nothing crazy! Nothing abnormal! My favorite sandwich to this day is a sandwich from the bodega off the Metro Lorimer L train stop. The sandwich, called the crazy bitch, was featured in one of the original episodes of RHONY. The main ingredient of the sandwich is prosciutto. I love prosciutto.

All our server had to say to me was prosciutto, and I would have caved. And that’s basically what happened, because I didn’t realize there were melon notes in it until I took a sip. It tastes like perfect salty fruit. ( I love salty fruit.) And if it weren’t for Hector insisting that I have a Pornstar after (so that we could be matching), I would have gotten another one of those delicious little salty fruit martinis. Who doesn’t love some salty fruit? Because I sure do.

There were some repeats for round two: the Pizza Rolls, Wagyu French Dip, and Lobster Rolls. If you’re going to the Corner Store and don’t know what to order, this is your order. Plus the Cesar Salad. They’re delicious; they’re popular for a reason.

New Item #1: A surprise item. It was both a surprise when it arrived on our table, a treat from our server and friend, and a surprise now because I don’t remember what it is called. I’m assuming it was a summer menu special because, after looking through the menu provided online, I cannot find anything remotely close to it. So due to the lack of a set description, I will now provide you with a rendition of the experience of receiving and eating it, along with an image for your reference.

The surprise item that I cannot find the name of.

When it first arrived at our table, Hector and I turned the plate around a couple of times, debating what it was and whether it had been dropped off to us by mistake. After the back server saw our confusion, he informed us that it was a courtesy of the house. Still no explanation of what it was, which is fine by me because I love food surprises (and only food surprises) and both Hector and I are down to try anything once! We spent 7 minutes debating whether the red squares were watermelon or a new type of tomato we didn’t know about, because it would be very on-brand for the Corner Store to have a dish with an experimental tomato strain. The dish turned out to be their ceviche and watermelon salad or something along those lines. It has ceviche and watermelon. It was delicious.

New Item #2: There’s a backstory to this dish (and no image :( Sorry! ), one that our dear waiter explained multiple times to me, but, like, it involved sports and athletes, and I was two drinks in by then; I don’t really care about sports or athletes unless they’re women (#supportwomensports). Here’s what I remember: there’s this athlete. I’m pretty sure he’s a basketball player for the Knicks, but he could also be on the Mets or a football player, who knows. When he comes into the Corner Store, he always asks for the same thing: a spicy buffalo sandwich. And that night, the night Hector and I were there, they were offering a limited number of this sandwich to patrons (which makes me believe he was a Knicks player due to their recent win). I’ll keep it short and sweet: it was nothing special, at least nothing up to the caliber of what I would expect from the Corner Store, and this is not me blaming the Corner Store. I’m blaming the man who came up with this idea (because, in my opinion, all athletes have the palate of a child, and why are you coming to the Corner Store and demanding a chicken sandwich?). I told this to our waiter too; I have no shame.

Honestly, I have no notes, nor do I really have the right to have notes on the Corner Store (besides that chicken sandwich). They know what they are doing, period, the end.

And you know what, that apple pie is still one of the best god damn things I’ve ever put in my mouth (Apple pies: things to know about me, I love them!) I love that apple pie so much that our server remembered from the last time we had it and brought it out without me asking, and they also brought out their Samoa Sundae without the chocolate (because I’m allergic). ( And that’s good hospitality!)​

But like I said, no notes. And barely any memories except good company and great food. Soooooo…. Round 3?

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