I was walking up Broadway today and noticed that the empty storefront next to Picnic was under construction. Guess what’s going in there? Another Dunkin’ Donuts! Just what the neighborhood needs….

There are alternatives to the ubiquitous chain. One will be the Shake Shack, which apparently is set to open in early October. The one that’s going up opposite the Museum of Natural History on Columbus won’t exactly look like a shack, but it will have those great burgers and to-die-for ice cream concoctions.

Another is Provincia, right next to the towering new apartment building at 100th and Broadway. Provincia is a cute little place that serves sandwiches, smoothies, and excellent iced coffee. I’ve sampled a couple of their pastries and they’re uniformly good. These days, with the weather verging on the subtropical, they have planted two palm trees in pots outside the front door. It’s a tiny bit of Caribbean glamor on Broadway.

Across the street, is Sura, a Thai place that has been in business a few months. I haven’t sampled it yet, but it was bustling at lunch time. The menu includes dishes like garlic black pepper with shrimp and steamed fillet of flounder with soy vinaigrette. Nothing costs more than $16.00.

Provincia
2623 Broadway
New York, NY
212 666 6168

Sura
2656 Broadway
New York, NY
212 665 8888

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