Restaurant Generational Change, Lobster Specials – Everyone knows restaurants have been hit hard by COVID-19. Closing, reopening, and closing some more. Some have reopened in the same location, like Burger Fi on 2nd Avenue in the 80s and Gracie Mews on 1st Avenue in the 80s. Some have opened in other locations. Or maybe not at all. Fortunately, in 2025, the timeless Lexington Candy Shop, which has been in the same place for 100 years, still stands on the corner of Lexington and 83rd Street. The owner, John Phillis, is the grandson of the founder. Although it is not a landmark under New York State law, it is a landmark not only for New Yorkers but also for tourists and visitors to MOMA and New York's cultural institutions, most of which are within walking distance.
During my usual stroll around the Upper East Side, I met Bobby Ochs, who I have introduced on these pages (I have helped him write his memoirs). Bobby Ochs: Bronx Kid, Restaurant Partner, and Stars – From Kasha Varnishkes to Caviar and Humble Pie) stumbled upon Home Kitchen on 84th Street between 3rd and Rex Avenues. He's lived and owned and operated restaurants on the UES for 50 years, but all of his restaurants (with some variation) aren't the same as they were when he first owned and operated Samantha's at 78th and 1st Street, then Mulholland Drive Cafe and Bobby O's with Patrick Swayze, Peaches with Marla Maples, and Nyla with Britney Spears. Those were the days of celebrity chefs and stars. So we wanted to know what drew him to Home Kitchen.
Here's the story: The week before Mother's Day, Bobby was taking his wife and daughter out to dinner. He spotted a sign hanging in the window of a canopy restaurant that read, “Lobster Specials on Tuesdays.” Perfect. His wife, Carolyn, loves lobster, but only for the ladies. Having never eaten at Home Kitchen, he went in to order something to go. It was early afternoon and a man was sitting at the bar. As the two were chatting, the owner came over and introduced himself. Peter Phillis was actually the fourth-generation great-grandson of the Lexington Candy Shop family. Bobby introduced himself and the two swapped stories about the restaurant. Peter explained that to reserve lobster for Tuesday, you had to make the reservation by Monday and the lobsters would be delivered fresh on Tuesday. Bobby thought, “This guy knows what he's doing,” and quickly reserved three two-pound lobsters. When he asked Peter if he could get a female lobster, Peter replied, “No problem,” and it was the same answer when Bobby requested a specific table. Bobby was impressed with Peter's friendliness, and true to his first impression, when Bobby, his wife Carolyn, and their daughter Samantha showed up for the female lobster dinner on Tuesday, Peter greeted them and showed them to their requested table. Everything went smoothly, from the perfectly crafted drinks and appetizers to the beautifully cooked lobsters (all females) that reportedly weighed at least two pounds, and it was one of the best dining experiences he'd had in a long time.
Bobby remembered lobster special nights at Samantha's, where a pound and a half of lobster came with corn and coleslaw for $14.95, and told himself that times have changed. But the Ochs got to enjoy lobster leftovers for the next three days, thanks to Bobby's homemade cooking. (Bobby says he's not a home cook, but we've heard that's not true.)
As Bobby munched on a hearty lobster, he watched 38-year-old Peter hard at work, and reminisced about the early days of Samantha's. The menu was American home cooking, just like Home Kitchen, and the atmosphere was neighborhood and homey. The customers were regulars, coming for lunch or dinner three or four days a week, celebrating birthdays and holidays. And the same thing was happening at Home Kitchen. Personally, I've never eaten at Home Kitchen, but I've heard good things about the potato latkes, chicken pot pie, and eggplant parmigiana. The menu also includes hummus and fried cauliflower, making the home and restaurant kitchens one and the same. It's comforting and gratifying to know that the children are now adults, living and working in Yorkville, starting restaurants and businesses, and carrying on the family tradition.