The Upper East Side’s most beloved neighborhood restaurant is moving, expanding into a new, larger space. Will this tiny, hidden gem – our go-to spot for comfort food – lose its charm? Before we answer that, let’s take a look back at its origin story.
We can’t quite believe it’s been more than 12 years since Blue Collar opened its doors at a tiny, 800-square-foot spot at 6730 Biscayne Blvd. Cozy and charming, the lunchboxes that decorated its walls were a nod to the working lives of the clientele that favored the restaurant’s homey menu.
At the time, Blue Collar was in an unexpected location. Think back and you’ll remember that this strip of Biscayne Boulevard in the MiMo District was far different from what it is now. In the early 2000s, though some treasured remnants of its signature MiMo style remained, the area was arguably seedy, with run-down motels where drug deals were likely going down. There was also a plethora of other vices on display, including strip joints and street corner sex workers.
The new Blue Collar restaurant at 6789 Biscayne Blvd.
It took real chutzpah to open up a new business in the heart of this iffy strip, and the foresight to imagine what Biscayne Boulevard would become today: a bustling corridor filled with chic renovated motels, trendy restaurants, interior design showrooms, plant nurseries and garden centers, and other thriving endeavors.
Through all the changes over the years, the restaurant has remained a mainstay of this neighborhood in the making. Now, Blue Collar (305.756.0366) is moving to 6789 Biscayne Blvd., right across the street from its current space at #6730.
The grand reopening has been delayed but it’s now expected to happen this month – and grand is the operative word. The new space is 4,000 square feet, spacious enough for a full bar and indoor and outdoor patio seating. It will also boast a great new look that embraces the neighborhood’s midcentury, MiMo aesthetic.
(Courtesy of Blue Collar)
Blue Collar’s Chicken Parmesan
For chef-restaurateur Danny Serfer, the talent behind Blue Collar and its sister, Mignonette (305.374.4653), located at 210 NE 18th St. in Miami, the expansion is full of hope and promise.
“I’m the first guy to complain that when a small awesome place expands, it loses that original magic, so this move and what it means for Blue Collar and its fans weighs heavily on me,” he said.
But a much larger kitchen that allows Serfer to expand his menu, and space for a full bar and seating for 140, was too good to pass up.
The spotlight is on the new, crafted-from-scratch bar, with an emphasis on classic cocktails such as martinis, old fashioneds and cosmos.
“People looking for handlebar-mustachioed mixologists and drinks that take 30 minutes to make should get their kicks elsewhere,” Serfer said, only half joking.
There’s a great happy hour – you might want to leave work a little early so you don’t miss too much of it.
Most of Blue Collar’s signature menu items remain, from the Billy Corben sandwich, the restaurant’s legendary braised brisket on a Portuguese muffin with a side of latkes and applesauce, and the Big Ragout, brisket, veal shoulder, pork shoulder and pancetta on a sesame roll with fries.
(Courtesy of Blue Collar)
Blue Collar’s Brisket and Latkes
On the newly expanded daily menu are soups, chops and pastas, some of the latter made fresh in-house. There’s a soup of the day option and matzah ball soup on the menu year-round, and also breads baked in-house.
Serfer is working out the kinks, and some of the dishes you’ll likely see on the new menu include a cheeseburger, Cuban sandwich and pepperoni pizza. More upscale options such as mushroom and goat cheese croquettes with fig jam, shawarma – lamb shoulder with Israeli couscous, saffron, pita, hummus and tahini – Swedish meatballs with toast and gravy, and sticky toffee pudding will also be available.
And for those worried that prices will go up, the menu is still affordable and approachable, and the portions are still generous.
“Part of Blue Collar’s success has been its pricing, and I’m not looking to change that in the new space,” Serfer said. “A larger menu and more seats did not indicate, for me, a chance to spike our prices. I can assure folks that the new Blue will embrace the same spirit, menu concept and pricing as the classic, but will bring just enough of the right ‘new’ to make it work. The new Blue will maintain that spirit of accessibility; it’ll just offer more for people to access.”
(Courtesy of Blue Collar)
A peak inside the Blue Collar restaurant at its new 6789 Biscayne Blvd. location.
Another plus is that parking abounds in a nearby free lot and on the street.
But what about the old space? What’s going to happen to that home of so many delicious memories – from the chaos of the at-capacity brunches to peak-hour takeout madness and bustling lunches?
“It’s staying in the family,” said Serfer. “The space is precious to me, and I’ll be introducing something 100% new there when the time is right.”
Irene Moore is a Miami-based writer and certified sommelier whose vivid descriptions take readers through culinary cultures around the world.