It all started with a matchbook. New York restaurateur Alexandra Shapiro was looking online for inspiration on what to do with an empty restaurant space. While googling old New York menus, she stumbled on a matchbook on Etsy from Hoexters, a popular Upper East Side restaurant her father ran in the ’70s and ’80s with a two-star review from famed New York Times critic Mimi Sheraton.
“I said, ‘Well, that’s it. We’re reopening Hoexters,’” Shapiro says, recalling that she texted her father to confirm as soon as she found the matches. “It was that simple.”
But there’s more to it than Shapiro initially lets on. Hoexters [pronounced Hexters] is where her parents met. Her father was the owner, and her mother brought in her sister one night for a birthday dinner. Her parents had drinks together at the bar that night, went on their first date the following night, and the rest is history. “If it wasn’t for Hoexters, I wouldn’t be here,” she says.
There are a few nods to the original—the hit gorgonzola garlic bread, a massive mural in the dining room—but for the most part, this new Hoexters is entirely original, and what Shapiro calls, “approachable and delicious.”
Read on for how to have the best time at the all-new Hoexters.
What to eat
“The inspiration came from talking to a bunch of people and asking them, ‘What’s the one thing that when it’s on a menu you must order it?’” Shapiro says about the predominantly Italian- and French-influenced dishes—though nothing at the restaurant is particularly pigeonholed by any cuisine.
An appetizer and an entree would easily be enough for a person, but Shapiro says Hoexters is best enjoyed when everyone’s up for sharing. Much like at the original Hoexters, the crispy gorgonzola bread is non-negotiable.
From there, keep building on for an epic meal. Think a plump, juicy shrimp cocktail or the luxurious chips and caviar to start alongside the bread; then choose between a salad like the zippy chopped Italian with salami, provolone, and pepperoncini peppers or the Caesar with shaved winter vegetables; and go all-out with a main like the half roast chicken with salsa verde or the double smash cheeseburger.
Here’s an inside tip: Ask your server about the off-menu items. The roast beef sandwich that’s served a few nights a week has been making waves recently.
What to drink
There’s a 100-bottle-strong wine list (including several options by the glass) and a decent beer selection, but it’s the cocktails at Hoexters that really steal the show.
Old-time hits like the cognac-focused East India, the rum-based Hemingway Daiquiri, and the Eastside with vodka and lime star on the classics section of the cocktails list (there’s also a stellar chilled martini, of course). More unique drinks like the Sister Rachel with Japanese whiskey and yuzu and the Grandma Terry with vermouth and a caviar bump on the side make up the signature cocktails. “There is something for everyone,” Shapiro says.
Where to sit
A 20-foot mural done in 1978 hangs in the center of the space and immediately draws your attention once you’re in. It’s a piece of the original Hoexters and is based off a photograph that shows a lively night at the restaurant with people drinking and smoking as seen from the bartender’s perspective.
That sets the tone for the warm hospitality you’ll still experience in the new restaurant—the spacious leather booths in green and red interspersed with the bistro-style tables means Hoexters is just as good for a romantic night out as it is for a comfortable meal with your crew.
“I know as a diner, I always like delicious, big flavor and comfortable places,” Shapiro says. “I don’t want anything fussy, anything too stuffy, I just want to have a good time.”
When to go
Hoexters is open Sunday to Thursday from 5 pm to 10 pm and Friday and Saturday from 5 pm to 11 pm.
Tanay Warerkar is a content marketing manager at OpenTable
