By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — After more than two years of construction, an organic restaurant has taken the place of Papaya Dog, a beloved bargain spot for hot dogs that used to sit at Broadway and 177th Street.
Instead of the $2 weiners and juice combo that made its predecessor a local institution, Pick and Eat, at 4179 Broadway, will offer a menu that includes $7 to $12 tossed salads with organic toppings, a $7.49 antibiotic-free Angus burger, $9 to $11 brick oven wood-roasted pizzas, a $6.99 chickpea burger and a garden vegetable omelet that could cost anywhere from $5 to $8.
The times, they are a changing.
Uptown foodies excited about the healthier eating option said the eatery couldn't have existed five years ago.
"Washington Heights never used to have this kind of food," said Henry Morris, 12-year-resident of the area as he ordered a $6.49-priced banana smoothie a few days after the restaurant opened on Jan. 11.
"It's promising to see small business owners taking a chance here and give us food that isn’t deep fried."
Owner Alex Peralta, 33, said the restaurant owed its creation to the "migration of a lot of educated people moving to Washington Heights."
"This community deserves something like this," he said. "There is an awareness in the people now [of] what is good and not good for you."
Peralta said he planned to bake his own bread by summer.
Pick and Eat also has a wine and beer bar.
The two-floor restaurant, which was built with re-purposed wood and lit with LED lighting, seats approximately 30 people upstairs, and offers free Wi-Fi for patrons, something residents have been requesting for years.
“It’s that kind of detail in a place here in the community that makes this a great place to work,” said Camilo Almonacid, 31, who works in customer service and the counter at Pick and Eat.
Peralta, a Dominican Republic native previously lived in Washington Heights and Inwood during the 1990s, but now live in 20-minutes away in New Jersey, after returning from a temporary stint living and studying culinary arts in Santo Domingo.
Although his background was not always in food, he said his upbringing on a farm, his work ethic and his willingness to learn what his clients needed and wanted would combine to make this a successful venture.
“I come from a family that has been in business for 40 years,” Peralta said. “We know what it means to mingle with customers.”
