#InauguralReview #Margon Since 1970 by #LupeRivas and #RafaelRivas #Cuban #Dominican 136 West 46th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues #TimesSquare
Peachy Deegan's favorite, the Grilled Cheese!
It's not who you know it's WHOM YOU KNOW and we know Lupe Rivas! If you're reading us you already know that sometimes the best of Manhattan means living in Connecticut first, and in this case, Lupe hails from Waterbury, Connecticut and originally, the Dominican Republic. In 1970, two people from Cuba came to New York and they started Margon; they were named MARtinez and GONzalez. In 1983 not only were Cabbage Patch Kids hot but so was Lupe! That is the year she began at Margon, and it is a well-kept secret tucked into 46th street in Times Square. In July of 1986, Lupe became the owner of Margon and today, she owns it with her husband, Rafael Rivas. He is equally welcoming but she is clearly the star of the show here; she is like the sun and he is like the moon and they make a great team.
Margon is a source of pride and joy for them. When you enter, you will experience Lupe! Her sparkling personality is like a ray of sunshine as soon as you meet her and not only is it a source of pride but also it's quite literally family history because this is where they met and they have three kids now. We began with the Cubano Sandwich, which hits the spot on a cold day especially. In equal portions, ham, roast pork and salami team up with swiss cheese, dill pickles, yellow mustard and mayo to combine into a zesty, savory delight. Margon might be the most casual place we have ever published on; come here in your jeans but not your ball gown and make one of the 50 seats yours.
Meet the octopus salad! Everyone that lives here in Manhattan can relate to the octopus because we are so busy. It's light and refreshing and balances out anything heavy you may feast upon. The octopus itself is fresh and sliced thin, and there's a great ratio of ingredients to each other including red and green bell peppers, red onions and black pepper. The dressing is vinegar, lemon, vegetable oil and salt to taste. The Shrimp Ceviche salad, below, is also quite convincing and equally very good. We would love to see many more salad options because of the health component and because Lupe has showed us she makes them well. This is our first visit ever to Margon and we believe possibly the only Cuban or Dominican place we have published on ever.
The Chicken Sandwich, under Specialty Sandwiches, is a triumph. Sandwiches at Margon measure eight inches and are on Cuban bread, authenticating your experience. The bread is toasted and the magnificent shredded chicken with lettuce, tomato and cheese announces that Lupe is in it to win it. Under Hot Everyday Entrees, discover Roast Chicken, which is tremendously delicious. Saffron, wine, black pepper and fresh garlic make it even better! "Pollo Asado" boasts juicy dark meat that will enchant you and put a huge smile on your face in these single digit temperatures especially.
We were happy to hear they use Perdue Chicken and we will tell Mover and Shaker Mitzi Perdue, fabulous ENTJ! (In the meantime, read all her books starting with this one and the Mitzi hit parade will continue imminently.) Note we never edit pictures. We publish reality and the truth is that Lupe is talented. We also like that you can see the food behind the glass so you know exactly what you are going to eat.
Margon is open six days a week and like Chick Fil A (if you own Chick Fil A we want to hear from you), not open on Sunday. Peachy's personal favorite here on our first visit was the Grilled Cheese, in equal parts Swiss Cheese and American Cheese. Lupe puts extra love in it (garlic) and it is unbelievable on a frigid day! The authentic, genuine hospitality at Margon make it even better.
Margon has a beer and wine license and Peachy and Lupe, who does all the cooking here, said cheers with the above to celebrate their new friendship. Coconut Flan sealed the fantastic Margon experience. We look forward to seeing what Margon does next.
