The Upper West Side is one of my favorite places to dine and dish in, primarily because it is made up of moderately sized locations that are filled with some of the tastiest cuisines in the entire city. Guyer’s, on 74th and Columbus, has some delicious food and drink like most other places do, but they don’t have a major secret ingredient that sets it apart from the pack. Here’s what it is.
The secret ingredient is none other than Cindy Guyer, owner of Guyer’s for the past two years, who makes you feel like you are at home immediately upon your arrival.
Cindy, who is known as the “Female Fabio”, has a major history in the entertainment and publishing world outside of the restaurant industry. She has been on the cover of thousands of romance novels, has appeared in major motion pictures and was on the first season of The Real Housewives of New York City and a subject on Millionaire Matchmaker.
This little ball of energy and fun came into my life about two years ago, only a couple of months after she opened Guyer’s, when I stopped by with a musical theater friend of mine to try out her new brunch menu. It was a snow storm out there, so sadly it was only me and my friend for a bit, however her warm presence and friendly demeanor made us feel so welcome and cozy that the food she provided was just the cherry on top of an already delicious cake.
That sentiment rang similar to our experience a week or two ago, where me and my two friends stopped by and hopped into her corner table. The food that was provided, thanks to the on-boarding of a fantastic new chef was super yummy, as it scoured the culinary universe with items like fresh Salmon, flatbread pizza, shrimp and so much more. She kept the drinks going all night as well.
You don’t really get this hospitality out there in the restaurant world anymore. Sure, there are friendly waitstaff who read the specials and the manager in a suit who comes by to check on you, but no one really goes above and beyond like they used to when it comes to making your customer satisfied. Cindy does that, and if there is one major reason to go to Guyer’s outside of leaving stuffed and happy, then that is it.
Guyer’s is located at 286 Columbus Avenue between 73rd and 74th street.