Friday, June 4, 2010

Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks Shop


Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks is a used and out-of-print vintage cookbook store located at 163 West Tenth Street, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan.


It is one of my favorite places to visit whenever I am in the area.


It's a cozy little store crammed with cookbooks of all genres. some dating back to the 1800s.


There are also many nostalgic vintage collectibles on display.


Bonnie's cookbook specialties are New York restaurants and food, culinary ephemera, etiquette books, housekeeping manuals, baking books, Jewish cookbooks, restaurant postcards, and handmade greeting cards.


Ms. Slotnick opened her shop in October 1997, after careers as a freelance artist and a cookbook editor.


The majority of the cookbook are American, but there’s also a generous selection of European titles, and some antiquarian culinary magazines, both American and foreign.


The day I visited this little boy happily played while his mother searched for a certain book title. 

There is an interesting interview with Bonnie Slotnick on this NPR "All Things Considered" show, along with a fascinating 1911 "Scripture Cake" recipe copied from one of the cookbooks that were for sale in her store.


The over 4,000 cookbooks are well organized by genre on the shelves and Bonnie has extensive knowledge of her inventory.  She also welcome telephone inquires if you are searching for a rare or out of print cookbook.  Her books are not used book bargains, but they are not overly expensive either.  If you find a copy of a cookbook that you've been searching for, that you remember your Mother or Grandmother using, perhaps it would be a priceless treasure for you!


photo source:  Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks web site

Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks is usually open six days a week, but Bonnie highly recommends calling ahead, 212-989-8962, for the store hours, as they vary.

 I enjoyed looking at her collection of children's cookbooks, as many of their illustrations were delightful!  Bonnie told me that early copies of the Betty Crocker cookbook are often the ones most searched for in her store. If you visited Bonnie's store what type of cookbook would you look for?

*Update January 2015
Bonnie is moving her cookbook shop to a new address.  She will be located at 28 East 2nd Street in Manhattan, beginning sometime sin February 2015.  It will be a larger space than what she had here. Wishing her the best of luck in her new location!


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46 comments:

Catherine said...

That`s my kind of store! I love any vintage cookbook.

Terra said...

Another blogger sent me over here and I love the cookbook store that you are posting about. I've not visited it, but like the photos of crowded shelves of old books. Can you tell I am a librarian, writer and reader!

Carol said...

What a great store, I could spend hours there! Pat, you really find the best things to do in the city! This is great!

A 2 Z said...

How fun is that shop! I would probably spend a few hours in there and also lots of money. Its priceless. I loooooove New York! Thanks for sharing!

Anne-Marie

Joanne Kennedy said...

Oh to bad I didn't live closer. I'm having a garage sale this week and have two big boxes full of older cook books that I'm selling. I could have sent them to her.

Hugs,
Joanne

Judy said...

I like that place...already! What can I say...I love cookbooks.

I had an early edition Betty Crocker cookbook...among my favorites. I found a much less-worn copy in a used book store...and passed my original one along to my DIL.

Anonymous said...
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My name is Riet said...

That place would be heaven for me. I love love cookbooks. I only think it would be so difficult to choose.Wobnderful post Pat.

Allie and Pattie said...

Pat, I've never heard of this place! I'd be lost in there for days!! What a fabulous concept!!! You find the very best of NY always
xoxo Pattie

Maria M. Boyer said...

OMG, Pat! I've been there! I went on a bookstore tour of NYC a few years back with my book group, and this was definitely THE BEST stop! One of the girls collects old cookbooks; I can't tell you what book she found, but boy, was she excited. I personally was drawn to the many different copyrights available of the Betty Crocker Cookbook -- in my eyes, the most practical cookbook ever written. I'm with Pat, readers! If you can get there, GO!! Thanks for the post, Pat!! Good weekend...

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

My husband is such a great cook and has quite a collection of cookbooks, but nothing like these! Oh, how I wish we lived closer to that place!!!

Old Kitty said...

Oh wow! What a gem of a bookshop! Who knew there were so many cookery books??? I wonder if there'd be Mrs Beeton's cookbooks?? That would be amazing!! What a wonderful place. I loved that Scripture cake btw, ingredients gleaned from the scriptures - just put together and beat! :-)

I love that little boy in the green shirt looking straight at the camera.

Yay Ms Slotnick for such a fabulously eccentric and invaluable enterprise. :-)
Take care
x

pam said...

Oh my...I imagine that is a really fun store. I LOVE my ancient cookbooks...some written without accurate measurements...a pinch of this a smidge of that.

diane b said...

Whoohoo you could have hours of fun in there.

Lisa's RetroStyle said...

How cool! I could spend hours in there. I don't think I would be looking for one type of book in particular...rather just looking for the most unusual. I like unique...and I bet she's got lots of unique!

nycstylelittlecannoli said...

Probably Italian desserts! What a great shop! I will have to make a note of it when I am next in the village. Thank you! More to add to my collection of cookbooks. (we have that many it's now a collection!!)

nycstylelittlecannoli said...

I just google mapped her shop and gosh we were right in that area for our tour!! It started at Christopher Park....will be sure to check it out as I know the area pretty well now. Perfect example of how you can miss things right under your nose!! Thanx again for the post!!

Junie Moon said...

A store devoted to cookbooks, oh be still my heart! Thanks for sharing this as it is truly is a delightful resource.

RoeH said...

I'm not sure I like all those cookbooks or the architecture of that building. I think the building wins out. I just love OLD. Except for me, that is.

Laura in Paris said...

What a great shop! I am not sure I'd be able to find a book ... seems too overwhelming, too many books, too many recipes ... but I love the concept!

Maggie said...

How I would love to while away an hour or two in this wonderful place, it looks amazing.
Great T for Turkey post too, what a character!
Thanks for stopping by the Presbytere, come back again soon, the door's always open.
Maggie

Ciao Chow Linda said...

How could I have missed that shop all these years. Now I have some dangerous perusing ahead of me. Thanks for the info.

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Just a little something from Judy said...

Without a doubt I could lose track of time in this store. I was so excited to see each of the pictures and to hear about this special lady. Since I collect cookbooks, love to read cookbooks and enjoy anything vintage...you can just imagine how thrilled I would be to visit this shop. Thanks for sharing it.

CatHerder said...

oh my! now that looks like my cup of tea!

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

I have seen this store featured in a magazine a few years ago...was it Victoria? I've never forgotten it...and if I ever get to your side of the country I will do my best to visit this wonderful bookstore!

RNSANE said...

What a treasure that place is. I have over five hundred cookbooks, collected over my world wide travels and from my early years when I did some catering. I rarely cook any more and many of these will be up on Craig's list when I downsize and move to much smaller quarters. In the last ten year's, I have seldom even looked at all my cookbooks so I guess I can part with them more easily.


At 65, I've done it! My poetry book - Life's Journey by Carmen Henesy - is out on Amazon!
( Poems about the things that have been important to me in my journey through life, some humorous, some sad, some that may have meaning to you as well )
http://www.amazon.com/Lifes-Journey-1-Carmen-Henesy/dp/1451547366/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274652997&sr=1-1

Joyce said...

You find the most interesting places. I have been to the Strand on E 12th but not to this bookstore. Next time I come into NY we must have lunch and walk the streets. I once lived in the Village and miss it.
Joyce

Sheila said...

Thank you for the great visit to that bookstore. It felt like I was right inside. I'll mention it to my daughter who is off to New York this month. I'll look forward to seeing more fascinating New York places with your camera's lens.

Tales From My Empty Nest said...

I would love to visit that store. I love cookbooks of any type. How neat to have so many all in one place. Love & blessings from NC!

Gwendolen Elaine said...

I have been just poring over these photos.I love this post:)Thank you so much for sharing!

Claudia said...

Right on the block where I lived for three? four? years. Heaven. I do love NYC cookbooks - next time I am in NYC... hoping in September.

Vee said...

What an adorable little store. I don't think I've seen one so tiny before. As I'm always trying to get rid of cookbooks (they take up too much space for my preferences) I wouldn't be looking for one. Cookbooks just seem to come to me on their own. Now, pray tell, what did you find?

That little boy is so cute!

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

lovely bookstore,
thank you for the informative and lovely tour!

jeff campbell said...

Pat...this is waaaay cool. Thanks...

Trotter said...

Hi Pat! I've been at that one some years ago...

Blogtrotter Two is departing Turkey 2009! Enjoy the views and have a great week ahead!!

nanny said...

Oh I could just get lost in that store for hours!
Not sure what kind I would look for...probably just good home cooking from years ago!!!

Personalized Sketches and Sentiments said...

Oh! I love cookbooks!!!! What a neat place to go! If ever I get the chance to get to New York...I will have to remember this place!

Blessings & Aloha!

steviewren said...

What a great little shop to browse away a few hours inside. I love restaurant postcards and kitschy kitchen stuff.

aliceinparis said...

FABULOUS! I would LOVE to hang out there for an hour or two.My kind of shop. I am so sorry I missed you in NYC. We had a WONDERFUl and very busy time. What bad timimg:( I am already dreaming of going back!

The Quintessential Magpie said...

What a wonderful, WONDERFUL store! New York must have the best shopping on earth. You are so blessed, and they are blessed to have you as one of their cheerleaders!

XO,

Sheila

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Wow--what an incredible place, Pat. I could spend about a year in that place... Just seeing the old vintage cookbooks is amazing...I'd love it.
Hugs,
Betsy

Proud Italian Cook said...

I could spend hours there, my favorite thing to read. I love the quantness (is that a word?) of that shop!

Gracie said...

You know what? This shop reminds me of the library owned by Meg Ryan in "You got mail".....

Lorrie said...

What an appealing shop Pat--I just love the way it looks, and I love cookbooks too, so I have no doubt that I could spend many happy hours browsing there.

Unknown said...

Oh how I love your posts. Love the Montauk post and the Ukrainian Post and this book store! You always do have such wonderful things to post about. Missing you. Stop in soon!