Olive's

"Olive’s was a favorite of David Bowie’s, and you can still get the sandwich associated with him (chicken breast, watercress, and tomato on focaccia with chipotle mayo), along with soups and salads to eat at the small counter or in one of the nearby pocket parks." - Robert Sietsema

"Spring ahead to the next century, when Bowie was firmly installed in his Lafayette Street loft, and engaged in a regular round of daily activities. These could include a cup of coffee at La Colombe, shopping in Chinatown, and a stroll in Washington Square. One of the things he regularly did was eat a favorite sandwich at Olive’s, a shop that was then located on Prince between Greene and Wooster, but has since moved to 191 Prince Street, further west. It now occupies a shady corner premises, with a window for walk-up ordering. Bowie’s favorite sandwich — which shows, if nothing else, how the crooner’s tastes changed over the years — reflects no mention of him, either in the name of the sandwich or on the menu, indicating a certain discretion on the part of the owners Toni Allocca and Nick Hartman, who opened the shop in 1992. (By contrast, Emilio’s Ballato, another Bowie haunt, features snapshots of him on the walls.) The sandwich is called grilled marinated chicken breast ($11.50), which sounds like a dull way to start out, certainly not as rich and greasy as the earlier Bowie sandwich. The other ingredients, too, sound wholesome: tomato and watercress on split focaccia. But the dressing boosts this plain sandwich into orbit, a generous smearing of chipotle-laced mayo, which oozes out the sides and lubricates what turn out to be a perfect combo of ingredients. The chewy cress adds a bitter edge to what might have been a sandwich that’s more sweet than savory. Yet, Bowie’s 21st century sandwich has a healthy aura, perhaps more fitting to someone over 50 and health conscious than a touring rock star. It’s the kind of sandwich one can relish every day and not feel overstuffed, just the kind of thing to propel one of his famous walks around the city through parks and popping into the occasional boutique or newsstand — a proper stroll for a star who came to love New York City the same way we do." - Robert Sietsema