The popular M. Wells in Long Island City will have horse meat on its menu soon, and it’s raising some eyebrows. Lori Bordonaro reports.
Horse meat is not something New Yorkers are accustomed to eating, but it will soon be added to the menu at the M. Wells Diner in Queens.
"It doesn't sound appetizing to me, but that's their prerogative," remarked neighbor Dave Nellhaus.
M. Wells opens Thursday inside the MoMA P.S. 1 Museum in Long Island City, an iteration of its former eatery, which shuttered in August 2011 amid a rent dispute with the landlord.
Last year, Congress lifted a ban on the slaughter of horses in the U.S., although there is no real market for human consumption of horse meat in the states. Many Americans consider horses to be pets, but in some European and Asian countries, it's seen as a delicacy.
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"I've been to France a number of times, and I know they eat horse meat," said Jan Murtha. "It was one of the few things I learned to say in French, to make sure I recognized it on the menu and never ordered it."
But other say the unique addition is part of a growing trend in a diverse neighborhood.
"We do have a very European-specific base, so in that sense, it fits together well," said Jennifer Brandon, a former intern at P.S. 1.
"I actually go to restaurants here that serve ostrich, wild boar," said another Long Island City resident.
The owner of M. Wells said horse meat won't be on the menu on opening day, but he plans to add it soon.
