Yura on Madison

Proprietor and chef Yura Mohr opened this niché café on the Upper East Side to cater to businesspeople and busy moms on the go. The menu offers a refreshing selection of quick bites from sandwiches to salads and conveniently boxed lunches, which can be enjoyed leisurely in the cool, tiled interiors of the café, or in Central Park on your lunch break. Yura is not the place for heavy red meats; instead, expect crisp vegetables in a classic Greek salad, punchy spinach and orange salad, sandwiches like salmon and cream cheese, and artfully created eggplant pinwheels. There’re also lovely hors d’oeuvres, from fun cheddar jalapeño poppers to more sophisticated nibbles, like blackened salmon brochettes with chive. Stephanie Nelson relies on Yura for dinner for her family on those nights when, “it’s just too crazy to cook!”