Buzz: Open Archives
Five Guys Opens To West Village Non-Pandemonium
Remember all the hoopla surrounding the opening of burger joint Five Guys' first Manhattan location in Midtown? The people went bananas. Midtown Lunch and AHT were almost ready to camp out there. With that in mind, check out the utter pandemonium at the first work-week lunch at the the Guys' newest joint in the West Village. Just insanity. But really, what's the deal with the empty space? Consider one of the three following options: a) oversaturation of the market (is one Five Guys enough for Manhattan?); b) the place will never attract a heavy lunch crowd in a nabe without many office workers; or c) the public simply hasn't caught wind of the opening and when they do, they will indeed swarm. Either way, our work is done here: certified open.
· Tueday Opening Report: Friedmans and Five Guys Open [~E~]
· Burger Hotness Interlude: Day Two at Five Guys a Zoo [~E~]
Winter Vacation Update: 'inoteca, Mermaid Inn Return; Still Waiting on Westville
Here now, another check-in on three venues that have taken the opportunity of winter recess to pretty themselves anew.
1) 'inoteca has reopened. From GM David Massoni: "Our week went as planned and all projects were completed on time. Our most exciting change to the space is that we have added a second temperature controlled wine room to our Cantina space that features a small tasting table. Thank you for the support we look forward to opening some fantastic bottles of Vino with you in 2008." [EaterWire]
2) Mermaid Inn South, on Second Avenue, is back as well. "We open at 5 PM," says the operator currently manning the phones.
From the Inbox: "Amber, an UWS pan-Asian, has opened in the old Aegean space (221 Columbus; 70th and Columbus). The place, a Ruby-Foo's copycat, has a sushi bar, full bar, dim lighting, and a dizzyingly long and Asian-inclusive menu. Considering Lenge's demise, and the crowds, noise, and cost of the real Ruby Foo's, this spot looks promising. There is Toro, Stoli Elite, and it's open for lunch!" Sight unseen, we'll throw out the highly plausible theory that it's a sister restaurant to Amber on the Upper East Side. Oh, and Shill Probability: 37% [Eater Inbox]
Roosevelt Island Resto Scene Officially on the Rebound
Here's a feel-good story to kick off 2008: Roosevelt Island—an island so devoid of restaurants in mid-2007 that residents termed it "Soviet-like," wailing, "We have nothing here... my kids want pizza, and I have to go to Queens or wait 2 hours to get it delivered"—is fully on the rebound. Check out the crowd above at just-opened Plywood vet Nonno's, and this report from the scene by blogger Roosevelt Islander:
I never in my life thought I would write these words but here goes. I tried to get into a Roosevelt Island restaurant this afternoon for lunch but it was too crowded. Every seat was occupied and there was a long line at the counter for the opening of the much anticipated and long awaited Nonno's Focacceria at 455 Main Street... Roosevelt Island's Riverwalk buildings now have a Starbucks, Duane Reade, Italian Restaurant (Nonno's) and a soon to be open Japanese restaurant. Piece by piece Roosevelt Island's Berlin Wall is falling.· Customers Throng Opening of Roosevelt Island's New Restaurant [Roosevelt Islander]
· Roosevelt Island Resto Scene Hits Rock Bottom: Nosh [~E~]
· Plymania Roosevelt Island Rejoice Edition: Pizza! [~E~]
Adventures in Plywood: Bar Boulud Stays Covered, Opens Tonight on Own Terms
Daniel Boulud may have been a tad quick to rock the full reveal on DBGB, his forthcoming restaurant on the Bowery (which will not be called DBGB when it opens). But, dude learns quick. As of this morning (above), the brown paper and permitting had still not been removed from his new Upper West Side restaurant, Bar Boulud, even while a crew assembled an entry tent just in front for tonight's opening celebration. Notes Gastropoda, who observed the paper a few days back, "The wiliest chef in town has to be the Big Homme. We passed his newest place the other night...and I was laughing that it could not possibly start serving New Year’s Eve, given that the front was completely covered in brown paper and work permits...Bob, being a real reporter, noticed a few strategic holes torn in the paper, so he bent over to peek in and said, “It’s full of people eating.” And it was. The inside was completely finished, down to art on the walls, and the tables were all occupied..." And thus, a new chapter is written in the plywood rulebook. Old dog, new tricks, etc. Touche, DB.
· Sorry, We're Open [Gastropoda]
ReOpening: Ushi Wakamaru Rolls Again Tonight
Nearly on schedule, Ushi Wakamaru, the Houston Street sushi restaurant that Bruni put on the map in July, reopens tonight. The restaurant had been closed by the Dept. of Heath in September and used to occasion to completely overhaul its dining room (and, we hope, it's kitchen and storage facilities). Even the exterior (above, this morning) has been given a face lift.
Two reader reports on the reopening: 1) "someone at ushi wakamaru just called me (2am EST) to tell me that they'll be re-opening on the 26th. not really sure whether to believe it or not, but it seems feasible enough, no?" 2) "Ushi Wakamaru is reopening on Wednesday, 12/26. The owner tells me that the delay was due to a total interior renovation."
· EaterWire: Ushi Wakamaru Returning [~E~]
· The DOH Chronicles: Dispatch from Yellow Sticker Night at Ushiwaka Maru [~E~]
Good News/Bad News: Crave on 42nd Street
Kalina, 12/10/07
Some five weeks ago, Top Chef contestant Dave Martin went public with his new restaurant Crave on 42nd Street. Despite its undeniably remote location, the people have investigated, fueled by Dave's truffle mac 'n cheese and the afterglow of Top Chef. So how's Dave doing? Well, you know how this goes:
1) Bad News: "In general Crave is a second rate restaurant with a "groovy" celebrity chef who needs to complete his education to incorporate an understanding that the restaurant trade is part of the hospitality industry, that feeling good about the pros and staff is a critical element in success in a restaurant...Fortunately, Starwich is now accessible on Seamless Web. And it's less than a block away from Crave, offering a really, enjoyable, relaxing environment." [Eater Comments]
On the other side, things do take a turn for the better. >>1 Joak: Observations from Non-Opening Weekend
1 Oak, 11 PM Saturday night; via phone cam
Saturday, we happened on 1 Oak, the new club in West Chelsea owned by several nightlife heavy hitters, that didn't open to the public this weekend, where we didn't get charged $18 per drink. Here now, a few observations.
1) A 20% gratuity is added to every bill at 1 Oak.
2) Smoking is permitted. Both in the enclosed, outside smoking courtyard and at tables inside.
3) There is an elevated DJ booth with ample room for moving around in front of it. Now, standing is one thing, but we did observe some dancing—without a cabaret license, which would have made said dancing permissible.
For more coverage of the non-opening weekend, check out Cutlets and DBTH.
· 1 Joak: Please Forget About 1 Oak Until January [~E~]
· EaterWire: 1 Joak's Private Open [~E~]
Live at 2nd Ave. Deli Opening: The Links Are Cut!
The doors may have opened at 6am this morning at the reborn 2nd Ave. Deli, but it wasn't official until the ceremonial salami cutting of 'nickel shtikel' links (above). Color from our correspondent on the scene: "She's open, and the people are excited. More press at this opening than Le Cirque. [Owner] Jack [Lebewohl]: 'I'm a very early riser, like 4am. So I'll come here, have breakfast then go to shul.' Press being given free shtikel links."
A look at the madness inside, right this way. >>Centovini Drops Wine Retail, Turns Resto, Makes Condo Deal
[Kalina, 6/1/06.]
Centovini, the Soho restaurant that was born a wine bar and adjacent wine store (a partnership between design store Moss and the owners of the wine bar/restaurant combo I Trulli), makes the papers twice today. Both Flo Fab and Steve Cuozzo have news from owner Nicola Marzovilla.
Flo Fab: The concept at Centovini has been thoroughly overhauled. What started at a wine bar and shop is now a restaurant and private dining room. "Nicola Marzovilla’s SoHo wine bar and wine store is now a restaurant with 90 seats. Patti Jackson is still the chef. A private dining room has replaced the wine shop..."
Cuozzo: Marzovilla has also struck a deal to be somewhat of an official restaurant for Soho Mews, a condo under construction four blocks south on West Broadway. "Centovini will not only deliver vivid Puglia-inspired dishes to Soho Mews several blocks away - it will also offer residents VIP bookings at the restaurant, as well as the chance to have popular executive chef Patti Jackson come to one's own pad and cook."
Certified Semi-Open: Haru Wall Street
Haru Wall Street, courtesy of the restaurant; please note these photos have been somewhat manipulated in that they came to us resized to make the restaurant look bigger than it is. Don't buy it? Have you ever seen glasses shaped like that?
Keeping track of Steven Hall's half-truths could be a full time job. Right on the heels of his flat-out lie that Bar Blanc has opened (it has not), comes via Cutlets and Rare Daily that Haru, the New York based chain of highly mediocre sushi joints, has opened its Wall Street location. We're going to now number the facts as we know them, because we want this to be nice and clear. Before you run over to Haru just yet, know that:
1) Haru Wall Street is open for lunch only, 12-3, until at least next week. Per Haru's spokesperson, Hall, they "will add dinner once they feel the staff is ready."
2) Haru doesn't have its liquor license (hat tip to Rare for mentioning this) and we know how long that kind of thing can take to play out.
Sure its nice to drum up lunch business while the ship readies itself for the big show, but in our book, these circumstances make the restaurant half-open at best. Open Certification status: Denied.
· Yet Another Haru Opens, Appropriately on Wall Street [Cutlets]
· Wall Street's New Sushi Temple [Rare Daily]
In Progress: Pop Burger Midtown Opens Early
In something of a surprise move, Roy Liebenthal opened his new Pop Burger at 14 East 58th Street today at 11 AM, three days ahead of schedule, just minutes ago. A gigantic sister version of his burger hotspot in the Meatpacking District, this location features three levels: the first floor is all day takeout, the second a bar and lounge, and the third floor another bar and lounge, featuring a pool table. The build out here took about six months, according to Roy, who was nervous and excited when we happened to catch him on location, putting the finishing touches on the place.
A complete set of opening day photos, up next. >>Back to top
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