Manhattan: Financial District/Wall St/Battery Park City Archives
Weekend Notes: A Look at The New Amsterdam Market
Yesterday dozens of local vendors of all stripes joined restaurant chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers to take part in the New Amsterdam Market, a one day outdoor event that organizers hope will become a permanent fixture in the old Fulton Fish Market space. Balthazar, Per Se, Bouchon and others brought the bread, Bridge Urban Winery brought the plonk, and Peasant and Stella Maris pitched in with some oysters and razor clams. Both Country and Marlow & Sons won extra points for their visuals (the former with a stack of hay, the latter with a chalk board, a table of magazines, and an army of helpers), but due to the heat the favorites of the day were The People's Popsicle and artisanal ice cream makers The Bent Spoon. That is of course until the torrential downpour at 2:30. Find more info on the market here and a full review here.
· EaterWire: New Amsterdam Market Coming to the Seaport [~E~]
Teary Shutter Signage: Rosario's Says Goodbye
FiDi: On Friday when it came out that Rosario's, an Italian restaurant in business for over 25 years, had shuttered, its fans here and on Midtown Lunch were none to pleased. But don't worry, owner Joe Rosario offers you a way to keep in touch with him.
· The Shutter: Rosario's [~E~]
· Teary Shutter Signage: Greenwich Village Landmark Le Figaro Cafe [~E~]
EaterWire: Sfoglia Downtown, Eleven Madison Park to Close Sundays, Beer Kitchen, and More!
NOLITA— Cutlets finds out what's actually going to happen at 98 Kenmare, a spot once meant for a Todd English owned/Steve Lewis designed venture that eventually fell through. "Now we can reveal that, according to a source close to the deal, the space has just been acquired by the owners of Sfoglia...Who knew a pasta joint coming to Little Italy could be so exciting?" [Cutlets]
EAST VILLAGE— S'MAC's East Village location turns two on June 24th. In honor of the occasion they'll be selling their mac 'n' cheese for $1. [EaterWire]
MADISON SQ PARK— Eleven Madison Park is scaling things back, changing up their hours: "We’d like to inform you of our new hours: Lunch: Monday - Friday, 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.; Dinner: Monday - Thursday, 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., Friday - Saturday, 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Please Note: Effective July 19th, we will discontinue serving Saturday brunch and will be closed on Sundays." [EaterWire]
Beer Kitchen, New Amsterdam Market, coming up.>>Week in Reviews: Onespot for Elettaria
Krieger, 3/2/08
Mr. Frank Bruni weighs in on Akhtar Nawab and Noel Cruz's East 8th Street experiment Elettaria and gives it the old onespot. It's cute, it's darling, and the food is somtimes good. But the design just does not work for the Brunz.
"Elettaria doesn’t work as well practically as it does visually. A lack of any real division between the dining room and an open kitchen means that you have to step into the kitchen and sometimes even squeeze past a cook to descend to those restroomsAnd of course the Bruni never misses a chance to have a little fun: "...when every second restaurant calls itself 'market-driven,' Elettaria describes itself as “spice-driven.” (I’m waiting for the restaurant that’s driven by Morgan Freeman.)" [NYT]...The ostensibly individual tables bisecting the dining room are essentially one way-too-long communal table, which makes for odd traffic patterns.
...Elettaria is lovely but awkward, and its awkwardness undercuts Mr. Nawab’s impressively creative cooking. But then his cooking also undercuts itself, some dishes mirroring the setting: seductive in the abstract, less so in actuality."
Pans for Ago & Palm Court and the Elsewhere up next.>>
Friday Double Deathwatch: Beer Table & Burger Shoppe
We are just going to say right here and now that the next restaurant to come up with an outlandishly overpriced menu item as a way to "create buzz" and get coverage in the Daily News and Gothamist (serial followers of this junk) will be subject to automatic Deathwatch. We are making an example out of Beer Table, with its $95 bottles of beer, and Wall Street Burger Shoppe, with its ridiculous $175 burger, to show that we mean business. We're sorry, but each crossed the line. (And we're not completely insane: If either restaurant agrees to drop its menu item, we'll remove both venues from the Deathwatch immediately.) The gold flecked desserts, the foie gras cheesesteaks, and whatever else you other restaurateurs are cooking up— cease and desist. And Daily News, we are about five seconds away from Deathwatching your entire food section—how many more times will you fall for this pathetic routine?
· $95 of Beer on the Wall [NYDN]
· The $175 Burger is a haute handful for rarefied tastes [NYDN]
The Plywood Report: Kafana, Last Licks, Alma Thai, Yoganic, and More!
1) East Village: A new Serbian spot, Kafana, is opening up on Avenue C between 8th and 9th Streets. Businesses seem to rotate out of that stretch fairly frequently but maybe it has a chance due to the novelty of the cuisine in the nabe. The owner says it will open in 10 days. [PLYWOOD]
2) Upper East Side: A reader and/or owner sends in the following tip: "Set for a 'soft opening' next week is Last Licks...A new ice cream store and sports memorabilia spot on 93rd and 2nd. A party room, a 'dugout' for interactive gaming and of course ice cream..Pending health department approval..." [PLYWOOD]
3) Harlem: Uptown Flavor has an enthusiastic update on the progress at Alma Thai on 11th Ave: "The place looks slamming! They were painting the doors black and gold when I arrived. The lions had some paint work done on them as well. I was able to look past the paper covering parts of the windows and the place looks flipping awesome! Spacious and swanky! I asked the guys who were around and they told me they were opening next week." [PLYWOOD]
FiDi, Tribeca, and Midtown East, ahead.>>Gratis Alert: Harrah's Giving Away Atlantic City Comps
In a publicity stunt so trashy and glittery that we have no choice but to write this post, beginning at 11 AM this morning in the Financial District Harrah's Atlantic City is giving out 960 free hotel rooms. This fine lady (above) and several others of similar ilk are distributing them in the Canyon of Heroes area on lower Broadway near the 4/5 Wall St station. You've got until 2 PM, brah.
Full release, up next. >>EaterWire: Liquor Licenses in Jeopardy at Cipriani, Socialista, Rainbow Room
NEW YORK CITY— According to reports in both the Times and the Post this morning, the SLA is threatening to revoke the liquor licenses at all Cipriani locations, the Rainbow Room, and Socialista. The SLA reports cite the owner's conviction for tax evasion last year, but it's unclear why the shitstorm is coming down now:
"The 14-page complaint focuses mainly on the October tax-evasion convictions of Giuseppe and his father, Arrigo Cipriani, in which they got no jail time and were ordered to pay back $10 million.We're guessing that, as was the case with last year's conviction, the Ciprianis will figure something out (most likely by throwing money at the problem). However, the SLA is getting tougher and might not be appeased so easily. We'll all see on June 11th.The SLA also charges that Giuseppe made his license available to people who were not permitted to use it, including his father, Arrigo, mother Carmela, and sister Giovanna.
Giuseppe has until June 11 to respond to the SLA charges."
· Booze Blues at Cipriani [NYP]
· Cipriani Empire Charged With Violating State Laws [NYT]
— photo credit
Curbed has the early reveal on the new Robert De Niro-backed Nobu Hotel in FiDi: "...it's another huge all-glass tower for our little island. According to developer Kent Swig there will be 77 'super-luxury' condos on floors 41 through 62, and 128 hotel rooms and 13,000-square-feet of retail space below. The Nobu restaurant will be on the third floor of the six-story transparent base." [Curbed]
EaterWire: Nathan's Raises Prices, Ruby et Violette Reopens, Stone St. Oyster Fest, and More!
CONEY ISLAND— Brownstoner reports some alarming news from Nathan's: "A poster on Coney Island USA's message board noticed last weekend hot dogs at Nathan's Famous now cost $3.20 including tax, a 9.2 percent increase over last year. That's $1.20 more than the typical Manhattan water dog..." [Brownstoner]
HELL'S KITCHEN— A tipster writes in with an update on Hell Kitchen's Ruby et Violette which was, until recently, closed for renovations: "Thought you might want to know the famous little cookie place is back and just re-opened with seating at the same location at 50th street near 10th ave." [EaterWire]
Happenings in FiDi, and Hallo Berlin Express ahead.>>EaterWire: Bruce Willis Partner at Bowery Wine, Bar Q Taking Resys, Manahatta Reopened, Burger Shoppe's 3rd Floor Club, and More!
EAST VILLAGE— Bowery Wine Co., the wine bar that opens next week in the Avalon Bowery Building, has a surprising celebrity partner: Bruce Willis. "...the action star is a partner in the Bowery Wine Co., which opens to the public this weekend at 13 E. First St. 'It's upscale and loungy,' says owner Chris Sileo, formerly beverage director at The Plaza...Willis and his pals, 'Sopranos' regulars Vincent Curatola and John Ventimiglia, already christened the place at a private party last week, where the 'Die Hard' star took his place behind the bar." [NYP]
NEW YORK CITY— OpenTable just added 11 New York restaurants to their roster in the last week. The notables: Palm Court, Wakiya, and a fun preview, Bar Q. Anita Lo's new West Village Asian joint is still in plywood stages, but you can get a resy on the old OT for May 5. [EaterWire]
FINANCIAL DISTRICT— Josh Stein has some intel on future developments at Burger Shoppe: "The remaining three or four floors (they have the whole building) may or may not be developed into an exclusive club (a la Upstairs at Cipriani's, minus the D-bags) or, hopefully this one, an illegal poker room (my idea). The man who will make this happen is Greg Seider, the mixologist once from Norwood, who is just killing time until the place gets its liquor license. (It's already been approved by CB1.)" [My Memoirs]
Mannahatta Relocated, chef changes in Midtown, next>>Good News/Bad News: Burger Shoppe
Burger Shoppe, the three week old retro burger joint down near Wall Street was anticipated by some desperate FiDi folk as their own version of Shake Shack. Co-owned by a Pop Burger chef and decked out in formica counters and original diner floor, it had potential as a go-to neighborhood spot. Early reports hint it's no Shack, but it works as a worthy burger alternative to the other Wall St red meat joint, Zeitzeff. As usual, there is some good news and, then there is some bad news. We'll tell you the good first:
1) Good News: NYC Nosh goes to opening day, and while there was an issue with a soggy bun, overall the place is decidedly a good addition: "In spite of its opening-day jitters and occasionally hit-or-miss menu, Burger Shoppe remains a sound addition to the neighborhood. Excepting a strip of restaurants on nearby Stone Street, the area immediately surrounding Burger Shoppe is a desolate canyon of office towers, Subway sandwich shops and an occasional deli. Moreover, Burger Shoppe seems to understand the locals better than many lunch spots do–with deals like the Party Monster, an order of 100 burgers for $365 (one hour’s notice required)...at the end of the day it is difficult to beat the prices, and Burger Shoppe fulfills its promise of cheap fresh food, cooked to order." [NYC Nosh]
Down and dirty with the bad news, ahead.>>Back to top
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