Manhattan: Upper East Side Archives
Adventures in Shilling #033: Burger Burger, L'ybane, and DOH Victim Toloache
It's time for another edition of Adventures in Shilling, in which we fight shilling the best way we can, by shaming tasteless, unscrupulous shills into submission. Well, that's the plan, at least. Fight shills yourself by dropping offensive links to tips@eater.com
The shills have tapered off this week in time for the holiday weekend but not altogether. A few sneaks have managed to tout their restaurants on the usual review sites and even in our inbox. Let's check out the offenders:
This shill from the inbox gets bonus points for the subtle rhyming: "Saw an article on your site mentioning Burger Burger in the Financial District. I have to say I eat there at least twice a week and it is great. The burgers are cooked fresh, right in front of you and are juicy and delicious every time. The fries are second to none, crispy to the last one....how do they do it?! Its only a small take-out place but you get a big time meal!"Creeping Closer to 100& ahead.>>
Shill Probability 74%The following Yelp review/shill is for the one month old UES joint L'ybane, which has an early fan: "For the Upper East Side, you expect a place that had class, character and welcoming atmosphere. L'ybane has all three - a chic atmosphere, a chef with savvy and welcoming character, and food that does not pretend to be anything but Mediterranean. I found the dishes simple, tasty and presented elegantly; a diverse selection that should please the meat lover to the vegetarian. I welcome the fresh breeze of the Cote d'Azure as they have blown a bit of the real Riviera to the shores of the East River."
Shill Probability: 89%
Thursday Opening Report: Parlor Steakhouse, Vai Certified Open, General Greene Tomorrow
This is the Thursday Opening Report, a regular feature that provides the precise status of venues. As per standard operating procedure around here, your contributions are so very welcome.
1) Upper East Side: Both TONY and Flo Fab list Parlor Steakhouse in openings this week, and according to Flickr, it opened on Tuesday. TONY has the deets: “A vast raw bar and seafood selections temper the brawnier offerings at this UES meatery from BB&R owners Michael Glick and Susy Salvo Glick. If it’s classics you’re after, you’ll find the porterhouse for two.” Status: Certified Open. 1600 Third Avenue; 212-423-5888. [TONY; NYT]
2) Upper West Side: Flo Fab also has the scoop on the opening of Vai, from chef Vincent Chirico. She writes: “Vincent Chirico, above left, who was the chef at various Frederick’s restaurants, opened this compact place on Monday. His Italian-Mediterranean menu is mostly small plates to mix and match, with wines served by the glass, the half-glass and the bottle.” Status: Certified Open. 225 West 77th Street, (212) 362-4500. [NYT]
General Greene, after the jump>>The Curious Case of NYC's First 'Sports Bar for Kids'
Last month a 'sports memorabilia and ice cream store' called Last Licks made it into the plywood report, and at the time it just sounded like somewhat quirky Manhattan opening. But we did not realize just how quirky, or awesomely bizarre even, this place was until we got the press release today describing it as a kids sports bar:
"Last Licks Ice Cream stores, dubbed the 'sports bar for kids' by its originator Brandon Steiner, are open for business in New York City. A Grand Opening is scheduled for Saturday, June 28, when Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron will cut the ribbon and throw out a ceremonial opening pitch....A simulated Yankees dugout ahead.>>
Monday Opening Report: International Bar, BBQ Chicken Certified Open, Shalizar on Weds.
This is the Monday Opening Report, a regular feature that provides the precise status of venues. As per standard operating procedure around here, your contributions are so very welcome.
[Flickr/jeremoss]
1) Upper East Side: NYMag has the scoop on the opening of Persian resto Shalizar this week, whose owner was a former captain at Café Boulud and whose partner is the owner of Persepolis. Menu info is as follows: “As at Persepolis, the menu features such traditional fare as lamb and beef kebabs, characteristically sweet-and-sour stews, and tasting trios of eggplant appetizers, yogurt spreads, and Persian salads. Besides a few new menu additions like ash-e-reshteh, a Persian green-vegetable soup with noodles, the slightly more upscale Shalizar also offers thematic cocktails, like pomegranate martinis and mojitos, at an expanded bar area.” Status: Not Open. Opening Wednesday. 1420 Third Avenue; 212-288-0012. [NYM]
2) East Village: Cutty reports today that the long-delayed St. Mark’s branch of Korean chain BBQ Chicken has finally opened. He writes: “When we visited yesterday, the power went down a few times, squelching the Rihanna album that was blasting. However, a graduate of Chicken University was able to hook us up with a “chicken burger” (a moist, oily fried breast topped with onions, lettuce, tomato, processed cheese, pickles, plus mustard and mayo), a biscuit that rivaled the ones at Popeyes, and a free BBQ Chicken key chain(crucial).” Status: Certified Open. 26 St. Marks Place; 212-982-9616 [Cutlets]
EaterWire: Bardolino Seized, Top Chef Set-Ups, Marriott Goes Green & Galapagos News
UPPER EAST SIDE—78th Street's Bardolino has been seized: "So far, it's been a rough year for Italian eatery Bardolino...There was the fire back in February...more bad news courtesy of the New York State Department of Taxation, which, according to the posted signs on the restaurant's window, has closed and seized the premises until they fork over some cash." [78thand2nd]
TOP CHEF UNIVERSE— Remember those frozen scallops that sent Spike home on last night's Top Chef? They may have been planted: "Just so everyone knows (I was part of the Top Chef taping that aired last night) the scallops in the challenge that sent Spike down the pike were a set-up placed by Top Chef's producers into the restaurant's coolers. That was not conveyed in the editing process." [Gawker]
Marriott going green and a Galapagos update.>>Plywood Report: Lantern, Novo Space, Tasti D'Lite, Fu, and More!
1) Gramercy: A tipster reports: "Lantern on the corner of 18th and 2nd Ave is almost finished. The plywood is scheduled to come down for a proposed opening on Monday. From the decor and the Lantern logo it seems to be the Manhattan off-shoot of Lantern Thai in Brooklyn." [PLYWOOD]
2) Upper East Side: 78th and 2nd reports on the construction of the Upper East Side's 10th Tasti D'Lite: "Tasti D-Lite is unrolling a new location which is situated just off Lex and 86th. That is the company's tenth spot on the Upper East Side, by my count, which is now nearing Starbucks-like numbers (13 locations)." [PLYWOOD]
3) West Soho/Hudson Square: The space that was most recently Novo the wine bar and lounge (and before that Novo the restaurant) is now under construction. No word as to who's behind it or what it's to become. [PLYWOOD]
East Village and Harlem, up next.>>Monday Opening Report: Savarona and Wildwood Need More Time, Aperitivo is Likely Open
This is the Monday Opening Report, a regular feature that provides the precise status of venues reported as open elsewhere. As per standard operating procedure around here, your contributions are so very welcome.
Apertivo, via The Gowanus Lounge
1) Upper East Side: NYMag checks in today on the opening of Savarona, a new haute Turkish restaurant they report will open this week. Here's the lowdown: "Their chef, Tevfik Alparslan, has interspersed his Istanbul experience with stints at La Tour d’Argent and Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s; his food marries tradition and innovation in dishes like Ottoman-style “wedding” soup with beet foam, and lobster-stuffed artichoke with coriander-lime sauce." Status: Not Open. "Either Thursday or Friday." 420 E. 59th Street; 212-371-6300. [NYM]
2) Gramercy: Steve Hanson's Wildwood opens this week according to NYMag, in the old Barça 18 space on Park Ave. As we're all aware, Lou Elrose ditched Hill Country for the place a few months back. Here's the deets: "Elrose categorizes his multiregional ’cue as either “wet” (Memphis-style baby backs, Carolina pulled pork) or “dry” (lamb spare ribs, “falling-off-the-bone” beef short ribs), the backbone of a menu that explores the parameters of white-trash cuisine with notions like beer-battered fried jalapeños and spaghetti with barbecue Bolognese." A PR rep checks in on the ambiguous opening status. Status: Not Open. "Hopefully by the end of the week." 225 Park Avenue South; 212-533-2500. [NYM]
Park Slope listings next.>>Plywood Report: Sakuza, B. Cafe, Pies & Thighs, and More!
1) Williamsburg: A Williamsburg correspondent grabbed an interior shot of the new Pies & Thighs space. He said the interior is a lot bigger than it appears in the shot. We'll all get a chance to see it come summertime. [PLYWOOD]
2) Upper West Side: A restaurant rep emails and a correspondent sends in a shot of the new UWS restaurant Campo: "The old Pertutti has been bought, gutted and is opening this week as Campo 'The Gathering Place'. Headed up by new owner, Michael Wetherbee, former frontman for Chef Sammy DeMarco at Fireside. And helming the kitchen is Chef David Rotter, former protege of Chef Terrance Brennan (Picholine) and the late Chef Vinny Scotto (Gonzo). Grilled Pizzas galore." Opens Thursday. [PLYWOOD]
3) Williamsburg: The space on Metropolitan and Graham Avenue that once held Japanese restaurant Nori, and then had a car driven through the front window last November, is going to reopen as Sakuza. It will be one of the few sushi joints in that part of Williamsburg. [PLYWOOD]
West Village and Upper West Side ahead.>>Adventures in Shilling #23: Agave, Totally Baked, Ciaobella, Mambo Express
It's time for another edition of Adventures in Shilling, in which we fight shilling the best way we can, by shaming tasteless, unscrupulous shills into submission. Well, that's the plan, at least. Fight shills yourself by dropping offensive links to tips@eater.com.
Oh boy. We have some good shills today. As usual, this week's shills come from the usual places—the comments, the inbox, the Citysearch— and we have a new shilling venue for some bonus fun: Trip Advisor. The shills get progressively worse as we go on, but let's start with the a small time offender at Citysearch:
Agave is an interesting case. It could just be that a lot of first time reviewers are in love with it. Or it could be a Citysearch page filled to the brim with shills. You decide: "I am from Madrid but i lived in nyc for 12 years and i eat out almost six days a week . I have been to Agave now for the third time and i have to say that i always had a great time. I am so in love with the margaritas!!!!!!!!!!!...The prices are good and the portions are very generous, you definatelly get out of there full!!! I can't wait to try the outdoor seating because this restaurant has a great location and it must be a lot of fun to hang out there in a beautiful summer night sipping on one of the delicious frozen margaritas...Very personable staff, something that every restaurant should have!!! I will be back and spread the word."Ciaobella and Mambo Express, up next.>>
Shill Probability: 38%It's somewhat strange that Totally Baked would resort to shilling in the Eater comments section since they've already got a fair amount of press. But they didn't get as far as they did by sitting on their asses now did they? A PR rep speaks out for the place and identifies her shill as such, but this one is left anonymously: "This place rocks!!!! Best Experience I have had at a lunch spot in years. The staf, food & atmosohere is fantastic. Just wish there was one located in the UES. This place is worth the trip!"
Shill Probability: 62%
Good News/Bad News: Ciaobella
Not to be confused with the gelato giant Ciao Bella, Ciaobella is an UES little Italian joint, owned by the Proietti Group, that opened to a modicum of buzz last month. Located on 85th and 2nd, the place natually attracted the neighborhood folks aching for something decent and not altogether boring in the area. As expected, they're writing in with some good news, and as is always the case, some bad. Let's get to it:
1) Good News: This short and sweet review/shill is the only piece up on Yelp. We'll say disregard the five star rating until some more Yelpers chime in: "Finally a place that has a downtown feel. The food is authentic and its great for people watching." [Yelp]
2) Bad News: The Chowhounders were chomping at the bit to hear news on this place, and two posters obliged. This one is not a fan: "We ate there recently, and we were not impressed at all. I will start with what is important, the food. My pasta was mediocre, which is OK but the prices are not set for mediocre anything. One of our dining partners called his appetizer inedible and his main course just bad...That said, the service was worse. Very tight quarters, 2-3 managers on the floor with little control over anything. The waiter disappeared for very long spells at a time." [Chowhound]
The Halfway Decent and the Outright Bad, next.>>The Shutter: Upper East Side's La Tour Closes
The most recent in a string of French bistro shutterings, we heard via a tipster and confirmed with the restaurant that Upper East Side French joint La Tour closed last Saturday. Famous for it's $18 all-you-can-eat mussels special, the place was considered a neighborhood staple by people in the area. Says a bereaved reader: "Sad to tell you that the French bistro La Tour closed last week. It was on the UES, around third ave and 75th street. Great neighborhood place. Sorry to see it go." The person manning the phones this morning confirmed ("The restaurant is closed, finished") and simply explained it was a decision from the "big boss."
· The Shutter: Le Madeleine Getting Evicted [~E~]
· The Shutter Mystery: AOC Bedford [~E~]
—photo credit
EaterWire: Liquor Licenses Revoked at Le Souk, 205, Bar Q Update, Soundfix Shuttered, and more!
LOWER EAST SIDE— Cutty reports the news that both Le Souk and 205 had their liquor licenses revoked by the SLA. And that sound is the collective sigh of relief coming from Avenue B residents: "East Villagers who loathe Le Souk have reason to party: After much deliberation, the SLA has cancelled the club’s liquor license. The owners can apply for a new one, but let’s face it, they’ve got their work cut out for them. In another long-in-the-works case, 205...had its license revoked, meaning the owners won’t be able to seek a new one." [Cutlets]
UPPER EAST SIDE—Attention all D-Biggity fans: when Daniel closes this summer for renovations, Boulud will be auctioning off all of the restaurant's furniture. From their press release: "DANIEL will re-open with its new look in the weeks following Labor Day. Plans are in the works for an auction to sell the restaurant’s contents as it is all being replaced with stunning new furnishings and table top. [EaterWire]
WEST VILLAGE— The long wait is over people. A reader lets us know that Bar Q is opening for friends and family tonight, meaning Anita Lo's new West Village Asian joint will most likely be open to the public by next week. [EaterWire]
Soundfix Shuttered, Union Hall news.>>Back to top
Sign up for our email newsletter.
About Eater
From the newest temples of haute cuisine to the oldest dive bars in New York, from Batali to McNally, Eater has you covered. More about Eater...
Tipping Is Customary
Know about a restaurant opening or closing in your neighborhood, or other NYC restaurant gossip? Do let us know.
Restaurant Search
Archives & Feeds
Full-Content FeedContact Us
Email Eater
|
EATER
Editor
Amanda Kludt
Eater Radar Editor
Kelly Dobkin
Photography
Will Femia
Noah Kalina
Daniel Krieger
Interns
Noah Adler
Caitlin Dube
Banner Design
Khoi Uong
Editors-in-Chief
Ben Leventhal
Lockhart Steele
