NYC New Restaurants-The very good, the good, and crime scene tape is needed
Mar 21st, 2012, 02:13 PM
#21
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Eks-I posted this on the Lounge last week:
We went to Little Italy for lunch at new place called Parm which is retro-hip hangout. While the eggplant parm was fabulous, the noise was painful. Up the block is churreria (where they make fairly decent churros)which is modern version of the standard Spanish version.
For years Little Italy has been disappearing from the south by the expansion of the Hong Kong migration of 15 years ago and from the north by the tragically hip. John Gotti's old "social club" is a women's clothes store. The transformation is complete. The hipsters have killed the Mafia. (I am not sure I am rooting for.) Spring and Prince streets are covered with boutiques where women who wear zero are fat and the men do not seem disinterested they are not allowed to enter the store.
It is sad, hipsters can exist in any part of the city, this was the area that produced Scorsese and DeNiro.
The last part of Manhattan below 125 Street to undergo a metamorphises is the Bowery. An upsacle hotel and condo designed by well-known European architects lead the way. And while there are still many lighting stores that could brighten any bordello and restaurant supply stores with slicers that could lop off the chubbiest of fingers, they are now surrounded by a new art museum and all sorts of restaurants and chic shops. There is one remant from the past The White House. A genuine old-fashioned flop house that has weathered the world.
We went to Little Italy for lunch at new place called Parm which is retro-hip hangout. While the eggplant parm was fabulous, the noise was painful. Up the block is churreria (where they make fairly decent churros)which is modern version of the standard Spanish version.
For years Little Italy has been disappearing from the south by the expansion of the Hong Kong migration of 15 years ago and from the north by the tragically hip. John Gotti's old "social club" is a women's clothes store. The transformation is complete. The hipsters have killed the Mafia. (I am not sure I am rooting for.) Spring and Prince streets are covered with boutiques where women who wear zero are fat and the men do not seem disinterested they are not allowed to enter the store.
It is sad, hipsters can exist in any part of the city, this was the area that produced Scorsese and DeNiro.
The last part of Manhattan below 125 Street to undergo a metamorphises is the Bowery. An upsacle hotel and condo designed by well-known European architects lead the way. And while there are still many lighting stores that could brighten any bordello and restaurant supply stores with slicers that could lop off the chubbiest of fingers, they are now surrounded by a new art museum and all sorts of restaurants and chic shops. There is one remant from the past The White House. A genuine old-fashioned flop house that has weathered the world.
Mar 21st, 2012, 08:05 PM
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The last area below 125th Street, and Harlem was changing greatly before the Recession, is on the westside near the convention center from 10 Ave west from the high 20's to about 42nd. It is sandwiched between Hell's Kitchen, right above it which is a wonderful name, and now called Clinton, and the area just below, ironically called Chelsea. There are also LIRR train yeards where they are always supposed to build something.
This however will probably change when they finish the extension of the number "7" train which will go past Times Square to 11th Ave and then turn south to 34th Street. Whenever they finish it.
Years ago, one street in Manhattan would be wonderful and the next awful but that is long gone.
It is counter-intuitive that after 9/11 not only Manhattan real estate would continue to soar, but there is a lot of residential near the Trade Center including the Gehry building which is the largest residence in the Western Hemisphere.
This however will probably change when they finish the extension of the number "7" train which will go past Times Square to 11th Ave and then turn south to 34th Street. Whenever they finish it.
Years ago, one street in Manhattan would be wonderful and the next awful but that is long gone.
It is counter-intuitive that after 9/11 not only Manhattan real estate would continue to soar, but there is a lot of residential near the Trade Center including the Gehry building which is the largest residence in the Western Hemisphere.
Jul 28th, 2012, 08:27 AM
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Adu, eks - Have either of you been to Jack's Wife Freda, next to Spring Street Natural? Looks cute, interesting pedigree, but I haven't yet tried it for myself...
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/jacks-wife-freda/
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/jacks-wife-freda/
Jul 28th, 2012, 11:53 AM
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Not me, either....
But I did have a good lunch at Cafe Glechik, in Brighton Beach (Brooklyn) last week. (I know, only marginally relevant here but thought I would mention..)
http://glechik.com/Welcome_to_Cafe_Glechik.html
I think a visitor to New York city could do a lot worse in nice weather than take the subway to Coney Island and walk along the Boardwalk past the rides, to Bright on Beach. Browse the Russian food stores, do some people watching along the boardwalk, and even take a dip in the ocean if it is hot, and finish up with a good inexpensive lunch. It was a good afternoon..the train ride(s) from midtown Manhattan takes about an hour or less. The beach looked very clean and it was not horridly crowded on a weekday afternoon.
http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2012/...html?ref=title
But I did have a good lunch at Cafe Glechik, in Brighton Beach (Brooklyn) last week. (I know, only marginally relevant here but thought I would mention..)
http://glechik.com/Welcome_to_Cafe_Glechik.html
I think a visitor to New York city could do a lot worse in nice weather than take the subway to Coney Island and walk along the Boardwalk past the rides, to Bright on Beach. Browse the Russian food stores, do some people watching along the boardwalk, and even take a dip in the ocean if it is hot, and finish up with a good inexpensive lunch. It was a good afternoon..the train ride(s) from midtown Manhattan takes about an hour or less. The beach looked very clean and it was not horridly crowded on a weekday afternoon.
http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2012/...html?ref=title
Jul 30th, 2012, 04:29 AM
#34
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Well, Jack's Wife Freda is now on my list! I'm curious if it lives up to the Critic's Pick, and besides, my fave casual place in the area was Acme - to say its current incarnation is different from the original is an understatement (as ekscrunchy indicated up-thread)!
eks, it's funny you mention Cafe Glechik. That's our go-to place in BB! And I do mean "go to place" - we're out at that beach almost every weekend because my partner is part of an open-water swimming group there. If we don't sit in a restaurant, he'll at least get one of those greasy meat pastries for the subway ride home.
I'm pretty sure the photo in the article is from one of the Russian groceries we also frequent (though there are plenty of places that have similar). The article's right that if you don't speak/read Russian, there's not a lot of help... but that makes it more fun!
One caveat about the article: I think it's really odd that the author (a) mentions immigrants from northern China and says "more on that later", which they don't follow up on, and (b) doesn't even say *boo* about the huge Bangladeshi community that's been growing there for over 20 years. eks, maybe you noticed at Cafe Glechik that one side of Coney Island Ave - including the restaurant - is Russian, and the other Muslim? The contrast in women's attire is particularly striking!
...I guess we should start a Brooklyn food thread.
eks, it's funny you mention Cafe Glechik. That's our go-to place in BB! And I do mean "go to place" - we're out at that beach almost every weekend because my partner is part of an open-water swimming group there. If we don't sit in a restaurant, he'll at least get one of those greasy meat pastries for the subway ride home.
I'm pretty sure the photo in the article is from one of the Russian groceries we also frequent (though there are plenty of places that have similar). The article's right that if you don't speak/read Russian, there's not a lot of help... but that makes it more fun!
One caveat about the article: I think it's really odd that the author (a) mentions immigrants from northern China and says "more on that later", which they don't follow up on, and (b) doesn't even say *boo* about the huge Bangladeshi community that's been growing there for over 20 years. eks, maybe you noticed at Cafe Glechik that one side of Coney Island Ave - including the restaurant - is Russian, and the other Muslim? The contrast in women's attire is particularly striking!
...I guess we should start a Brooklyn food thread.
Jul 30th, 2012, 06:48 AM
#36
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We ate at the Williamsburg Meatball Shop the other evening and it was every bit as good as the one on the LES. I will say that Mrs. Adu and my friends were the eldest in the crowd by at least 30 years.
Jul 31st, 2012, 12:58 PM
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GG: What a coincidence! The open-water swimming group sounds intriguing.
I did notice the Bangladeshi community before, in my walks from BBBlvd to what has become a regular stop: Georgian Bread on Neptune Avenue. (I'm sure you know that tiny, wondrous bakery but if not, you must go there next time....ask for the khachapuri, their cheese bread. I will say no more) Totally fascinating.
For those who have not been:
http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/...ian-bread.html
We were seated near the window at Glechik the other day and I had my eye on the kameez-clad women coming out of the apt building across the street, next to a Chinese halal restaurant. Reminds me of why I love New York!
And I know that there is a stretch of CIAve, further north, that is home to Turkish restaurants (I plan to check out Tacis Beyti very soon--have you been, by any chance)
GG: Will you remind me: Did we meet at the Fodor's anniversary bash last year? I apologize if I can't match up the screen names with the person!
I did notice the Bangladeshi community before, in my walks from BBBlvd to what has become a regular stop: Georgian Bread on Neptune Avenue. (I'm sure you know that tiny, wondrous bakery but if not, you must go there next time....ask for the khachapuri, their cheese bread. I will say no more) Totally fascinating.
For those who have not been:
http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/...ian-bread.html
We were seated near the window at Glechik the other day and I had my eye on the kameez-clad women coming out of the apt building across the street, next to a Chinese halal restaurant. Reminds me of why I love New York!
And I know that there is a stretch of CIAve, further north, that is home to Turkish restaurants (I plan to check out Tacis Beyti very soon--have you been, by any chance)
GG: Will you remind me: Did we meet at the Fodor's anniversary bash last year? I apologize if I can't match up the screen names with the person!
Aug 3rd, 2012, 07:54 AM
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eks, I have to confess that I saw your post on Wednesday, read about the Georgian baker (who I didn't know about previously-!!!) and then got lost in a tunnel of links about amazing food, culminating with a search IRL for lunch - LOL.
I think we're heading to BB tomorrow afternoon, so I'll be sure to report back about the khachapuri, if I get to taste it! The swimming group is called CIBBOWS (Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers - cibbows.org ) and they always congregate behind one particular lifeguard chair near Tatiana's.
Reminds me of why I love New York!
Me too! One weekend we walked through a block-long "street fair" - lots of tables filled with junky jewelry, racks of kids clothes, incense... Russians, South Asians, Middle Easterners and Central Americans thronging the area on both sides of the transactions. The people were so much more interesting than the wares!
I haven't been to any of the Turkish restaurants on CI Ave. That stretch of the avenue through the "alphabet" cross streets has always fascinated me, but usually I only remember it when attempting to navigate the road in an automobile (no easy feat!) and never have a chance to just wander...
Earlier this summer, we ended up randomly at Istanbul on Emmons Ave in Sheepshead Bay, one of those "water view" restaurants just past the main strip there. (We were bicycling, and starving, and they had a place we could keep an eye on the bikes while we ate - very accommodating.) Super delicious and we had a great waiter who's name is pronounced "Regep" (soft g). Totally lucked out!
And yes, we did meet at the Fodor's party last year. I seem to remember it was only briefly though, so matching up faces and screen names wasn't a foregone conclusion.
I think we're heading to BB tomorrow afternoon, so I'll be sure to report back about the khachapuri, if I get to taste it! The swimming group is called CIBBOWS (Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers - cibbows.org ) and they always congregate behind one particular lifeguard chair near Tatiana's.
Reminds me of why I love New York!
Me too! One weekend we walked through a block-long "street fair" - lots of tables filled with junky jewelry, racks of kids clothes, incense... Russians, South Asians, Middle Easterners and Central Americans thronging the area on both sides of the transactions. The people were so much more interesting than the wares!
I haven't been to any of the Turkish restaurants on CI Ave. That stretch of the avenue through the "alphabet" cross streets has always fascinated me, but usually I only remember it when attempting to navigate the road in an automobile (no easy feat!) and never have a chance to just wander...
Earlier this summer, we ended up randomly at Istanbul on Emmons Ave in Sheepshead Bay, one of those "water view" restaurants just past the main strip there. (We were bicycling, and starving, and they had a place we could keep an eye on the bikes while we ate - very accommodating.) Super delicious and we had a great waiter who's name is pronounced "Regep" (soft g). Totally lucked out!
And yes, we did meet at the Fodor's party last year. I seem to remember it was only briefly though, so matching up faces and screen names wasn't a foregone conclusion.
Aug 16th, 2012, 11:56 PM
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No review site is 100% reliable, but in general if you familiarise yourself with the site and its reviewers (time consuming but worth it) you will get helpful advice tuned specifically for you. Other than this site I use TA a lot. I looked it up on there and if I was looking for Portuguese in midtown I’d go on what I read. You want to sit upstairs... The decor seems bland but the food seems authentic, maybe a little pricey... possibly more suited to lunch than dinner... but it’s all about perspective... Good luck and report back if you go... I’m a fan of Portuguese and am heading back to NYC in December...
