March 15, 2007
Coffee Shop's Menu: Celebrities
Coffee Shop was closed for a few days when the Department of Health tallied up 102 points of violations - 28 or more requires a closure - at the restaurant, finding "Cooked or prepared food is cross-contaminated" and issues with plumbing among the concerns. The Union Square eatery posted a snippy sign explaining the closing, and owner Charles Milite went to the NY Times and said Coffee Shop was "caught in the cross hairs of this unfortunate Taco Bell Situation," since Coffee Shop had operated for 17 years without incident. And he promised the restaurant would reopen yesterday.
Open All Night was on hand for the opening and indeed found it was infested with celebrities - not health code violations.
We stopped by the Union Square restaurant on Wednesday after owner Charles Milite had announced that unspecified "celebrity customers" would be there in a show of support when the cafe reopened after being shut down by the New York City Health Department for minor code violations.Also present: A pregnant Naomi Watts and her brother, photographer, Ben Watts. These celebs are a testament to how clean the Coffee Shop must be, if pregnant ladies and children are eating there! And maybe Taco Bell should bring back the chihuahua to reopen its 6th Avenue location.And what do you know, the guy didn’t lie. Julianne Moore and her husband, director Bart Freundlich, popped in for lunch with daughter Liv. Once inside, Moore stopped to chat at Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci’s table.
Photograph from Open All Night
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I don't understand everyone's fascination with the Coffee Shop. I think that place has the worst service in Manhattan, and for no reason at all there is ALWAYS a 20 minute wait even with dozens of tables open. IS THAT THE ATTRACTION? sure, their herbed fries are tasty, but thats the extent of their appeal.
I am a server at a busy Manhattan restaurant, and I always leave a great tip at restaurants. But Coffee Shop in union sq is the ONLY place I've ever left $0.00 tip. Awful Awful Awful.
I guess the celebrities don't mind the fake smiles the jaded servers give them.
isnt digging up susan sarandon and putting her in close proximity to food being prepared a healthcode violation?
glad to see celebs lending their faces to important causes like darfur, global warming, or a mid-level restaurant.
Wow! Celebrities eat there! I guess I'll just have to go there and wait for tables even when it's half empty and pay too much money for mediocre food served by actor-wannabes who haven't a clue. What was I thinking when I walked up a few doors to Union Square Café? What was I thinking?
The food is decent. The atmosphere fits the bill on certain occasions (like when you have friends in town who want a New York Night and are hungry at 3:00am). And there is no wait if you go during the week or late at night (in fact, I've never waited). Been there maybe four times.
Let's not get all smug, now.
Yep Coffee Shop was lame before the violations.