Old Devil Moon Restaurant Closes

After 15 years of slinging Southern style fare out of its super-funky Alphabet City home, Old Devil Moon closed last night. And so the city loses its best pancakes; made with cornmeal and whole wheat, these thick cakes had an incomparable texture and bold flavor that made them peerless in this town. Though we had noticed a slight drop in overall quality in recent years (maple syrup sacrilegiously mixed with Aunt Jemima, home fries less chunky than years past, biscuits less moist), the place was always packed for brunch, and the naughty Masturbakers operation run out of the back seemed to be doing brisk business. Vanishing New York stopped in last night and learned that "even though the rent is decent, there just wasn't enough money coming in, and the owner just had twins, so she doesn't have the time and energy to continue to devote to a business that is not doing well." RIP ODM; you will now be gutted and taken over by some yuppie organic restaurant. Photo cred.

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By John Del Signore in Food on January 15, 2009 2:20 PM

Comments [rss]

kcin122

everything is a stupid yuppie place to someone.

ugh

Hope you enjoyed your salmonella/c diff/etc. Perhaps this is why they closed (from nyc.gov):

OLD DEVIL MOON

511 EAST 12 STREET, MANHATTAN 10009

212-475-4357

Violation points: 34

Inspection Date: 12/18/2008

Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.

Sanitary Violations

1.) Other general violation.

2.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.

3.) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.

4.) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to vermin exist.

5.) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.

6.) Food item spoiled, adulterated, contaminated or cross-contaminated.

7.) Cold food held above 41°F (smoked fish above 38°F) except during necessary preparation.

pk4l

I live only a block away for it for the last 6 years, can't believe i never ate there yet .. --"

ProfessorVonNostren

Oh, no...this was my favorite place. I've been eating there almost every weekend for the last 9 years. Definitely NOT a yuppie place. I considered it an extension of my apartment...loved the crappy art and animal heads on the walls. Awesome music, great staff. Love Saves the Day, now this. :(

RatherBeBiking

aw man, i remember playing with the model trains there when i was a kid. oh well.

ultragrrrl

i really enjoyed doing brunch at ODM, but i must say that the past couple times I went, the service was so-so.

bigandtall

I have been going to that place ever since I moved here. It went up and down, but I always loved it. The Live Music was great there as well.

whitecastlerock

Brunch is for yuppies-burn in hell Old Devil Moon

Kyle T

Never ate at the place, but I have no sympathy for anyone who disgraces maple syrup.

kcin122

uh

this place is yuppie as shit

MisterTissue

While its successor may be more organic, it'd be hard to be more yuppie than Old Devil Moon. Though tasty, this restaurant-with-a-name-like-a-Jason-Molina-lyric was far from authentic southern.