The End of Good World As We Know It

Good World, the Orchard Street bar and grill with the cozy back patio, closed last week after more than a decade of Swedish meatballs and Gaffel Koelsch. The cause of death here wasn't the recession, but that other NYC restaurant Paraquat: the mustache-twirling landlord. Owner Annika Sundvick previously told Grub Street that she was being forced out to make way for some desperately needed condos; an elegiac note taped to the shuttered establishment elaborates further: "It was built with love and a warm light brightened the tip of Orchard Street like a beacon of hope. Sadly, a greedy landlord who has never stepped in America, and doesn't speak a word of English bought this building, evicted the tenants in order to flip it. In place of a thriving business that brought life to this corner, he has left us with an empty hole." But don't despair, brothers and sisters; that flickering flame of hope was heroically sheltered before it guttered completely, and the convivial blaze has been rekindled by Sundvick at her new restaurant/bar White Slab Palace. Excelsior!

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By John Del Signore in Food on April 6, 2009 1:30 PM

Comments [rss]

Gregoire

If you don't like the passing of Good World, that doesn't mean you're disrepectful of New York City history. It just means it was a fun place sometimes and we'll miss it. Most of us will probably not be as enriched by a new condo as we were by the quiet, unassuming restaurant that it replaced.

spiritross

Whether that landlord ever stepped in America before or not - what he did is quintessentially American - things change - that's the definition of New York City - if you don't like it - then you disrespect NYC and its 400+ years of existence as the greatest city in the US of A.

resa

Yes, but will White Slab have the same inconsistent quality of food, dirty seat cushions and crappy service? Will the owners still get drunk and yell at the staff for our entertainment? I'm worried about the loss of character.

JacqueMehoff

I was just discussing this place with a relative. I told her to cash in on her Swede cache asap. there's only a handful of swedish places and hipster whities eat dat shite up. (not just hipster whities but USA whites in general think Sweden and nordic countries as some utopian vahalla for white blue eye people)

I think I threw some m80's there in the old days but we were with a cop so there were no repercussions.

BQE

ironically -- or maybe intentionally? -- sweden too fought the eu over use of paraquat, and lost.

babyhitler

I still to this day don't understand how Good World was so successful. It looked like shit, was in a dead neighborhood and it was at best a mediocre bar and yet it was always packed. Was it because of the location, lax drug use, owner being white, yet it was a old chinese massage parlor gimmick? or was it a confluence of that? The owner should bottle up whatever voodoo they did to the place and hope to carry it on.

Gwinny

I lived nearby for 4.5 years and only went there once because I didn't like the vibe. I never really understood why it was so packed.

Still, this is a shame, as it was a pioneer of sorts in a neighborhood that is gradually becoming as generic as the LES has become on the other side of Delancey.

JacqueMehoff

the only other bar that's been around as long as GW is 169 BAR. have you been there gwinny?

Gwinny

Yeah, I went there a few times and liked it better (I didn't check out the bathrooms, which may have altered my opinion). I don't live down there anymore, though.

jibbly

Haven't been there in a while but 169's bathrooms used to be Trainspotting filthy.

Aveais Essex

Because it was loads of unpretentious fun on the weekends (good music, good crowd, good space) and a great quiet spot during the week.

Can't say I'm shocked that you're on the outside looking in.

And the answer to all of your loaded questions is "no" (except for the drug use...that probably didn't hurt).