Results tagged “cafe”

First the Upper East Siders were ranting about sidewalk congestion, and now the Upper West Side is joining in on the complaint chorus. A writer for West Side Spirit has a bone to pick with enclosed sidewalk cafés; because what else are you going to get worked up about these days? La la la, there are really no other problems except dining establishments jutting out on to public property. Really, nothing.

After years of protests and a long, drawn-out lawsuit, the city is moving forward with a plan to convert a large part of the 80-year-old Pavilion in Union Square park into a restaurant. The Parks Department recently put out a request for proposals to operate a seasonal café in the park's refurbished pavilion; the deadline is in two months. According to the Post, the winning bidder would secure a 15-year contract to run the private café six months out of the year, and also have the option to operate a satellite cart or kiosk.

Have laptop, will head to neighborhood cafe, right? Well, that might be more difficult at some—the Wall Street Journal looks at the growing trend of some NYC coffee shops telling laptop users they're not wanted: "In some places, customers just get cold looks, but in a growing number of small coffee shops, firm restrictions on laptop use have been imposed and electric outlets have been locked. The laptop backlash may predate the recession, but the recession clearly has accelerated it."

This is absurd. A DUMBO shopowner recently ditched the old sign for his storefront (which read "Cafe/Bar") and replaced it with one stating the name of the establishment: DUMBO General Store (with the word "Cafe" underneath). A good business plan, no? But now the Brooklyn Paper reports that the regulars are in an uproar, preferring the older and more anonymous sign. One man even told the paper, "It used to be like a speakeasy."

Early Monday morning someone stole a 200 pound replica of the Statue of Liberty that was bolted outside progressive cafe and bookstore Vox Pop in Ditmas Park, and now the Daily News has picked up the story. It's a nice bit of press for the troubled establishment, which has weathered severe financial storms in recent months—come to think of it, being robbed might not be such a bad publicity stunt for restaurants. Cabrito got lots of exposure when someone stole their goat, and Papacitos recently parlayed a burglary into an announcement about a major expansion. There's nothing indicating Vox Pop orchestrated the heist for free advertising, but owner Debi Ryan sure is at a loss to explain how someone managed to abscond with the 8-foot-tall fiberglass statue, which wouldn't fit in a car. Naturally, she suspects some shadowy right-wing conspiracy: "I have to wonder whether this theft was politically motivated. I mean, we aren't your everyday coffee shop." A "Find Liberty" rally is planned for tomorrow at Vox Pop, where a wide variety of beer, food, and other merchandise will be available for purchase—in solidarity!

              

This past Friday night a small crowd gathered for an intimate show at Housing Works Bookstore, where Björk and Dirty Projectors performed a suite of six songs written by Dave Longstreth specifically for the occasion. Amongst the nearly 300 lucky ones in the room were David Byrne, MIA, members of the National and Vampire Weekend, and even Haley Joel Osment. The night began with two openers handpicked by the headliners—fellow Iceland native Olof Arnalds and Kurt Weisman from Vermont. Starting a little after 8, the sound was soft for them, with notes hanging in the humid air and often not making it to the balcony above—but once the main event began, Longstreth, Björk & Co. belted it out amongst the books. Here's more on the evening, and the suite's muse: a whale hailing from Northern California.

Earlier this month, Lost City observed the removal of the iconic sign for the Upper West Side's P&G Cafe; despite outcry from the regulars, the 66-year-old watering hole had been denied a lease renewal by the landlord. So fourth-generation owner Steve Chahalis relocated to a bigger space a few blocks away, and took the sign down when he left. But because it was a city landmark, many wondered whether it was even legal to remove the sign. Today a spokeswoman for the Landmarks Preservation Commission tells City Room that "a warning letter was sent to the owner explaining that a permit was required." But Chahalis's lawyer says they never received any letter, and now the sign is no longer functional because the fragile electrical connections and metal underpinning "were rotted out from decades of water on the exterior." Chahalis says he'll try to incorporate some "surviving neon-tubing remnants" into a new sign, but the old one's disappearance makes the city's Landmarks Commission look pretty toothless.

Boi Sandwich: This is latest outpost in a growing Vietnamese food empire, which now includes Bôi to Go and Bôi restaurant . And boy oh bôi is Midtown Lunch excited! "It may take awhile, but I think I may have to eat through the entire menu...Unlike its sister restaurant Bôi to Go, which has some seating, the new sandwich place is take out only (and cash only for the time being). I know a lot of you refuse to pay $7.50 for a banh mi, but it’s all we’ve got (and now one ave closer to Midtown proper!) In addition to the banh mi, which appear to be the same as Boi to Go, they are also offering noodle bowls, rice bowls, Asian burritos (hello!), and salads ($7 to $8)." 708 Third Avenue, (212) 681-6541

Atomic Wings Harlem: Oh yeah, it's on, people. Hot on the heels of their new location in Park Slope, Harlem residents are getting their mouths set ablaze by what many deem the best wings in town. And it's not just about the wings, either; they're doing soups, salads, burgers and even healthy wraps. But, really, it is pretty much about the wings, which "sane" diners can order in degrees of spiciness ranging from mild to medium to hot, and "insane" wing freaks can order "abusive, nuclear, or suicidal." If your number's up, death by wing isn't so bad, really. Oh, and this location is more upscale than your average wing joint; they've got big flatscreen TVs, internet access, and a cushy lounge area, all of which makes this, we're told, "the most well-appointed Atomic Wings to date." Your move, Jersey City. 2090 Frederick Douglass Blvd, (212) 222-8850

Today's Post reports on an Upper East Side cafe that is charging customers $12 a day if they want to plug in their laptops. M. Rohrs' House of Fine Teas and Coffees has signs next to the outlets in the store that say, "Warning: Theft of electrical service is prohibited." Those wanting to plug in can also pay $3 an hour if they're not looking to camp out. The practice has been going on since the beginning of this year, but it sounds like the owner may have been a little testy with the Post when their reporter came by asking if any customers objected to the charge for a charge. "What's to complain about? If you don't want the service, don't take it," Donald Wright said to the paper.

Chickpea: We used to love Chickpea, that fresh falafel place on Third Avenue and St. Mark’s Place that let you squirt as much tahini as you wanted into your pita. But we lost interest when they went through that whole confusing name change contest – marred by allegations that the game was rigged – and ended up calling themselves Kosher Village. Now it’s Tahini, and they bake their falafel, which is as about healthy as it is unappetizing.

       

From the ashes of the beloved Read Cafe in Williamsburg (that space is now occupied by the decidedly un-funky El Beit coffee shop) comes owner Laurence Elliott's new baby, The Rabbithole. Opening this Sunday, his latest venture is further south but still on Bedford, between South 4th and South 3rd Streets. When we spoke with Elliott back in March, he still had a long way to go turning the former apartments into a restaurant/cafe with basement bakery; now he seems just about there, though the liquor license will be a few months down the road.

Laurence Elliott, owner of old Williamsburg's sorely missed Read Cafe (now the more upscale coffee shop El Beit) is opening up a new and bigger place in South Williamsburg, on Bedford between South 4th and South 3rd. First things first: the Read Cafe tradition of backyard garden lounging will live on behind Elliott's new home, called The Rabbit Hole.

It would a bit too simplistic to blame the impending closure of La Fortuna, the Upper West Side café that first opened in 1976, entirely on the skyrocketing rents of a turbo-gentrifying neighborhood. While the ever rising rental tide was certainly a factor – the building was taken over by a real-estate group after the previous landlord died – three years still remained on the lease. According to amNY, the closure has more to do with the death of the original owner’s wife last month:

Vincent "Uncle Vinny" Urwand called the cafe a dream come true for him and wife Alice, who was the "heart and soul" of the place. Alice died in January, and it was hard, Urwand said Thursday, to think of the place without her.