By Robert Widmann My M14A bus pulled up to the light at 8th Avenue and—seated as I was, on the north-facing side—I found myself gazing into the darkened, empty frontage of the former Associated Supermarket. A quick twinge or two shot across my brow—guilt (two heavily laden bags of Trader Joe’s stuff sat beside me
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IN AND OUT
Summer is always a slow time for openings, with only three this month. A number of places closed or will close temporarily (or so we’ve been informed) and one scandalous closing has been in the news. Fortunately, a couple of ice cream pop-ups have opened for the summer, joining the growing list of established spots
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Clarifying Statements in June’s “In and Out”
Dear Caroline: I read your “In and Out” column with interest, as usual, in the latest WestView issue. I always welcome your news. But two things you wrote puzzle me. You ended the section by saying that, “Perhaps the West Village is just not a favorable location for vegan restaurants.” What vegan restaurant? Certainly not
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“What, No Hellman’s?”
By George Capsis Even I, the Publisher of WestView, am sometimes surprised by how good our contributors’ articles are. One of the best was Russell Neuman’s price comparison of Hellman’s Mayonnaise, which dramatizes the insane differences in food cost. If you still have the June issue, I suggest you re-read the article. Russell discovered a
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IN AND OUT
June seems to be a popular time for openings. Last year, we counted 12 new spots, this year seven. We were happy to see a small, independent antique store open on 7th Avenue. Two big name restaurants started service this month as well. High rents were cited again as a reason for restaurant
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Drink Pink, By Victoria James—A Timely Summer Read
By Caroline Benveniste Victoria James is not your typical sommelier. In a field dominated by men, it is unusual to see a young woman, particularly one who has already received numerous awards and made Wine and Spirits Magazine’s list of ‘Best New Sommeliers of 2016.’ Victoria is a local celebrity: She is the wine director
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Missing Caffe Cino Plaque on Cornelia Street
Pó Restaurant, at 31 Cornelia Street (near Bleecker Street) for 24 years, closed suddenly, and the bronze Caffe Cino plaque that was on the outside wall of the venue has disappeared. (Read more about Pó Restaurant’s closing on page 16.) The owners have sent an email stating that they know nothing about it. Caffe Cino
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We Cannot Save What We Have Already Lost
By George Capsis The evening of May 24th, I met the Peruvian-born, and very young (age 28) and handsome (he is an underwear model, artist, and former student at Le Cordon Bleu), owner of the week-old Baby Brasa—Franco Noriega. The restaurant is located at 173 7th Avenue South, near Greenwich Avenue—its 100-plus seats were nearly
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Hold the Mayo! The Future of Grocery Prices in the West Village
By W. Russell Neuman I know I should, but I don’t pay a lot of attention to price tags in stores. I should also keep track of sale items and I don’t do that either. But when I picked up a jar of Hellmann’s Mayonnaise at a chain grocery store/supermarket in the West Village recently,
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IN AND OUT
This month, we saw a large number of store closings of all sorts. The closing of Pó was widely reported, and with the previous closing of Home, and the news that Cornelia Street Café is struggling, the outlook for the Cornelia Street restaurant scene is not rosy. On the positive side, two interesting openings and
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A Food Tour of London’s East End—in the West Village
By Caroline Benveniste Recently, while in London, we (my husband and I and about 10 other people) took a wonderful East End food tour. This was not really a surprise, as we’d previously gone on an Eating Europe’s tour in Amsterdam, which was equally brilliant. I didn’t know much about the East End, which turns
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Favorite Restaurants, Continued
Piccolo Angolo (621 Hudson Street, at Jane Street): In more than 20 years, I’ve never had a bad meal at this family-run establishment. I’ve found it a little expensive but always high quality. Its large portions and diverse menu make it well worth the price. One caveat is that it can feel small and crowded,
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IN AND OUT
by Caroline Benvieste The big news this month is the re-opening of the Quad Cinema which was purchased by lawyer, film buff, and real estate developer Charles S. Cohen back in 2015 and has been under construction ever since. Many famous people came to the opening on April 13th, including Harvey Keitel, Julian Schnabel, and
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Savvy Shopper’s Feedback
Buying coffee at McNulty’s, I was surprised to see a handwritten sign reading “Colombian coffee $90/lb.” I asked if anyone was buying it and was told, “Yes, it works out to about $3.00 per cup.” The coffee plants come to Colombia from Ethiopia. —Barbara Chacour
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Briefly Noted: Correction
We received an email from Murray’s Cheese owner Rob Kaufelt thanking us for our “Murray’s Cheese…” article in the March issue, but pointing out that, in fact, the Cheese Bar was included in the sale of Murray’s to Kroger. —Caroline Benveniste
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In and Out
This month saw fewer closings than February. Plus, two long-awaited restaurants finally opened—Greenwich Steakhouse and Hot N Juicy Crawfish. One Italian restaurant opened and an Italian sandwich shop/grocery store is coming soon. Is this a trend? Is the Village returning to its Italian roots? Open 1. Tfor (14 Bedford Street, near Downing Street): This Italian/Mediterranean
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What Is Your Favorite Restaurant?
For those of you who regularly dine out, you have your absolute number one favorite spot where you love the food and maybe the modest prices, the décor, and perhaps the nice owner as well. Will you share your favorite West Village restaurant with the readers of WestView? Email them to westviewarticles@gmail.com. Please limit each
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Reinvented Italian Sushi
By David Porat Raw fish is popular beyond Japanese sushi, and in fact, has a somewhat Italian identity—sometimes referred to as “crudo” in Italian. In Puglia and Sicily, raw fish is popular. Steak Tartare, originally French, also takes on a more international identity and crosses over to seafood with tuna and salmon. At Tfor—a brand
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Murray’s Cheese Purchased by Kroger
By Caroline Benveniste Most West Villagers were quite surprised to hear that Murray’s Cheese had been sold. And many were not familiar with the buyer, Kroger, as it is not a household name in New York. Kroger was started in 1883 as a single grocery store in Cincinnati by Barney Kroger, and is now a
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IN AND OUT
By Caroline Benveniste All photos by Maggie Berkvist. It was a fairly quiet month for openings and closings in the West Village, but there were a number of widely-reported events, such as the opening of Do¯, Milk Bar, and the purchase of Murray’s Cheese by Kroger. Gansevoort Market/Chelsea Market Update As usual, much happened in
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The Funfetti Explosion
Three of this month’s openings are part of what the New York Times referred to as “The Funfetti Explosion” back in October—a phenomenon of instagrammable sweets that incorporate rainbow sprinkles. Bubble Bar features rainbow sprinkles as one of the possible toppings on the bubble waffles. Shown here is the delicious waffle I ordered with Cookies
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In and Out
Open Woof World (91 Christopher Street, near Bleecker Street): This shop hopes to capitalize on the large number of pets and pet parents in the neighborhood. The displays are spare and elegant and the staff is extremely helpful and solicitous. ………. 4 Charles Prime Rib (4 Charles Street, near Greenwich Avenue): The old El Charro
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Savvy Shoppers’ Feedback
We continue to receive astute feedback about food shopping in the West Village from our readers. Below, we have published a recent letter, along with a response by WestView’s own Caroline Benveniste. Dear Editors: May I add: Coffee, tea, and chocolate from Porto Rico Importing Co. on Bleecker Street; a real supermarket in Western Beef
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Annual Taste of Greenwich House Adds a New Element
By Joe Salas From its origins in a gym in 2003, the annual Taste of Greenwich House—to be held this year on March 13th—has developed into a showcase of the Village’s best restaurants and a “must-attend” for everyone following the Greenwich Village food scene. With more than 30 restaurants, eateries including Market Table and Café
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Back to the Future on Charles Street
By David A. Porat Visiting 4 Charles Prime Rib is like stepping back in time, to a small old-fashioned watering hole with good food and an “everybody knows your name” feel. But there is a lot more than meets the eye, or the taste buds. Designed like it has not changed in decades (maybe even
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Rent Hike Closes Da Silvano, Let’s Save Caffe Vivaldi
On December 20th, the West Village lost another institution to the greed of area building owners. Da Silvano, one of the best Italian restaurants in the City, which sat just below 6th Avenue and Bleecker Street for 41 years, closed. Da Silvano was one of the first restaurants in New York to popularize Northern Italian
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Cozy Up in These West Village Coffee Shops
By Andrew Buemi Winter is officially upon us, and with the cold weather, the neighborhood coffee shop becomes a refuge of warmth and comfort. Some of the City’s most storied coffee houses—like Caffe Reggio, the first U.S. cafe to serve an Italian cappuccino (in 1927), or Café ‘Ino, a favorite of Patti Smith—have called the
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Savvy Shoppers’ Feedback
By Caroline Beneviste We received a number of responses to our article last month about food shopping in the West Village. Three of the respondents graciously agreed to let us publish their letters. Here they are: I am shocked, actually. For bread, Amy’s Bread on Bleecker, next door to Murray’s, has a wide range of
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The Sweetest Village Institution
Li-Lac Chocolates, the oldest chocolatier in Manhattan, opened at 120 Christopher Street (near Bedford Street) in 1923. It was the brainchild of George Demetrious, a Greek immigrant who learned his chocolate-making skills in France. Li-Lac remained there until 2005 when the rent skyrocketed, forcing a move to its current location at 40 8th Avenue (at
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The Black Derby
Dear George: I read your review of The Black Derby and thought I might take my wife there for a night out. However, upon checking the website, I discovered that the $12 hamburger is now $14! Did they raise the price thanks to your review or did you just err? If the former, you ought
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The Best of Food Shopping in the West Village
By Caroline Benveniste The Village, like the rest of the City, has seen a spate of food store closings (also reported in the New York Times article “Where Did My Supermarket Go?” on November 4, 2016). This month, we report on the closing of Mrs. Green’s. However, the Village is still a wonderful place to
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Chumley’s—A History (Continued)
By Caroline Benveniste We ended our March 2016 WestView article on Chumley’s with: “Only time will tell whether or not there is a spring opening of Chumley’s.” Chumley’s did not open in the spring, but it did finally open on October 18th. In the intervening months, WestView News was in the middle of a battle
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The Black Derby—Tasty, Inexpensive, and Comfortable
By George Capsis Few phone calls offer the instant euphoria of: “We would like to advertise,” coupled with (like a drop of olive oil) a Greek accent. Ahh this was going to be easy. Nikolaos (Nick) Biziouras, the co-owner, with Seth Leffer, of a new restaurant called The Black Derby at 310 West 4th Street,
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Local Greek Family Fare
By David Porat George Capsis is even more at home now in his neighborhood with some classic Greek food almost around the corner and in the heart of the West Village. Brand new and looking quite put together, NISI Estiatorio opened in late October. I had the pleasure of dining there, by invitation, with George,
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Ristorante Rafele
Hi Mr. Capsis, Hope you are having a lovely holiday weekend. As I am reading the review by Ms. Caroline Benveniste of Ristorante Rafele, I would like to point out a few things that are untrue: 1. 900 Degrees, the pizza restaurant that folded prior to the opening of Ristorante Rafele, was not a “dump”
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Seventh Avenue South Intersects with Good-Value Food— Highlighting Bobwhite Lunch and Supper Counter
By David Porat Living in the neighborhood, I have found that many of the places up and down Seventh Avenue South have become fixtures, tourist destinations, or maybe places to avoid when looking for good food locally. They are also not known for value because of high rent due to their location in a high-traffic
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A Chef’s Restaurant—Günter Seeger
By David Porat Günter Seeger is new on Hudson Street with a very distinguished and somewhat mysterious façade. Its storefront piqued my curiosity on my way to High Street on Hudson, one of my current favorite places in the neighborhood. I entered the restaurant at about 6 pm on a Saturday before any guests arrived,
