After speaking with restaurateurs this month, we understand that West Village real estate is hot. Apparently, there is already a bidding war going on for the Benny’s Burritos space which just went on the market. An unfortunate trend we’ve noticed is the opening of a number of smoke shop/convenience stores, like the one that replaced Big Gay Ice Cream in Sheridan Square. Some Upper West Side and East Village businesses are replicating themselves in the Village. As the weather warms, West Villagers can celebrate Springtime in Paris with a couple of new French openings.
Top Openings
Photos by Maggie Berkvist.
Mino Brasserie—225 West 12th Street (Greenwich Ave)
The space which was once Village Den has been completely transformed. The décor and the food are convincingly French. The two men behind the venture are Yohann Pecheux and Gérald Barthélémy. Yohann grew up in Provence and worked as a dishwasher in the south of France when he was young. Yohann fell in love with the large window at Café Minerva on West 4th Street, and when it closed, he and Gérald opened St. Tropez Wine Bar in 2017 (They later opened a Soho branch as well.) They loved their West Village neighborhood, so when the Village Den space became available they signed a lease there. After five short months they opened the restaurant—a remarkable feat, but they were helped by a contractor who was one of their customers at St. Tropez. In fact, they have a loyal following there that has been eager to patronize Mino, so the new spot has been packed since it opened in early March. The owners have obtained visas for two chefs from the south of France. The menu has very classic brasserie dishes, some of which are hard to find in New York these days. The homemade Pâté En Croûte is a great choice of appetizer, while the decadent Filet De Bœuf Rossini with foie gras and truffles is worth a splurge. Most dishes are under $30 which is a rarity these days for a restaurant of this caliber, given the rampant inflation affecting food prices. The desserts all sound tempting. The Profiteroles are served properly, with chocolate sauce arriving on the side, and the surprising Pavlova Aux Marrons with Meringue, Crème de Marrons and Marrons Glacés (Candied Chestnuts) is not to be missed.
Barachou—15 8th Avenue (between West 12th and Jane Streets). This French bakery has about a dozen different flavors of cream puffs (choux), including praliné, tiramisu, passion fruit, lemon meringue and dulce de leche. The namesake pastries are small and are priced at $9 for three. There are other delicious concoctions as well, including the elusive Paris Brest (two choux in the shape of a donut with praline cream in between) as well as several other tarts and cakes. This is the store’s second location (the first is on the Upper West Side).
Ramen Misoya—535 Hudson Street (entrance on Charles Street). Ramen Misoya opened their first location in the East Village in 2011, and it was the only ramen restaurant in NYC to serve miso ramen exclusively. Their second location is likened to a speakeasy because of its hidden entrance down some stairs. While all the broths are miso-based, there is still a lot of variation from dish to dish. The noodles are perfectly chewy, and some of the toppings are unusual, such as the fried tofu. This is a very welcome addition to the Village’s ramen options. For more on the restaurant and food, read Hannah Reimann’s review in the online edition of WestView News.
Madman Espresso & Bakery—332 Bleecker Street (between West 10th and Christopher Streets). At this new location of Madman Espresso, you will find the same expertly prepared coffees that are available at the University Place store. There is also a large selection of baked goods including pizzas from Sullivan Street bakery, as well as pies, both savory and sweet, cookies, scones, cannelés and more. There is a lovely small seating area outdoors with a few tables and chairs. Marco, the owner, admitted that they had vacillated on whether or not to open this location, but West Villagers will be happy that they did.
Also Open
Classic Arepas (31 West 8th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues) is a fast casual Venezuelan restaurant serving arepas, empanadas, tequeños (cheese fingers with or without guava) and more. The online reviews so far have been extremely positive, both for the food and the service. 7th Street Burger, (110 Macdougal Street) which already has a location in the East Village, offers the style of burger known as “smash-burger”. The small menu offers five items: a cheeseburger, a double cheeseburger, an impossible burger, fries and Mexican coke. This late night spot will no doubt be popular with NYU students. Paquita Tea and Coffee (242 West 10th Street between Hudson and Bleecker Streets) is a tea shop with a large and unusual tea selection, as well as a tea salon. The small space is decorated with crockery and tea paraphernalia, all available for purchase. This charming spot opened quietly in the fall. The Fans Strike Back® (526 6th Avenue), which bills itself as the largest Star Wars fan exhibition has opened in the old Urban Outfitters space. Previously, a Banksy exhibit had taken up residence there.
Closed
Florence Prime Meat Market (5 Jones Street between West 4th and Bleecker Streets) is the latest iconic West Village business with plans to shutter. The 86-year-old butcher shop will be missed by loyal customers who came there for perfectly trimmed steak and other meat cuts. Their Newport steak was legendary and impressive. As described in an article in Saveur magazine: “Invented in the 1940s by master butcher Jack Ubaldi, Newport steaks are available at only one place: Florence Prime Meat Market in Manhattan, in the shop Ubaldi founded in 1936.” Benny’s Burritos (113 Greenwich Avenue at Jane Street) abruptly shuttered after 34 years of serving burritos in the neighborhood. Some employees took to Nextdoor to ask if anyone knew of restaurants that were hiring (many responded with suggestions.) Uncle Chop Chop (7 Cornelia Street between 6th Avenue and Bleecker Street) opened in 2018 with two Australian owners, and an Australian chef. They featured innovative Asian cuisine, but early during the pandemic officers came to the restaurant to investigate reports that they were violating COVID restrictions (e.g. serving alcohol without food, not closing at 10 PM, etc.) and one of the owners told the officers they would not be adhering to them. The restaurant has now closed. The Daily Edited (385 Bleecker Street at Perry Street), an Australian retailer, sold leather goods such as wallets, bags, and phone cases which could be monogrammed on the spot. This was the brand’s first and only U.S. store, but now it’s gone. Their products are still available online. Taiwanese tea shop FIFTYLAN, f.k.a. KOI Thé (189 Bleecker Street at MacDougal Street) has closed its Washington Square location. The store may relocate nearby, but in the meantime, the Union Square location is still open. Many coffee bars have opened in the last few months, but Gasoline Alley Coffee (310 West 14th between 7th and 8th Avenues) has closed. Yuco (33 West 8th Street near MacDougal Street), short for Yucateco Cocina, served elevated regional Mexican food from the Yucatan Peninsula in the former Ardyn space, but now it has closed less than a year since it opened. While it was lauded by critics, its high price point ($95-$225 tasting menus) probably hurt it. Fireplace (409 Bleecker Street between West 11th and Bank Streets) opened about a year ago and has now left. This concept store featured clothing, artwork, home goods, decorations, and toys from independent brands.
Coming Soon
Legendary speakeasy Chumley’s (86 Bedford Street at Barrow Street) closed at the beginning of the pandemic, and then never re-opened. At one point an auction of the contents of the bar was announced, but after an outcry the auction was cancelled. Now, Pen and Frog Social Club plans to open in the space. According to their liquor license application, “We are a neighborhood restaurant that will service the community with a full menu. Food style is upscale American tavern.” Unfortunately this looks like the end for a historic bar that opened in 1922. The Noortwyck (289 Bleecker Street at 7th Avenue South) is applying for a liquor license in the space that used to house John Fraser’s American brasserie, The Loyal. According to their write up for Community Board 2, “The Noortwyk will be an elevated neighborhood restaurant focusing on delicious food, warm hospitality. Our food will be seasonally driven and locally sourced.” Modern Bread & Bagel is opening on the north side of 14th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. It will be kosher and gluten free(!) To achieve this, they will use ancient grains instead of wheat flour. There is already a location on the Upper West Side, as well as a sister restaurant nearby on Columbus Avenue, serving modern Israeli cuisine. Signs are up at the old Barnes and Noble location at 6th Avenue and West 8th Street announcing the arrival of Spectrum Cable. One of our readers pointed out that Barnes and Noble had closed in 2012.
Other
Jekyll and Hyde (91 7th Avenue South between Barrow and Grove Streets) has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy according to Bloomberg. The outlet reported that they owed creditors around $7.5 million, including $1.5 million in back rent. The pandemic must have hit them hard as they were popular with tourists, and also as a party venue. This was the original and only remaining location of the horror-themed restaurant which opened in 1991. Green Apple Cleaners (119 Greenwich Avenue between Jane and Horatio Streets) has a sign in the window: “After 14 years of having a storefront on Greenwich Ave., unfortunately we are going to have to make our Greenwich Store Virtual as our business never picked up in the Covid era.” They are still planning to do pick-up and delivery. Last month we announced the opening of El Condor (95 Greenwich Avenue between Bank and 12th Streets). Their ambitious food program was slowed by their lack of gas, but instead of waiting, they have decided to switch to electric. Their spring seasonal menu is now available with a beet bruschetta, fava bean toast, and the unusual AB & J Club—the ultimate comfort food. The restaurant now has a wine and beer license and features an interesting selection of mostly American wines. To read more about the food, please see Hannah Reimann’s review in the online edition of WestView News.
You told us about many openings and closings this month, so thank you! But please, keep up the good work. As always, we love to hear from you at wvnewsinout@gmail.com
