By Jane Heil Usyk Here is a quick, delicious, lifesaving recipe for nights when you come home late and only have five minutes to make dinner; it’s also very cheap. The other night, for example, we were at our usual Monday night powwow with Simon, our wonderful opera teacher, who teaches opera appreciation and goes
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If You Can’t Fix It, Lie – NYCHA gives a course in lying and even has a textbook
By George Capsis I clicked on the TV to find Mayor de Blasio, in front of a gaggle of terribly young City Council members, competently running down the council’s achievements as the session apparently came to an end. With only the slightest change in tone he slid into what was happening to the New York
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Farewell to the Queen of Pasta
By Jane Heil Usyk Just got out of Perazzo’s, where Mrs. Raffetto was lying in state. It was the center of Village life today; half the Village came in while we were there on Monday. We all said she was lucky to have died the way she did; as her son Andrew said, she was
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La Nacional, Celebrating Little Spain
By Eleanor Cole On June 15th, in anticipation of its 150th anniversary, La Nacional-Spanish Benevolent Society will inaugurate its community restaurant. The last surviving remnant of the once vibrant community known as Little Spain, La Nacional was the cultural, charitable and spiritual center for the Spanish and Hispanic community. The renovation, funded almost entirely by
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Caffè Vivaldi Closes
By Caroline Benveniste When Ishrat Ansari posted the news on Caffè Vivaldi’s website that the café/restaurant/performance and community space would be closing on June 23rd, after 35 years, we received many emails from distraught readers alerting us to the fact. The closing was big news—articles appeared in The Villager and Gothamist, and Jeremiah’s Vanishing New
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Junzi Kitchen
By Caroline Benveniste On July 16th or thereabouts, Junzi Kitchen, a Chinese fast-casual restaurant will open at 170 Bleecker Street. This will be the restaurant’s third location, and to the casual diner, it will be a delicious and convenient lunch or dinner option. But if you eat there without knowing its history, you’ll be missing
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Euphoria in an Ear of Corn
By Jane Heil Usyk You can hardly imagine a happier person these days than my husband, surrounded as he is by a variety of food stores. He is beside himself with joy about the opening of Trader Joe’s in SoHo, which has lovely, fresh food and very low prices and has, in his words, “liberated
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In and Out
This month closings continued unabated. A specialist on high-rent blight, of the kind we are seeing on Christopher and Bleecker Streets, had a possible explanation for why landlords might keep stores empty rather than accepting a lower rent: if a landlord has a number of properties, and is looking for a loan from the bank
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Peruvian Food by Way of a 7th Avenue Model
By David Porat Francoe Noriega is a celebrity chef based on somewhat humble beginnings as an underwear model. A Peruvian who has done a good bit of television, Franco, with the help of some PR, has become a celebrity Chef. Often wearing not much more than an apron, he is the owner of Baby Brasa, located
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Elegant Dining at Home: It Might be Cheaper Than You Think
By Deirdre Anderson, Private Chef Many years ago, having a private chef such as myself, was something reserved for the truly wealthy. Today, as the demand for private chefs has risen dramatically, so has the competition. Although most people have a general valuation of a plumber’s hourly rate, many don’t realize that private chefs charge
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Requiem for a Neighborhood Burger Joint
By Jane Heil Usyk Here’s what a neighborhood is to me: it’s a few square blocks with homes or apartments, a grocery store or two or three, a shoe repair, a laundry, a cleaners, a hairdresser, a park, a library, maybe a stationery store and–most important of all–a bar or restaurant with good cheap food and drink,
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In and Out
The sale of Chelsea Market by Jamestown Properties to Google has been finalized, and the good news is that Google has assured the community that “Jamestown will continue to manage the retail and food hall.” This month we sensed that Village landlords were beginning to accept the new rent realities: a “for rent” sign in
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No More Faux-Feta
Just try telling Citarella, Zabar’s, or Murray’s Cheese to take those ‘French feta’ and ‘Danish feta’ labels off their faux-feta products. Either they won’t know what you’re talking about when you say that feta is an “EU protected designation of origin product of Greece since 2002,” or they’ll just shrug and say they can call
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Chelsea Market Changes Upstairs and Downstairs
By David Porat Chelsea Market, which has been rather constant over the last 20-plus years, is changing. About two weeks ago, it was announced that Google, a significant tenant in the building and landlord of 88 8th Avenue, known as the Port Authority Building, along with Pier 57 at the end of 15th Street (which
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Modern Middle Eastern Dining in the West Village
By Caroline Benveniste As I planned our January visit to Tel Aviv, I confess that I mostly focused on food. I had a long list of places to try, gleaned from articles and friends’ and relatives’ recommendations. There were also a few places that I’d heard about because the chefs had either opened or were
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In and Out
This month, the big real estate news was that Google, in its quest to obtain more office space, was not only buying the Chelsea Market building but also increasing its footprint at Pier 57 at 15th Street. Originally, Anthony Bourdain had been planning a huge international “street food” market at the pier, but those plans
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Abingdon Square Food Paradise: A Sequel
By Barry Benepe In the January 2018 issue of WestView, I described some of the farmers that came into the city from the surrounding region to set up their products at thte Abingdon Square Greenmarket on Saturdays. An additional farmer, with an outstanding array of farm-made cow cheeses, is Consider Bardwell, founded in 1864 in
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It All Started with Pop-Pop
By Dierdre Anderson Pop-Pop, aka Vincent Scailo, my Italian grandfather, sparked my initial love for food. Namely, the preparation part. Growing up, family get-togethers were all about the food. Of course we loved to eat, but with equal passion we loved to create. Together. While Grandma Helen simmered and stirred, my mom seemed to constantly
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More Insight on Coffee Joints
Dear Mr. Capsis: First, I am sorry to learn of the loss of John Capsis. My condolences to you and your family. My reason for writing is this: Gordon T. Hughes, Jr., in his January 2018 WestView article “West Village Coffee Joints,” missed an exquisite newcomer to the neighborhood. Ad Hoc Collective Coffee + Shoppe—part
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In & Out
As usually happens in January, there were few openings and numerous closings, some of them due to lease issues. Corey Johnson, the new City Council Speaker, said that he was in favor of a hearing on the Small Business Jobs Survival Act (SBJSA), which, as described on the City Council website is, “A Local Law
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Correction
Within the January 2018 issue of WestView, the dollar amounts referenced in the article entitled “West Village: A Food Desert?” were incorrect (page 10). The corresponding sentence should read: “The farmers bring home some 20 to 25 million hard-earned dollars…”
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West Village Coffee Joints
By Gordon T. Hughes, Jr. There is a famous scene with Jill Clayburgh and Woody Allen in Annie Hall where the two are sitting on a bench in New York City describing people who are walking by. Well, many New Yorkers with a little spare time do just that. When I have a moment or
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In & Out
On November 30th, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the threshold on the Commercial Rent Tax (CRT) would be raised from $250,000 to $500,000 starting in July 2018. The CRT is a 3.9% tax on rents in Manhattan below 96th Street that exceed the threshold. This is the first change to the CRT since 2001.
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West Village: A Food Desert?
By Barry Benepe Writing in the September 2017 issue of WestView, Robert Widmann bemoans the loss of food markets in the West Village. (See the article entitled “Market-less in the Village.”) Naming several, Widmann concludes, “Now they are all gone.” Actually, we have many serving the West Village: D’Agostino, Integral Yoga, Chelsea Market, Whole Foods,
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In & Out
This month, it seemed like everyone was talking about the crisis in retail. The New York Times wrote an editorial on November 19th entitled “Why Is New York Full of Empty Stores?” New York State Senator Brad Hoylman hosted a Town Hall on November 9th on the ‘Small Business Crisis.’ Tim Wu, a professor at
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In and Out
This month, we heard more stories of high rents driving out long-term tenants. But there were also a large number of openings, including the return of sorts of a beloved Village institution, and hints that some recently shuttered spots will have new tenants soon. Open Osteria 57 (57 West 10th Street, near 6th Avenue): Another
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Heaven on a Plate, Italian Style, at Osteria 57
By Karen Rempel I live on West 10th Street, and watched with interest over the summer as the former Piadina at 57 West 10th Street (near 6th Avenue) gradually metamorphosed into Osteria 57. Happily, on September 15th, I attended a champagne reception and experienced bite-sized, intriguing tastes of joy. I’ve returned numerous times to swoon
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Food Shopping in Paris
By Caroline Benveniste I recently returned from a trip to Paris. While there, I stayed with my aunt, who lives in a residential area in the 17th Arrondissement not far from the Parc Monceau. One of the best things about her neighborhood is that she is only a block or so from a wonderful pedestrian
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In and Out
By Caroline Benveniste As always, the fall brings with it a spate of openings, and an even longer list of anticipated openings. Some long-awaited restaurants need a bit more waiting, such as Pasta Flyer. Italian restaurants continue to flock to the Village, and increasing numbers of old-fashioned barbershops are popping up in the area. Open
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Tracking Changes in the Village
Dear Editors: I just looked at the August issue of WestView and noted that the recent passing of Paul Bellardo was not mentioned. I assume that was because you had already gone to press when he died. I remember well his shop on Christopher Street. I also noticed that, in “In and Out,” you say
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Amazon Buys Whole Foods and Cuts Prices
By George Capsis Oh wow! Amazon’s Jeff Bezos bought Whole Foods for $13.7 billion and, in days, he cut prices. What does that mean for us here in the West Village? I mean, I went to Whole Foods on 14th Street only once and found the prices forbidding (a jar of asparagus juice with three
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The Riviera Cafe Dies but it is Not the Rent
By George Capsis “Oh no, not the Riviera,” was the reaction to the closing of this 47-year-old landmark defining the corner of West 4th Street and 7th Avenue, with its outdoor tables and the funny-leaning front door. So, Dusty and I went there to share a hamburger and asked the waiter to send over the
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In and Out
Perhaps things will improve for retail in the Village: A bill in the New York City Council, which proposed raising the threshold for the Commercial Rent Tax (CRT) from $250,000 to $500,000, now has enough bipartisan supporters to override a mayoral veto. The law came into effect 54 years ago and requires commercial tenants below
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Market-less in the Village
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
