Food & Dining

De Blasio says outdoor dining will return to NYC next summer

Outdoor dining on West 71st Street between Central Park West and Columbus. Photo by 6sqft.

August 3, 2020

De Blasio says outdoor dining will return to NYC next summer

In a press conference this morning, Mayor de Blasio announced that the city's popular Open Restaurants program will return on June 1, 2021, if not earlier in the spring. He recently expanded this year's outdoor dining program through October 31 after it was found to be successful and safe and after the state indefinitely postponed indoor dining in New York City. De Blasio said that an estimated 80,000 jobs from more than 9,000 participating businesses have been saved since the program launched on June 22 when the city entered phase two of reopening.
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NYC’s latest set of outdoor dining open streets includes 13 blocks on the Upper West Side

Open streets outdoor dining along West 47th Street, photo by CityRealty

August 3, 2020

NYC’s latest set of outdoor dining open streets includes 13 blocks on the Upper West Side

By Dana Schulz

Open streets outdoor dining along West 47th Street, photo by CityRealty On Friday, Mayor de Blasio announced that an additional 15 locations would be closing to traffic and opening their streets for outdoor dining through a combination of the city's Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs. This brings the total to 62 participating streets. Some of the latest include 13 blocks along Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side, another stretch in Chinatown, Koreatown, a few in Noho/Soho, and five blocks along Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights. Since restaurants were first able to open for outdoor dining when phase two began on June 22, more than 9,500 have signed on to participate.
The full list of open streets

Outdoor dining comes to two NYC food halls

The Market Line Patio; Credit: Greater Studio

August 3, 2020

Outdoor dining comes to two NYC food halls

By Devin Gannon

With nearly 10,000 New York City restaurants open for outdoor dining, now even food halls are getting in on the Open Restaurants program. The Market Line at Essex Crossing on Friday opened a spacious outdoor patio and a menu made up of a mix of vendors from the Lower East Side food hall. And Time Out Market will reopen its fifth-floor rooftop and seating along the waterfront in Dumbo this week.
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Food & Dining

Chinatown’s historic Mott Street is transformed into an outdoor dining oasis

All photos courtesy of Emily Andrews for Rockwell Group

July 30, 2020

Chinatown’s historic Mott Street is transformed into an outdoor dining oasis

By Devin Gannon

Chinatown's Mott Street got a colorful upgrade on Wednesday with a block-long outdoor installation designed by architect David Rockwell. His firm, Rockwell Group, launched DineOut NYC earlier this summer to help New York City restaurants safely open outside by providing design templates for creative ways to use sidewalk and street space. Mott Street, now closed to cars between Mosco and Worth Streets, serves as the program's first community-wide dining area, with multiple restaurants on the strip using the facilities.
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Iconic West Village speakeasy Chumley’s is closing and auctioning off its memorabilia

Photo courtesy of A.J. Willner Auctions

July 27, 2020

Iconic West Village speakeasy Chumley’s is closing and auctioning off its memorabilia

By Dana Schulz

Update: A representative from A.J. Willner tells 6sqft that the auction has been cancelled due to the landlord objecting to the restaurant's right to sell the equipment. The lastest iconic eatery to shutter in the wake of the COVID pandemic is Chumley's. Opened in 1922, the West Village bar and restaurant was a speakeasy during Prohibition, becoming famous as a literary haunt for the likes of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and J.D. Salinger. It faced an uncertain future in 2007 when a collapsed wall forced it to close; 10 years of red tape followed, but Chumley's reopened in 2016, albeit with a new owner and fancier menu. However, Untapped New York first heard the news that Chumley's will not reopen following the city's shutdown orders, and they are auctioning off everything from their restaurant equipment to the tufted leather banquettes to the iconic literary memorabilia.
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Food & Dining

New York suspends liquor licenses of six NYC bars in violation of COVID-19 regulations

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

July 27, 2020

New York suspends liquor licenses of six NYC bars in violation of COVID-19 regulations

By Devin Gannon

Six more bars and restaurants in New York City temporarily lost their liquor license last week for violating social distancing regulations. Following a statewide compliance check between July 21 and July 23, the State Liquor Authority found violations at 84 establishments and suspended the liquor licenses of 10 bars, of which six were in the five boroughs, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday. Over the weekend, an additional 105 violations were issued to bars and restaurants, the governor said on Sunday.
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52-year-old Chinese-Cuban restaurant La Caridad closes on the Upper West Side

Photo taken by 6sqft on July 24, 2020

July 27, 2020

52-year-old Chinese-Cuban restaurant La Caridad closes on the Upper West Side

By Dana Schulz

Last week, West Side Rag noticed a "for lease" sign on the window of La Caridad 78, a beloved Chinese-Cuban restaurant that has been on the corner of Broadway and 78th Street for 52 years. Neighbors had speculated about its closing in the days prior after seeing the restaurant's furniture and other interior items taken out. As Florence Fabricant wrote in the Times, "It was one of the city’s best-known purveyors of Chino Latino food," serving up dishes like "fried rice with plantains or Chinese pepper steak with Cuban black beans."
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Food & Dining

Tastes of Brooklyn food festival will return on August 1 with 25 restaurants and bars

Photo of Jolie Bistro in Gowanus by CityRealty

July 24, 2020

Tastes of Brooklyn food festival will return on August 1 with 25 restaurants and bars

By Dana Schulz

Now more than ever it's important to support our local restaurants, bars, and bakeries and a fun event happening on Saturday, August 1 makes it super easy to do just that. Tastes of Brooklyn returns for its annual food festival with 25 participating establishments in Gowanus, Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, and Cobble Hill. Tickets get you a select number of small dishes at drinks at your choice of restaurants, and proceeds will benefit Seeds in the Middle, a nonprofit creating sustainable farm stands and school-run healthy programs in Brooklyn's food deserts.
See who's participating

Serving chips is not enough to comply with New York’s new booze rules

Photo by Prayitno via Wikimedia Commons

July 23, 2020

Serving chips is not enough to comply with New York’s new booze rules

By Dana Schulz

Ever since Governor Cuomo announced last week that restaurants and bars across the state could only serve alcohol if customers were seated and ordering food, the question has been, what exactly constitutes "food?" According to the State Liquor Authority's updated COVID guidelines, "a bag of chips, bowl of nuts, or candy alone" are not enough; "food" is defined as that which is "similar in quality and substance to sandwiches and soups," including "salads, wings, or hotdogs." This basically makes it illegal for an establishment to serve a margarita if the customer only orders chips and salsa.
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July 22, 2020

10 iconic streets and spots in NYC open for outdoor dining

By Devin Gannon

Since Mayor Bill de Blasio rolled out the open restaurants program last month, allowing eateries to serve diners on sidewalks and in adjacent parking spots, over 9,000 eateries have reopened for outdoor dining. Offering another lifeline to the struggling industry, especially now that indoor dining has been postponed indefinitely, the city has also closed more than 40 blocks to traffic for its weekend-only open streets dining program, overseen by community organizations and neighborhood Business Improvement Districts. With so many al fresco dining options available, we're rounding up the most iconic New York City streets and establishments now open for outdoor dining, from the most photographed block in Brooklyn and New York's oldest bar in Queens to open-air plazas with views of city landmarks.
More this way

Food & Dining

Cuomo threatens roll back of outdoor dining in NYC amidst growing crowds

By Dana Schulz

After yet another weekend of social gatherings in New York City, Governor Cuomo said in his press conference this morning that the state may have to roll back the opening of bars and restaurants in the city if the local government and police department does not enact stricter enforcement. The governor emphasized the fact that the NYPD's task is not to inform young people about mask compliance but to enforce the law. "That is the only line between anarchy and civilization," he said." This weekend, Steinway Street in Astoria was flooded with people partying, and the Lower East Side once again saw large crowds.
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Outdoor dining in NYC will be extended through October

Open streets dining outside the Beatrice Inn; Photo (cropped) by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

July 17, 2020

Outdoor dining in NYC will be extended through October

By Dana Schulz

Since NYC entered phase 2 of reopening on June 22, more than 8,600 restaurants have begun participating in the Open Restaurants program, which allows restaurants to set up seating on sidewalks, curb cuts, in adjacent parking spots, and on certain designated open streets. Indoor dining in the city, however, has been postponed indefinitely. So to keep outdoor dining expanding and thriving, Mayor de Blasio announced today that he's extending the program through October 31.
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July 17, 2020

Sarah Jessica Parker asks Citi Bike to help save 100-year-old Greenwich Village restaurant

By Dana Schulz

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, longtime Greenwich Village resident Sarah Jessica Parker posted a heartfelt note to Citi Bike, hoping they can help save one of her favorite local restaurants. Gene's Restaurant has been located on West 11th Street near 6th Avenue for 101 years. But because of a Citi Bike rack right outside their front doors, the Italian restaurant has been unable to set up outdoor dining and is struggling from the pandemic fallout. "I'm happy to help move the @citibike rack just a bit east to make room for some outdoor seating. Whatever it takes," wrote SJP, who is a Citi Bike rider herself.
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Open-air cafe proposed along the East River in historic South Street Seaport

View from John Street Rendering courtesy of Woods Bagot/ NYC Parks

July 15, 2020

Open-air cafe proposed along the East River in historic South Street Seaport

By Devin Gannon

An open-air waterfront restaurant and bar could be coming to the South Street Seaport Historic District. The Howard Hughes Corporation and the city's Parks Department on Tuesday presented a proposal to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for a new concession along the East River Esplanade under the FDR Drive overpass. Designed by Woods Bagot, the "Blockhouse Bar" would be a year-round establishment, with plans to add decking over the pavement, planters, and vinyl coverings during the winter months.
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Smorgasburg returns to Williamsburg next week as takeout-only ‘Smorg To Go’

2018 Smorgasburg; Photo by Scott Lynch

July 14, 2020

Smorgasburg returns to Williamsburg next week as takeout-only ‘Smorg To Go’

By Devin Gannon

Popular outdoor food market Smorgasburg returns to Williamsburg next week with a new takeout-only model. As Eater New York first reported, "Smorg To Go" will launch on Monday, July 20, with 10 vendors serving fare at 51 North 6th Street at Kent Avenue, a block from the market's typical summer location at Marsha P. Johnson State Park. The new takeout market will operate seven days per week with a rotating list of vendors.
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White Horse Tavern temporarily loses liquor license over social distancing violations

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

July 10, 2020

White Horse Tavern temporarily loses liquor license over social distancing violations

By Devin Gannon

The state's liquor authority this week suspended the liquor license of the White Horse Tavern, charging the 140-year-old West Village bar with more than 30 violations. The New York State Liquor Authority on Wednesday said the business repeatedly violated Gov. Andrew Cuomo's executive order mandating bars and restaurants to comply with social distancing guidelines. It's the first establishment in New York City to temporarily get its liquor license revoked since the start of the city's open restaurants program last month, Eater New York first reported.
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Bronx Little Italy sets up ‘Piazza di Belmont’ for outdoor dining on Arthur Avenue

All photos courtesy of the Belmont Business Improvement District

July 9, 2020

Bronx Little Italy sets up ‘Piazza di Belmont’ for outdoor dining on Arthur Avenue

By Dana Schulz

With indoor dining on hold, the city has committed to expanding the already very successful outdoor dining program it launched in late June when phase two began. With more than 7,000 restaurants participating, the program grew this month to include several open streets across the five boroughs, and in the Bronx, the selected street is Arthur Avenue, the heart of Bronx Little Italy. Starting tonight, from Thursdays to Sundays, Arthur Avenue between East 188th Street and Crescent Avenue is transforming into a European-style al fresco dining setup called Piazza di Belmont, with more than 25 restaurants participating.
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An aircraft carrier has been transformed into a floating restaurant in Harlem

Photo courtesy of Baylander Steel Beach

July 9, 2020

An aircraft carrier has been transformed into a floating restaurant in Harlem

By Dana Schulz

Photo courtesy of Baylander Steel Beach New Yorkers have outdoor dining on their minds these days, but a new spot that opened last week is taking the idea to the next level. Just off the West Harlem Piers at 125th Street, the former Baylander IX-514 aircraft carrier has been transformed into a new restaurant and bar called Baylander Steel Beach. First spotted by I Love the Upper West Side, the one-time U.S. Navy ship now has several levels of outdoor seating, as well as a covered section that will be opened once the city allows indoor dining.
Take a tour of Baylander

Food & Dining

190-year-old Neir’s Tavern reopens for outdoor dining in Woodhaven

Photo courtesy of Neir’s Tavern

July 8, 2020

190-year-old Neir’s Tavern reopens for outdoor dining in Woodhaven

By Devin Gannon

After nearly shutting its doors earlier this year because of a rent increase and then temporarily closing in March because of the coronavirus, it's been a tough few months for Neir's Tavern, a bar in Queens founded more than 190 years ago. But, with support from regulars, the historic establishment in Woodhaven reopened this month for outdoor dining, the New York Post reported.
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Food & Dining

July 8, 2020

NYC’s oldest gay bar launches crowdfunding campaign to stay afloat

By Dana Schulz

On the corner of West 10th Street and Waverly Place, Julius' Bar stands as the oldest gay bar in New York City. It's also known for the "Sip-In" that took place here in 1966, which ultimately led to legal LGBT bars and was one of the most significant instances of LGBT activism prior to Stonewall. Julius' was forced to close its doors in mid-March amidst the COVID crisis, and they've since been unable to reopen. Therefore, they've launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $50,000 that will keep them and their employees afloat until indoor dining is permitted.
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Brooklyn’s most photographed block opens for outdoor dining

Courtesy of the Dumbo Improvement District

July 6, 2020

Brooklyn’s most photographed block opens for outdoor dining

By Devin Gannon

Over the weekend, nearly two dozen streets currently closed to cars opened to outdoor dining, including one of New York City's most photographed blocks. In the Brooklyn neighborhood of Dumbo, outdoor dining was expanded onto several streets, like on Washington Street between Water Street and Front Streets, where the Manhattan Bridge is perfectly framed between buildings. As part of the expanded open restaurants program, the Dumbo restaurants can take over the streets on Friday nights and weekends only.
Get the details

Food & Dining

Photo by Rhododendrites on Wikimedia

July 1, 2020

Stonewall Inn gets $250K lifeline to avoid COVID-19 closure

By Devin Gannon

New York City's iconic Stonewall Inn got a much-needed lifeline this week after receiving a $250,000 donation from the Gill Foundation. The Greenwich Village bar, considered the birthplace of the LGBTQ rights movement, has been closed since March because of the coronavirus pandemic and has struggled to keep up with bills, including its $40,000/month rent. But thanks to the donation, and more than $300,000 raised as part of an online fundraiser, the national historic landmark will able to survive a little longer.
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Food & Dining

All photos by Kate Previte

June 30, 2020

Starting tomorrow, you can get Levain Bakery’s famous cookies in Williamsburg

By Dana Schulz

Tomorrow, Levain Bakery is opening a new location in Williamsburg, the first time New Yorkers will be able to get their hands on one of their six-ounce, deliciously gooey cookies in Brooklyn. Located at 164 North 4th Street, just off bustling Bedford Avenue, it will serve all their cookie varieties, along with bread, brioche, and coffee.
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Food & Dining

To-go cocktails will continue in New York for at least another month

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

June 30, 2020

To-go cocktails will continue in New York for at least another month

By Devin Gannon

Takeout alcoholic beverages will be legal in New York for at least one more month, under an executive order signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week. As mandated by the governor and the New York State Liquor Authority in March in response to the shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, businesses can continue to sell to-go beer, wine, and liquor until July 26. The relaxed liquor rules, which have been extended every 30 days since instated on March 16, proved popular with restaurants and bars looking for alternative ways to bring in revenue.
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New Jersey delays indoor dining as COVID-19 cases spike in other states

Photo of Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten by cogito ergo imago on Flickr

June 29, 2020

New Jersey delays indoor dining as COVID-19 cases spike in other states

By Devin Gannon

Restaurants and bars in New Jersey will no longer be able to resume indoor service on Thursday as planned, Gov. Phil Murphy announced. The governor on Monday said the pause of this part of the state's reopening plan comes as coronavirus cases spike across the country and more photos and videos of maskless crowds at establishments have surfaced. "It brings me no joy to do this, but we have no choice," Murphy said during a press briefing.
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Food & Dining

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