Food &amp; Dining

The Central Park Boathouse restaurant has been spruced up with $2.9 million in renovations and upgrades and is perfect-date-ready just in time for outdoor weather. The New York Post reports that the familiar structure near the park's Fifth Avenue entrance at East 72nd Street has gotten much needed capital improvements like more seats (185 instead of 160) a new flood-proof tile floor and insulated glass that keeps the lakefront chill out along with a contemporary new look, new colors and lighting and better sightlines of the Central Park West skyline and rowboats gliding by. Even better, there's more room for customers at the new ADA-compliant bar.
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150 years ago, Delmonico’s became the first restaurant to serve women unaccompanied by men

Photo of Delmonico’s in 1903; photo via Wikimedia

April 18, 2018

150 years ago, Delmonico’s became the first restaurant to serve women unaccompanied by men

Photo of Delmonico's in 1903; photo via Wikimedia Nearly five decades before women were granted the right to vote in New York State, a group of fed-up ladies decided to protest a symbolic law that prohibited them from dining in restaurants without men present. After journalist Jane Cunningham Croly was barred from entering a dinner held at the New York Press Club, she and a group of women founded Sorosis, the first professional women's club in the United States. On April 20, 1868, Croly and her crew held a luncheon at the historic Delmonico's Restaurant in the Financial District, which became the first to serve women independently of men. Following the groundbreaking meal, clubs for only women formed all over the country.
The full history ahead

By 2020, the U.S. will have 300 food halls

UrbanSpace Vanderbilt. Photo by Shinya Suzuki/Flickr

April 11, 2018

By 2020, the U.S. will have 300 food halls

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Between 2015 and 2020, the number of food halls operating nationwide will go from 70 to 300, finds a new Cushman & Wakefield report. This trend is very clear in New York City with 25 active permanent food halls and at least 10 others planned, or rumored, for the near future. Some of the most notable examples in the works are the TimeOut DUMBO food hall and the Essex Crossing's Market Line (set to be one of the largest in the world), in addition to examples like the very successful Urban Space which opened another food hall only six blocks from one of its other locations.
What's driving the trend

Essex Street Market announces more vendors for new Essex Crossing location

Rendering courtesy of SHoP Architects for Market Line

March 29, 2018

Essex Street Market announces more vendors for new Essex Crossing location

This week's announcement of more vendors that will make up the inaugural roster for Essex Street Market's new home at the Essex Crossing mega-development included some favorites from around the city along with current faces, reports Bedford + Bowery. New to the market when the 24-story building at 115 Delancey Street opens will be Williamsburg's Middle Eastern takeout spot Samesa, East Village herbal apothecary Roots, Fort Greene florist Saffron and Union Square Greenmarket regular Josephine's Feast!
What else is in the works?

Time Out is bringing a food hall to the Dumbo waterfront this year

Via Time Out Market

March 29, 2018

Time Out is bringing a food hall to the Dumbo waterfront this year

Time Out Group, the British company that writes up everyone's favorite freebie magazine Time Out New York, announced on Wednesday that it will open a massive food hall in Brooklyn this year. Set to open between October and December, the 21,000-square-foot Time Out Market New York will be located in the Empire Stores at 55 Water Street in Dumbo. According to the company, the food market will feature a group of 20 restaurants hand-selected by the magazine's editors, three bars and a performance stage.
Dig in

February 27, 2018

Support women-led restaurants in New York City with this new map from Grubhub

What could go better together than feminism and food delivery? Thanks to Grubhub, the online takeout service, hungry New Yorkers can now easily order from women-run restaurants. The company on Tuesday launched an app called RestaurantHER that aims to empower and promote women chefs and owners, who are often underrepresented and underpaid in the restaurant industry. Available nationwide, the app includes a map that looks similar to Grubhub's typical page, but only highlights restaurants owned or co-owned by a woman or a kitchen led by a woman executive chef.
Learn more

Food & Dining

New details revealed for Pier 17, the foodie oasis coming to the South Street Seaport

A rendering of Pier 17’s proposed temporary rooftop structure via LPC/ Howard Hughes Corp.

February 27, 2018

New details revealed for Pier 17, the foodie oasis coming to the South Street Seaport

The Howard Hughes Corporation has worked since 2010 to revitalize the Seaport District as a destination for New Yorkers, bringing more than 400,000 square feet of cultural and culinary space to the waterfront. The highlight of the $731 million redevelopment remains Pier 17, a four-story building designed by Achim Menges with a see-through canopy, dining options, an iPic theater, retail and more. The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the revised designs for the project in December and the New York Post has just learned more information about the project's timeline, with nearly everything set to open at some point this year.
More this way

February 22, 2018

Did you know the Flatiron Building used to have a massive restaurant in the basement?

By Emily Nonko

New York's iconic Flatiron building, built in 1902, gets plenty of attention for its distinctive, triangular design. But the massive restaurant that operated out of the landmark's basement--known as The Flat Iron Restaurant and Cafe--has seemingly been lost to the ages. The basement restaurant allegedly could seat up to 1,500 guests. And by 1906, Madison Square had transformed from a desirable residential neighborhood for the city’s elite, as it had been in the Gilded Age, to a bustling commercial hub. The lengthy menu reflects that, with offerings that include affordable dishes of shellfish, meats, and sandwiches.
Check out the menu

February 15, 2018

The new nomadic lifestyle: Luxury real estate and restaurants take over Nomad

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

A nomad is defined as “a member of a community of people who live in different locations, moving from one place to another in search of grasslands for their animals.” But it would be hard to imagine any Nomad resident ever straying for grasslands beyond Madison Square Park. After a series of incarnations over the years, Nomad is now a super hip, bustling neighborhood from morning through night with residents, technology businesses (it’s now being referred to as “Silicon Alley”), loads of retail (leaning heavily toward design), great architecture, hot hotels, and tons and tons of food. Named for its location north of Madison Square Park, Nomad's borders are a bit fuzzy but generally, they run east-west from Lexington Avenue to Sixth Avenue and north-south from 23rd to 33rd Streets. Douglas Elliman's Bruce Ehrmann says, “Nomad is the great link between Madison Square Park, Midtown South, Murray Hill and 5th Avenue.”
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New details and renderings for Essex Crossing’s Market Line, NYC’s largest food hall

It's been over a year since we got our first look at Market Line, the 150,000-square-foot market that will anchor the Essex Crossing mega-development. It will serve as the new home for the Lower East Side's iconic, 76-year-old Essex Street Market and boast two indoor parks, a beer garden, 150 food vendors, and 20 retail spaces--all adding up to the city's largest food hall. Eater now has spotted a fresh set of renderings of Market Line, as well as the first vendor announcement. Among those who will be hawking their grub are Queens' famed taco spot Tortilleria Nixtamal, the Upper East Side's 100-year-old German meat market Schaller & Weber, and the East Village's Ukrainian institution Veselka.
Check out the other vendors and more renderings

The Urban Lens: The quest to document every diner in NYC

Metro Diner on Broadway and 100th Street

January 19, 2018

The Urban Lens: The quest to document every diner in NYC

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, Riley Arthur documents NYC's vanishing diners. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. "There's no comparison to a New York diner experience," says photographer Riley Arthur, which is what led her to start documenting all of the establishments throughout the five boroughs. Though she recently moved from Astoria to Florida, over the past two-and-a-half years she's photographed roughly 215 diners ("I've lost count," she says), usually hitting 10-12 a day and ordering a matzo ball soup at each! Since she began, at least a dozen diners have closed, usually due to rising rents, but Riley still has about 60 left to photograph. She shares her journey on the popular Instagram account Diners of NYC, where you'll see everything from the faux-stone and shiny metal facades to the greasy bacon and eggs to the massive plastic menus to the neon signs and leather banquettes. Riley shared a set of her snapshots with 6sqft and filled us in on her process and favorite spots.
See Riley's photos here

New details revealed about Hudson Yards observation deck and public spaces

Rendering of the observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards, via Related Companies

November 28, 2017

New details revealed about Hudson Yards observation deck and public spaces

Another deal has been inked for the massive Hudson Yards project, a 26-acre complex developed by Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group, and it will definitely reach new heights. On Tuesday, Related announced that London restaurant and catering company Rhubarb will run a 10,000-square-foot public space in the nearly 1,300-foot supertall 30 Hudson Yards. Rhubarb will operate a bar, restaurant, and event space on the 92nd floor, one floor above the tower's observation deck, which at 1,100 feet will be the highest outdoor deck in the city. According to Eater and the Post, the company will also open a 5,800-square-foot restaurant on the fifth floor and an indoor-outdoor bar at the observatory.
Find out more

November 14, 2017

Cracking open the stories of NYC’s most historic bars

By Emily Nonko

With rising rents and ever-changing commercial drags, New Yorkers can take comfort that the city still holds classic bar haunts, some of which have been serving booze for over 100 years. Some watering holes, like the Financial District's Fraunces Tavern, played a crucial role in major historic events. Others, like Midtown's 21 Club and the West Village's White Horse Tavern, hosted the most notable New Yorkers of the time. These institutions all survived Prohibition--managing to serve alcohol in both unique and secretive ways--and figured out ways to serve a diverse, ever-changing clientele of New Yorkers up to this day. 6sqft rounded up the seven most impressive bars when it comes to New York City history--and they've got the legends, stories, and ghosts to prove it. From longshoreman bars to underground speakeasies to Upper East Side institutions, these are the watering holes that have truly withstood New York's test of time.
This way for the roundup

How an 1894 Hangover Created an Eggs Benedict Controversy in New York City

Image via Wiki Commons

October 20, 2017

How an 1894 Hangover Created an Eggs Benedict Controversy in New York City

Brunch is inarguably one of New Yorkers' favorite pastimes, and if there's one dish that represents the lazy, and perhaps boozy, Sunday afternoon meal it's Eggs Benedict -- poached eggs and Canadian bacon on an English muffin, topped with hollandaise sauce. Which is why it's not surprising to learn that the egg creation originated right in our fine city. There is however, a bit of controversy over just who gets the credit for inventing it. Was it the Wall Street bigwig who was looking for a hangover cure at the Waldorf Hotel? Or was it Charles Ranhofer, the legendary Delmonico’s chef who published a recipe for it in his cookbook "The Epicurean?"
The mysterious case of Eggs Benedict unfolds this way

October 10, 2017

A borough-by-borough guide to NYC’s food halls

Cronuts. Raclette. Poke bowls. Avocado toast. While the list of trendy cuisines making a splash in New York City’s food scene appears endless, food halls are making it easier for New Yorkers to try a bit of everything all under one roof. The city is experiencing a boom in this casual dining style; real estate developers opt to anchor their buildings with food halls, as all-star chefs choose food halls to serve their celebrated dishes. Ahead, follow 6sqft’s guide to the city’s 24 current food halls, from old standby Chelsea Market to Downtown Brooklyn’s new DeKalb Market, as well as those in the pipeline, planned for hot spots like Hudson Yards and more far-flung locales like Staten Island.
More this way

July 11, 2017

Construction of locally-sourced food hall underway in Washington Heights

New York City’s furor for food halls has not fizzled out quite yet. Construction is currently in progress for the North End Food Hall in Washington Heights at 4300 Broadway and 183rd Street. Set to be the largest food and beer hall in upper Manhattan, the space stretches 6,000 square feet and will feature locally sourced and sustainable goods. As Eater NY learned, seven kiosks will serve everything from fair-trade coffee and craft beer to organic barbecue and burgers.
See inside

June 23, 2017

The Urban Lens: Artist and food writer John Donohue is drawing every restaurant in NYC

Former New Yorker editor, artist, and food writer John Donohue is on a mission not to eat at every restaurant in New York City, but to draw them. He describes his project, Every Restaurant in New York as "an ongoing visual compendium of the city’s eateries," and as "intentionally hyperbolic." He's figured out that by spending 20 minutes on each illustration, it's mathematically possible to visit all 24,000 restaurants in the city in under a year. To date, he's drawn nearly 200 restaurants, has an exhibit up of his drawings in Park Slope, and is selling prints of the restaurants (a portion of the proceeds from which he'll donate to hunger-relief organizations). Ahead, John shares a collection of his drawings, from classic New York restaurants like Katz's and the Grand Central Oyster Bar to new spots like Shake Shack and Carbone, and tells us how he got started on the project, about his process, and why he thinks drawing is good for the mind.
See John's drawings ahead

Two Waterline Square; Image: Noe & Associates with The Boundary

June 19, 2017

Waterline Square mega-development to get first Cipriani ‘experiential food market’

GID Development Group announced today that the Upper West Side's Waterline Square mega-development will be getting the first-ever experiential food market by the Cipriani family. Located within Two Waterline Square, the new Cipriani food hall will be designed by London-based interior designer Martin Brudnizki. Within the 28,000-square-foot space will be a large-format culinary experience with multiple food and beverage establishments including a market, restaurants, and casual outlets.
Find out more

Coney Island’s landmarked Childs Restaurant reopening as huge food and drink space

Photo via NYCEDC

May 17, 2017

Coney Island’s landmarked Childs Restaurant reopening as huge food and drink space

It's been more than 60 years since Childs Restaurant left its historic home on the Coney Island boardwalk, but on Sunday the landmarked building will reopen as a massive new food and beverage concept called Kitchen 21 (h/t Eater). The formerly vacant and deteriorating space was redeveloped through a $60 million joint investment among the NYC Economic Development Corporation, Legends Hospitality (who run the dining programs at One World Trade Center and Yankee Stadium), and Cravable Hospitality Group (of David Burke Kitchen). It will hold five separate restaurants, all peddling "summer-friendly fare": casual take-out spot Coney Island Café; beer and seafood spot Community Clam Bar; gastropub Parachute Bar; rooftop wine bar Boardwalk & Vine; and a more formal restaurant called Test Kitchen.
All the details ahead

Food & Dining

The Campbell Apartment: Grand Central Terminal’s historic ‘secret’ bar reopens

Image of The Campbell Bar via Facebook.

May 17, 2017

The Campbell Apartment: Grand Central Terminal’s historic ‘secret’ bar reopens

Though we're getting used to bidding farewell to our favorite vestiges of old New York, the May 17 reopening of historic and elegant cocktail establishment Campbell Apartment brings a rare reprieve to that familiar scenario, as The New York Times reports. Shuttered in July, the iconic lounge tucked away deep within Grand Central Terminal will reopen as an expanded version of the original. Both its slightly hidden nature and the establishment’s dress code will not be returning in its newest incarnation. The new, easier-to-find bar will be run by the Gerber Group, who says they want the bar to be less stuffy, hopefully without losing any of the historic and genteel appeal that made it a favorite grown-up rendezvous spot and a great way to impress a date.
Find out the story behind this unique NYC space

March 24, 2017

Behind the counter and into the caves at Murray’s Cheese

By James and Karla Murray

Murray's Cheese was founded in 1940 on Cornelia Street. When Rob Kaufelt bought the business in 1991, he grew the store into an internationally known food destination that now includes educational programs, a full-service restaurant, catering, and state-of-the-art cheese aging caves in Long Island City. Personally, our love affair with Murray’s Cheese began in 1994, when we were newlyweds on a budget, often buying cheese from the small Bleecker Street store to eat with some freshly baked bread purchased from the nearby Zito & Sons Bakery. Plus, with Murray’s being our namesake, we felt an immediate connection to the store. Just last month, the Kroger Company purchased the equity of Murray’s Cheese and its flagship Greenwich Village location to form a merger of the two companies. As this new era approaches, we decided to capture all the cheesy goodness of the store, restaurant, and caves, as well as chat with Rob, cavemaster PJ, and Murray's Cheese Bar's general manager Jake Goznikar to learn about Murray's history, unique contributions to local and world-wide food culture, and future.
Take the grand tour

November 1, 2016

Rat complaints are up at NYC restaurants, says new report

By Metro New York

New York may be one of the world’s greatest cities for dining out, but that doesn’t mean that every restaurant is up to par. The number of restaurant complaints to the city’s 311 call center rose for the second year in a row. There were 10,373 restaurant-related grievances called in during the fiscal year that ended June […]

The Four Seasons: Photo via Le Travelist

June 15, 2016

Modernist Treasures From Iconic Four Seasons Restaurant Headed for Auction

News of the iconic restaurant's impending demise surfaced last summer, as 6sqft previously reported, when Seagram Building owner Aby Rosen did not renew the lease for what has been seen as the quintessential Midtown “power lunch” spot for the last decades of the 20th century since it opened in 1959. The restaurant's interiors feature designs by Pritzker Prize-winner Philip Johnson, furniture, tableware and other items by Seagram Building designer Mies Van der Rohe, Hans J. Wegner and others and custom-made Knoll furniture. Those items will be included in the 500 lots headed for auction on July 26. Dezeen highlights critics' frustration at what Aaron Betsky, leading US architecture critic and dean of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture rues as the dispersal of "one of the rarest phenomena in Modernism: a place where the architecture, the furniture, the table settings, the service, the food, and even the clientele was of a piece."
Find out more about why critics are so upset by the auction of the iconic restaurant's interiors

April 6, 2016

The Last Day to Dine at the Iconic Four Seasons Is July 16th