Food & Dining

May 20, 2015

Four Seasons Renovation Plans Shot Down by Landmarks Preservation Commission

Aby Rosen's plans to update the Four Seasons has been squashed by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. According to Crain's, the only upgrade that received a nod from the commission was a request to change the carpet. Bigger renovations, like replacing a non-original fissured glass partition with planters and to replace a fixed walnut panel between the public and private dining rooms with a movable one, were all rejected. "There is no good reason why they should make these changes," said Meenakshi Srinivasan, the commission's chairwoman, Crain's reports. "There's no rationale. The space could function perfectly well without these changes, so why do it?"
Find out more

Photo via Le Travelist

April 29, 2015

The Four Seasons: An Iconic Interior Landmark Faces an Uncertain Future

By Dana Schulz

As you probably already know, 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the NYC landmarks law. And one of the ways the city is marking the historic event is with an exhibit at the New York School of Interior Design called Rescued, Restored, Reimagined: New York’s Landmark Interiors, which focuses on some of the 117 public spaces throughout the five boroughs that have been designated interior landmarks. In conjunction with this exhibit, Open House New York recently hosted an interior landmark scavenger hunt (for which 6sqft took eighth place out of 40 teams!), which brought participants to designated interior spaces in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn over the course of seven hours. One of the spots we visited was the Four Seasons restaurant inside the famed Seagram Building. Through our scavenger hunt challenges here, we learned just how groundbreaking this restaurant was for its innovative design and role as the quintessential Midtown "power lunch" spot. But the Four Seasons, despite its landmark status, is facing an uncertain future.
Learn about the past, present, and future of the Four Seasons here

February 3, 2015

Then and Now: From Luchow’s German Restaurant to NYU Dorm

By Dana Schulz

For those of us who came to the city within the past decade, it's hard to imagine East 14th Street without its stretch of bulky NYU dorms, big-box supermarkets, and mini-chain restaurants. But of course this wasn't always what the area looked like. In the late 19th century, the area centered around Irving Place, was full of entertainment venues like the Academy of Music, the city's opera house, Steinway Hall, Tammany Hall, and the City Theatre movie house. And at the heart of it all was a restaurant that catered to both the theater crowd and the German population of the East Village–Luchow's. Luchow's was established in 1882 at 110 East 14th Street at Irving Place when German immigrant August Lüchow purchased the café/beer garden where he worked as a bartender and waiter. It remained in operation for a full century, becoming an unofficial neighborhood and city landmark, until it was replaced by NYU's University Hall dormitory.
Read the full history here

January 23, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Maya Jankelowitz of Jack’s Wife Freda on Creating Restaurants That Feel Like Home

By Susan Cohen

If you're an Instagram-loving New Yorker, then you've likely seen, or maybe even posted, photos of the salads, egg dishes, and even the menus at the downtown restaurant Jack's Wife Freda. Through the app, diners at Jack's Wife Freda have been spreading the word about the establishment's food and polished-yet-relaxed atmosphere. These sepia-toned photos certainly caught our attention, especially the beautiful meals plated on crisp white dishes. The visionaries behind the restaurant are husband-and-wife team Dean and Maya Jankelowitz. The pair opened Jack's Wife Freda three years ago on Lafayette Street in Soho, and just opened a second location on Carmine Street in the West Village. Together, the two restaurants are designed for New Yorkers to sit down and enjoy simple dishes that remind Dean and Maya of their families and respective countries, South Africa and Israel. For the couple, it's only a perk that they are getting so much attention on social media, as their primary goal has always been the two H's: hospitality and happiness. We recently spoke with Maya at the new Carmine location to find out about running two restaurants in the city with her husband and what it means to give New Yorkers a restaurant to call "their spot."
Read the full interview here

January 20, 2015

Tour the Chefs Club Restaurant by ‘Food & Wine’ Magazine at the Landmark Puck Building

By Diane Pham

There's been plenty of talk about the luxurious penthouses that top off the historic Puck Building. But just below these spectacular homes is an equally stunning space that's sure to take your breath away—or at least get your stomach rumbling. Archdaily brings us on a tour of the Chefs Club, a brand new dining experience dreamt up by the folks over at Food & Wine magazine. The sleek eatery opened just last fall to rave reviews, and it's no surprise; the Chefs Club by Food & Wine is exactly what you'd hope it is: the magazine's "Best New Chefs" and an international roster of rockstar cooks whipping up meals unlike any you've had before.
Take a tour of the spectacular interiors here

Say Goodbye to Williamsburg’s Iconic Diner, New Six-Story Apartment Building Coming

Image by Avagara via Panoramio

December 24, 2014

Say Goodbye to Williamsburg’s Iconic Diner, New Six-Story Apartment Building Coming

By Diane Pham

Amongst Williamsburg's ever-growing, rapidly-rising new developments remains a neighborhood icon that has managed to stick around in the face of change. However, it looks like time has finally caught up to this tiny 1950s treasure, as Brownstoner reports that permits were filed today to replace the classic metal structure with a six-story, 10-unit apartment building. The replacement may not surprise too many given the transformation of the area, as well as the restaurants taking up space—from a diner in '52 to a beloved burger joint from '97 to 2010 to today providing a somewhat less fitting location for upscale La Esquina's satellite Mexican restaurant/cafe—but without a doubt it's still one that we're sad to see happen.
More details here

October 2, 2014

Daily Link Fix: Amazing Cartoon Map Tablecloth from 1950s; See How Subway Cars Are Built

By Alyssa Alimurung

You never step foot in a fast food joint (right? RIGHT?!), but for those times when it’s an emergency and you need that greasy, fried goodness I Quant NY reported on the cleanest fast food chain in the city, so you can at least eat some grub that wasn’t dropped on the floor first. Continuing on our food […]

Food & Dining

Coffee Culture: Are Neighborhood Cafes the First Sign of Gentrification?

Photo: Cafe Grumpy in Greenpoint by Premshree Pillai cc

September 3, 2014

Coffee Culture: Are Neighborhood Cafes the First Sign of Gentrification?

By Michelle Cohen

From “coffices” to lab-like minimalist gourmet coffee meccas to cozy neighborhood hangouts, neighborhood cafes are a fine example of the essential “third place” mentioned in discussions of community dynamics: that place, neither work nor home, where regulars gather and everyone’s welcome. Along with yoga studios, art galleries, community gardens, vintage clothing shops, restaurants with pedigreed owners and adventurous menus and, some say, a change in the offerings on local grocery shelves, cafes are often the earliest sign of neighborhood change. The neighborhood cafe serves as a testing ground for community cohesiveness while adventurous entrepreneurs test the still-unfamiliar waters around them. Beyond the literal gesture of offering sustenance, cafes provide a place where you can actually see who your neighbors are and appreciate the fact that at least some of them are willing to make an investment locally.
Get a fleeting glimpse of old New York City cafe culture in the West Village, meet the future of coffee distribution in Red Hook.

August 24, 2014

Neon, Metal, and Patty Melts: A Look at Classic New York City Diner Design

By Jason Carpenter

American diners are neon-lit time capsules of architecture and design. They are the '57 Ford Thunderbird of restaurants, shaping post-war optimism and far too much metal into something beautiful and quintessentially American. Best of all, you can still find plenty of little diners doing what they have always done, among the rising skylines and property values of New York City.
See our diner photos here

August 7, 2014

The Roundhouse at Beacon Falls is a Former Industrial Site Turned Locally Designed Getaway

By Dana Schulz

There's so much talk these days about the happenings up in Beacon, New York, from the Dia:Beacon, undoubtedly the area's biggest attraction, to the locally sourced restaurants lining the Hudson. And if you're hoping to make this upstate getaway longer than just a day trip, the Roundhouse at Beacon Falls can accommodate much more than just your overnight stay. Aryeh Siegel, unofficial "architect of Beacon," was enlisted by developer Robert A. McAlpine to restore and adaptively resue the buildings on this 9-acre, 19th century industrial site located on the Fishkill Creek. They were transformed into a complex including a hotel, restaurant, and event space. Historically appropriate, modern private residences were added, and the former power house is being reconstructed to provide hydro-electric power, which will account for 60% of the hotel's energy. The Rockwell Group outfitted the hotel and restaurant interiors with a contemporary yet rustic design esthetic, incorporating pieces from local artisans.
Take a tour through this gorgeous getaway

Five Lush Rooftop Bars That Feel Like an Escape from the City

By Lori Zimmer

Summer is in full swing, and while some of us get to plan far flung escapes, others must endure the heat amidst the concrete towers. Rooftop oases are a great way to beat rising temps, especially when the foliage of a hidden garden can cool us naturally. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite lush rooftop havens around the city, all sure to help soothe your soul when a trip away from city life just isn’t in the cards. From an ultra verdant "secret garden" to a rooftop escape with the Empire State Building in view, check out these these five urban retreats offering an elevated experience.
Five wonderful lush rooftop escapes here

July 11, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Lisle Richards and Eric Marx, The Duo Behind the Monarch Room Restaurant

By Susan Cohen

Opening one restaurant is hard, but two in a month is a serious feat. But this is New York City, and restaurateurs Lisle Richards and Eric Marx were ready for a challenge. Between January and February of this year the duo opened up two of Manhattan’s hippest and most most talked about new haunts: The Monarch Room and The Wayfarer.
Our interview with the restauranteurs here

June 4, 2014

Join Us on a Tour of Battery Park City’s Brand New Mega Food Hall Hudson Eats

By Patty Lee

If you haven't been downtown recently, you might want to make the trek. Hudson Eats — the just-opened food hall at 200 Vesey Street — is turning a once sleepy corner of Battery Park City into a culinary destination. Located on the second floor of Brookfield Place (formerly World Financial Center), the gleaming, white-tiled emporium is one of many new additions helping to revitalize Lower Manhattan. Along with the trendy restaurants that now call the neighborhood home — like Danny Meyer's North End Grill and Stephen Starr's new El Vez — there's also the recent debut of the 9/11 Memorial Museum and eventual moves from media powerhouses Condé Nast and Time Inc.
See more pictures of the stunning food court

May 28, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Minton’s Chef Alexander Smalls Breathes New Life into Legendary Harlem Jazz Club

By Patty Lee

It was dinner party cocktail chatter that led long-time pals chef Alexander Smalls and former Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons to launch a set of Harlem restaurants. Last fall, five years after that initial talk, the duo re-opened Minton’s, bringing the legendary jazz club back to its former glory, complete with Sunday jazz suppers. Around the same time, they also launched a brand new restaurant down the block called the Cecil, which boasts a cross-cultural menu inspired by Africa’s wide-spreading culinary influence. We sat down with Smalls, an opera-singer-turned chef and longtime Harlem resident, to get his thoughts on the changing neighborhood and what business owners can do to give back.
Read our interview with the culinary legend

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