Favorite defunct New York City restaurants

[SusanGiff]

You know, I think there may even have been TWO exclamation points. Thanks for the memory jog. I loved those big old margaritas. In fact, for some reason, they're all I remember...

[JohnL]

Memories of Grilled Hot Dog Stands

(So you didn't Have to get a "dirty water dog")

Lexington Ave & 53rd (60s-70s)  Grab a dog on the way into the subway...

6th Ave and 42nd Street  Good chili there, too. 

8th Ave & 50th St.  Great stuff! 

Not to mention all the Nedick's in the Subways...  just loved that mustard-relish mixed together!!  And orange drinks!

Any others I left out?  Today, in all of Manhattan, we only have Papaya King on 86th or Katz's on Houston.  Nothing in-between but the umbrellas...

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Thanks for the reminder! I used to eat a few times a week at that hot dog stand on 53rd and Lex.

not only were the dogs really good (from a butcher in NJ I believe) but the regulars were a priceless amalgam of New York characters!

today there are lots of hot dog oppty's

a number of Papaya Kings and Grey's Papaya.

also a stand in the park behind the library on 42nd and places like Criff dog in the village etc.

[Sneakeater]

You know, I think there may even have been TWO exclamation points. Thanks for the memory jog. I loved those big old margaritas. In fact, for some reason, they're all I remember...

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I believe that each of their branches had a different number of exclamation points.

It's amazing any of us can remember anything about those places.

Edited March 14, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[merstar]

Thanks to those who reminded me of Shah Bagh and Hisae. Both were great.

Shah Bagh was my first Indian restaurant, and I even remember exactly what I ordered and who took me there - bittersweet memories.

[merstar]

I loved, and miss:

The Ideal...Yorkville 70's

Princess Pamela's Soul Food Kitchen... Lower Eastside 70's

Lutece...Eastside ... seems like forever

Oh Ho So...  SoHo 70's

Chef Ma...Chinatown 70's

Hung Fat...Chinatown 70's

Le Champlain...Theatre district 60's

Rincon d'Argentina...Theatre district 70's

Munich Inn... Village 60's

The Front Porch...Village 70's

Hisae's...  Village 70's

Luna...Little Italy 60's

Kiev..Lower East side 80's

Chanterelle... Easide 80's etc.

Mitali...Lower East side 70's

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HISAE'S!!! I've been trying to remember the name of that restaurant since first reading this thread. There were 3 locations; the first was near Cooper Union; then the Village and the West 50s. Every table got an amuse bouche consisting of a huge bunch of bright green broccoli sauteed in oil and garlic. It was the first time I ate broccoli that wasn't gray, overboiled mush. The restaurant was considered very California-ey. Lots of fresh veggies, pasta, fish. Loved that place. Thanks for remembering it.

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There was a fourth location - W.72nd betw Columbus and CPW. What a great restaurant! I couldn't believe how fresh-tasting their food was, and the dishes were delicious and original.

Loved the Front Porch!!!

Edited March 14, 2006 by merstar (log)

[vigna]

Budapest (2nd Ave around 75th St.)

Dardanelles (5th Ave just N. of Wash. Sq.)

Lüchow's

ZumZum

Top of the Sixes (for the view and drinks)

Georges Rey

Ratners

[Beanie]

I loved, and miss:

The Ideal...Yorkville 70's

Princess Pamela's Soul Food Kitchen... Lower Eastside 70's

Lutece...Eastside ... seems like forever

Oh Ho So...  SoHo 70's

Chef Ma...Chinatown 70's

Hung Fat...Chinatown 70's

Le Champlain...Theatre district 60's

Rincon d'Argentina...Theatre district 70's

Munich Inn... Village 60's

The Front Porch...Village 70's

Hisae's...  Village 70's

Luna...Little Italy 60's

Kiev..Lower East side 80's

Chanterelle... Easide 80's etc.

Mitali...Lower East side 70's

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HISAE'S!!! I've been trying to remember the name of that restaurant since first reading this thread. There were 3 locations; the first was near Cooper Union; then the Village and the West 50s. Every table got an amuse bouche consisting of a huge bunch of bright green broccoli sauteed in oil and garlic. It was the first time I ate broccoli that wasn't gray, overboiled mush. The restaurant was considered very California-ey. Lots of fresh veggies, pasta, fish. Loved that place. Thanks for remembering it.

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There was a fourth location - W.72nd betw Columbus and CPW. What a great restaurant! I couldn't believe how fresh-tasting their food was, and the dishes were delicious and original.

Loved the Front Porch!!!

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Thanks for jogging my memory. I ate at the W. 72nd Street location and now I'm not sure there ever was a place in the W. 50s. I still remember my last meal there, with two good friends who have since passed away [RIP ]. I had poached halibut on a bed of julienned carrots and leeks. We drank lots of wine. Isn't it funny how some dining experiences stay with you forever? Does anyone know when Hisae's closed? I moved away in the mid 80s.

[jaquavella]

A number of defunct restaurants ran out of steam, or lost clientele. Over the past decade we have witnessed three restaurants close while they were at the top of thier game. We regret the loss of Quilted Giraffe, Lespinase, and Cello.

[merstar]

Another great one was Sakura Chaya, a small Japanese restaurant on the corner of Columbus Ave and 69th, betw 69th and 68th. It was the first one in the neighborhood, and the first Japanese food I had ever eaten.

At the south corner, on Col. and 68th, was another good restaurant called Dazzles.

I wonder what happened to all these restaurant owners who had to close? It's so sad.

[Sethro]

Speaking of UWS Japanese, I was really surprised when Fujiyama Mama closed its doors last Fall. It had been open for over 20 years. The food was consistantly very good for the price range, and the decor was a welcome departure from the standard UWS drab.

Apparently they were going to re-model and re-open as a Jap-fusion, but got lost somewhere along the way. I remember seeing the place under construction for months, and then suddenly newspaper on the windows and a "Space For Rent" sign. Too bad.

[menton1]

The original Friday's on 63rd and 1st Avenue, and, for a change of pace, you could head over to Maxwell's Plum on 64th.

The chain restos " Friday's" bear little resemblance to that place...

[wannabechef]

Does anyone know the month/year that Ratner's closed? I was having a debate with my friend about this the other day. I found lots of conflicting information this online, and surprisngly little information about Ratners in general when doing a google search.

~WBC

[Cleo]

Speaking of UWS Japanese, I was really surprised when Fujiyama Mama closed its doors last Fall. It had been open for over 20 years. The food was consistantly very good for the price range, and the decor was a welcome departure from the standard UWS drab.

Apparently they were going to re-model and re-open as a Jap-fusion, but got lost somewhere along the way. I remember seeing the place under construction for months, and then suddenly newspaper on the windows and a "Space For Rent" sign. Too bad.

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I'm pretty surprised that Fujiyama Mama closed. I lived on the UWS for many years and one of my friends LOVED that place. I thought it was okay. But it was always crowded.

Edited March 17, 2006 by Cleo (log)

[Leonard Kim]

Does anyone know the month/year that Ratner's closed? I was having a debate with my friend about this the other day. I found lots of conflicting information this online, and surprisngly little information about Ratners in general when doing a google search.

~WBC

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If you're getting conflicting information, I don't know how helpful we can be. Anyway, September 2002 based on the New York Times article "Lower East Side Journal; After Almost a Century, a Final Blintz" of 9/30/02.

[JennyUptown]

La-la-la...I'm not listening! Seriously, this makes me sad. I wonder if we ever crossed paths at Vans.

To make this somewhat on topic, I miss Rodizio, about 50% for the food and 50% for the fun, festive atmosphere. I spent a few birthdays there, enjoying caipirinhas and meat on a skewer with friends.

There's really only 1 that immediately springs to mind for me. We used to vacation in the Outer Banks every summer when I was a kid. There was a pizza place in Nags Head that we ate ate on the 1st night of our stay every year. It was called Van's Pizza & the support colums for the building went right through the center of the tables which were painted red. Van's was still there last time we were down in 1998 (after some 25 years of visiting)  but in a completely different form. It was a "regular" Italian restaurant & the pizza wasn't anywhere near as good.

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[menton1]

I remember passing by Stouffer's somewhere near 5th Ave (53rd?); it seemed like it was filled with "bluehairs". Even back then, it looked like a time warp!

[wesza]

I remember passing by Stouffer's somewhere near 5th Ave (53rd?); it seemed like it was filled with "bluehairs".  Even back then, it looked like a time warp!

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I used to eat what I then considered the best breakfast in NYC at "Stouffer's 42nd Street" on the east side. They did everything well, Biscuits, Hash plus all traditional favorites, even Porridge.

They had a success for years with the location at the top of the sixes, "666 Fifth Avenue" at that time one of the few roof top restaurants. Not even sure if it's still open ?

Irwin

[Sneakeater]

It's not.

[menton1]

They had a success for years with the location at the top of the sixes, "666 Fifth Avenue" at that time one of the few roof top restaurants. Not even sure if it's still open ?

Irwin

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Wasn't Stouffer's at street level in that building, and Top of the Sixes was an upscale place on the top floor? I think it was called the "Tishman Building".

There was also a huge airline office on the other side, street level. Today the airlines couldn't afford a space 1/10 of that size, sadly...

[wesza]

They had a success for years with the location at the top of the sixes, "666 Fifth Avenue" at that time one of the few roof top restaurants. Not even sure if it's still open ?

Irwin

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Wasn't Stouffer's at street level in that building, and Top of the Sixes was an upscale place on the top floor? I think it was called the "Tishman Building".

There was also a huge airline office on the other side, street level. Today the airlines couldn't afford a space 1/10 of that size, sadly...

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Stouffers Restaurant was at Street Level, Stouffers "Top of the 6's IE: 666" was at roof level. For them it was a new concept. It was called the "Tishman Building" whats it called in 2006 ?

Irwin

[Sneakeater]

Either 666 Fifth or nothing.

[Sneakeater]

What they've done to the ground level of that building I wouldn't do to a dog.

[menton1]

Remember those Irish Bars (Blarney Stone?) with the steam table right when you walk in, with hot pastrami and all the hot dishes of the day? Ahhh, heaven.

[Josefinajoisey]

Marta's. Washington Place, the Village NYC.

Marcelo was the chef, and he made gnocchi that tasted like air. I was a child and my grandfather was the lone non-Italian that hung at the bar, and lived next door. It was there that I got my taste of a Shirley Temple, and the excitement of the kitchen. I remember how my grandfather would bring me into the kitchen to show off and say hello, and the hustle and bustle seemed to stop so that everyone would say hello and make me feel special.

And I have NEVER tasted gnocchi like that.

[whitetrufflechick]

I remember Luchow's and being taken there wearing a velvet Christmas dress and staring up at what seemed to be the biggest Christmas tree in the world. I think I was three. Also remember being taken to a Czechoslovakian restaurant called The Praha on New Years Eve around the same age.