Several new restaurants and food stores have just opened or are close to opening on the Upper West Side.
As we reported a few weeks ago, Key Food is getting set to open at 90th and Amsterdam in the former home of Saigon Grill. A sign on the window says it will be a “Fresh & Natural” market. “While Key Fresh & Naturals may be smaller than some of our other stores, they still maintain a concentrated effort on perishables- produce, meat, and deli departments,” according to Key Foods’ website. Thanks to Kenneth for the photo.
The owners of a SoHo restaurant called Mezzogiorno plan to open a new Italian restaurant in the coming months in the former home of Indian Cafe at 108th street and Broadway. No details yet on the restaurant but it will apparently be “mid-priced,” according to the Observer. “They were motivated by the surprising lack of Italian restaurants on Broadway near Columbia University and the dense mix of families and students in an area with somewhat limited retail,” broker Rafe Evans said. Check out Mezzogiorno’s menu here. Thanks to Guy Dickinson for the tip.
Hunan Balcony on 98th and Broadway closed suddenly a few weeks ago and just reopened as Szechuan Gourmet 98. One of our readers tells us the opening ceremony last week involved cymbals and was shockingly loud. Apparently they’re owned by people that also own a Flushing restaurant.
Someone on Chowhound has already tasted the food and gives it two thumbs up: “Szechuan Gourmet 98 just opened yesterday, and on a minimal one-person sampling it was quite decent. the dan dan noodles had a good burn, and lovely after-tingle, with no peanut butter contamination. I followed this with their “spiciest” (3 pepper rating) dish, fish filet with fresh pepper. The filets were tender, perfectly cooked, and well spiced with several colors of fresh peppers, served on a generous bed of baby bok choy. On opening night, the place was mostly full of Chinese families, perhaps friends of the owners, and the service was quite attentive, with the manager coming over to ask me how I liked the dish and whether it was spiced to my liking. No booze yet, but coming.” Thanks to all our tipsters, and to David for the photo.
A new Kosher dairy restaurant is set to open on 93rd street and Amsterdam in the former home of 7-Eleven, Koshertopia reported. “Koshertopia spoke with the new proprietor and learned that the place aims to be ready in 3 months. While a kosher certifying agency has not officially been selected, we are told it likely to be one of the main national brands. The new store will offer a huge fresh salad bar, bagels, pizza & pasta an many other brunch and lunch varieties.”
The Meatball Shop is edging closer to opening, posting a big sign over the restaurant at 82nd and Amsterdam. They haven’t responded to a question about the opening date yet. We first reported on the Meatball Shop here. Thanks to 5borobeer for the photo.
The staff at Szechuan Gourmet seems to be the same as when Hunan Balcony. The menu is a lot more extensive than it was before.
More expensive, too.
93rd and Amsterdam…isn’t there already a kosher bagel and pizza spot right there?
There is a vacant store there on 93rd. It used to be a 7-11. There is not a kosher pizzeria or bagel shop there.
I don’t think Key Fresh and Natural Marketplace is the same as Key Food
It is under the same company: https://www.keyfood.com/our-family-of-supermarkets/
This Key Fresh & Natural sure won’t be smaller than the Key Food now at Amsterdam @ 86th.
So does this mean the old one will close?
Didn’t a Szechuan Gourmet just open at 105th and B-Way? Is this the same restuarant?
I looked at the menu and it differs substantially from the Szechuan Gourmet on 105 and Broadway, so I don’t think it’s the same place. No copyright on the name…:)
There used to be a kosher pizza shop at 92nd/Amsterdam, but the owner closed it and it’s now a (kosher) burger place. There is also a kosher bagel and pizza shop on Amsterdam and 90th, but it only has 2 tables – mostly it’s just takeout.
A new pizza place opened on 92nd & bway where crumbs cupcake shop used to be.
Yes! That’s what I was thinking of. Thank you.
The new Little Italy pizza on 92nd and Broadway is quite good and operated by a lovely young couple. This pizzeria is related to the Little Italy around 71st St, too.
Lots of empty storefronts on both sides of Broadway between 93rd & 94th Streets (Payless shoes, blockbuster, that green internet thing that I never quite understood…)
Would be nice if they filled up.
Would love to see a Westville open up in on eof those vancant spots
I’ll have to try the new pizza place on 92nd. What we really need on the UWS is authentic brick oven pizza. Like Pepe’s.
Number 28 on Amsterdam has really good brick oven pizza. The new joint Little Italy pizza is a good NY style thin crust slice, that’s what this neighborhood has been lacking. Maybe this will light a fire under the owner of Perfecto Pizza and they’ll step up their game, their pizza is horrendous.
Pepe’s??? What abt Sally’s?
(I’m assuming you’re referring to the NH brick-oven spot.)
:0)
Pepe’s on the UWS would be a dream come true. They’ve expanded in recent years and have a branch as close as Yonkers, so maybe it’s not too much to hope for…
The reason there are so many empty stores is simple. Our local elected and the same old “self appointed community activists” got a law passed to limit the width of many store fronts in the area. This was done under the banner of saving the mom & pop stores. Those are long gone, I can say that as a resident of the neighborhood since 1965. These store are just not commercially viable at the size they are now. This was all mentioned in the debates before the law was approved by the city council. Folks from the UES testified that when this was done there, all they got were empty store fronts for years. Surprise, the law is in effect and we have many more long term vacant store fronts. When a store does come in they last less than a year, example Bway & 95 the street the frozen yogurt place.
Szechuan Gourmet/Hunan Balcony
Szechuan Gourmet on 98 is really good! Easily the best Chinese in the 80s-90s area. The owners are the same people that own the Szechuan Gourmet in Flushing. We finally have good Chinese!! UWS’ers should rejoice!
Does anyone happened to know where Homboms will move to? Herd from a non- chain nearby? Is it the nerby former Sol & Sombra?
How very sad that in less than a year since it opened, Key Food Fresh & Natural at 90th on Amsterdam is already closing. What happened? The place had a great deli counter, excellent produce, fresh and tasty meat counter and store employees that went out of their way to be helpful. Not only telling you where you could find what you wanted, but actually escorting you to the product.
Hopefully we won’t get another bank on the property, as they seem to be the only businesses that are opening, which is quite perplexing when you think of the economy.