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RESTAURANT NEWS & NOTES: BIRCH COFFEE, PINKBERRY, TELEPAN, FOOD EMPORIUM, CASA POMONA, MORE

April 30, 2013 | 8:52 PM - Updated on June 5, 2022 | 11:38 PM
in NEWS, POLITICS
6

Birch Coffee has been planning to open a new cafe on Columbus Avenue between 96th and 97th streets for months now, but got delayed by “issues…completely out of our control.” Well, those issues have clearly been solved, because Birch began serving coffee and pastries today, and the company posted the photo above to its Facebook page this morning. The cafe plans to launch its full menu on Monday, says Birch fan Jen Maguire Coughlin. And beer is expected to be available next week. Eventually they also expect to have a customer-supported lending library.

Another Pinkberry is expected to open on 80th and Amsterdam, where Savann used to be. Thanks to Terry for the tip.

Food Emporium was supposed to close on May 4, but the shelves cleared out fast and it ended up closing on April 26. We keep hearing it will become a Walgreens. Gale Brewer says “We need a real grocery store at this location.”

Food blog Eater sat down with Bill Telepan of Telepan on 69th. Here’s how he feels about operating a restaurant on the Upper West Side: “It is tougher, in general, but I’ll let you in on something that Tom Valenti [chef of Ouest], who also has made it up here, told me: the way you capture the neighborhood, don’t block them out. Even though you might be super hot, keep 20 percent of your book open specifically for the people in the neighborhood that want to drop by. Get to know them, and over time, they will know that they can call in with short notice and make it in. So, I have a large base of regular customers, a good chunk of which don’t make reservations until the very last moment.” Full interview here.

There are more problems for Casa Pomona, which has been closed for months after a water main break and subsequent gas outage. Its chef Jodi Bernhard has been hired by another restaurant, Charlemagne in the West Village. “Here, Ms. Bernhard cooks French fare with only a hint of Spain, as in baby leeks (calçots), with romesco sauce,” says the Times.

Beacon Bar opened a couple of weeks ago on Broadway between 74th and 75th, and is very nice and dark inside. Unfortunately, the night I was there it was filled with shockingly loud tourists — one downside of having an entrance from inside the Beacon Hotel. Thanks to everyone who sent in tips. Keep them coming to info@westsiderag dot com!

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Howard Freeman
Howard Freeman
12 years ago

Re: Birch — one of my favorite coffee places, on 27th Street. This will obviously be a different kind of space, but hope the vibe is as good, and no doubt the coffee will be.

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Drew
Drew
12 years ago

Can’t wait to try Birch!

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Scooter Stan
Scooter Stan
12 years ago

Re: “…filled with shockingly loud tourists….”

Yes, tourists — the scourge of mid-town, walking slack-jawed three- or even four-abreast and obviously hearing-impaired because they never seem to hear the exasperated “Excuse, please!” coming from someone trapped behind them and just trying to get someplace.

The very same people who clog our sidewalks and then return home to tell their cocktail-party-stories about how terribly crowded Manhattan streets are and how rude are all those New Yorkers always in a hurry.

As an old bumper-sticker once read: “IF IT’S TOURIST-SEASON, CAN WE SHOOT ‘EM?”

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Ken
Ken
12 years ago
Reply to  Scooter Stan

LOL – The also don’t ever see the sign about no talking in the subway before 10am – or not holding conversations back and forth across the aisle of a subway car.

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Louis Vernon
Louis Vernon
12 years ago
Reply to  Scooter Stan

Interesting. Remove every tourist from the city – then we can close Broadway, Times Square, Lincon Center, The Met, every museum and the list goes on and on. Tune in dude. Do they drive us crazy? Yeah, good crazy.

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Jeff Overley
Jeff Overley
12 years ago

Good heavens ANOTHER freaking drugstore?! The UWS is getting seriously overmedicated.

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