A Mexican restaurant, a bar, and a cafe have all opened or are set to open soon on the Upper West Side, as a bakery closes its doors.
Orale, the replacement for Cafe Frida on Amsterdam Avenue between 97th and 98th streets, opened this week. The restaurant is run by former Rosa Mexicano managers who teamed with the owners of Cafe Frida to form Beyond Restaurants Group. It seems to be focusing on upscale Mexican dishes and cocktails. The colorful glowing bottles pictured at left are Mexican sodas, or jarritos.
Weekend brunch features a two-hour open bar for $20. “Orale will bring to the Upper West Side/Morningside an inspired Mexican cuisine, rooted in authenticity, and paired with creative agave-based libations and an elevated standard of service. James Muir (Alain Ducasse, Rosa Mexicano) is the Executive Chef. The newly renovated 90-seat space (including 30 outdoor) will embrace guests with a vibrant atmosphere that combines traditional imagery and high-style graffiti.” The menus are here. Photo by Gail Schoenberg. (The other location of Cafe Frida on Columbus and 77th is still open.)
Crumbs bakery on 92nd street and Broadway has closed. A sign on the door directs patrons to Crumbs’ “new” location on 97th street and Columbus across from Whole Foods, but that location has been around for awhile — even longer than the one on 92nd, notes one tipster. Kenneth, who says the pastries had tasted stale in recent months, notes that another Crumbs location in Chelsea also closed recently. The cupcake chain, now a public company, began on the Upper West Side. Thanks to everyone who tipped us off on this.
E’s Bar will open in the former home of Slightly Oliver on 85th and Amsterdam (left). There are few details available about the bar, but DNAinfo notes that it’s owned by Ethan Hunt, the brother of Cafe Tallulah-owner Greg Hunt. Ethan had run Lucky Strike Lanes and Amsterdam Billiards. It should be open by May 1. It’s a good spot for a bar, particularly with the wildly popular Jacob’s Pickles right next door. We’ll post more as we learn more details.
A new cafe called 80 Riverside Cafe opened earlier this year on the northeast corner of 80th street and Riverside Drive. The cafe is owned by three sisters, including chef Margaret Wong. The pastries do look pretty delectable. “With the culinary talent and expertise of Chef Margaret, who honed her pastry skills at Nobu and other culinary establishments, the organizational talent of the always smiling middle sister Suzy, and the motherly habits and tendencies of oldest sister Cindy, the three sisters work as one, bringing their personal experiences and skills to the table.” More about the cafe here. Thanks to our anonymous tipster.
Does anyone know whether it is it legal to operate a commercial establishment on RSD?
I can’t imagine they opened a business illegally, which they’re promoting and advertising.
80 Riverside Drive, which was evidently a dormitory for many years, is currently being operated as a moderately-priced hotel. I would expect that the cafe is allowed as it is located within a hotel.
yes, there are some permanent residents left over from when it was a SRO but it is mostly a budget hotel (the rooms are tiny but many of them have gorgous have river views). I’m sure this cafe is part of it.
My thoughts exactly.
I grew up on RSD and have never known of any food establishment there.
Wasn’t Mirabelle’s originally on 86th and RD? Perhaps there is a stipulation that such an establishment can be on the lobby level of hotels/rest homes/etc.
La Mirabelle was originally on West 86th midblock between West End and Riverside, where the assisted-living facility is now. It was not on Riverside itself.
They can argue the same thing here too: the entrance is on W80th, not on RSD.
Interestingly, I live on that very same block, pass in front of it frequently and only noticed it a couple of days ago. There’s almost no sign. All their clientèle must come from the hotel.
What happened to Hey Mambo on Amsterdam?
Hey Mambo closed in October.
https://www.westsiderag.com/2013/10/20/closing-time-for-three-restaurants-including-hey-mambo
“It’s a good spot for a bar, particularly with the wildly popular Jacob’s Pickles right next door.”
Well, that didn’t turn out so well for Slightly Oliver, which was a pretty decent bar. It was very strange to see the crowd of people waiting on the sidewalk outside Jacob’s for hours with Slightly Oliver half-empty next door.
The cafe is located inside the Riverside Tower Hotel. They are also open to the general public. Many of my friends have stopped in for coffee and pastries.
Wasn’t Ethan Hunt the name of the Tom Cruise protagonist in the Mission: Impossible film series?
Is that a coincidence, or is it a sign that strange things may happen in this new establishment?
Why does that mean strange?
Thanks to this tip on the West Side Rag, we checked out 80 Riverside this morning. Wow! The pastries were fresh and flaky, just like a pastry should be. We tried a croissant and apple turnover. Both were delicious (this was the first apple turnover I’ve ever really liked).