The Upper West Side is getting some very savory food in the coming days and weeks. A new gastropub, and Italian and dry pot Chinese restaurants are getting ready to open as Maison Pickle releases its full menu.
Gastropub The Fat Monk is getting ready to open at 949 Columbus Avenue between 106th and 107th Streets. Chef Rob McCue, a veteran of the Hell’s Kitchen TV show, will “create elevated American comfort food in an elegant yet casual dining room.” Watch McCue get chewed out on Hell’s Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay here. Thanks to Daren for the photo.
Italian restaurant Mama’s Too, a spinoff of Mama’s on Amsterdam and 106th, is set to open on the East side of Broadway, between 105th and 106th Streets. They’ll be making “Italian pasta dishes, panini, pizza and Italian specialties”, according to the Facebook page. Thanks also to Daren.
Maison Pickle at 2315 Broadway (84th) is officially opening on Saturday, though we wrote about its “soft opening” last week. The Jacob’s Pickles spinoff sells several kinds of French Dip sandwiches, one of which is pictured above, and other inventive dishes, like half pig head confit (with kimchi!). Here are the drinks and dinner menus (pdf’s).
The combination Subway and Papa John’s restaurant on 89th and Amsterdam has closed. Thanks to Marsha for the tip.
Babeth’s Feast, which mostly sells gourmet frozen food, has opened at 309 Amsterdam between 74th and 75th. This location also has a “hot food bar” where customers can get warm meals, and a marble-top bar where people can eat and mingle.
Bolton’s on 82nd and Broadway is closing, with many items already 50% off. Bolton’s closed its location on 68th last year. Thanks to Marjorie for the tip.
A new salon called Effy Hair Boutique opened at 2790B Broadway (108th), right next to Absolute Bagels. “Effy is wonderful, professional so NICE and gives a fantastic hair cut. It’s a marvelous example that small businesses still open on the UWS and I want it to succeed…He’s great with men and teenagers too. And he gives fantastic advice, the way a good hair guy should,” wrote Isabel Gillies.
Little Creatures has been open at 770 Amsterdam between 97th and 98th Street for 25 years. Now it’s directing customers to its store at 525 Amsterdam between 85th and 86th. There are three empty storefronts on Amsterdam between 97th and 98th now, notes Paul, who sent in the photo above. This is the note that they posted.
We heard a juicy rumor about the old Food Emporium space on 90th Street and Broadway. A worker doing some interior demolition there told our tipster that it will be a furniture store. We have not further details, but it’s an interesting possibility (and a potential disappointment to people who were hoping for another market).
A new “dry pot” Chinese restaurant is set to open in the former home of Tara Hill pub (and O’Connell’s and Cannon’s before that) at 108th and Broadway, according to Dave Cook, who publishes a website called Eating In Translation and who sent in the photo above. It’s not clear what the name will be. We asked Dave what dry pot is. “Perhaps you’ve had ‘hot pot’ at a Chinese or other Asian restaurant, in which you and your friends use your chopsticks to dip pieces of meat, seafood, and vegetables into broth that’s bubbling over a low flame. You each cook an individual tidbit, eat, and repeat. ‘Dry pot’ — the fuller Chinese name ma la xiang guo translates, roughly, to spicy fragrant pot — still enables you to choose the ingredients, sometimes from a menu, often by pointing to a display. These are stir-fried for you in the kitchen and delivered in a bowl from which you and your friends can eat communally. A popular East Village restaurant called Ma La Project specializes in dry pot; Flushing, Queens, offers many more.”
There’s a For Rent sign up in the window of Rain at 74th Street and Columbus. Rain just opened two years ago. Thanks to Amy, Claudia and David for the tips.
Please send all openings and closings tips to westsiderag at gmail dot com.
Please to see 3 restaurants (and a haircutter) opening between 106 & 108. I prefer uptown now that midtown has extended north.
Does seem like this stretch is steadily improving. Especially happy about the dry pot!
Had dinner at Maison Pickle the other night and it really was fantastic. Service was almost too good. (Filling water glasses after almost every sip is excessive to me since I like to say thank you each time, but maybe that will ease up!) Food far exceeded my expectations and the pull apart bread and butter is amazing.
Little Creatures is moving, what, 3 blocks up from the Pet Health Store. I hope they both survive.
There is already a Little Creatures in this location (I’ve been going there for a few years), as well as one on Columbus and about 87th. I think the note actually just means “see you at our other existing store”. So hopefully, both will continue doing ok.
Ah, right, I had forgotten. Thanks!
Thanks, we updated the piece. WSR
I have been to Effy before as well! I am so happy he has his own place now. It is a warm friendly environment with amazing staff and service from the moment you walk in. They are very accommodating and listen to what you want and give you their honest feed back. I cannot rave more about this place. We need more small businesses like this in the UWS
Do you mean Bolton’s at 72nd and Broadway or Talbot’s at 82nd and Broadway? I don’t think there is a Bolton’s at 82nd and Broadway.
They are on the east side of the street on Bway.
I meant to add that the Bolton’s on 82nd is across from Artie’s Deli.
Isn’t that a Talbot’s, not a Bolton’s? I’ve never been in as I am not their target audience, but I walk by all the time.
There is also a Bolton’s, though it may be on 83rd not 82nd. WSR
Sorry for being so persistent – I had double checked myself before asking and like others, didn’t see it on the map, which is why I thought everyone was mistaken, but I was mistaken. And as I said, I’m not their target audience!
It’s between 81 and 82. Talbot’s is between 82 and 83.
I was looking it up to double check myself and it looks like they already removed it as a location. Google map only had 72nd street. I better hurry! I just noticed a couple of nights ago that they forgot to take the security tag off a sweater I bought recently! I guess I should have paid attention when it beeped. I’m used to ignoring it at places like CVS! 😮
Thanks. Yes, this location already appears to have disappeared from the Internet! WSR
Fyi you can get dry pots at Han Dynasty (Broadway & 85th). They’re served above a Sterno flame and are probably my favorite item on the menu.
this sounds interesting- will have to check it out. I was just thinking I wish there was one closer to me on 75th
In it’s 2 years of existence, I think I have seen 3 people in the store. Oh well.
I just called the store on 72nd and they said they’re staying open and the store on 82nd and B’way is closing. I like this location to pick up cardigans and basic things like that. Whew!
Re the old Food Emporium space on 90th Street and Broadway – the doorman told me it will be a Bed Bath & Beyond.
I heard it was going to be an indoor roller rink and arcade like a Chuckee Cheese or something like that…with a bowling alley? i dont know..just the word on the street…but from a pretty reliable source
God help us
Bolton’s is on the west side of Broadway between 81st and 82nd (between Sleepy’s and Claire’s). This is a great site to check out neighborhoods that you’re not familiar with (and even your own). 😉
vpike.com
I just passed by that’s Sleepy’s and saw a sign that they will be renamed Mattress Firm. True for all Sleepy’s stores.
The barbershop on Broadway at 89th Street just closed as well. Has been in the neighborhood for at least a decade.
The Chinese laundry next to the barber shop has been there for an eternity, must have a pix of the landlord in a compromising position to stay that long.
The one on the east side of the street next to the Judaica store? I used to go there periodically. They were slightly more expensive than other places, and though they were not unfriendly, they weren’t particularly friendly either. And it is a big store footprint compared to other barber shops, so I’m sure rent was high.
Any idea what is taking Essentials spot on Broadway? i saw there is some serious looking construction going on!
https://www.westsiderag.com/2016/03/03/confirmed-prime-broadway-corner-set-for-demolition-and-new-condos
It’s so pathetic!!!
Ansonia lately looks like something is going on there in the old Loehmann’s space. Any news on that one?
Last we heard it will be Sephora not Saks Outlet. I believe that this was a rumor posted on Westside Rag because a woman was seen in front of the space holding a blueprint with the Sephora logo on it.
Yeah, we had heard that: https://www.westsiderag.com/2016/12/13/openings-closings-polpette-cedra-pharmacy-caledonia-wonvenwell-holiday-bar-gracious-home-possible-loehmanns-tenant
They ain’t bringing back Plato’s Retreat.
So many closings!! What happened to
Easy Spirit on Broadway in the eighties??
Anyone know?
Parent company of Nine West/Easy Spirit closed a large number of stores last year.
The Easy Spirit store on Third Avenue and East 86th is another NYC location that is gone. That space still sits empty.
https://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2013/04/parent_of_nine_west_easy_spiri.html
This shows how little I shop at actual stores (as opposed to online). I had no idea the store on 3rd had closed. Thanks for the update!
It closed over a year ago. I saw something online and went over there to shop and they were gone. Not sure what’s in in it’s place now. There’s still a store on 3rd and 86th though.
The building is being demolished and a tower-ish new one is coming up.
Condos are being built on the site.
There will be a Bed Bath and Beyond spinoff, not a full BBB, in the old Food Emporium on the SW corner of Broadway and 90th. I am hearing lower end, limited inventory focusing on beauty products, dry goods etc. Expected to open in April.
The menu at Maison Pickle is a joke. $8 for bread, lol
We had the pleasure of dining at Maison Pickle last weekend and the bread is not your typical restaurant breadbasket. It is a huge, pull apart loaf of hot, fresh bread covered in either garlic seasoning, feta cheese and greek olives or butter, it is not anything you’ve ever had before and it is worth 8 dollars. It was so big and delicious we had to bring half of it home. This place is very good and it is very welcome in this neighborhood.
I ate at Maison Pickle last weekend with a friend on Saturday evening. The menu is good, and yes the bread seems pricey, until you actually order it and see how much you get, you will see that it could be okay. We ordered the one with feta and it was really amazing. For dinner, we ended up ordering two French dips, the classic and the pork variety. That way we each had a half to share and try. The classic was pretty darn good, and the pork one was good also, but I preferred the classic. The wine service left something to be desired. Apparently, on a Saturday night, the wine “expert” wasn’t in, and when we relayed what we wanted or preferred, we got exactly the opposite of what we asked for! We ended up viewing the wine list again ourselves and chose a bottle, and that one was really good. Service was hit or miss, just seems like it’s a brand new operation where kinks need to get worked out, but overall, I’d say this is a great restaurant. Let’s support these local restaurants, “expensive” bread and all. The flavors are great, the atmosphere is cool, and I’d guess this is another hit for the Jacob’s Pickles owners.
$30 for a roast beef sandwich and fries?? I’m shorting it.
Poor ‘Rain’ — I went in there a few times, not for myself, but to get a last-minute gift. I’m not surprised that they may be closing, only because I never really got a sense of the what the products were, or what made them worth the price tag. It was a confusing store to me and I couldn’t really wrap my head around what made their products better than other brands. Pretty art direction and it always looked great to walk by…
Passed by Lokal in the old Bistro Citron location last night and they appeared to be open for business. But can’t find a website anywhere to see the menu just yet.
Former Wondee V owners have left Wondee and have opened AmsterThai at 844 Amsterdam, @W101st..
Does anyone know what is opening on 77th and Broadway next to mille feuille?
Bye Bye Subway/Papa Johns — you won’t be missed!