West Side Rag
  • TOP NEWS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART & CULTURE
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • ABOUT US
    • OUR STORY
    • CONTRIBUTORS
    • CONTACT
West Side Rag
No Result
View All Result
SUPPORT THE RAG

Search the site

No Result
View All Result
Get WSR FREE in your inbox
SUPPORT THE RAG

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS: JUICY CUBE, POULETTE, THE AVIARY, ROCHE BOBOIS, SLEEPY’S

March 8, 2017 | 12:22 PM
in FOOD, NEWS, OPEN/CLOSED
32

juicy cube

A new juice bar and vegan shop is open, as a celebrated Chicago cocktail bar tries to make it in the Big Apple.

Juicy Cube, a juice bar and bubble tea spot, is open in the former home of Soomsoom at 166 West 72nd Street. They also serve vegan food and get solid Yelp reviews. Photo by @chengjih.

Poulette, the French chicken restaurant at 426 Amsterdam Avenue (80th-81st) has closed, an employee at another branch confirmed. Thanks to George for the tip.

The Aviary, a cocktail bar that’s gotten great buzz in Chicago, is opening a location in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the Time Warner Center. Eater headlined its post “Holy Crap”, because this bar is apparently pretty terrific: “The Aviary in Chicago is known as one of the world’s best bars. It opened in 2011, taking a fine-dining approach to cocktails. Like Alinea, The Aviary has been a game-changer in how drinks are presented. Bartenders are treated like chefs and ice sculptors work as an integral part of the kitchen. The place offers tasting menus with the cocktails that run up to $195-per-person. Drinks are made in a fenced-in ‘cocktail kitchen.’ It has become one of Chicago’s essential cocktail bars.” They have a website with a video up here.

roche bobois

Roche Bobois, a high-end European furniture company, is opening a store on 70th and Broadway in the former home of a Wells Fargo bank. Thanks to Amanda and Eric for the tips and Amanda for the photo.

The new Corcoran office is open at 221 Columbus Avenue, on the corner of 70th Street. That’s the former home of Amber restaurant.

mattressfirm

The Sleepy’s bedding store on Columbus between 96th and 97th St has a new sign. It’s now called MattressFIRM. Thanks to Eva for the tip. Apparently no credit is needed, according to a sign on the window.

Sugar Factory, the restaurant at 68th and Broadway, is now planning to open on March 15.

A new restaurant called Café 21 is planning to open at 21 West End Avenue, the new building on 61st and West End, according to a liquor license application. The liquor license meeting is Wednesday March 8 at 7 p.m. at 250 West 87th Street and other new restaurants are also expected to be discussed. (We’re looking for someone to cover it for West Side Rag. Email westsiderag@gmail if you’re interested. It’s a paid gig and the meeting should last about an hour).

Share this article:
SUPPORT THE RAG
guest

guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

32 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Roger
Roger
8 years ago

I gave Poulette 6 months to go out of business after they opened and I tried their food! MEH!

0
Reply
Chris
Chris
8 years ago
Reply to  Roger

Chicken was good but the sides were awful!

0
Reply
Lulu
Lulu
8 years ago
Reply to  Roger

My god how anyone can screw up a roast chicken is betond me. Tasteless

0
Reply
Carlos
Carlos
8 years ago

I believe all Sleepy’s were rebranded as MattressFirm. I will miss their advertising jingle – “MattressFirm, for the rest of your life” just doesn’t sound as good…

0
Reply
Cato
Cato
8 years ago

All Sleepy’s stores have been re-named to Mattress Firm. https://www.mattressfirm.com/faq-sleepys.html

Despite the name change, customers are promised that they will “continue to experience the same great people, service, selection and guarantees — just under a new name.”

0
Reply
Cyrus
Cyrus
8 years ago
Reply to  Cato

And the mattress salesman will continue to wear suits from 1975, place their feet on their desk and occasionally nod off.

0
Reply
jezbel
jezbel
8 years ago

Oh no. We LOVED Poulette.The chicken was fresh and tasted better than homemade. They were prompt, food was always beautifully prepared and delivered hot. We just ordered from them when we had out-of-town company about 2 weeks ago, who arrived late and were too tired to go out. What a loss to the neighborhood.

0
Reply
Juan
Juan
8 years ago
Reply to  jezbel

Chirping Chicken is just as good at a fraction of the price. It just has a lot less snob appeal.

0
Reply
Chris
Chris
8 years ago
Reply to  Juan

But Poulette had organic chicken…
Chirping chicken tastes good, but it’s so cheap I can’t help but wonder where their chicken comes from (China) and how many antibiotics are in them!!

0
Reply
UWSHebrew
UWSHebrew
8 years ago
Reply to  Chris

you think the whole chickens you see on the grill at Chirping Chicken come from China? uhhhh ok

0
Reply
Mark
Mark
8 years ago
Reply to  UWSHebrew

Having read this article and been a customer of Poulette, I tried Chirping Chicken.

A better value, definitely. But I prefer Poulette’s offerings. Chirping Chicken is dry and salty to my taste, and veggies are . . . old school, which is to say, more for variety than nutrition. I prefer brussel sprouts to iceberg lettuce and ratatouille to cole slaw.

0
Reply
Jeff
Jeff
8 years ago
Reply to  Juan

I disagree about Chirpin’ Chicken being just as good as Poulette, I think it’s much better.

0
Reply
Lisa
Lisa
8 years ago

Aww, I’m sorry to hear about Poulette. They were high quality food, but I always worried about them given their proximity to and popularity of Chirping Chicken. 🙁

0
Reply
Dona D. Vaughn
Dona D. Vaughn
8 years ago

Unione on Broadway between 149 & 150 has closed.
Too bad.
Good food, good drink, good service.

0
Reply
Izzy
Izzy
8 years ago

Looks like there is some activity at the former Brooklyn Industries space on 99th and B’way. Any ideas?

0
Reply
Jeff
Jeff
8 years ago
Reply to  Izzy

Heard it will be a liquor store from a construction worker.

0
Reply
CHUCK D
CHUCK D
8 years ago
Reply to  Izzy

that’s good news if true. Can WestSideRag please do an investigative report into the movie theater that has been blighting the neighborhood there for 12 years?

You could win a Pulitzer!!!

0
Reply
Kate
Kate
8 years ago

Remember when Sugar Factory was taking reservations for late December 2016? HA.

0
Reply
Bob
Bob
8 years ago

down with sugar factory

0
Reply
UWSmaven
UWSmaven
8 years ago

I have to tell you that I literally NEVER saw anyone inside Poulette… I’m not sure they ever marketed themselves, nor did I ever read a review or any buzz about it. I miss the roast chicken at Amsterdam’s, back in the day, a few doors up…

0
Reply
UWS_lifer
UWS_lifer
8 years ago
Reply to  UWSmaven

Wow, I haven’t thought about that place in years. One of my old hangouts. I used to love the chicken fingers they used to have at the bar. And the owner and staff were always very cool and friendly. Always great music.

One of my best friends used to bar-tend there back in the ’90s. Good times. A real neighborhood hangout place. I think there was one downtown as well. On Broadway near Canal if memory serves.

What is the modern day equivalent? Fred’s?? I don’t know.

0
Reply
Marvin Mansky
Marvin Mansky
8 years ago

Mattress Firm own’s Sleepy’s

0
Reply
UptownGirl
UptownGirl
8 years ago

Does anyone know what’s happening at Columbus between 109th and 110th next door to MBV?

0
Reply
Pam
Pam
8 years ago
Reply to  UptownGirl

The permits on the windows say “renovation for a hotpot restaurant”. That’s all I know,

0
Reply
Jeff
Jeff
8 years ago

I tried Poulette once to see if it was worth the high price – decided it wasn’t. My go to place for chicken is the little spanish place on Amsterdam 88-89th, called Caridad.

0
Reply
adami
adami
8 years ago

$195-per-person drinks and a fenced-in ‘cocktail kitchen.’ Holy crap indeed! I still miss McGlade’s a few blocks up Columbus. Anyone here as old as me?

0
Reply
wombatNYC
wombatNYC
8 years ago

Speaking of Chicken Fingers and such- I’ve never been to Harriet’s Kitchen on Amsterdam just a few blocks up from Poulette – Is it decent food ?

0
Reply
UWS_lifer
UWS_lifer
8 years ago
Reply to  wombatNYC

That’s a good question. I have been meaning to try that place for years but I don’t think I have ever seen anyone in there. Always a bad sign for a restaurant in my opinion.

Where are the best chicken fingers in the neighborhood these days?? Like I said, Fred’s has got great greasy bar food and stuff like that. Maybe, I hate to say it, Shake Shack?? I loved Amsterdam’s back in the day…oh well.

I need to do some more research on this.:)

0
Reply
Kate
Kate
8 years ago
Reply to  UWS_lifer

Chirping Chicken.

0
Reply
BMAC
BMAC
8 years ago
Reply to  UWS_lifer

Harriet’s is amazing, and does a solid takeout business.

0
Reply
Colleen
Colleen
8 years ago

Maybe I missed it, but Dan the sushi restaurant and the nail salon next door on 69th and Broadway both closed. Dan has a sign that says “closed permanently” handwritten.

0
Reply
West Sider
Author
West Sider
8 years ago
Reply to  Colleen

Yeah, we covered it here: https://www.westsiderag.com/2017/03/01/openings-closings-gina-la-fornarina-dan-japanese-szechuan-garden-new-italian-spot

0
Reply

YOU MIGHT LIKE...

New Renderings Show More Details of the Park and Performance Space Planned for Lincoln Center’s West Side  
ART

New Renderings Show More Details of the Park and Performance Space Planned for Lincoln Center’s West Side  

May 19, 2025 | 12:02 PM
Here’s the UWS Dish: CASASALVO’s Cannoli and Maritozzo
COLUMNS

Here’s the UWS Dish: CASASALVO’s Cannoli and Maritozzo

May 19, 2025 | 8:09 AM
Previous Post

GOOD TIMING FOR NEW HISTORICAL SOCIETY EXHIBIT ON WOMEN

Next Post

COMMUNITY TO RALLY AROUND VANDALIZED CHURCH ON FRIDAY

this week's events image
Next Post
COMMUNITY TO RALLY AROUND VANDALIZED CHURCH ON FRIDAY

COMMUNITY TO RALLY AROUND VANDALIZED CHURCH ON FRIDAY

LOCAL JCC JOINS LETTER EXPRESSING FRUSTRATION AT PACE OF FEDERAL THREAT INVESTIGATION

LOCAL JCC JOINS LETTER EXPRESSING FRUSTRATION AT PACE OF FEDERAL THREAT INVESTIGATION

13 ARRESTED IN COLUMBUS CIRCLE PROTEST

13 ARRESTED IN COLUMBUS CIRCLE PROTEST

  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • NEWSLETTER
  • WSR MERCH!
  • ADVERTISE
  • EVENTS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • SITE MAP
Site design by RLDGROUP

© 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • TOP NEWS
  • THIS WEEK’S EVENTS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART & CULTURE
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • ABOUT
    • OUR STORY
    • CONTRIBUTORS
    • CONTACT US
  • WSR SHOP

© 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.