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    Openings & Closings: Chirping Chicken, Sapphire, Le Petit Rooster, Wu + Nussbaum

    June 18, 2019 | 6:47 PM
    in FOOD, NEWS, OPEN/CLOSED
    30

    Chirping Chicken is opening at Columbus and 105th. There’s another Chirping Chicken at 355 Amsterdam (77th) too. Sure they’ve got lots of chicken dishes, but did you know they’ve got shrimp too? Check out the menu. Thanks to Trish for the photo.

    Sapphire Indian Cuisine, at 1845 Broadway (61st), was forced to close on Monday because the building is being demolished. It was a classic spot with excellent food that was around for more than 20 years. Owner Satish Arora is looking for another spot in the neighborhood. Contact him at sapphire1845@gmail if you can help him find a space.

    Le Petit Rooster just opened at 491 Columbus Avenue (84th Street), the former home of Gastronomie. While it’s still in soft open mode and only serving a partial menu, “there are classics to be had, like duck rillettes, frisée aux lardons, roast chicken, duck magret and filet mignon, along with novelties like a delicate carrot terrine, plump snails poached in a bag with black garlic and bone marrow butter, leeks with chorizo spices and smoked onion, and escabeche of razor clams. Beer, wine, cider and low-alcohol cocktails are on the drinks list.” the Times says.

    Several people have written in with concerns about Paper House on Amsterdam between 72nd and 73rd Street. The space is for rent, but the business is on a month-to-month lease until the landlord finds a new tenant. Please continue to shop there!

    Wu & Nussbaum, the replacement for Nussbaum & Wu on Broadway and 113th Street, now has an opening date. July 9! We wrote about the new and old business here. Thanks to Helene for the photo.

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    30 Comments
    Lejnyo5
    Lejnyo5
    7 years ago

    Chirping chicken was already at Columbus and 106th. Are they just moving 1 block down? Not terribly exciting news!

    0
    Reply
    JerryV
    JerryV
    7 years ago
    Reply to  Lejnyo5

    So why did the chirping chicken cross the street? (answers gladly accepted)

    0
    Reply
    Keith
    Keith
    7 years ago
    Reply to  JerryV

    To get some other sides.

    0
    Reply
    UWSHebrew
    UWSHebrew
    7 years ago
    Reply to  Keith

    Keith wins!

    0
    Reply
    CookiesForever
    CookiesForever
    7 years ago
    Reply to  JerryV

    Because the Landlord was charging too much!

    0
    Reply
    Kaz
    Kaz
    7 years ago
    Reply to  JerryV

    just wanted to let you know that I literally laughed out loud at this 🙂

    0
    Reply
    Christina
    Christina
    7 years ago
    Reply to  JerryV

    Because Other side closed off for construction.

    0
    Reply
    PM
    PM
    7 years ago

    I’ve become disenchanted with chirping chicken for reasons difficult to elucidate, but one reason is an invisible owner who refuses to show up to court dates where he has been rightly accused of underpaying valuable employees. I’m also learning to be concerned about all of his business practices, including the sourcing of his chickens.

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    Reply
    geoff
    geoff
    7 years ago
    Reply to  PM

    Not restricted to Chirping Chicken, this article from The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/24/real-cost-of-roast-chicken-animal-welfare-farms) explains something about the chicken industry.

    For those concerned (like me), assume restaurant and food cart chickens are NOT the kind you want to be eating. If they were of better quality, they would be far more expensive.

    For those, go to whole Foods or Fairway and buy their organic rotisserie chickens, around $10-15 each, and between 2 and 3 pounds, cooked.

    I have two new grand nieces. It is amazing and fun to watch them learning to eat, and is a reminder that we are what we eat. Everything eaten becomes you. I do not want what made those chickens to become part of me, especially the drugs.

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    Reply
    UWSHebrew
    UWSHebrew
    7 years ago
    Reply to  PM

    can you go in depth about the sourcing of the chickens? I love chirping chicken.

    0
    Reply
    Elisa
    Elisa
    7 years ago

    Chirping Chicken is just moving one block. There’s already a location at 106th and Columbus now.

    0
    Reply
    Debbie
    Debbie
    7 years ago

    Sorry to hear about Paper House. Last place left
    on the UWS to buy greeting cards that are under $8
    each!!

    0
    Reply
    RF
    RF
    7 years ago
    Reply to  Debbie

    Book Culture has an amazing selection of greeting cards, too. They aren’t expensive, and a lot of them are from smaller companies/indie artists and are much more unique than your typical drugstore cards.

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    Reply
    Leon
    Leon
    7 years ago
    Reply to  Debbie

    CVS?

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    Reply
    Andrew
    Andrew
    7 years ago
    Reply to  Debbie

    Trader Joe’s, though with scantier stock, has that price beat.

    0
    Reply
    Fred DuBose
    Fred DuBose
    7 years ago
    Reply to  Debbie

    Paper Source, on Columbus between 74th and 75th, has high-quality, clever greeting cards for 5 or 6 dollars (Have yet to see one for $7.95)

    0
    Reply
    J.
    J.
    7 years ago

    I predict that Le Petit Rooster will be Le Petit GONE in a matter of months. All this neighborhood needs is a bag of snails in bone marrow butter . . . Puh-lease . . .

    0
    Reply
    George
    George
    7 years ago
    Reply to  J.

    I hope Le Petit Rooster is both worthwhile and brings some much needed energy to dining on Columbus Ave. The UWS isn’t particularly saturated with French restaurants (unlike Mediterranean restaurants), the space is beautiful, and the prices I saw were in line with what you’d find in this neighborhood.

    0
    Reply
    Jackson Michaels
    Jackson Michaels
    7 years ago
    Reply to  George

    Well there wines are not that great, it’s almost like 86th & Columbus opened up a restaurant. Big brands!!!

    0
    Reply
    MQue
    MQue
    7 years ago
    Reply to  J.

    How so. We barley have any French restaurants in the UWS. I’m looking forward to this.

    0
    Reply
    Jen
    Jen
    7 years ago
    Reply to  J.

    I love classic french food including snails. So are lots of people in the area.

    0
    Reply
    UWSSurfer
    UWSSurfer
    7 years ago

    We can’t lose the Paper House! It has more than paper. It has everything we need for holidays including Halloween decorations + costumes, birthday party goods, helium balloons, Christmas decorations, and tons of little gifts to give kids and friends as a treat.

    Paper House had to split their space in the past years. We just can’t let them be forced out. We need and want them to stay!

    0
    Reply
    B.B.
    B.B.
    7 years ago
    Reply to  UWSSurfer

    Again, it isn’t a matter of being “forced out”. More to the point many physical retail simply cannot generate enough income cover costs of doing business and that includes rent.

    Yes in some cases rents have risen resulting in places having to close. But other times if you look at the books it becomes clear the business is generating revenue.

    Paper Source long closed their store on Third near Union Square. They along with other stationary, greeting card, paper products and so froth stores simply are being hit from all sides.

    Not only is there the growth of online sales, many younger persons and others simply do not send paper cards, invitations or whatever any more. They simply send various online versions instead.

    Then there is the whole print your own trend that has grown now that more homes have powerful computers and decent printers.

    Finally every convenience store (Duane Reade, Rite Aid, Walgreens, etc…) sells the same merchandise.

    On the whole stationary/paper stores are going the way of local print shops. There was a time when every neighborhood had one or more of those who did everything from wedding announcements/invitations to business reports. Online and desktop publishing largely has killed that industry off as well.

    As for costumes Ricky’s is on their last legs as well. They don’t look long for this world either.

    https://nypost.com/2019/06/18/iconic-costume-beauty-store-rickys-fading-fast-in-manhattan/

    0
    Reply
    Sean
    Sean
    7 years ago
    Reply to  B.B.

    I wrote a comment very similar to yours and it wasn’t printed. I do think it is a generational thing. I’m 70 and I only get cards in the mail from people much older than me. My younger relatives tell me they get their children’s party supplies online. They are always theme parties based upon animated series like Peppa Pig or Paw Patrol. A text is what you get now on your birthday.

    0
    Reply
    B.B.
    B.B.
    7 years ago
    Reply to  Sean

    Only send or give paper cards to parents, aunts, uncles, etc… older persons who expect and like to see or have such things. Everyone else gets “e” versions which most if not all of that demographic prefers.

    Blame the whole “less paper” or whatever earth movement in whole or part. Many younger persons just don’t see the value of anything paper that can digitized instead.

    How many people still send out Christmas/holiday season cards? There was a time when one’s mailbox would be filled, but not so much anymore. Many households have either stopped or dramatically scaled back there as well.

    0
    Reply
    RF
    RF
    7 years ago
    Reply to  B.B.

    I’m in my 30s and rarely send paper cards, except to my grandfather (and even he’s using Facebook now!) or for very special occasions. And if I do send cards, I generally make my own or purchase them from Etsy or small indie sellers, rather than stores that carry the big national brands like Hallmark. For birthdays, I send e-gift certificates–they’re always delivered on time, and it’s far less wasteful than an expensive paper card (+ postage) that will just end up in the trash. And, unfortunately, the reality is that stores like Paper House can’t compete with online prices. I went there looking for some confetti a few months back, and a tiny bag cost about three times what I ended up paying for a HUGE bag from Amazon. It’s nice to support local businesses when possible, but many of us are on a budget and can’t spend three times as much for our purchases just to keep a store in business.

    0
    Reply
    Sean
    Sean
    7 years ago
    Reply to  B.B.

    Before Paper House was there the entire space was a Bell Telephone outpost. It’s where you went to see about your landline. Things change.

    0
    Reply
    Brad Coleman
    Brad Coleman
    7 years ago

    Hands On! Music on Columbus between 86th and 85th closed, which I think is very sad. The little place offered such great music classes for babies and toddlers, and I am very happy that my daughter got to learn and have so much fun there. I really hope the owners and people working there end up OK.

    0
    Reply
    LKLA
    LKLA
    7 years ago

    Anyone know what is going on with Pier 72?

    0
    Reply
    Capt. D
    Capt. D
    7 years ago
    Reply to  LKLA

    I do…. long story, but the NYEDC is pausing any waterfront development that isn’t benefiting the Dursts, Hornblower or other large developers/corporations. As a non-profit operated, Parks Dept owned launch, its closed indefinitely even though there is a work order approved for its repair. Again NYEDC is the blockage.

    0
    Reply

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