Openings & Closings: Picnic by the Black Parrot; Wells Fargo; New Asia; M. Studio

By Lisa Kava and Natalie Demaree

Picnic by the Black Parrot, a kosher American bistro and bar, opened on June 17th at 161 West 106th Street (between Amsterdam Avenue and Columbus Avenue). Owner and Chef Meir Levy trained in culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University. He previously worked at NY Brat Factory, Boru Boru, The Elgin, and Super Nice Pizza.  “Opening Picnic has been a dream for a long time, so seeing it finally come to life and become part of the community is really special,” Levy wrote to West Side Rag in an email. “We are excited to get to know our neighbors and create a place where people want to come back.”

Menu items include; sandwiches, salads, burgers, tostadas, tacos, and sweet and spicy cauliflower. Picnic by the Black Parrot also serves cocktails, wine, beer, and house-made sodas.  It is open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays, from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Fridays for Happy Hour, and from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. for bar-only service on Saturdays. Picnic by the Black Parrot draws its name from a beautiful tulip Levy was inspired by at the New York Botanical Garden, Levy told the Rag. The tulip was called “the black parrot.” Levy added the name “picnic” to reflect the casual dining vibe at the restaurant. He hopes to open a sister restaurant offering fine dining at a future date. Makana, a Hawaiian restaurant, was previously in the space.

Wells Fargo,  a bank and financial services company, opened a branch at 2829 Broadway (at West 109th Street) on August 10th. The bank is also opening a branch at 1960 Broadway (at West 66th Street) in October, a spokesperson wrote to West Side Rag in an email. “Branches continue to play an important role in the way we serve our customers in combination with our mobile app, website and ATMs. We are actively investing in our branch network by opening new locations and refurbishing our entire network,” the spokesperson wrote. “The upcoming opening of our Broadway and 66th branch is another step in creating a more modern, open and community-centric branch network for customers.” Century 21, the discount designer clothing store that closed in 2020 was the last tenant in the space. (Thanks to Dena for the tip.)

New Asia, a Chinese takeout restaurant at 666 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 92nd and West 93rd streets) was shut down by the Department of Health following an inspection on August 19th. Violations include: live roaches in food and non-food areas, filth flies or food/refuse sewage associated with filth flies, no handwashing facility in or adjacent to the toilet room, and food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential sources of contamination. The full report can be found here. 

M. Studio, a nail salon, has signage up and has signed a lease at 155 West 66th Street (between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway). The salon also offers brow services (eyebrow shaping, lash lifts, and tints), and laser hair removal. Another nail salon called La Fontaine Spa was previously in the space. (Thanks to Danielle for the tip.)

The Openings & Closings column wouldn’t be possible without our many tipsters: thank you! Anyone can send tips about openings and closings in the neighborhood to info@westsiderag.com.

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