By Lisa Kava and Julia Ornedo
Café Alon, a kosher coffee shop and artisanal bakery, is coming to 200 West End Avenue (between West 69th and West 70th streets), this fall. The expected opening date is in November, a spokesperson wrote to West Side Rag in an email. The shop will serve pastries, baked goods, gourmet sandwiches, fresh salads, and fresh burekas (Israeli pastries made with puff pastry or filo dough), baked in-house daily. Hours of operation are expected to be 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Friday. Café Alon is owned by Israeli restaurant operator Ofer Puder and it is named after his son Alon. “In Hebrew, Alon means oak tree—sending a message of nature stability and strength,” the spokesperson wrote. “Café Alon is designed to serve as a high end kosher Mediterranean cafe experience with a strong community identity and premium product positioning.”
Pura Vida Miami, a health-focused casual cafe chain, has signage up at 211 West 84th Street (at Broadway), in the new condominium The Henry. The cafe serves all-day breakfast, salads, bowls, sandwiches, wraps, and bakery items. It offers various vegan and gluten-free options. It also serves smoothies, acai bowls, wellness shots, and cold pressed juices. Pura Vida Miami was founded in Miami Beach by husband-and-wife team Omer and Jen Horev in 2012. The chain now has numerous locations nationwide. This will be the ninth location in NYC for the brand; others are in Nomad, Williamsburg, Nolita, Bryant Park, Dumbo, and Flatiron, and on Bleeker Street and the Upper East Side. We will update when we have an expected opening date.
JECT, an aesthetic treatment spa, has signage up at 324 Columbus Avenue (between West 75th and West 76th streets). JECT specializes in medical-grade treatments such as botox, fillers, microneedling, chemical peels and laser treatments. JECT has other NYC locations on the Upper East Side, and in Brooklyn and the West Village. It also has locations on Long Island, and in Florida, New Jersey, and Los Angeles. Democratic Congressional Nominee Micah Lasher was temporarily using the space this spring as his campaign headquarters. Prior to that, Teddy’s Collection, a gift shop which closed in March, was in the space. (Thanks to Ashlee for the tip.)
T-Mobile, a wireless provider, permanently closed its store at 2016 Broadway (between West 68th and West 69th streets), on August 1st. Signage is posted on the door saying “Visit us at a store nearby,” and listing the Upper East Side, Times Square and Midtown East stores. The T-Mobile website also directs customers to these locations. As of this writing, T- Mobile has not responded to West Side Rag’s outreach asking for a reason for the closure. (Thanks Dan for the tip.)
TSS Phones and Computers, an electronics repair shop for cell phones, computers, and iPads, at 70 West 86th Street (between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue), is closing on September 29th and moving to 493 Ninth Avenue (between West 37th and West 38th streets). In addition to repair, the shop buys and sells used phones and computers. There is a 50% off sale and a table of trinkets listed for $5 and up outside the shop. (Thanks to Maggie for the tip.)
Wu’s Dynasty, a traditional Cantonese restaurant, is having a soft-opening dinner service for family and friends on Thursday, and will open for normal business on Friday, a representative told West Side Rag in an email. (Reservations are required for Thursday; walk-ins are welcome on Friday and thereafter.) The restaurant, at 208 West 70th Street (between Amsterdam and West End avenues), will serve dim sum, Cantonese-style seafood, and more. “We hope to provide our neighbors a good place where they can enjoy Cantonese food, and where they can hang out with friends and family,” owner Derek Wu wrote to the Rag in an earlier email. Wu is known in the culinary community for his work as a founder and manager of Wu’s Wonton King on the Lower East Side, which he left to start Wu’s Dynasty. The space was previously Tavola Della Nonna, an Italian-American restaurant that opened in 2020. Wu’s Dynasty will be open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; reservations can be made by phone, with contact information available on the restaurant’s website, linked above.
ICYMI:
Sweetgreen, the salad and bowl shop, at 311 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 75th Street), was shut down by the Health Department after an inspection on August 24th. Read West Side Rag’s coverage of this news here.
Barzini’s, a longtime independent Upper West Side grocery store, at 2451 Broadway (between West 90th and West 91st streets), closed on August 31st. The market had been in the space for over 40 years. Read West Side Rag’s coverage of this news here.
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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I don’t think Cafe Alon can be kosher if they’ll be open 7 days a week the same hours. They would have to close earlier on Fridays in the winter and open after sunset on Saturdays to be certified kosher.
Cafe Alon is in fact closed on Saturdays. We corrected. Thanks!
2nd Ave Deli and Pastrami Queen are certified Kosher, and both are open on the Sabbath.
I had no idea that these two places were kosher. Thank you for the info
The article was corrected, and it now says “Sunday through Friday.”
You can be kosher and open on Shabbat. Some people won’t eat there. It depends on your certification and who it is from. i.e., Glatt kosher is closed on Shabbat
If I may, the term “glatt” is a technical term about the specific standard of determining whether meat is kosher. Different communities and even different rabbis apply different standards. It has nothing to do with whether a store is open on Shabbat or who works there. https://oukosher.org/blog/feature/what-exactly-is-glatt-kosher/
Second Ave Deli is Kosher on the east side is an example.
That’s not necessarily true. Look at this:
https://kosheat.com/kosher-restaurants-open-on-shabbat
Check your link. It says that one way is to be owned by non-Jews, which this new place is not. Others are by not being certified kosher. Yes, Fine & Shapiro were certified by Rabbi Feinstein but it was not universally accepted…
Could they sell kosher foods but employ gentiles? And the customers on Saturday wouldn’t specifically be looking for kosher good but the location is convenient?
It’s not just employees but even more so that Jewish owners shouldn’t be working on Saturday to have kosher certification (and they should be giving the Sabbath rest to all their employees regardless of the latter’s religion 🙂 Fine & Shapiro’s were a rare exception and there was a reason why they had the Rabbi’s letter with his reasoning for giving them the certification framed and posted on the wall in addition to the actual kosher certificate.
Why only hire gentiles on Saturdays? Plenty of Jews both work and shop on Saturdays. I daresay plenty of kosher Jews do, too.
I am looking forward to Pura Vida Miami opening; hopefully it will be a fine alternative to Panera Bread which is obcenly overpriced.
Pura Vida is more expensive than Panera.
Pura Vida is also overpriced and very hit or miss with the food.
I highly doubt it will be lower priced but I could be proven wrong.
You do know there are plenty of other places besides Panera. Though I agree that that immediate area could use some more low price places. Naya is a good option – good, fairly healthy food that isn’t too expensive.
The T Mobile store closure is part of a wider push to transition customers to their T Life app and have a smattering of brand flagship stores.
I will miss the T-Mobile store. Never in my life have I met kinder souls who truly loved iPhones more than the moon and back, certainly far more than the folks at any local indie shop. I will particularly miss Alex, who always greeted me with the smallest glance from his cell phone. Ah, what a store!
The problem is the app leaves a lot to be desired when you don’t have a straightforward issue. Trying to do an upgrade and a trade-in through the app and chat was a total disaster. Got completely inconsistent information. Wound up at Times Square location where after initial reluctance they were able to help.
Tal Bagels on Broadway and 90th St just reopened after the health department closed them down.
I don’t know about Tal but I think a lot of these restaurants just reopen without any reinspection. The Chinese restaurant on Amsterdam and 93rd which was closed last week is open again and Cajun Halal Platters also reopened without any new rating in their window.
They have been open for maybe a week and a half, actually.
I love this column; it’s so useful. Every time an independent shop opens my heart leaps for the old days of the UWS – maybe we aren’t doomed to have only bank branches and hospital branded group doctors’ practices. When my beloved Box Kite coffee closed (it was the coolest place I’ve ever set foot in) another indie place (Solid State Coffee) popped up a year later a block away. No advertising whatsoever, no street visibility, and it’s humming along. Same cool vibe. Go UWS 🙂
There were chains on the UWS when I was a child! Just different ones from now. Nedick’s, Chock Full of Nuts, Merit Farms, Horn & Hardart, Woolworth’s, etc.
Where was the H & H located on the UWS?
Assume you mean Horn & Hardart, not the long-missed H&H bagel bakery on 80th Street.
There was an Automat on 72nd Street, just east of Broadway/Amsterdam. The building remains and now houses a (surprise!) Citibank.
For whatever it’s worth, there’s a terrific documentary about the Automat called (ahem) “The Automat”. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4554690/ I believe I saw it on PBS when it came out, though looks from the IMDb like it may now be available on Amazon Prime. Highly recommended if you’re interested in how Mr. Horn and Mr. Hardart got started and how important the Automats became.
Southeast!
For one, at the northeast corner of Broadway at 104th street, which I believe is landmarked. Note the beautiful deco window and trimmings:
https://www.google.com/search?q=hond+and+hardert+bway+104th+st&sca_esv=848c9d4d3f0b36ed&rlz=1C1FNES_enUS1044US1044&udm=2&biw=1024&bih=505&sxsrf=APpeQntACLE-6ER6HiYIzReD4uM3wr2XJA%3A1788409701277&ei=ZfeYaoTDEOPk5NoPocjkqAo&ved=2ahUKEwjEidSnydGWAxVjMlkFHSEkGaUQ4dUDegQIBhAN&uact=5&oq=hond+and+hardert+bway+104th+st&gs_lp=Egtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZyIeaG9uZCBhbmQgaGFyZGVydCBid2F5IDEwNHRoIHN0SLoLUNEJWNEJcAF4AJABAJgBRqABRqoBATG4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgCgAgCYAwCIBgGSBwCgBwyyBwC4BwDCBwDIBwCACAE&sclient=gws-wiz-img#sv=CAMSURoyKhBlLXU1VzhsQllVLVVMcFZNMg51NVc4bEJZVS1VTHBWTToOOGxWZkcyc1NVMUNVRE0gBCoXCgFzEhBlLXU1VzhsQllVLVVMcFZNGAEwARgHIKXF3q8ISggQARgBIAEoAQ
Nedick’s! Wow, a memory out of the past. I haven’t thought of them in decades.
Nedick’s as part of Macy’s on west 34 th street was a famous tourist attraction in itself.
Solid State is awesome! It’s a bummer when a long time favorite closes but there’s always something new and great opening in the neighborhood
If you haven’t yet done so, go back to the Alon Bakery story and click on the hot link burekas It opens up a world of knowledge about the sources and connections to that delicacy as well as to other connected snacks such as knishes. Love the article; so glad for its imminent November arrival. BTW, there are circumstances in which establishments selling kosher foods can be open on Shabbat. It’s a technical question. Go ask your Rabbi.
Come for the (eye) lashes, stay for the Lasher – is that what’s going on at JECT?
Super weird that they don’t mention TMobil at 77th Street and Broadway. Are they closing that location too?
There’s also a T-Mobile store at 96th and Broadway. (At least I think it’s still open.)
Brasserie Boulud is finally about to open.
https://www.ilovetheupperwestside.com/daniel-bouluds-new-lincoln-center-restaurant-finally-has-an-opening-date/
Cafe Alon or Cafe Alanon or Cafe Anon?
Cafe Alanon or Cafe Anon?
I’m excited to try Wu’s Dynasty. That space has been vacant for so long, it’ll be nice to have a good Chinese restaurant in the neighborhood. I looked at the menu and it seemed a bit expensive.
When I lived on 72nd and B’way I was getting Chinese take-out 3-4 times a week. Except for Shun Lee, the same Chinese restaurants are still there. If you want something that’s ‘good’ then it’s not going to be cheap. Even lunch specials can run up to $24. 🥡🥢🥠
New Cottage on Broadway has taken a nosedive. The food used to be average to good but now it’s just pretty bad.
The good old days of the $8.95 lunch special-1980’s
How did you miss Szechuan Gourmet coming to 105th Street?
Did Barzinis close? When I walked by yesterday, they were still open
I am excited about La Vida
Barzini’s owner says they’re open until Labor Day. FWIW.
Soon!
Barzini’s was still open yesterday at about 5:30 pm
Made in NY pizza on Broadway & 96th shut down suddenly last week.
I signed up for a membership at the new Puregym on Columbus and 92nd and the invoice said the membership will start on December 18 so I guess that’s the day they will open.
What is the monthly fee?
Sign on their window states $25 per month for a year membership.
I have insider (outside of the inside) knowledge from Khalil that TJ’s on W72nd will be reopening within the next week, as early as Sunday perhaps?
Can anyone confirm this ?
I kinda liked the W93rd TJ’s a mile away the couple times I popped in this summer. Everything on the ground level and seemingly less drama around the long lines, though both times I was done before noon.
Wu Dynasty was also formally Lee Mazzili’s, Compass, Loi…
Compass was the best!