Brodo, a shop that sells bone broth, has put up its awning at 2144 Broadway near 75th Street. Brodo, as we reported in May, sells several varieties of broth with add-ins. The menu is available on their website. Thanks to Tom, and Keith for the tips.
Aroma Espresso Bar at 161 West 72nd Street closed its shop after its lease expired, according to a sign on the window. It has one other location in the city, downtown. Thanks to Jen, Paul and MJ Kaplan for the tips.
Super Tacos Deli is opening in the former home of Riviera Maya on 96th and West End Avenue. They also apparently have a sign up about it on the Super Tacos Truck on 96th. Thanks to Francesca for the photo.
Gazala’s, the Druze restaurant that closed its location on 78th and C0lumbus in 2015, is getting set to open at 447 Amsterdam Avenue between 81st and 82nd Streets, the former home of Meatball Shop. Thanks to Paul M. for the photo.
Fashion 74 Nail Salon on Amsterdam and 74th has closed and was replaced by Spa 74, which offers massages, facials and other spa services. Thanks to Hillary and Deborah for the tips.
Much praise to the folks at Aroma for staying in business a long time. They were like a friendly oasis in a culinary wasteland. And, to survive on that block that long on 72nd street where restaurants seem to die soon after opening! They served some pretty good Israeli and American food. A lot of their menu had healthy options with lots of fresh grilled chicken, salads, vegetables etc. There was a great upstairs space with an additional outdoor patio too. But,the UWS is changing. And, places you could hang out with a coffee for hours no longer exist. Who enjoys hanging out on 72nd street? No one. It’s boring and deserted at night and during the day not much happens there either. Except at Duane Reade with all the shoplifting action going on!
Thank you, Davie, Beautifully put. Add me to the list of people who are truly devastated by Aromas’s closing. When it first opened and for a long time afterwards it had better, fresher salads than anyone in the neighborhood – and the salads were HUGE! Certainly better than salads at the corner of Columbus and 72nds, which for some reason always taste dirty. The Israeli and middle-eastern flavor of the menu was a nice change from the usual Americanized fare, and I loved the fact they were one off the very few places during the holiday season that did NOT play Christmas music! I told Avi, the gruff but very nice manager that he should put a sign in the window announcing that fact and it would surely increase business! Aroma was also well lit, its music was unobtrusive and the communal tables were always full of students tapping away on laptops or seniors reading novels or families with kids. While the Upstairs couches were not the easiest to eat from, the roof garden was bliss, especially during the long early summer evenings. I remember waiting to get a table! And for a long time it was open till 11, which was perfect for us night owls. I have to laugh at the idea of New York being “The city that never sleeps” – certainly the 72nd street area now goes to sleep at 9:30. There was truly nothing like it in the area. When I’ve walked past there since the Friday closing (I WAS JUST THERE FRIDAY AFTERNOON with a friend for tea!) I always see people staring incredulously at the barren windows.
Re: “But,the UWS is changing. And, places you could hang out with a coffee for hours no longer exist.”
SURE they do! Try the benches in Verdi Square near the subway entrance. It’s the ultimate in urban busy-ness and people-watching.
The cast-of-characters refreshes itself every time a train arrives, OR, as Sondheim’s wonderful “Another Hundred People” (from “Company”) puts it:
“Another hundred people just got off of the train / And came up through the ground….”
If you’re a street-photographer try ‘capturing’ the “unique” ones; if you’re a writer try making up stories about them; and if you’re neither just relax and enjoy the ‘New York-iness’ of the place.
There are rats scurrying about under those benches. The subway station is filthy. A Sondheim reference from 1970 is a stretch for today’s NYC. That being said I think the UWS really is the most challenging retail market of all. Anyone able to crack it is a genius.
i’m surprised to read your comment about 72nd Street, as you seem to know what’s going on there, but you don’t mention the Sugar Bar, a great place to hang out, and one of the only bars with a mostly African American clientele on the UWS. It’s owned by Valerie Simpson and on its small stage is featured some great musicians. They say Stevie Wonder played there after a Radio City Music Hall gig. Good soul food from their busy kitchen and a small bar at the entrance. Lots of industry big-wigs and studio musicians show up.
RIP Aroma! I’m devastated!
Rachel-
“devastated”?????
Seriously?
C’mon now!
That seems overly dramatic.
Me too! But at least Gazala is back!
Come back, Aroma! The owner was decidedly less than friendly, but they had food options not replicated elsewhere. The backyard deck was totally unique in NYC. I noticed that in recent years the place was getting run-down, though, which led me to wonder how long they were committed to staying. Hoping for another coffee shop in its place. Not Starbucks. Not a bank.
Bone broth? Good luck with that
What a silly comment. I’m looking forward to it!
Personally I prefer beast broth
Aroma was always half empty. It was a confusing place to order food if it was your first time there. A shame, as the employees were very nice and the halumi salad was fantastic. Such a large space, the rent must have been incredibly high.
If it was half empty then it was also half full, which is better than a lot of other places in the neighborhood…
While Tacos are great I hope they plan to have additional foods. They should have a regular deli counter & additional small items for sale such as cookies, chips soap etc. The S&S deli at the corner of 95th and Col Ave is a case in point. They have food but also serve as a mini convenience store< They need to make it a destination for last minute items for WEA & RSD residents. Perhaps reaching out to building staff to get them to get their lunch's there. Its an odd spot as there is not much foot traffic
Good luck to them
See my other comment below. I live on that block. If this became a bodega(ish) again, they would immediately recapture all the neighborhood users of that former store. I’d be first on line. There is pent-up demand from 40 plus years of being used to the old store.
“Its an odd spot as there is not much foot traffic”
You can blame Rosenthal and the DOT for making that the most dangerous intersection around here.
It’s not like I didn’t talk to Rosenthal about it before changes were made, but hey, I’m just sad but she’s got the blood on her hands.
Yes, Aroma was a good neighborhood spot . good seating , decent food and nice windows . Will be missed.
This would be a good spot for WESTVILLE . Please come to the UWS
Oh my gosh, YES!!
YES- WESTVILLE!! Love that place!
Anyone know what is coming to the corner of Columbus and 86th (old 3 Star Coffee Shop)?
So sorry to see Aroma go. It was one of my favorite places in this neighborhood for lunch while shopping. I suspect a rent increase is what drove them away as they always seemed to have a brisk business. Very sad to see all our empty storefronts . . . .
As far as I know, Riviera Maya was already an offshoot of the Super Tacos truck but it seemed to struggle mightily to get up and running – it was open for months while decorations, final menus, offerings, signage, specials and even operating hours got dialed in. Then when it looked like everything was finally settled in a good spot it closed overnight and before long the landlord repossesion notice was in the door.
Now it seems like they’re having another go at it, this time scratching the restaurant concept in place of a deli approach. I guess we’ll see!
Alas, I guess it won’t be a real deli. I live on this block and still sorely miss the bodega. I’ve never liked the food from the taco truck, so I did not patronize Rivera Maya. I will not be patronizing the Super Tacos Deli, unless they actually have deli service such as refrigerators with sodas and milk and other quick pickup items.
The delivery trucks used to tie up space in front of the store and block traffic. That was before the parking situation changed. It would probably be difficult to reopen a bodega now with the new traffic pattern.
Contributing to their demise is the fact that parking has been removed on the three adjacent corners and that no pedestrian in their right mind would dare cross that intersection.
How about those safe streets!
I could be mistaken but didn’t the Super Taco truck own Riviera Maya Cafe? Just asking because its odd if the spot was closed by the marshall and reopen by the same people.
Snap! That is so sad. I concur with what Davie shared. Really going to miss their outdoor patio. Sure hope something wonderful comes in and not some inauthentic junk food palace.
I rarely attended Aroma. I DID use it to break up with someone (as they say pick a neutral place you never usually go) but agree, it was a haven on a street of nothing. Perhaps something better will take it’s place (as I found in another partner now turned wife 🙂
I don’t get Aroma. There’s one downtown near my office. The menu is odd.
Broth?
Sad to see Aroma go. It was a well located space which was not a Starbucks, to casually sit with clients and go over things in between appointments.
Bummed about Aroma!
Happy to have Gazala’s back but … I’ll miss Aroma 😔
Bluestone Lane will have a soft opening this Saturday at W. 80th St./Amsterdam Avenue .