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All Posts Tagged: ‘bronx’

NewsFeed

7/21/08

2:30 PM

Grind-and-Grinders Impresario Forced to Pay Subway $12,000

While Cordato’s Deli may get the city’s blessing for the dancing that goes on in its back bar (erotic dancing, neighbors say — and Cordato’s denies), another visionary who combined sandwiches and strippers, Anthony “Cousin Vinny” Agnello, has ended up on the wrong side of the law. As you’ll recall, the Mafia-obsessed operator of “World Famous Cousin Vinny's Gorgeous Strippers” opened a Subway-style sandwich shop that he promised would host “six hours of nonstop, hard-core, live action from some of the most beautiful young ladies who have ever chosen to take their clothes off in public.” He later claimed it was all a publicity stunt; however, the Post now reports that Cousin Vinny, who operated a Subway franchise before being evicted for not paying rent, must pay $12,000 to the chain for violating trademark laws by using its bags, wrappers, and signature sandwich for his new venture. Did the judge not consider community service? Why not force him to perform six hours of nonstop, hard-core live action at a Quizno’s?

Bronx Individualist Brought Down by Corporate Machine [Daily Intel]

Earlier: Bronx Grind-and-Grinders Joint Was Just a Prank

More: NewsFeed »anthony "cousin vinny" agnello, bronx, strippers, subway sandwiches

NewsFeed

6/20/08

12:35 PM

Bronx Grind-and-Grinders Joint Was Just a Prank

Cordato's, the original grind-and-grinders joint.Photo: Mark Peterson/Redux

A few weeks ago, Gawker reported that enterprising Bronx resident “Cousin Vinny” Agnello was planning to open an “adult club” in a former Subway franchise (a flyer promised “unlimited fountain soda for your mixers, foot-long sandwiches of your choice, and a discrete and totally safe atmosphere to indulge in your carnal fantasies”). Even in a city that allowed Cordato’s (the grind joint in the back of a deli) to exist for a good while before cracking down, it seemed too smutty to be true. According to The Real Deal, “Cousin Vinny” now says it was indeed all a prank to drum up business, and he’s circulating flyers apologizing to community members “whose feathers were ruffled,” as well as offering a $1 discount. Meanwhile, in actual strip-club news, the Post reports that Club Kalua, the site of the Sean Bell shooting, has been closed by the Department of Health for, among other things, evidence of mice and unsanitary food surfaces. See, Vinny, aren’t you glad you didn’t open that club for serious?

Bronx sandwich-shop owner calls stripper scandal a stunt [Real Deal via Eater]
“50 Shot” Dive Gets Closed [NYP]

More: NewsFeed »anthony "cousin vinny" agnello, bronx, strip clubs, subway

Openings

5/23/08

11:00 AM

Modern-Day El Morocco Brings Zebra Print to Hamilton Heights

Many have tried to replicate the legendary El Morocco nightclub (Plan B, most recently) but few have actually taken the name. That’ll change when El Morocco opens in Hamilton Heights on June 4 with a VIP party. With the blessing of the family of one of the original owners (for what that’s worth!), Michelle Rodriguez (not the actress) spent the past two years meticulously recreating the old hot-spot via a zebra-print wall and specially carved palm trees, throwing in some plasma screens and a sound-and-light system that would blow the toupee off of Sinatra. “Leopard girls” will work a “leopard room” during Sunday-night gay parties as well as during hip-hop and Latin nights. The 10,000-square-foot space accommodates about 600 and, judging by the lines at the now-defunct Copacabana (the owners of that venue are holding their nights at Columbus 72 while they search for a new space), the place will be packed. Rodiguez already plans to open another 12,000-square-foot club, the Tropicana, in the Bronx in three weeks. Bust out the sequins and cha-cha heels, chicas.

El Morocco, 3435 Broadway, at 145th St.; 212-939-0909, ElMoroccoNYC.com

More: Openings »bronx, el morocco, hamilton heights, nightclub, nightlife, tropicana, washington heights

The In-box

5/15/08

4:45 PM

Hey! What Do You Have Against the Bronx?

Reader Nicole Mancini took umbrage at our hasty dismissal of the Bronx's underdog wins in the Post's pizza and burger sweepstakes the other day. She writes,

I was born and raised in the Bronx and I'm sick and tired of its bad rep. I love Grub Street. I check it everyday; but, to open it today and read that, "somebody better find out what neighborhood Carla Spartos comes from", because she picked the Bronx for best pizza and burger is beyond disappointing to me. Perhaps Zero Otto Nove decided to open on West 10th and Bleecker, I'm sure the win would not come as such a shocker. However Zero Otto Nove is located on Arthur Avenue, the main street of the Belmont section of the Bronx, and the heart of the Real Little Italy. Coals may be located right outside a bunch of auto repair zones, but what better place to open to feed a hungry car mechanic with a delicious burger? The Bronx is also home to City Island, a mini seaside town with dozens of seafood restaurants to choose from. We have Pelham Bay Park, the biggest park in NYC. We have The Bronx Zoo and the Botanical Gardens. We have the Yankees (even though they are overpaid and seat prices are ridiculous). We have Stanley Kubrick, Calvin Klein, Billy Joel, Regis Philbin, Colin Powell, and Edgar Allen Poe for crying out loud.
We're a borough of old Italian grandmothers who are willing to feed you at any time of the day. We love our food, just as much as the next person trying to get a reservation at Momofuku Ko, but instead of writing about it on Yelp or the next food blog, we talk about it over five hour Sunday dinners with the family.I just hope you guys can give us more credit next time.
P.S. We're not all in the Mafia, either.

We take it back, Nicole!

Earlier: Bronx Does Pizza and Burgers Better, According to ‘Post’

More: The In-box »bronx, coals, zero otto nove

NewsFeed

5/14/08

12:15 PM

Bronx Does Pizza and Burgers Better, According to ‘Post’

The Bronx: home of New York's best pizza and burger?Photo: Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

Inspired by next week's Burger Battle of the Boroughs, the Post decided to ask itself why the battle should be limited to hamburgers. The result is a massive spread that includes some unexpected winners. Would you have thought that the best black-and-white cookie in town would be from Staten Island? Queens, home of the Astoria, Neptune, and Bel-Aire diners, was the obvious winner in that category. The most surprising winner in the article was the Bronx, though, which not only carried the pizza and burger honors, but which the Post favors to win next week's Burger Battle of the Boroughs, a massive citywide burger contest and tasting event. How is the Bronx suddenly such a food mecca? The best pizza and the best burger? Somebody better find out what neighborhood writer Carla Spartos comes from. This is suspicious.

FOOD FIGHT! 5 BOROS BATTLE FOR BEST EATS BELT [NYP]
Related: Interborough Burger Contest Heading to Queens

More: NewsFeed »bronx, carla spartos, diners, hamburgers, new york post, pizza

NewsFeed

4/14/08

11:00 AM

FoodFellas Make the Networks an Offer They May or May Not Refuse

Given the public’s appetite for food shows, and its (or, rather, our) appetite for mobsters, how could a food show about mobsters not succeed? That seems to be the thinking behind FoodFellas, a pilot currently under consideration at several networks. The idea is for a reality series about three Sopranos actors, Vincent “Big Pussy” Pastore, Joe “Vito the Gay Mobster” Gannascoli, and Tony “Larry Boy Barese” Darrow, who buy one of the all-time great Bronx Italian restaurants, de’ Medici, and try to make it a major success. (The pilot promo features the actors at the awful La Mela, but the show won't actually take place there.) The show looks great, but we kind of hope they don't succeed. De’ Medici, a kind of Rao's you can get into, is perfect just the way it is.

More: NewsFeed »bronx, de medici, foodfellas, italian

NewsFeed

3/25/08

2:10 PM

The Gallery Aims to Bring South Beach to South Bronx

Hip-hop, key word “hip.”Renderings courtesy of The Gallery

The Mott Haven neighborhood sometimes referred to as SoBro (or as we prefer to call it, “South Bronx! South South Bronx!”) will soon get a high-end lounge called the Gallery. Hip-hop artist Robert Salese and veteran dj Mikey Eyes will open the 6,000-square-foot space in a former office building off of the Third Avenue Bridge that’s surrounded by what Salese calls “unfucked land.” The owners aren’t afraid to throw the word gentrification around — in fact, Salese says he’ll be bringing “South Beach to the South Bronx” when the spot opens May 17 with a pastel color scheme and a menu of sushi and paninis.

More: NewsFeed »bronx, mike eyes, robert salese, the gallery

The New York Diet

3/20/08

5:40 PM

Dominic Chianese Can’t Avoid the Bread

"York Grill has become a favorite."Photo: Melissa Hom

Dominic Chianese, who played Tony’s Uncle Junior on the Sopranos and sings Italian standards tonight at Columbus 72, was born and raised in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx. His grandfather owned an Italian-French restaurant on Houston Street, and his mother, who worked there, is related to the owner of Mario’s, where Chianese says you can find the best pizza on Arthur Avenue. One of his cousins works at Borgatti’s and makes what Chianese considers the best ravioli in the country. Of course, being a Soprano means getting the VIP treatment even if a relative doesn’t own the restaurant. “As an Italian-American,” he says, “I enjoy it. My wife says [in a proper English accent] ‘You can’t do that, Dominic.’ It’s a cultural thing: She’s from England. I’m from the Bronx.” We asked him where he got treated like a king this week.

More: The New York Diet »arthur avenue, bronx, columbus 72, dominic chianese, elaine's, italian food, la bella ferrara, luca, mansion diner, mario's, ottimo, quattro gatti, sopranos, york grill

Back of the House

2/12/08

4:30 PM

Venerable Meat Purveyor Struck by Fire

In a city already starved for first-class steak, there’s going to be a lot less of it to go around, at least for a little while: Master Purveyors in the Bronx, one of the city’s top meat suppliers and a little piece of its history, suffered extensive damage from a fire at its Hunts Point building last night. Masters, as it was called, was a family business that had been supplying the city’s top steakhouses for generations, and it can’t be easily replaced: It’s the meat equivalent to Russ & Daughters burning down, or the Strand being evicted and replaced with a Virgin Megastore. Along with Pat La Frieda, the Piccinini Brothers, and DeBragga and Spitler, Master Purveyors are the last of the city's great old-guard meat purveyors. Adam Perry Lang of Daisy May and (formerly) Robert's Steakhouse, one of Masters' most devoted clients, says, “This is a tragedy, but I know they’ll bounce back. They’re survivors … they’re the real deal and they have so much integrity.” Whether they will bounce back is still unclear. We hope to have more information tomorrow.

Fire Damages Big Market in the Bronx [NYT]

More: Back of the House »bronx, hunts point, master purveyors, meat

Neighborhood Watch

11/29/07

2:52 PM

Green Coke in the Bronx a Good Thing; Eat a 'wichcraft Sandwich, Save the Children

Astoria: New Mexican restaurant Luna de Juarez at 25-98 Steinway is ready to be sampled. [Joey in Astoria]
Bronx: Coca-Cola’s added a handful of hybrid-electric trucks to its 90-vehicle delivery fleet based in the South Bronx. [NYP]
Cobble Hill: Sahadi’s has put up a new sign, possibly in preparation for the onslaught of Trader Joe’s. [Lost City]
East Village: A sushi bar called Nori will refill the Hip-Hop-Chow space on Second Avenue in hopes that this more banal concept will survive in the space for more than a few months. [Eater]
Meatpacking District: Paparazzi aren’t the only ones not allowed to photograph the hallowed spaces of Socialista; civilians were hampered from shooting as well. [Down by the Hipster]
Rockefeller Center: An eggplant sandwich “invented by three teenagers from New York City who spent a summer learning about the food business as part of a program connected to the Fresh Air Fund” (which will also snag some of the proceeds) has been added to the menu of ’wichcraft’s newest location at 1 Rockefeller Plaza near 50th Street and will be available at ten other locations by next week. [Diner’s Journal/NYT]

More: Neighborhood Watch »astoria, bronx, cobble hill, coca-cola, east village, fresh air fund, hip hop chow, luna de juarez, meatpacking district, nori, rockefeller center, sahadi's, socialista, trader joe's, wichcraft

The New York Diet

10/26/07

10:35 AM

Graffiti Goddess Claw Money Starts With a Bagel, Finishes with Champagne and Cupcakes

Photo: Melissa Hom

Now that she’s retired from the graffiti game, Queens-born Claw Money (whose signature claw you’ve seen all over the city and on Ecko apparel) says she has “like, 10,000 jobs.” In addition to designing her own line and finishing her second book, Shady Lady (it’s about eyewear), she’s the fashion director for Swindle magazine, a coveted brand consultant, and the wardrobe supervisor for a top-secret VH1 pilot. So how does she get into work mode? “It’s not a good day,” she says, “unless you start it out with a bagel.” As she prepped for a party launching the sneakers she designed for Nike, she told us what the rest of her days entailed.

More: The New York Diet »bao noodles, bronx, dunkin' donuts, ess-a-bagel, fresh direct, jg melon, lil' frankie's, pick a bagel, sandwiches, starbucks

VideoFeed

10/ 3/07

2:00 PM

Two Chefs (and One Good Eater) Take a Trip to the Bronx

If there's something you can think of better than going up to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx in a big white Buick, for the express purpose of eating sandwiches with your two favorite Italian chefs, then we would like to know what it is. We heeded our lust for salumi and mozzarella and recorded the results for Grub Street posterity.

Grub Street Video Archive

More: VideoFeed »alto, arthur avenue, bronx, hearth, insieme, l'impero, marco canora, michael white

Beef

8/ 9/07

2:58 PM

The Mets Scored Shake Shack. What Will the Yankees Do?

And forget that Tomahawk chop! That's bush-league Braves stuff!Illustration: Steve Motzenbecker

Now that the Mets seem to have a lock on New York’s most coveted hamburger business, we’re waiting for the other shoe to drop: What will be the Yankee response? Clearly, it won’t do for the Bronx Bombers to let their National League rival upstage them like this. We fully expect the Yankees to open the vault in hopes of attracting a major free-agent restaurateur. But who?

More: Beef »bar mozza, bronx, jeffrey chodorow, mets, nancy silverton, shake shack, tim love, yankee stadium

Mediavore

8/ 9/07

10:00 AM

Red Hook Vendors on the Run Again; Bourdain on ‘Top Chef’

With the Parks Department temporarily off their back, the Red Hook food vendors now have a new enemy: the ever-mischievous Department of Health. [Serious Eats]
Related: The Threat to Red Hook’s Street-Food Paradise Unites New York Foodies

Anthony Bourdain doesn’t have any sympathy for last night’s Top Chef loser, Sara: “I've worked with women cooks who could crank out a hundred fifty meals off a very busy grill station in freakin’ stilettos and still have the energy to give Howie the beating of his life — so that don't cut it as an excuse.” Bonus: Bourdain on Rocco’s career arc. [Bravo]
Related: Joey, Latest ‘Top Chef’ Non-Winner, on Why Rocco Is a Douche Bag

The hidden food treasures of the Bronx range from an ancient candy store where you can get a classic egg cream to a Chino-Latino place with great shrimp mofungo. [NYP]

More: Mediavore »anthony bourdain, bronx, egg creams, frank bruni, red hook, red hook park vendors, steak, steve cuozzo, top chef, upper west side, vegansexuals

Neighborhood Watch

6/19/07

3:06 PM

Varietal’s Kitchen Closes in Chelsea

Bronx: Italian pastry shop Egidio has a history steeped in family feuds, politics, and adultery; now a cannoli-wielding former owner has opened up shop nearby. [Lost City]
Chelsea: Varietal has closed its dining room, though wine’s still being served at the bar. [Restaurant Girl] Great Small Works performing-arts group will host a Spaghetti Dinner this Sunday evening on the roof of the 14th Street Y. Besides bowls of garlicky pasta, ticket holders can look forward to “puppet theater [and] New Orleans brass band music.” [Blog Chelsea]
Greenpoint: The Original Soup Man (a.k.a. the Soup Nazi) joins other chains on Manhattan Avenue and shocks customers by charging $9 for some selections. [Gothamist]
Hell's Kitchen: Alex Garcia’s new restaurant, Gaucho Steak Co., at 752 Tenth Avenue, is now open for lunch and offering delivery. [Grub Street]
Soho: Savoy’s Clambake Dinners start July 6 and run through the end of the month. [Restaurant Girl]

More: Neighborhood Watch »alex garcia, bronx, chelsea, clambake, egidio bakery, gaucho steak co., gertel's, great small works, greenpoint, hell's kitchen, lower east side, original soupman, savoy, soho, spaghetti dinners, varietal

Neighborhood Watch

6/ 1/07

3:40 PM

Chelsea Mourns the Loss of Chinese Vegetable Burritos

Bronx: Ditri Coffee Shop has sold coffee and work boots for 28 years; it’s amazing this business model doesn’t seem to have been duplicated. [Lost City]
Chelsea: There’s a makeshift memorial set outside Bright Food Shop, which has closed along with sister-restaurant Kitchen/Market thanks to high rents. [Crazy Fingers by way of Blog Chelsea] Tasty Korean takeout near FIT. [Gothamist]
Clinton Hill: A bake sale gets frisky with a Middle Eastern dance performance this Sunday at 289 Grand Avenue. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Dumbo: Chestnut, Olea, and Sweet Melissa Patisserie are all participating in Tuesday’s tasting event at powerHouse Arena to benefit the American Cancer Society. [Dumbo NYC]
East Village: Bowery Whole Foods unveils plans to start serving brunch. [Down by the Hipster]
West Village: Murray’s Cheese is hosting a sparkling-wine course that includes cheese pairings on June 5th at 6:30 p.m. [Gothamist]