I suppose I am thinking more about food than I should, because I am trying to lose weight. This means I am eating less than normal of course. I have been thus far successful in my quest, however, thoughts about my favorite restaurants pop up here and there as a result of my undereating.
As I lived in New York for more than 20 years, of course most of memories are from the Big Apple. I was never a wealthy person (too bad) so it was very unlikely you would see me in the Russian Tea Room or Le Cirque. Moderately priced restaurants were, and remain, my thing.
The problem with this type of restaurant is that they do not last long. Places that easily extract more than $100 per client have a better chance of surviving in the long run, and are better investments for their owners, than simpler eateries. So I am writing this post about restaurants that are no longer around.
As I am Brazilian, I will start with my favorite Brazilian restaurant. The Brazilian Pavillion was the best Brazilian restaurant of the 80s, when run by Joaquin Gonzalez. Service was impeccable, and dishes such as Churrasco Oswaldo Aranha and Frango no Catupiry, memorable. Joaquin knew how to run a tight ship, and dining experiences there were consistently positive. Unfortunately, he did not repeat this with Brazil 2000, a restaurant he opened on the West Side, when he leased the Pavillion to another restaurateur. Brazil 2000 had its flaws, and some of the spark was gone. Then Joaquin decided to change cuisines, and opened an Italian restaurant mid-town. I never went there, I already had a large roster of Italian restaurants up my sleeve. Eventually he died, I believe in his early 60s.
Another Brazilian restaurant that was interesting was Brazil Brazil, in the Upper West Side, nearby the Museum of Natural History. For some reason, I vividly remember the sausage that was served as appetizer. The owners had run another place called Rio de Janeiro, on 57th Street, which did not last long. Brazil Brazil was somewhat on the expensive side for a Brazilian restaurant, with flashy decor, and did not last long.
On the other end of the spectrum, Cabana Carioca was not expensive. However, it seemed a bit run down, dirty even, and service was at best poor. The food was tasty, but the poorly kept, filthy bathroom made you wonder about what happened in the kitchen. This was one place I thought would never close, but close it did. My best memory from Cabana Carioca was that this was the place where I proposed to my wife, not that I really meant it to be that way.
Unfortunately, the place where we celebrated our marriage also closed, Arlecchino at Bleecker Street. The first time I ate there it was called Trattoria Villaggio, and it served the freshest tomato I have ever eaten. Then, it changed hands. The new owner, Cesare, was very lively, sometimes the caricature of an Italian, very flirty with the ladies and nice with the guys. He had a lot of charisma, and the food was consistently good. Eventually Cesare left, and the place lost some of its aura.
Another Italian place I liked was called Prego, on 6th Avenue and 56th Street. It served a pasta called orecchiete with escarole and sausage that was out of this world. I have not seen this at any other place. Again, as dishes were often priced less than 10 bucks, the restaurant obviously did not survive a lease renewal and it simply vanished.
Victors Cafe had a place in 71st Street. As I lived on the West Side for a while, I ate at that Cuban restaurant quite a few times - good vaca frita. The waiters were a bit nasty, but the food was consistently good, so it did not matter. They insisted on having a tenor singing from table to table, which was a bit annoying.
I believe the best, classiest Chinese restaurant I have been to in New York was called Peking Duck, on the West Side. I don't eat duck, because it is my favorite animal. However, every dish Peking Duck served was delectable, and light. The owner was a very classy lady, and service was better than average, especially for a Chinese restaurant.
On the East Side, there was a Chinese place called Hunan Park (there are probably hundreds of places with similar names...) located on Second Avenue and I believe, 76th Street. It had a peculiarity - it served free white wine with every meal, with refills! But the one thing that made the trip worthwhile was a dish called Chicken Star, which I have not found any place else.
I like Greek food, and we used to go to a place called Plaka, on Bleecker Street. The food was good, and the ambience very Greek. The owner used to have long arguments with his friends, and suddenly shift into a laughing mode. Very bipolar. The place was gone before the 90's, but later I found out that real good Greek food can be found in Astoria, not Manhattan.
There was a Mediterranean cuisine place called Cafe Ovo, on third Avenue, that served a wonderful brunch on Sundays. I liked to go there after church. They always had dishes with lentils, which I love. It did not last long...
As I lived in New York for more than 20 years, of course most of memories are from the Big Apple. I was never a wealthy person (too bad) so it was very unlikely you would see me in the Russian Tea Room or Le Cirque. Moderately priced restaurants were, and remain, my thing.
The problem with this type of restaurant is that they do not last long. Places that easily extract more than $100 per client have a better chance of surviving in the long run, and are better investments for their owners, than simpler eateries. So I am writing this post about restaurants that are no longer around.
As I am Brazilian, I will start with my favorite Brazilian restaurant. The Brazilian Pavillion was the best Brazilian restaurant of the 80s, when run by Joaquin Gonzalez. Service was impeccable, and dishes such as Churrasco Oswaldo Aranha and Frango no Catupiry, memorable. Joaquin knew how to run a tight ship, and dining experiences there were consistently positive. Unfortunately, he did not repeat this with Brazil 2000, a restaurant he opened on the West Side, when he leased the Pavillion to another restaurateur. Brazil 2000 had its flaws, and some of the spark was gone. Then Joaquin decided to change cuisines, and opened an Italian restaurant mid-town. I never went there, I already had a large roster of Italian restaurants up my sleeve. Eventually he died, I believe in his early 60s.
Another Brazilian restaurant that was interesting was Brazil Brazil, in the Upper West Side, nearby the Museum of Natural History. For some reason, I vividly remember the sausage that was served as appetizer. The owners had run another place called Rio de Janeiro, on 57th Street, which did not last long. Brazil Brazil was somewhat on the expensive side for a Brazilian restaurant, with flashy decor, and did not last long.
On the other end of the spectrum, Cabana Carioca was not expensive. However, it seemed a bit run down, dirty even, and service was at best poor. The food was tasty, but the poorly kept, filthy bathroom made you wonder about what happened in the kitchen. This was one place I thought would never close, but close it did. My best memory from Cabana Carioca was that this was the place where I proposed to my wife, not that I really meant it to be that way.
Unfortunately, the place where we celebrated our marriage also closed, Arlecchino at Bleecker Street. The first time I ate there it was called Trattoria Villaggio, and it served the freshest tomato I have ever eaten. Then, it changed hands. The new owner, Cesare, was very lively, sometimes the caricature of an Italian, very flirty with the ladies and nice with the guys. He had a lot of charisma, and the food was consistently good. Eventually Cesare left, and the place lost some of its aura.
Another Italian place I liked was called Prego, on 6th Avenue and 56th Street. It served a pasta called orecchiete with escarole and sausage that was out of this world. I have not seen this at any other place. Again, as dishes were often priced less than 10 bucks, the restaurant obviously did not survive a lease renewal and it simply vanished.
Victors Cafe had a place in 71st Street. As I lived on the West Side for a while, I ate at that Cuban restaurant quite a few times - good vaca frita. The waiters were a bit nasty, but the food was consistently good, so it did not matter. They insisted on having a tenor singing from table to table, which was a bit annoying.
I believe the best, classiest Chinese restaurant I have been to in New York was called Peking Duck, on the West Side. I don't eat duck, because it is my favorite animal. However, every dish Peking Duck served was delectable, and light. The owner was a very classy lady, and service was better than average, especially for a Chinese restaurant.
On the East Side, there was a Chinese place called Hunan Park (there are probably hundreds of places with similar names...) located on Second Avenue and I believe, 76th Street. It had a peculiarity - it served free white wine with every meal, with refills! But the one thing that made the trip worthwhile was a dish called Chicken Star, which I have not found any place else.
I like Greek food, and we used to go to a place called Plaka, on Bleecker Street. The food was good, and the ambience very Greek. The owner used to have long arguments with his friends, and suddenly shift into a laughing mode. Very bipolar. The place was gone before the 90's, but later I found out that real good Greek food can be found in Astoria, not Manhattan.
There was a Mediterranean cuisine place called Cafe Ovo, on third Avenue, that served a wonderful brunch on Sundays. I liked to go there after church. They always had dishes with lentils, which I love. It did not last long...
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