Upper West Side

Banksy's On the Upper West Side With a Sledgehammer-Wielding Child

Good morning/nearly afternoon! While you (we) were sleeping off that fifth rum and coke, our good friend and creeping British menace Banksy struck again. After his vaginal foray into the wilds of Staten Island yesterday, he hit the brunch-mobbed Upper West Side with this adorable child intent on des ... More >>

57th Street Is Closed Because of a Building Crane Malfunction (Same Location as the Famous Hurricane Sandy Crane)

Early this morning reports emerged that the block of West 57th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues was closed due to NYPD activity, and now we know why. A building crane on 157 W. 57th malfunctioned while hoisting a load up the building. Get this: This is the second time a crane has gone haywir ... More >>

Upper West Side Development Is Putting In a Separate Entrance for Poor Tenants

Dear big developers: Not every tax break is worth a bad headline. Extell Development Company is building a 274-unit luxury condo building in the Upper West Side, with plans to put in a separate door for people living in its planned below-market-rate units. The reason? It's a workaround enabled by th ... More >>

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Making Like a Tree Outside Upper West Side Whole Foods

A tipster sent us this photo of an elaborately adorned person/tree hanging out on the Upper West Side.* Said tipster writes: "Saw him yesterday walking down 106th, near Broadway, while at gym. Probably 8-9' tall on stilts, had to duck under deck scaffolding and was agile in doing so. Saw again toda ... More >>

Monday: Our 10 Best Upper West Side Restaurants

Burger patties flaming in the window of Big Nick's Four years ago, FiTR inaugurated the Our 10 Best series. For most of that time, we've put it up at 8 a.m. on Friday mornings -- but now we're going to start posting it Monday morning at 7 a.m. instead. This coming Monday, look for Our 10 Best Uppe ... More >>

When a Restaurant Screws You

The offending piece of fish (click on image to enlarge) Even the best restaurants make mistakes. Common ones include spilling a glass of water in the lap of a customer, who, of course, has no dry set of clothes; delaying the appearance of a dish by an unconscionable length of time, say one hour af ... More >>

Last Night's Menu At Casa Pomona

Resolution Diet Be Damned: The "Butter Burger" at Prune

We're almost two weeks into January, and for those of you still dieting, we offer our congratulations--reluctantly. It can't be easy to live in a food city such as New York and spend your days and nights chugging down BluePrint Cleanse cashew drinks and eating raw kale chips. So bravo, we guess. Now ... More >>

UWS Street Cart Offers Cut-Rate Hot Pastrami Sandwiches

You read it right -- pastrami sandwiches for only $2.50 each. A street cart parked at the southeast corner of 72nd Street and Broadway, the crossroads of the Upper West Side, has started outflanking area delis by offering a hot pastrami sandwich at the incredible price of $2.50. Typical pastrami s ... More >>

Young Woman Sexually Assaulted in Upper West Side Apartment Elevator

Police are searching for help to capture a suspect accused of sexually assaulting a 27-year-old woman in her Upper West Side apartment elevator.Early Tuesday morning around 2:30 a.m., the victim was just returning to her apartment. She was being followed. A young, fit Hispanic male with dark hair, a ... More >>

Telepan Retains Its Luster - and Then Some

This luscious squash and pecan tart could be the seasonal conclusion to your meal. CIA grad Bill Telepan had worked at Le Cirque, Gotham, and Ansonia - the first really ambitious restaurant on the Upper West Side - when he was propelled to fame by a 3-star Times review of Judson Grill. After the u ... More >>

More Tapas And Wine: Casa Pomona Opening In September

Another Spanish tapas and wine restaurant is coming to town. From restaurateur Sid Gupta (Pappardella, Village Pourhouse, Hudson Terrace, Little Town) and Marion Maur (who most recently ran her own restaurant Marion's Country Kitchen for five years in Woodstock), Casa Pomona will be debuting on the ... More >>

Double Digit Crime Spikes In Almost One-Third of All City Police Precincts

Crime citywide is up by 4 percent through last week, pushed largely by an increase in grand larcenies, though there have been 15 percent fewer homicides so far this year over last, NYPD figures through July 8 show. Much more troubling are the larger increases in some of the city's police precincts. ... More >>

Tomorrow: 10 Best Gelatos (er, Gelati) in New York

On the Upper West Side, Screme offers all sorts of playful mix-ins with the frozen product -- but it is good enough to make our top 10? What is gelato? Isn't it the same thing as ice cream? No, it's not. By strict definition, the product is much lower in fat -- averaging 8% rather than the minimu ... More >>

HOT WHEELS

Fuel up before your next ride

Daddy Gaga's Joanne and Caffe Bene Open

Here are the latest newcomers to New York City's cutthroat dining scene. If you hear of any new openings or closings, let us know.Lady Gaga's father and chef Art Smith's buzzy new restaurant, Joanne, is open on the Upper West Side. Though it's already been bashed by the Post's Steve Cuozzo, who repo ... More >>

Tuna Ravioli at Ozen Asian Fusion

One fish, two fish...​Say you come across as intriguing a menu item as "tuna ravioli."

Starbucks Sees Liquidity in Juice Market; Papasito Grill Burned by Noise Complaints

​Starbucks, no longer satisfied with being everywhere, has decided to be everywhere even more. The Seattle-based chain bought Evolution, a high-end juice company, Thursday. Execs plan on opening health and wellness-themed stores.[Washington Post]Papasito Grill and Agave Bar's Upper West Side locat ... More >>

Elizabeth's Neighborhood Table Brings Locavorism to the Upper West Side

Ye ole Upper West Side farmhouse.​The Upper West Side is about to get a dose of wholesome, locally sourced food. Elizabeth's Neighborhood Table (680 Columbus Avenue, 212-280-6501) is a new restaurant working with organic and biodynamic ingredients for its menu of American comfort food classics ... More >>

OWS Protesters Still Eating Like Kings; NYC's Most Beloved Diners

​Daniel Boulud will indeed be opening a new restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto, as previously rumored. [Toronto Star] More on those in-flight American Airlines meals designed by Richard Sandoval and Marcus Samuelsson. [Chicago Tribune] Occupy Wall Street protesters are sitting o ... More >>

Linguine Alle Vongole at Osteria Cotta, Dish No. 23

​The world's cuisines possess too few bitter dishes -- and clams with linguine in white sauce is one of the best.

One Day, Momofuku Milk Bar May Go to the UWS, and Sara Jenkins May Have a Falafel Shop

​What better way to pass a slow summer day than with idle speculation?

This Evening, You Can Rally to Save H&H; Bagels

​H&H; Bagels may be closing its iconic Upper West Side store this week, but that doesn't mean its admirers are going to let it go gentle into that good night.

The Parks Department Is Bringing Purple Yam to the Upper West Side

Purple YamBroadway bound.​Some encouraging news for Purple Yam fans who are weary of the Q train: the Ditmas Park Filipino restaurant will soon have two outposts on the Upper West Side, thanks to the NYC Parks Department.

Flex Mussels Looking to Open More Locations. Prepare for a Bivalve Bonanza!

flickr/rdpeytonFlex those mussels​According to Crain's New York, Flex Mussels owners Alex, Bobby, and Laura Shapiro's bivalve business has done so well over the past three years since its opening, in addition to their Upper East Side and West Village digs, they're currently scouting for an Upp ... More >>

NYC's 10 Best Bar Food Snacks

​10. Fatty dog at Upper West Side Fatty Crab - The sausage is prodigal, a fat homemade link laced with a scalding Southeast Asian XO sauce. Add a good bun, fronds of cilantro, pickled purple radish, pickled cuke spear, and smear of wet mayo, and you have one great and gloppy bar snack. 2170 B ... More >>

Ask the Critics: Where Can I Take Someone Who Likes Chain Restaurants?

​Jacob B. asks: Where would you take someone who seems to generally prefer chain (or mini-chain) restaurants? Ideally on the Upper West Side, but I'm open to elsewhere in the city. Dear Jacob: A better question: Why does your friend like chain restaurants? Sure, maybe portion sizes are large ... More >>

Dave Schuttenberg 'In' at Dickson's Farmstand Meats; George Mendes and Carlo Mirarchi Named Food & Wine Best New Chefs

​Dave Schuttenberg, formerly of Fatty Crab on the Upper West Side, will be the new chef at Dickson's Farmstand Meats in Chelsea Market, replacing Gabriel Ross. [NY Times] Nate Appleman, of Chipotle's, won Chopped All-Stars, going up against Michael Proietti, Anne Burrell, and Aaron Sanchez. ... More >>

Mugger Armed With Guns, Knives, and a Smile Roams Manhattan, Ripping Off Cells

Suspected mugger​A little guy who may not even be out of his teens is suspected of being a cell-phone bandit who stalks his victims, strikes up conversations with them, and then snatches their property at the point of a gun or knife, cops say. So far, the 18- to 22-year-old, only 5-5 and no more ... More >>

Open & Closed: Say Hello to Colonie, Goodbye to Niko's

Restaurants and bars, they come and they go. Here are a few making their debuts and bowing out this week. Satsko on the Lower East Side has been shuttered recently and plastered with bright orange "seizure" stickers, apparently due to state taxes owed. [Bowery Boogie] Salt & Pepper in Midtown West ... More >>

Tarallucci e Vino Migrates to the Upper West Side

​Tarallucci e Vino, the Italian café and wine bar chainlet with three downtown locations, spawned an Upper West Side outpost earlier today. It's located at 475 Columbus Avenue, near West 83rd Street, and it'll be serving breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch. In the evenings, it will bec ... More >>

Open & Closed: Say Hello to Danji; Goodbye to Benito's One Restaurant

Restaurants and bars, they come and they go. Here are a few making their debuts and bowing out this week. Benito's One Restaurant has been evicted from its Little Italy space and has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, with some $481,000 in liabilities. [Crain's] La Bonne Bouffe in the East Village ha ... More >>

Anthi's Greek Food's Spanokopita

​ Anthi's Greek Food opened a few weeks ago on Amsterdam Avenue. Hidden among a strip of businesses that include a deli, dry cleaner, hair salon, and barbershop, it's so small that it doesn't even get a full street number -- finding its address, 614A, brings to mind Harry Potter's secret trai ... More >>

The Best Midterm Elections Viral Video, Period: "My Girl's a Republican"

​Just in time for tomorrow's midterm elections, the following video -- by the finest working act in hip-hop sketch comedy, It's The Real (three white, mostly-Jewish guys living on the Upper West Side) -- comes this: "My Girl's A Republican."

Police Seek Upper West Side Sexual Assault Suspect

​The NYPD has released a sketch of a man wanted for two sexual assault/robberies on the Upper West Side. The first happened in May at about 1 a.m. in the vicinity of Manhattan Avenue and Columbus Avenue. The suspect approached the victim, a 30-year-old female, inside an elevator, groped her, s ... More >>

Adults Want Kids' Birthday Parties; Restaurants Accept Cash Only

​An English professor from Manhattan was forcibly ejected from an Upper West Side Starbucks after refusing to order her bagel "without butter or cheese," which she claimed was linguistically stupid. [NY Post] Fruits and vegetables are ripening early this year due to warm weather, likely leadi ... More >>

Gazala Place Is Opening a New Location on the Upper West Side

Photo courtesy of Gazala PlaceGazala Halabi​The Upper West Side will soon be able to get a taste of the spinach boreks and excellent Druze cuisine that has so endeared Fork in the Road to Gazala Place: the tiny Hell's Kitchen restaurant is opening a second location on the Upper West Side.

Kesté Isn't Opening a Pizzeria on the Upper West Side. Yet.

Robert SietsemaOur Man Sietsema called Kesté's margherita "an enduring thing of beauty."​Some disappointing news for Neapolitan pizza freaks on the Upper West Side: it looks like Kesté won't be opening a pizzeria there after all. At least not anytime soon.

Evan Spingarn of Tangled Vine Talks Sustainable Wine, Pairing Myths & Drinking What You Don't Know

Evan Spingarn wants you to try something other than the Cab.​The term sustainable has made its way to the wine glass, but the point for wine geeks isn't necessarily eco-friendliness. At Tangled Vine, a newish wine bar on the Upper West Side that our own Sarah DiGregorio found delightful, touts ... More >>

Off to the Pour House: The Tangled Vine Wine Bar & Kitchen

The Upper West Side sips and nibbles a bit of Spain

Your Monday Morning Links

​Good morning! In case you fell into a hole over the weekend (no judgments from us), here's your list of what everybody will be talking about today: • There was a 7-alarm fire at Grand Street and Allen (285 and 283 Grand) in Chinatown last night, bringing more than 250 firefighters and 60 f ... More >>

Bomboloni Descends Upon Columbus Avenue

nromagna/FlickrBeauteous bomboloni.​Behold, more fried dough fetishization: following months of delays, Bomboloni has opened on the Upper West Side. A project of David Ruggerio, who owns the neighborhood restaurant's Lansky's Old World Deli and Sushi a Go-Go, it will sell, as its name suggests ... More >>

Have You Seen... This Mustachioed Upper West Side Bank Robber

This guy is suspected of bank robbery at 2350 Broadway (between 85th and 86th) on the Upper West Side. At 2:06 p.m., January 20 (Wednesday), he entered a Citibank branch, passed a note demanding money, got an unknown amount, and fled on foot. No one was injured. He's described as 30 to 40 years old ... More >>

Smallest Apartment in Town? The New York Post Isn't Even Close

​The New York Post thinks it's found the tiniest studio in New York City. Reporter Angela Montefinise has a fun story about a couple sharing a 175-square-foot Upper West Side apartment with a couple of cats, but that place is a castle in comparison to the living situation we wrote about last m ... More >>

It's All in the Delivery: Fatty Crab Comes to Your Door & Restaurant Week for Lazy Asses

​Couch potatoes can rejoice this week. Not only is Zak Pelaccio's Upper West Side Malaysian-fusion mecca starting delivery service, but more than 100 restaurants around the city are participating in Delivery Week, a stay-at-home version of Restaurant Week. From October 19-31, order dinner at h ... More >>

Checking Out

Renters around town are getting ousted from illegal hotels

Unearthly Delights

Woman in White

A sign of the apocalypse on the first block of Bleecker Street

Goodbye Ruby Foo’s

Making book

L-Shaped Studio In 26-Story High-Rise