New restaurants and cafes are opening on the Upper West Side, even as a steakhouse and a specialty market close their doors.
Prime West, the Kosher steakhouse and sushi spot at 217 West 85th street, closed suddenly. The restaurant “was not the right fit for the Upper West Side neighborhood according to the restaurant’s ownership,” Yeah that’s Kosher reported. “However, the owner did confirm that they are planning to move the restaurant ‘downtown’ where the restaurant can serve both lunch and dinner meals, whereas the UWS location could only command a crowd for dinner.” Thanks to Ellen and Zoila for the tips.
SoulCycle is opening another Upper West Side location at 21 West End Avenue, the new building at West 61st street. They signed a 10-year-lease for a 3,800-square-foot spot, according to the Post.
Albertina’s Fine Foods, the specialty market that just opened on Broadway between 69th and 70th street about two months ago, is closing on Saturday, an employee confirmed. Business apparently wasn’t great there, although we had heard some good initial reports.
Sunflower Cafe has opened at 93rd street and Amsterdam, the former home of Crafted Bagels. The Kosher cafe is known for salads, sandwiches and pasta at its other locations, but it doesn’t serve meat.
A new restaurant called Mido is opening at 612 Amsterdam (between 89th & 90th). “It used to be Thai Season, and then briefly a Vietnamese restaurant under the same management,” Rob tells us. “It must be a tough block for Vietnamese restaurants, the old Saigon Grill/Key-foods is a block up.” Thanks to Rob for the photo.
A-One Cleaners and Reza’s Copy Shop, two stores on 81st street and Broadway have both closed to make way for a new 18-story building on that corner. Thanks to David W. for the tip.
Opportunity Charter School has signed a lease for approximately 2,600 square feet of community facility space located at 315 West 113th Street, according to Bluestar properties, which arranged the lease.
Orwasher’s bakery at 440 Amsterdam Avenue (the corner of 81st street) is planning to open in June, Joan tells us after speaking with a worker.
Does anybody know what’s happening with the old Loehman’s store on Bwy in the 70s? It’s been empty for two+ years, but now the “for rent” sign is down.
Saw a bunch of guys with notepads from https://www.fleishers.com/ looking at the location a couple weeks ago.
Don’t really need another butcher but a butcher/restaurant like their Connecticut location might just work.
Amsterdam flooring/carpet on 87th and Amst has closed
I ate at Albertina’s Fine Foods on Saturday. Typical Asian owned deli, very good food, but I was surprised that it was so empty on a Saturday afternoon, I guess it is located too far South for the UWS crowd and too North for Columbus Circle. I hope they find a location more South.
I’m pretty shocked Albertinas is closing so quickly. They took over 5 months to retrofit the place and then closing after being open less then 2 months?
You’d think they’d have stuck around a little longer to get their niche, especially with weather becoming better and more people out & about.
Alas, their grocery items were way overpriced. Hopefully another deli takes the spot.
Not sure I understand these comments. Albertina’s has great food and we don’t know why it closed, but it’s overpriced and received health code violations right after it opened? I know why it closed….
Grocery items in establishments like this one are always overpriced.
They have really tasty food and the freshest salad and marinated veggies. I was very happy with everything…much better than fairway. I’m so disappointed. Something odd is going on here.
They got cited for food violations and the sign said rating “pending”. I’ve never seen such a fast closing. They had really high quality fresh vegetables and excellent chicken dishes. It seems like they cared about ingredients….what happened?? Does anyone know the truth??
According to the NYC DOH website, https://a816-restaurantinspection.nyc.gov/RestaurantInspection/SearchDetails.do ,
Albertina’s had an initial inspection on March 24 that scored 30 points. That would have given them a “C” grade except that letter grades are not given on initial inspections with 14 or more points. (An “A” is 13 points or fewer.)
Albertina’s had a follow-up inspection on April 18, barely three weeks later, that scored 19 points, an improvement but still a middle “B” grade. Their points were based on only three sanitary violations, which are considered critical under the rating system:
1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
3) Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
The “B” grade allowed them to post the “Grade Pending” card while the inspection results were reviewed on administrative appeal.
The DOH website does not reflect an outcome of that appeal, and it’s a little early to expect a hearing to have been held. But (and I am totally guessing here) considering that the store would have had to explain away at least 6 of those 19 points on appeal to get an “A”, and that they got their points for only three particular violations, they might have thought it likely that they would spend the first year of their business with a “B” grade on the front door and, given all the other costs and difficulties, just didn’t think it was worth it.
Again, I’m completely guessing and, except as to what is reported on the City’s website, this is all just opinion. I would like to have seen them stay in business.
From what the owner (?) said last night when I was in, the rent was too high for the location ($50,000/mo plus another $10K for utilities)
Still seems odd. You’d think they knew what the monthly expenditures were going to be.
He also told me they’re opening a bigger store to 53/6. It that closes up in a couple of months then something is definitely amiss..
What I couldn’t understand about Albertina’s is why on earth they designed it on two levels so that you had to climb a set of stairs to get to the buffet. My 89-year old mom would absolutely have been a regular if it weren’t for those stairs. It didn’t make any sense. Why when you’re serving an appealing, quick buffet and a convenient place to pick up grocery staples would you design it to discourage the elderly, disabled, or anyone with a stroller? And they had a large enough space, too, to not be too cramped to get around.
That puzzled me too. Maybe it was a structural issue with the space.
the shoe store that was there was just the same. seems something to do with the structure.
in any case, Albertina’s should have known better. those kind of shops need a working lunch crowd.
Sorry to hear Albertina’s will close.
Maybe:
1. they were just too generous?; their take-away (Brit-speak) sandwiches were just PACKED with tasty ingredients; or
2) they never quite mastered the UWS ‘speedee-deliveree’ shtick. Ordered once and delivery-guy obviously got lost…they’re probably still searching for him !
They DID have a good location right at the W.69th M7 bus stop. Get off bus, go into Albertina’s, and take home a very tasty dinner, plus great diet-busting desserts!
Albertino’s wasn’t what the neighborhood wanted or needed. We need a convenience/grocery store where we can get milk, eggs, some fresh fruits and vegetables and other basics to go part of the way to compensate for the loss of Food Emporium. Duane Reade isn’t a good substitute. Can you believe mourning the loss of Food Emporium??! Albertino’s salad bar ingredients looked stale by the second day they were open, sad to say.
RIP Food Emporium at 68th & Broadway.
It closed in 2013 and I still miss it everyday.
Is it really THAT difficult to get a normal, standard supermarket in the area?? Not a Trader Joe’s. Not a Fairway. Not a Whole Foods. Not a Gourmet Garage. Just a place where I can buy brand-name Raisin Bran and Pop-Tarts and good meats and baked goods, that’s not a pharmacy.
funny you mention Food Emp…I work down in tribeca and the FE that closed down there was replaced with a Best Market.I do some of my shopping there,very good prices.. very good supermarket. Too bad they dont open up here instead of the crap we currenly have.
Shame about Albertina’s. The food looked good, tasted good, was varied, and the people really couldn’t have been nicer or more accommodating. I can’t help but wonder if the initial rating issues were more technical in nature to assure towing the line for a new establishment, than an issue of cleanliness or vermin, but who knows. In any case, with commercial rents as high as the area is demanding there really can’t be much potential for smaller businesses that aren’t a chain, a bank, or a franchise. That is unless you’re a mustard store…
More than once, heard people with kids saying that Albertina’s prices were almost twice what they were anywhere else, especially stuff that moms get for kids on the go: yogurts, juices, salads etc. Checked myself and saw the selection limited and the prices unreasonably high. I don’t believe their “rent too high” explanation because the rent was the same when they decided to open. A financial whiz friend told me that usually these lightning-fast open/closed things indicate a financial game: someone needed to losse a lot of money quickly.
Still waiting on a trader joes 93rd street / Columbus update.
re: Albertina’s Fine Foods
That’s got to be some kind of record.
One question: Who the hell was Albertina?
Don’t know. Who “the hell” is Sean??
Such hostility.
Sunflower Cafe: the home of the $13 baked potato. Seriously??
Sorry to hear that Albertina is closing. I recently went there a couple of times since I’ve come back from Florida, and I thought it a pretty good addition to the ‘hood. I guess another bank or drugstore will come in there.
“I thought it a pretty good addition to the ‘hood”
That’s why it closed.
I feel that, more-and-more, “Neighborhood” things aren’t lasting here on the UWS.
Gettingl less-and-less “Neighborhoody”.
It feels like there is an insult implied in the Prime West quote, just trying to figure out exactly what it is…