blogchelsea

City hunts down the source of maple syrup smell

While most New Yorkers thought it was a visitation by an extraterrestrial House of Pancakes, it turns out that the mysterious maple syrup smell that was the source of so many 311 calls is a fragrance factory on the other side of the Hudson River.

A swat team composed of the Office of Emergency Management and the Department of Environmental Protection tracked down the unoffending odor. By analyzing air samples they determined the sweet smell (actually foenugreek seeds) wasn't toxic, but couldn't figure out what the heck it was or where it was coming from. Because so many of the calls originated from the Upper West Side and Morningside Heights, the city was able to trace the wind and atmospheric conditions and finally deduced that the smell was coming from New Jersey.

Sometimes, it's just better not to know these things.

photo from NotBloggingNotWriting.com

Sweetie Pie takes the cake

Sweetie Pie, a new restaurant on Greenwich Avenue, by W. 10th Street, is many things, most of them good. It is very romantic. Not in a schmaltzy, cheesy Valentine’s Day kind of way. With its red banquettes and mirrored surfaces, all lit by white candles in polished silver holders, it is quietly elegant.

It can’t be described as upscale, however. You can order an omelet with caviar as well as steak, fried chicken and fish and chips. Offerings of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cream of tomato soup (not Campbell’s) and BLTs are also on the menu. There is an extensive wine list and the bar looks fully stocked.  Desserts, displayed on a trolley, were tempting morsels of pastel cakes (we didn’t have any.)

Since we are now all unemployed (and probably shouldn’t even be eating out in the first place) we ordered modestly. I had the Eggs in a Nest—scrambled eggs served in a little “nest” of Parmesan cheese. This was much better than I thought it would be. I also had a side order of leeks. The waiter told us, “The leeks are amazing.” Now when a waiter tells you something is amazing, it really better be good. They were prepared with garlic, olive oil and a little thyme.  And when they came, they didn’t disappoint. Everyone at the table thought they were absolutely delicious. The creamed spinach was also quite yummy.

The burger, I’m told, was reliably tasty, although a bit on the small side, and served only on white bread. It came with a nice side of thin, lightly crisped fries. The egg salad sandwich, also accompanied by fries, was a bit more robust.

But the point of a restaurant like Sweetie Pie is not the food. It is more about the magical space they have created. Oddly enough, one of my dining companions saw Barbara Walters, discretely tucked away in a booth.  While the front room is a long mirrored hall with a 1950’s style soda fountain/bar, the back room is a fantasy landscape, populated by horses, zebras and a goddess.  All in all, it is a lovely place. Go with children because they will love it, too. Sit in the birdcage. And order the leeks.--Sherry Mazzocchi

Chez Brigitte

Chez Brigitte has been closed for almost a month now, but it's still a bit of a shock to realize it's no longer open.  This tiny restaurant was perfectly emblematic of quirky and lovable New York neighborhoods. The corner of Greenwich and Seventh Avenue is now nearly all for rent--the florist Spruce has moved to Eighth Avenue and the newstand is long gone.  One of the waiters at the still open Barbecue restaurant salvaged Chez Brigitte's chalkboard (with its specials still written on it) from the trash. 

Cupcakes Take a Holiday

We have been worried about Big Booty.  It seems that lately they aren't open in the morning.  Aren't bakeries all about the morning?  And then today--all day--they were closed.  When I asked if they were closed for good--the man inside said, "No, we're just taking a vacation.  We'll be back on July 17th."

Hope so.  23rd Street between 7th and 8th already has too many For Rent signs on it.

Does the Presence of Starbucks Increase or Decrease Property Values?

Seventh Avenue and 23rd Street is now home to a brand new great big Starbucks, not to be confused with the Starbucks on Eighth and 23rd or the one on Sixth and 23rd or...you get the idea.

Cheyenne Diner to Close After 68 Years

According to Gothamist, the diner will close its doors for good on Sunday.  A nine-story apartment building is slated to go up on the site. The Cheyenne joins a growing list of shuttered diners.  (Photo: Wallyg)

Florent Closing?

Here's some horrifying news.  Eater.com is reporting that Florent will be closing sooner rather than later.  We had heard that the restaurant's lease was up for renewal this year. 

"Certain retail real estate brokers working on behalf of Florent's landlord, the Gottleib Family (who own a great deal of the West Village and the Meatpacking District), are quietly shopping the Florent space at 69 Gansevoort Street. More than one restaurant owner has been contacted with the offer: ground floor, second floor, backyard and roof garden, for between $150 and $300 a square foot. (Sidebar: there's a roof garden and second floor?)

The timing of a closure is still unclear, even to Florent owner Florent Morellet, who we reached by phone today. He says, "I can't tell you [when we'll close]. Nobody will know until the fat lady sings, as we say. I'll fight with the last bone in my body."

Ben & Jerry's Leaves the Hood

Larry Persons reports on the closing of the 23rd Street Ben & Jerry's location.

Corporate Chain to Replace Bright Food Shop

Blogger Crazy Fingers brings us the sad news that the national Mexican food chain, qdoba, will be opening soon at 8th Avenue and 21st.  The opening will mark the chain's third New York City location.

Patisserie Des Ambassades

This is the second location of this French Senegalese restaurant, the other one is uptown on 2200 Fredrick Douglass Boulevard.  The casual ambiance has a lot to do with its set-up, because the restaurant shares its entryway with another space.  On this particular night, there was a craft fair in the room next door.  If you were so inclined, you could slip away between courses to peruse tables of scarves and handmade jewelry.  It might even be a good idea to take advantage of the free wine and cheese because Ambassades doesn't offer alcohol on their menu.  This is an eclectic addition to the neighborhood in a space that has seen a lot of restaurant turnover.

The food, while not overly complex, offers rich, full and spicy flavors. The fish patties (similar to empanadas) have a peppery flavor and the pastry is fairly light.  If you order this appetizer, be prepared to share it with at lease three other people as the portion was huge.  The ginger juice was a  pleasant surprise.  It was a lot like drinking the crystallized candy-but not as sweet-and it stayed just on the right side of a tantalizingly slow burn on the way down.

The exotic seafood stew arrives in a scooped out half pineapple. Shrimp, mussels and squid all swim together in a base of sweet and sour soy sauce with just a hint of fire. The chicken kabobs were also very well prepared.  Served on a bed of caramelized onions, they came with crispy thin fries and a small green salad.  The peanut stew was really more like a legume ragout.  Served in a tomato base, it had fava beans, carrots and broccoli with a rich spicy taste.  If you go-and you should-make sure to order the plantains.  They are light and sweet and not soaked in oil like they so often are. 

There are several--very tempting--fancy confections available for dessert, but it might be impossible to fit them in.  Instead, they linger in memory and beckon you back for another visit.  Another odd thing about this restaurant:  our waitress tacked on an 18% gratuity for a party of three.  That's not always a good deal for the server, because it caps the upside tip potential.  But maybe that's a Senegalese custom?

Patisserie Des Ambassades-161 W. 22nd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. 212-255-5101 Open for Breakfast Lunch and Dinner.