Redd's Roster of Restaurants of the Old Weird New York

Unless "old and weird" means somebody was actually in there plucking an earth-bow or frailing a banjo whilst droning Appalachian/Elizabethan tragic songs of life through a retro sound system.

How about Dojo. I looked and that's still there. I spent a summer in the city going to Dojo a decent amount because it was the only sit-down restaurant that wasn't a luncheonette type place but was affordable on a student budget.

Is it really still there? And when you went there did you go somewhere else for a drink afterward? If so, where? Holiday, the Blue and Gold, the Tile Bar? Downtown Beirut? No, this last must have been long gone.

Still pondering why we possess such strong fond memories of restaurants. Feel like that in addition to the cuisine, in addition to the social aspect, there is simply the physical experience of light and space and sound. The way the light comes in through large windows, or is slightly warped by the heat shimmer of a candle flame, the way it is reflected or refracted by the bottles behind the bar or the mirrors on the wall or the silverware on the table or the way it is either absorbed by the dark wood or not absorbed at all by the white Formica. The size and shape of the room, the way it takes the chatter of the crowd and turns it into a pleasing white noise in which to, um, bathe, and upon the background of which to comfortably converse.

There is also an organizational aspect, that you can plan your leisure time around your dinner, something to look forward to after work, or before or after the movie and show. A place to tell about the funny thing you saw on the subway on the way to the Film Forum.

Dojo is a perfect example of a place I assumed had closed 15 years ago. In the same category as Life Cafe and Angelika Kitchen, spots I liked when I had more vegetarian tendencies than now

To push it even further maybe there is some implicit view of the restaurant itself as some kind of benevolent recording angel panopticon, that if only it was still there and you knew the right incantation you could access the backup tapes and relive or at least listen in on those magic times.

Angelica Kitchen rather

But enough of my dime store poetics, I should probably post the names of a few more gone and almost forgotten or surprisingly still there places I remember.

Dojo is almost the perfect example, so old I'm not even sure I've been there myself, but when you say it, yeah, it creates a powerful memory.

You do wonder with a lot of these places whether they were actually good or if it was just the circumstances or point in time. For example, Veselka's food seems really bland and useless whenever I happen to eat there now, whereas at one time it seemed amazingly perfect

This is a good point to raise. I don't know the full answer but I think above average bland plus some kind of ambience is a big step up from just bland across the board. Maybe an example might be a red sauce place that ponies up for the premium sausage rather than cuts corners there, although maybe that has already lifted it out of bland land. Or the difference between Music for Airports and Muzak.

Must...go to sleep ... before I kill thread.

Dojo!! my god. That place was like service industry boot camp for many friends of mine

do you guys remember Decibel? tiny, Japanese, dark, LES.

Yes, of course. Went there many times, the small menu had what, edamame and some sort of flaky pancake thingy. I was thinking of mentioning that place, along with Candy B1 (was it in the same spot?) -a karaoke bar, but with a live Japanese backup band instead of recordings- and Angel's Share, which last still seems to be there, although perhaps whatever was below it- Sunrise Mart? - had gone. Just don't bring too large a party! (i.e., no fapping)

Two different NYT articles, from the same day!
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/31/arts/sing-along-clubs-with-a-difference.html
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/31/arts/the-east-village-becomes-japan-west.html?pagewanted=all

The first is more zoomed in on karaoke and Candy B1 though. Which was at 240 E 9th, (between 2nd and 3rd) which is indeed where Decibel ( or "deshibearu" as we liked to say) was and still is apparently.

I steered clear of Dojo, perhaps even held my nose a little high, because it was for people who were still college kids, but I'm glad to know someone who actually was a college kid was there and can report on the doings within. Although come to think of it, I did go to a place around the corner, Jack the Ribber, which later became Continental Divide and then just Continental.

Of course, there are blog posts by Alex in NYC (two!) and The Hound as well

http://vassifer.blogs.com/alexinnyc/2014/02/the-dinosaur-on-third-avenue.html

http://vassifer.blogs.com/alexinnyc/2015/04/back-to-old-st-marks-the-revenge-of-the-third-avenue-dinosaur.html

http://thehoundblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/readin-rockin-literate-books-for.html?m=1

I believe I may have seen one ilxor with a screenname that is NSFW to Google play there with his band once.

Sunrise Mart, still there too.

What has brexited the area though is The Telephone Bar, 149 E 2nd.

I always ate at the Chinese place on E4 St (?) and 2nd Ave before or after Anthology Film Archives. Gone at least a dozen years.

Did you ever cross paths with Michael Musto at the Anthology?

Because I have a clear picture of seeing him waiting there once, although I have no recollection of what film was showing or whether he just happened to be standing on that block.

Think I remember what was showing when I saw Susan Sontag there though, or at least which director(s).

Ah yes i guess Decibel was E Village wasn't it?

How about a shout out for Sweet n Tart on Mott Street.

And while we're down there, Good World! It's not quite 'old' but it was a bit weird New York. I met Momus there once.

http://nymag.com/listings/bar/good_world_bar_and_grill/

What's that whole area like these days? East Broadway, down under the bridge? When I lived in New York it was solidly impenetrable Chinatown, just no way through. Tenement after tenement, off limits entirely to the likes of me.

Wouldn't know, never go past Confucius Plaza myself.

it's... changed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKEQm10-n84

Has it all totally been converted into luxury flats or something? :( It was honestly like a place out of time. Old men crouching on their stoops, pouring soapy water out of bowls into the street, washing strung up behind them.

I think it's all gourmet yogurt wifi cafe cross fitness training now.

At least last time I checked, perhaps there are some new bleeding edge developments I am not hip to.

Did I mention craft beer and artisanal won tons?

yes, it is a mix. plus a new rep cinema near Canal and the East Broadway station.

Decibel still there. Dojo on the NYU campus as well? I really liked Sweet N tart.

Saw Allen Ginsberg getting takeout at the Mee Noodle restaurant on 13th and 2nd (?) once. But he was always walking around that area in the early 90s. Ran into him a couple of times at St. Mark's Books and talked about Paterson, NJ with him for a few minutes each time (both from there). Nice man and hero of course. Always with his camera.

A few really good stories about him in August Kleinzahler's memoir.

There was a little Vietnamese takeout on 1st Ave between 2nd and 3rd i think. Looked like your average Chinese takeout but their food was excellent.

xpost need to check that out!

Ginsberg's apartment was on 12th between 1st and A. Richard Hell lived upstairs from him (& maybe still lives there)

Arthur Russell lived there as well ( and got free electricity by sending an extension cord into Ginsberg's apartment!).

It looks like the Dojo on W. 4th is still open, but the one on St. Marks is long gone. I have fond memories of ordering the stir-fried vegetables over rice with tofu AND melted cheese on top.

I mostly can't remember the food except that it wasn't especially good. I do have this memory of a waiter saying to me "would you like carrot ginger?" Like I was just supposed to know what that was (dressing, it turns out). It seems as though "carrot ginger" was some sort of signature item.

The BBQ/Dallas BBQ at 21 W 8th (8th and University) was not good enough for you?

http://www.grubstreet.com/2009/03/bbq_not_dallas_bbq_will_reopen.html

Also http://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/22/style/night-life-the-latest-clubs.html

Looks like Madame Rosa's, which was what I was googling, later housed a Tibetan Buddhist organization: http://tricycle.org/magazine/nothing-hide/

One more nightlife roundup from a year later: http://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/27/arts/glitz-funk-and-victoriana-enliven-new-york-s-discos.html?pagewanted=all

And I know I still owe you some more restaurants.

But right now repurposed this thread with similar purpose for bookstores: TOMORROW, Sat. Jan 6, is the last day of COLISEUM BOOKS in NYC

Friend of mine just reminded me of a piece of the Brownstone Brooklyn puzzle that has been ticking at the back of my mind:

Patois, 255 Smith Street, between Douglass and DeGraw Streets. Lasted from 1997-2009. Paved the way for all the other restaurants on Smith Street.

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/1/32_1_mm_patois.html

Keep trying to figure out what was the place across the street from the Cobble Hill Cinema at 254 Court Street, which is now Kitchen At Cobble Hill, previously was Karloff with same owners I think, but what was it back in, say, 2000?