Nothing lasts forever in New York City, especially restaurants and coffee shops. Over the past 3+ decades living in Chelsea, Danny and I have seen many of our favorite places close. And that got me curious to see how many we could remember. Here’s what we’ve come up with so far. It’s not a comprehensive list of all NYC restaurants, just the ones we ate at. Most were in The Village or Chelsea, walking distance from our apartment.
How many of these these places do you remember?
(in alphabetical order)
Agave
Mexican place that opened in the former Woody’s location on 7th Avenue South.
Alley’s End
Cute place at the end of an alley on 17th Street just west of 8th Avenue.
Anglers & Writers
Americana comfort food on the corner of Hudson and Leroy
Arte Pasta
Greenwich Avenue pasta.
Baby Buddha
Small Asian place on Washington Street.
Bendix Diner
A staple for me and my friends. Such a cool place with a mix of American and Thai Asian fare in Chelsea with cheap, good food.
Benny’s Burritos
Ate my first NYC burrito here.
Big Cup
This is where you went to see and be seen. Although my favorite time to go was on a Sunday morning to read the New York Times. It was quiet because all the party boys were either still out or asleep. Known for cruising, I did my share, and met a couple of “dates” here over the years.
Bill’s Bar and Burgers (Meatpacking)
Danny, Kevin, and I loved this place when we craved burgers and fries. Other locations are still open. And just learned there’s one in Pittsburgh. Will have to go next time we visit Kevin.
Blue Moon Cafe
Another Mexican place on 8th Avenue. My friend Frank loved the Moonarito while I liked Smokey The Bearrito. I think Blue Moon still exists in Jersey.
Bombay Talkie
Tasty Indian fare where Fonda is now on 9th Avenue.
Bright Food Shop
Great food. The absolute best cornmeal pancakes. An 8th Avenue gem.
Cafe Loup
On 13th Street just off 6th Avenue, this was a happy hour destination with friends. Best fresh-squeezed lime margaritas.
Chat N’ Chew
How could you go wrong with Thanksgiving on a bun and mac & cheese?
Chelsea Commons
Cute and cozy place on the corner of 24th Street and 10th Avenue.
Chelsea Gallery Diner
Two doors down from our former apartment on 7th Avenue, we went often. This is the first place we took Kevin as an infant.
Chelsea Grill
Typical pub fare, but they had a great garden in the back.
Co Ba
Narrow Vietnamese joint on 9th Avenue near 17th Street with tasty food.
Co. (Company)
Pizza and more on 24th Street and 9th Avenue. Great apps and wines. Community table was fun. And even better restaurant—Shukette—took its place.
Cucina Di Pesce
After moving to NYC, this was one of my first Italian places in the East Village.
Dallas Jones BBQ
Small, yummy barbecue joint on Bedford Street and Houston Street.
David’s Pot Belly
I was going to this Christopher Street eatery long before moving to New York City. In the 80s, I’d take the bus in with friends to explore record shops, and we always ended up here.
Diablo
Friendly Mexican place with a great bar on 9th Avenue.
The Dish
Friendly diner on 8th Avenue.
Dirty Bird (on 14th)
My son Kevin’s favorite fried chicken place. We’d often pick it up and take it down to the waterfront for a family picnic.
Doherty’s
Ate here maybe once or twice. But it holds a very special place in our hearts because it stood on the corner where our family began on 15th Street and 8th Avenue.
Dojo
A cheap place near NYU with a diverse menu that included our go-to soy burger. Danny and I loved the carrot-ginger dressing.
Doma
Café at the intersection of Perry Street, Waverly, and 7th Avenue. Loved sitting in the window when it snowed.
East of Eighth
We were regulars here, for food or just drinks. This is where we went for lunch after getting married.
Eighteenth & Eighth
One of the first places I went to when I was introduced to “gay” Chelsea in the early 1990s. It became a regular breakfast joint for me, and I got to know several of the servers. Fun fact: I once sat at a table next to Anderson Cooper. Years later, we’d be guests on his talk show, AndersonLive.
El Cocotero
Terrific Venezuelan food on 18th Street, across from the Chelsea Station Post Office.
El Quinto Pino
Best tapas and sangria, but the pandemic took them out.
Elephant & Castle
Best scrambled eggs ever. My friend Melanie and I met here for breakfast all the time. And I loved going alone to chill out and read the paper.
Elmo
Recently closed, I’d meet softball teammates here for happy hours. Later, my friend Joe and I often met here for lunch.
Empire Szechuan
This place, along with Mama Buddha, was our go-to Chinese places for takeout and eating in.
Eureka Joe
Mid-1990s coffee shop on 5th Avenue between 21st and 22nd Streets. Around the corner from work, I often got a caramel latte with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
The Factory
Coffee joint on Christopher Street with a staircase that went nowhere (for people-watching from above).
Film Center Cafe
Solid Hell’s Kitchen place on 9th Avenue across the street from the Film Center.
Flight 151
Another place we went to a lot on 8th Avenue. Nothing fancy, but it always did the trick. And the pilots talked to you in the restrooms.
Florent
Cool, artsy, grungy joint in the Meatpacking District.
Food Bar
Hit or miss gay boy food. Cute servers.
Good
Everything here was good and tasty. Always a line to get in.
Grand Sichuan International
A neighborhood Chinese place that always had a line (until COVID hit). Great dumplings and sauteed dried string beans. My dad always wanted to go there we he visited.
Grange Hall
Like stepping back in time. Great food and atmosphere. I vaguely remember craving a jam or fruit preserve they served with toasted breads.
Grounded
Coffee shop on Jane Street. When it first opened, I would often be there alone so I got to know Jennifer, the owner. But then everyone discovered this place and it eventually became overrun with laptop lizards. Kevin and I would go after school. He’d do some homework while I worked on the New York Times crossword. We were in the background of a Daily Show segment here.
Grumpy Cafe (on 20th)
Mid-block, side street coffee joints are the best. I wrote a lot here. CNN filmed Danny and me in their back garden area. And many mornings, I sat next to Jesse Palmer, who was also a regular.
Hasta La Pasta
Another early pasta experience in NYC on 6th Avenue near 8th Street. If I remember correctly, it was sub-street level.
Hudson Corner Café
My friend Roger always took me to this place on 11th Street and Hudson Street. I miss him and our conversations there dearly.
Il Torrino
Gay italian fare on 10th Street near Greewich Avenue.
Intermezzo
Italian place on 8th Avenue.
Jun-Men
Great ramen on 9th Avenue and 25th Street. Plus they had what we called “crack sweet potato fries.”
La Carbonara
Right across 14th Street from our first apartment, Danny and I often went there on parent date nights.
La Chanita Linda
Cuban-chinese fusion similar to Sam Chanita.
Le Grainne
French café in a beautiful building on 21st Street and 9th Avenue with the best french toast.
Maison Kintaro
Japanese/Asian restaurant that took the place of El Quinto Pino. Always a good experience.
Mama Buddha
Our go-to for Chinese takeout. The food arrived within minutes after calling. We joked that they had woks on the delivery bikes and cooked while in transit.
Mama Said
Short-lived coffee shop/cafe on 7th Avenue around 20th Street.
Manatus
Late night diner on Bleecker Street. Don’t know if I was ever there before midnight.
Mappamondo
Globes and pasta, what more could you ask for?
Maracas
Happy hour place on Greenwich Avenue.
Maroons
Amazing Jamaican/Caribbean food on 16th Street. Danny and I ate near Al Sharpton one night.
Maryann’s
A Mexican staple for us on 16th Street and 8th Avenue. This is where Danny and I had drinks and dinner the night he and Kevin found each other.
Mayrose
Comfort food on the corner of 21st Street and Broadway in Flatiron District. Large windows-bright and airy eatery.
McHale’s
Pub with small dining area on 46th Street and 8th Avenue. This was our post-rehearsal and post-show joint. So many great memories here.
Michael’s Muffins
A 1990s muffin shop on 7th Avenue around 19th Street. A perfect stop on the way to work for both Danny and me.
Miracle Grill
A true gut punch when this place on Bleecker Street closed. Danny and I loved everything about Miracle Grill, except when they changed their salsa recipe.
Mooncake Foods
Near where I worked for a few years, loved this unassuming Asian-fusion diner on Watts Street in SoHo for lunch. Dumplings, wonton soups, and my favorite chicken buckwheat noodle salad.
Nadine’s
On the corner of Bank Street and Greenwich Street, Nadine’s was a solid spot for many of Other Side Productions post-show gatherings.
New Haven Pizza Company
A somewhat hidden gem on 13th Street between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue. Great pizza.
O’mai
Our favorite Vietnamese place. It closed in 2022, but on a recent walk-by, I noticed a sign in the window saying it was coming back, so it may get removed from this list.
Original Espresso Bar
On Christopher Street, I did more reflecting and journaling here than any other place. A huge loss for my mental health when this place closed.
Paradise Café
My refuge on 8th Avenue when I didn’t want to deal with the scene. I journaled a lot here too. Right around the corner from Kevin’s middle school, he’d meet me here after school.
Paris Commune
In its original location on Bleecker Street, this was another gut punch closure. This was our special occasion place. So quaint and so yummy. What a loss.
Pepé Verdé
Cheap, quick, delicious pasta on Hudson Street. Truly the last of its kind before every restaurant became too expensive and trendy.
Petite Abeille
Small chain (various locations) with a yummy brunch.
Philp Marie
A solid place with good food on Hudson Street.
Pink Tea Cup
Southern comfort food. We were more than regulars there. This was our “where everybody knows your name” place. Not only did Kevin, Danny, and I go there several times a month, I went by myself for breakfast just about once a week. Great pecan pancakes, biscuits, jukebox, and conversation with Glen, an amazing musician who worked there as a server. Two of my plays have scenes that take place here. Crushing loss. (Under new owners, they tried to reopen in different locations, but it was never the same.)
The Place
Another special occasion place on West 4th Street.
Caffe Rafaella
A must-go-to (often late at night) dessert café on 7th Avenue South. Danny and I loved the Mississippi Mud Pie and people watching. Does such a place still exist in NYC?
Rafaella Cafe
Not sure if this place on 9th Avenue in Chelsea was related to Caffe Rafaella in the village. This place was more of a traditional restaurant.
Rail Line Diner
Formally Moonstruck Diner with typical diner fare. For a few years, we went here because Kevin craved a burger a fries on Christmas morning (after opening presents).
Raymond’s Cafe
A block away from my first apartment on 7th Avenue.
Rin Thai
When we moved a little further north, this became our go-to Thai place on 23rd Street.
Riviera Café
West Village bar with good pub fare. Went here to watch all NFL games a few Sundays.
Rocking Horse Café
Danny and I became happy hour regulars here at the beginning of our pre-empty nest years. Great margaritas and food.
RUB
On 23rd Street, Righteous Urban Barbecue was one of our favorite BBQ joints.
Rumbles
A very small somewhat hidden coffee joint on Christopher Street that had a fireplace in back, which was perfect for a person like me romanticizing what it meant to be a writer.
Salsa y Salsa
Another quick, parent date night place we’d often go to when Chuck babysat Kevin on Thursday evenings.
Sam Chanita
A Cuban-Chinese fusion place in the shape of an old-time diner on the corner of 19th Street and 8th Avenue. Loved their ropa vieja.
Sapore
Small Italian joint on Perry Street and Greenwich Avenue. Another date-night staple.
Sazerac House
Yummy food on the corner of Charles Street and Hudson Street.
Shag
Kitschy (in a good way) place where Mappamondo used to be.
‘Snice
Vegan café on 8th Avenue and West 4th Street.
Soy Luck Club
Soy-based coffee joint on Greenwich Avenue.
Suenos
Mexican place that took over Alley’s End on 17th Street.
Tanti Baci
A low-ceiling, basement Italian place on West 10th Street near 7th Avenue. Great food and somewhat romantic (at least for us).
Tortilla Flats
Let’s party! We went to this quirky, dive Mexican place on the corner of West 12th Street and Washington Street for everything: the food, music, hoola-hoop contests, bingo, and to sit in the Ernest Borgnine booth. One of the hosts wore “pajamas.” Celebrated my 29th birthday there and drank way too much tequila.
Viceroy
The interior design was amazing, better than the food, but they had a decent breakfast.
Village Natural
A mostly vegetarian place we liked on Greenwich Avenue.
Woody’s
Woody’s holds some of my early NYC memories. Went on several dates here. And for some reason, it was a New Years Day place a few times.
