Harry’s of Hanover Square and the wine cellar

Harry Poulakakos is a legend of the Financial District in Manhattan. His first restaurant, Harry’s of Hanover Square was featured in the Academy Award winning film “Wall Street”. Harry and his son, Peter, helped developed Stone Street into a popular café district and have opened up several successful pubs and restaurants in the area.

Harry took us one an extensive tour of his flagship restaurant and its extensive wine cellar.

http://www.harrysnyc.com/

212 785-9200

The Steakhouse Tour: Palm Restaurant

BatteryPark.TV embarked on a tour of nearby steakhouses. We began with the closest one to Battery Park City: Palm Restaurant on the West Side Highway. Executive Chef Luis Nieto and GM Scott Young showed us around. First, the new building is very convenient for the Wall Street crowd of Goldman Sachs, American Express, BofA, etc. and has several ideal private rooms for business meetings. The Palm restaurants began as Italian restaurants and morphed into a fusion of Italian cuisine and American steakhouse. In addition to excellent beef and side dishes, try the chicken parmesan.

Palm Restaurant Tribeca, 206 West Street  http://www.thepalm.com/

(646) 395-6393

The Fraunces Tavern and Museum

November 2, 2009

The Fraunces Tavern and Museum in nearby Broad Street and Pearl Street is a Federal historic site. George Washington and many other important figures of the Revolutionary War made the Fraunces their “hang out”.

The museum is now hosting a special exhibit of one of the few copies of the Magna Carta from England. The 1215 document is the template upon which other documents were based, such as the Declaration of Independence.

Anthony Wellman, Communications Director for the museum gives us a tour of the tavern and exhibit. For more information, call (212) 425-1778

CB1 explained by Tribeca Chair Peter Braus

October 14, 2009

New York City Council takes advice from Community Boards on matters such as liquor licenses and construction permits. Community Board 1 oversees lower Manhattan and is divided into subcommittees by region, such as Battery Park, Tribeca, Financial District, etc. Tribeca committee Chairman Peter Braus explains how the system works.

For more information http://mbpo.org/free_details.asp?id=64

The Steakhouse Tour: Dylan Prime

The next steakhouse toured by BatteryPark.TV up on Greenwich Street was Dylan Prime. The restaurant has the notable assets of an impressive wine list and attached cocktail area. Executive chef Christopher Cipollone has made some creative and delicious sides such as baby baked potatoes with roasted garlic and parmesan cream sauce and baked lobster macaroni and cheese. The steaks are prime dry aged with excellent marbling.

Dylan Prime combines the cosmopolitan atmosphere of a Tribeca restaurant like Nobu with great steak. If that is not your scene and you prefer a more seasoned waiter like those at Sparks, Bobby Van’s or Peter Luger, then a more traditional steakhouse might suit you better.

Dylan Prime, 62 Laight Street http://www.dylanprime.com/

(212) 334-4783

Battery Park City on Ice

An ice rink has been opened on the ball fields north of the Goldman Sachs building. It will be open until February. Rental skates and lessons are available.

For more information, call

1-888-PARK ICE     (1-888-727-5423)

http://www.batteryparkcityice.com/

The Best of Battery Park City and Vicinity: 2009

BatteryPark.TV took a stab at listing some the best resources in Battery Park City (BPC) and the surrounding neighborhoods. Please post any comments you may have.

Best Park: Wagner Park

We could have chosen virtually any of the parks in Battery Park City or Battery Park. Tear Drop Park, for example, rivals Disney Land. We chose Wagner Park for its impressive horticulture displays and amazing views of the Hudson and Statue of Liberty. Also, on many occasions during a summer day, one can have the entire park to themselves. We have several videos of the park (Monarch butterflies, Fall flowers).

Best place to catch a shark: The esplanade

An angler on the esplanade caught a small sand shark recently. This little posting went viral as New York Magazine picked it up.

Best Monument: The Irish Hunger Memorial

Constructed shortly after “September 11”, The Irish Hunger Memorial is a meticulously recreated chunk of Ireland. BPCA Chairman James Gill gave us a tour.

Best Hotel: The Greenwich Hotel

An outstanding boutique, The Greenwich Hotel, quietly opened up in nearby Tribeca and took the gold medal. Keeping with Robert De Niro’s demand for excellence, this hotel nailed the details, from the imported Japanese wood in the pool area to the furniture in the rooms. The pool and the spa are probably the best in all of New York City. GM Philip Truelove gave us a tour.

The New York economy took its toll on the former best hotel in BPC (and best in the world according to Institutional Investor Magazine), the Ritz-Carlton. The corporate suits trimmed back on amenities like the 14^th floor roof bar. 2010 might be a comeback year for the Ritz.

Best Museum: The Fraunces Tavern

Downtown New York City is where the most important events of the Revolutionary War took place, and The Fraunces Tavern was a key location. George Washington and many others made it their “hang out” and held important meetings regarding the war. Anthony Wellman gave us a nice tour of the museum and restaurant.

The Skyscraper Museum is also an interesting way to spend a few hours. Take a look.

Best Restaurant Overall: Bouley Upstairs

Battery Park City has a great demand for quality restaurants. As the economy recovers and the new Goldman Sachs crowd comes to the area, hopefully more restaurants will open up actually within BPC, west of the highway.

For 2009, we selected Bouley Upstairs as the best overall restaurant in the area. Famed chef David Bouley opened “Upstairs” next to his larger, more formal, Bouley. “Upstairs” is a small cozy dining space with an open kitchen. Chef Leo Marino, a new addition to the team, will be a just few feet away from you if you have any special requests. The sushi/Japanese kitchen in the opposite corner is quite respectable as well.

Most types of cuisine can be ordered, ranging from French to American to Japanese. The menu is very reasonably priced with many entrees under $15. But make no mistake, the quality is the same as the full Bouley around the corner. That is the beauty of “Upstairs”.

At “Upstairs”, one can sit next to Meryl Streep, see the food prepared nearby, and have a complimentary chocolate truffle made across the street by the Bouley pastry chef, and all for under $30. The “secret” to the success of “Upstairs” is that David Bouley shows up to work six days a week and cares about quality.

Best Pie and Dessert: Bubby’s

For the best dessert in the area, one needs only to hop into a cab and go up the street from Bouley to Bubby’s. The cherry pie is perfectly sour and not too sweet, with a moist doughy crust. The apple pie is not too tart, and comes with great ice cream. The red velvet cupcakes are moist with creamy icing. Like Bouley Upstairs, the owner takes a hands-on approach to detail. Closer to BPC, The Ritz-Carlton has some noteworthy desserts as well.

Best Coffee: Whole Foods

The best coffee in the area is found on the main floor of the new Whole Foods (not the upstairs) that opened up in Tribeca. The beans are roasted on location and one can choose from a plethora of regions and roasts. Beans can also be purchased, of course, to take home. Closer to BPC, Izzy and Nats makes a pretty good cup of Joe too, as does Bubby’s.

Best fried Chicken: Bubby’s

Fried chicken is not on many menus because it is a hassle for restaurants to prepare. As such, it is a rare commodity. Well-made fried chicken is rarer still.

Bubby’s makes our list again, this time for having the best fried chicken (and moist waffles too if you like). Bubby’s double dips the pieces in buttermilk. Brother Jimmy’s also makes a mean fried chicken but is too far away to include in our list.

Best Italian: Locanda Verde

Opened recently in the building of The Greenwich Hotel, Locanda Verde covers the bases well. The social scene attracts the A-list and it is backed up by the food. Chef Andrew Carmellini has created some novel appetizers that will make you take notice, in addition to the main entrees. Locanda is another piece of the Robert De Niro collection of fine dining.

For a smaller dining room experience with less of a scene, try Il Giglio. It is essentially a clone of the more famous Il Mulino with the same absurdly-high-quality-ingredients.

Best Steak: You decide

The steakhouses in the area each offer a unique style and one cannot really pick a favorite. We toured Dylan Prime and Palm. Take a look for yourself. Il Giglio serves a great cut of beef as well.

Best Chinese: Mr. Chow’s

The next time you have a group of fashion models to party with, take them to Mr Chow’s new Tribeca location across from Bubby’s and down the street from The Greenwich Hotel. The menu offers smaller tapas-like selections conducive for groups. Nearer to BPC, Au Mandarin has the best hot-sour soup and General Tso’s chicken.

Best Working Man’s Deli: Cordato’s

For the average Joe who wants a good lunch for under $10, delivered fast with fresh French fries, we select Cordato’s as the best deli. The triple-decker sandwiches are excellent.

Best Upscale Deli: Samantha’s

For a more expensive sandwich or take-home meal, Samantha’s Italian deli is the place. At lunchtime, workers from the World Financial Centers line up ten to twenty deep. Have them place your Italian sub in the pizza oven to toast it up.

If you prefer a kosher deli, Izzy and Nats just opened up this year. They might give Samantha’s some competition for our 2010 list.

Best Bagel: You decide

Two restaurants in BPC make their own bagels on-location: Izzy and Nats and Pick-a-Bagel. You decide which is better.

Best Beer Delivery: NA

With the closing of JJ’s carry out on South End Avenue, there are no places that deliver beer, snacks, etc. to BPC for reasonable prices. The smart entrepreneur who meets this demand will make a killing. The space is open.

Best Grocery Store: Whole Foods

The opening of Whole Foods in Tribeca met a huge demand in the area. The meat and fish sections are exemplary, as is the coffee section (see Best Coffee mention above)

Best Outdoor Drinking: PJ Clarke’s

The view of the North Cove Marina and Hudson River from the outdoor dining area by PJ Clarke’s makes for the best summertime outdoor hangout. The service is not always the best, but you will not likely notice after a few pints.

Best cocktails: Ritz-Carlton

For well-prepared cocktails and martinis, try the Ritz-Carlton in BPC. Tell Manny that we sent you. Also, Vintry Wine and Whiskey is a new place that just opened over on Stone Street and makes some interesting whiskey-based cocktails.

Best Thunderstorm: July 26

The most impressive display of the year by Mother Nature was the tornado-spawning front that passed over New York Harbor on July 26. Take a look.

Now, for the not so desirable “Best” list.

Best disturber of the peace: Con Edison

This November, Con Edison decided to dig up West Thames Street, yet again, and jackhammer into the early morning. This outraged the neighborhood. See the video. The company who runs the New York Waterway ferries was a close second as Best Disturber of the Peace. The new ferry added in the early morning schedule was rattling windows in Gateway Plaza.

Best place to get injured or killed: The Albany Street crossing

The construction of the West Side Highway and closure of the pedestrian bridge has created a deadly risk for people trying to cross the street. One person has been killed and at least one other was severely injured. Manhattan Borough President Stringer discussed the matter with BP.TV.

Disclosure

There are no financial disclosures to report. All of the choices were made on merit alone and are not commercials. We tried to create video tours of as many selections as we could.

Why is the city shutting down at 2:00 AM?

October 18^th, 2009

This weekend, on a survey of more than five hotel bars, regular bars, and restaurant bars in Bowery, SOHO and Tribeca, all of the establishments shut down no later than 2:00 AM despite having plenty of customers. What is the explanation for this seemingly voluntary forfeiting of lucrative revenue?

The answer lies in a citywide effort to limit hours of operation of liquor-licensed establishments using Community Boards as the tool. This article written in 2008 explains it well.

2 a.m. Closing Time Becoming Norm for Manhattan Bars

http://gothamist.com/2008/04/17/2_am_closing_ti.php

When Hog Pit co-owner Felisa Dell sent an email to Eater on April 7th confirming the closure of her Meatpacking District BBQ joint, she insinuated that “the mayor and the State Liquor Authority are now only issuing Liquor Licenses until 2 a.m. It’s very sneaky, but in 5 years the 4 a.m. liquor license will be a thing of the past, without any community input.” Today the NY Sun backs Dell up, reporting that many Manhattan bar owners are finding it “nearly impossible to open new nightlife establishments that are permitted to serve alcohol until 4 a.m.”

While the New York State Liquor Authority can’t arbitrarily impose a specific closing time before 4 a.m., Community Boards have been demanding bar owners agree to curfews before they recommend approval to the SLA. The Sun looked at the most recent records available from Community Board 3, which covers the East Village and the Lower East Side, and found that not a single liquor license recommendation was granted to a bar that would close after 3 a.m. on weekends and 2 a.m. on weekdays.

And in Tribeca, Community Board 1 killed Matthew Piacentini’s plans to open a lounge in a commercial building on Hudson Street by telling him he’d have to close at midnight on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends. The early closing times are a big problem for bar owners; a recent survey found that 58% of their revenues are earned between those magical hours of 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. These are also the hours when some of us lose 58% of our dignity, so maybe it’s all for the best?

The commercial real estate bubble

October 6

The other shoe to drop for New York City will be the massive rate of defaults on commercial real estate loans. Up to a trillion dollars in loans could go unpaid within the next year or two. Will lenders renegotiate or will they evict all of the businesses in those buildings causing an even great unemployment problem and tax revenue shortage?

More trouble in the high-end restaurant business

October 7, 2009

The Tribeca Trib is reporting that famed chef David Bouley has not paid rent on one of his buildings that was supposed to be a restaurant but was cancelled due to the NYC depression. In addition, one his other restaurants around the corner, Secession, has been gone out of business.

Foods that make you hungry and obese

September 17

If you were raised in America, the following video may very well help you add years to your life. Dr. Louis Aronne explains how the gastric hormones react to high-sugar fast-burning carbohydrate meals to generate hunger shortly after eating and how higher protein diets put off the hunger pains longer.