The North End Grill

**** BatteryPark.TV has selected this establishment as Best of Downtown for seafood

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The North End Grill

104 North End Avenue (West side of the Conrad Hotel)

T (646) 747-1600

January 23, 2012  By Steven Greer, MD

The North End Grill began its first dinner services for the regular public tonight. As one would expect from a Danny Meyer 4-star striving establishment, the details were well done. As a propitious welcome, the framed photographs at the entrance feature the Irish Memorial across the street (which almost no one will realize). The bar serves individual seltzer and Coke bottles with the drinks, and the glasses are the proper shape. Try the three-glass sampler of whiskeys and the ice cold local beers. The bar menu of $4 tacos, etc. will be a big hit.

Walking to the dining room one sees the open kitchen, which flaunts the fine ingredients and competent crew. There is nothing to hide. The row of seating overlooking the kitchen could be the best seats in the house for the circumspect diner. The dining room looks out onto the peaceful North End Avenue (thanks to BatteryPark.TV evicting the tour buses) and offers a peak of the Hudson River and sunsets.

Chef Floyd Cardoz and his team prepares the wild salmon perfectly, and the Brussels sprouts are creatively chopped and grilled. Other meats and fish are dipped into the unusual wood oven using a Spanish-inspired pair of large steel wheels. The Josper grill allows other meats to be charcoal broiled. Pork chops and steaks are also available.

A separate pastry desert station and a coffee roasting station offer the triptych completion to dinner that will compete the best restaurants. The pecan layer cake portion looks small when it arrives, but is more than enough. But to be honest, many of the southern classic baked deserts around the corner at Blue Smoke can’t be beat.

The best part of North End Grill (and Blue Smoke), is the new demographic that it draws to Battery Park. Although it was a rainy Monday night, the place was almost full. Danny Meyer came over to greet diners in person, and there was no pretentiousness or rudeness that plagues some nearby Tribeca joints like Locanda Verde.

Much as Mr. Meyer’s “Eleven Madison” progressed up to 4-stars, the putative progression of North End Grill should be no different. Hopefully, our idea for a Lincoln Center Jazz style venue will open up next door, and BPC residents will never have to take another depressing New York City cab ride again.

Goldman Sachs transforms BPC from a Staten Island annex vibe into the new Tribeca

January 10, 2012 By Steven Greer, MD

Battery Park City, since its formation in the early 70′s, has always been viewed by most New Yorkers as more of a Staten Island annex rather than a true part of Manhattan, and for good reason. With the West Side Highway as a barrier, the place took on a suburban vibe with a surreal David Lynch or Stephen King twist. All of that might change now as the new Goldman Sachs headquarters takes root.

Despite a large residential population with an average income well over $100,000,  Battery Park City has long been underserved by low quality shady restaurants barely meeting health inspection minimums, and has been totally devoid of respectable nightlife venues. After the financial collapse that began in 2007, things got even worse. The one bright spot of BPC, the Ritz Carleton hotel rooftop lounge, closed down, as did The Gate House and several shops in the Winter Garden of the World Financial Center.

The closest source for quality restaurants or entertainment has been in Tribeca with its block of restaurants, such as Nobu and The Tribeca Grill. But even Tribeca was seriously lacking in entertainment. With the housing bubble came $2 Million and up apartments, with owners more typically found in New Jersey or West Chester. As a result, the community board frowned upon 4:00 AM closing times or any noise whatsoever.

Some high-end wine or brandy bars have tried to establish in Tribeca but never flourished. The Tribeca Grand hotel lobby space and the Smyth Hotel venue are all struggling. The demand seems to be lacking. Bankers at nearby Citigroup bolt home after work, and poor management plagues the hotel attempts.

Along comes Goldman Sachs. The new headquarters opened in 2010 at the corner of Vesey Street and West Street, in Battery Park City. The adjacent hotel, also owned by Goldman Sachs, was gutted and converted into the new Conrad Hotel, upgrading it from the old Embassy Suites.

Dino Fusco and his Goldman Sachs team quickly evicted the failing Applebee’s, Chevy’s, and other low quality restaurants, and brought in some much improved establishment at the ground level of the hotel. Most of them are now open for business after more than a year of renovation.

Having been opened for just one week, the social scene has immediately changed for the better in Battery Park City. The crowds inside Mark Maynard-Parisi and Danny Meyer’s Blue Smoke southern cuisine restaurant do not remotely resemble the crowds of the old joints on South End Avenue. The place is packed with young executives who work nearby at American Express, Goldman Sachs, etc, or who live nearby in the newly built green apartments.

In addition to the Shake Shack, the other Danny Meyer establishment in the Conrad Hotel space is the North End Grill that is comparable to his midtown well-reviewed Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern. No doubt, there will soon be seen lines of Maybach’s and limos on the street in front waiting for diners.

For the resident of Battery Park City with high standards, no longer will they need to trek over to Tribeca for decent dining. The entertainment situation might improve as well when the Conrad Hotel opens. A variety of lounges and music venues are rumored to be opening, including an outdoor rooftop space overlooking the Hudson River and New York Harbor. This might fill the void left when the Ritz Carlton gave up on this business. Ideally, residents would be getting a Jazz Standard next to the Blue Smoke, but that is not in the cards (despite BatteryPark.TV trying to convince people).

Due to its superior infrastructure, the Goldman Sachs-led reincarnation of Battery Park City actually has much more potential of becoming a premier Manhattan neighborhood than Tribeca ever did. For starters, there is a marina that can accommodate the largest yachts in the world. The area has an Asphalt Green training facility with an Olympic-size swimming pool and outdoor baseball/soccer fields. There are two newly constructed public schools. The BPCA-managed parks and botanical gardens are better than any others in the city. The high-rise housing is mostly all modern and green. It is easier to own a car and access the tunnels from Battery Park City than in Tribeca, and two of the best hotels in the city are in Battery Park (Institutional Investor Magazine ranked the Ritz as the best hotel in the world in 2007).

Good retail clothing shops will follow soon. In 2013, the renovation of the Winter Garden will be completed with numerous new businesses.

Please do not forward this article. A good thing is best kept quiet. We don’t want any riffraff from SoHo coming down here.

The Winter Garden at the WFC: site of new retail stores in 2013

Kutsher’s Tribeca

186 Franklin St.  212-431-0606

(This restaurant has not yet been reviewed)  Please post your comments in the section below.

BatteryPark.TV was invited to lunch at the new Kutsher’s Tribeca. Lunch service just began a few days ago and we dined with co-owners Zach Kutsher and Alan Wilzig. The hamburger and Reuben sandwiches were quite delicious (Our full review will follow soon).

Owners Zach Kutsher, left, and Alan Wilzig, right

The Reuben

The New York Post wrote this review.

Alan Wilzig wrote to us: “Being in commercial banking for 20 years , and living in Manhattan all the while, I saw that “hot restaurants” came and went like the breeze, but that most Greek diners, fast food, and The 2^nd Ave Deli were all consistently successful operations. Living here in Tribeca for 12 years, every time I wanted a decent pastrami sandwich I had to ride my electric motorcycle SUPER far East to get to Katz’s. I felt like each time I rode there they moved it another avenue closer to the East River.

Given the massive influx of residents here, and with the ideal “family-demographics” and new office towers, it just felt “too-right” not to be an active participant. Moreover,  Zach and I spent over a year together every day developing the concept (and he spent plenty of time on it before he ever came to me !) – and all the while he was FULL OF ZEAL and PASSION……but not “full of himself”:  No giant ego ; no hubris.

That’s very rare – to see someone so FIRED UP yet so willing and receptive to suggestion and cooperation / inclusion of other’s ideas.

It’s just a perfect working partnership. Lastly – I really DID see when he was brought “home to the hotel” as a newborn baby 38yrs ago.

Mark, Zach’s dad, and Milton his late grandfather, were all on our Board at my bank for 10 years each. So there is no family on earth (aside from my own , naturally) that I know, love , or trust more than the Kutsher family.

Lastly, we both know there is a big “gap” between diners, fast food, pizza, and the “once a month destination” like Nobu or Mr. Chow type establishments in Tribeca. Bubby’s has a long history here. Walkers and Landmarc help occupy this “middle space” to a certain degree, but I felt that our price point and quality would fill an unmet need. The Chef is well known to our partner Jeff Chodorow, and so we knew the quality and creativity would be unprecedented for a “New York- Jewish” upscale cuisine.”

George’s diner closed after owner films health inspector during inspection

(In full screen 1080i HD)

Update: January 9, 2012

George’s diner was re-inspected today by the city health inspector. Two inspectors were sent,  and the restaurant was allowed to re-open. George’s will be open for normal business tomorrow. A letter grade will be assigned after a follow up inspection is made.

Owner Bill Koulmentas said, “It is not common for a restaurant to be re-opened this fast…(we received), a lot of positive verbal feedback (on the BatteryPark.TV story) from throughout Battery Park City. Thank you very much for all that you have done.”

January 7, 2012  By Steven Greer, MD

George’s diner on Greenwich Street and Rector Street, south of the World Trader Center, was shut down by the New York City Health Department on Friday, January 6th. The original restaurant had to be demolished after the WTC disaster of September 11th, 2001, and was reopened in a newly constructed building in 2005.

We interviewed the owner, Bill Koulmentas, to learn why the restaurant was shut down. We could not contact the health department.

According to Mr. Koulmentas, and iPhone video supporting his story, a female health inspector stopped by approximately two weeks ago and found some violations. He felt that the inspector was aggressive and had an agenda to find violations no matter what. On Friday, January 6th, a male inspector arrived unannounced at 9:30 AM and inspected until 2:30 PM.

During the inspection on the 6th, Mr. Koulmentas felt that the inspector was “rigging” the inspection, claiming cockroaches were found that did not exist, that the refrigerator did not work when it did, etc. He pulled out his iPhone and began to videotape the inspector. At this point, the inspector began to become irritated. Mr. Koulmentas believes that the closure of his restaurant was due to his filming the health inspector and disputing his findings.

The health inspector closed the restaurant on the spot, at 2:30 PM, January 6th. It is unknown what will happen next and when the restaurant might be allowed to reopen.

The new letter grading system instituted by Mayor Bloomberg has been very controversial. Newspaper reports have insinuated that the process is rife with corruption, and was adopted simply as a way to increase revenues for the city in the form of fines. Many restaurant owners feel that the grades assigned are completely arbitrary, and Mr. Koulmentas’ filmed experience certainly adds credence to those theories.

If you are a restaurant owner and have experienced similar problems with the health department, BatteryPark.TV wants to know about it. Shoot us an email at info@batterypark.tv

Blue Smoke

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**** BatteryPark.TV has chosen this restaurant to have the best fried chicken, pies, cake, and barbeque downtown

Mark Maynard-Parisi and Danny Meyer’s new Blue Smoke turned on its neon sign in January of 2012. It was a much appreciated addition.

Goldman Sachs delivers with Shake Shack

June 4, 2011

By Steven Greer, MD

Goldman Sachs might be on the road to redemption. After taking away the neighborhood gym, there is finally evidence of betterment to the local community. One of Danny Meyer’s high-end, ultra healthy and natural, Shake Shacks has opened in Battery Park City. It is the first of several new Danny Meyer eateries to open at the ground level of the Goldman-owned hotel by their headquarters on Vesey Street.

Upon first glance, one might be confused at all of the fuss over Shake Shack. It just serves junk food like hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, and custard shakes. But after further inspection, one realizes that the ground beef patties are prepared fresh, on site, and come from famed butcher Pat LaFrieda. The meat is antibiotic-free and steroid-free beef. The 100% beef sausages for the Chicago-style hot dogs come from Vienna Beef in Chicago.

The French fries are fried in soy oil, free of trans-fat and animal lard. They are made of Yukon Gold potatoes.

The ice cream is, according to the company, “Made in real custard machines- which spins the custard at ridiculous speeds, into a dense, soft, intensely rich consistency”

Shake Shack also offers its own line of beer and wine. Frog’s Leap collaborates for the wine, and Brooklyn Brewery makes the ShakeMeister Ale.

The Shake Shack staff are American, polite, and competent. This might be the biggest secret to Shake Shack. Restaurants are all about the employees. This one store alone has hired more than 80 American employees, doing their part to reduce the high unemployment in the city and country.

The end result is a noticeably different Classic American cuisine. The fries are uniquely crispy and not greasy. The hamburgers and hotdogs are also not too greasy and heavy. Try the ice cream and drinks for yourself.

If the rest of the Goldman-Sachs-Danny-Meyer restaurants, to open in the Fall, are equally as good, BatteryPark.TV will start a petition to make Lloyd Blankfein the next Treasury Secretary and Danny Meyer the head of the USDA.

A tour of the new BLT Bar & Grill at the W Hotel Downtown

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Regional Director of the BLT restaurants, Pamela Friedl, takes us on a tour of the new Bar & grill at the W Hotel Downtown. For reservations, visit http://www.bltbarandgrill.com

Wall and Water

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75 Wall Street in the Andaz hotel

212 699 1700

The Battery Place Market

June 9, 2011

(Viewable in full-screen 1080iHD)

85 West Sports Bar & Grill

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85 West Street  New York, NY 10006

SouthWest NY

This restaurant is not yet opened

Albanay and South End Avenue

(212) 945-052

Merchant’s Cafe

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Washington and Rector Streets phone

(212) 363-6000

Whole Foods Tribeca

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(This shop is not rated)

270 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007 USA
map, directions & nearby stores

Phone 212.349.6555

Merchant’s River House

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(This shop is not rated)

375 South End Avenue

New York, NY 10280-1014

P. J. Clarke’s

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(This shop is not rated)

4 World Financial Ctr # 250

New York, NY 10281-1023

HBO films at nearby Duane Park

September 6, 2011

HBO filmed a promotion for the new season of Boardwalk Empire at nearby Tribeca’s Duane Park cabaret.

More nastiness from Bubby’s

July 26, 2011

The Tribeca Bubby’s Pie Company was in the news for smelling up North Moore Street. Apparently, some neighbors say it smells of a butcher shop.

According to The Gothamist, “Owner Ron Silver blamed the stink on the garbage truck, which “leaks liquid out into the street when it compresses our garbage.” He says they’re storing their trash in rubber totes to avoid leakage, and that they’re “battling the best we can on our own.” ….Earlier this month, the Bubby’s in Dumbo was shuttered by the DOH due to flies and roaches, and in 2007, the Tribeca Bubby’s was shut down thanks to a “biblical swarm” of roaches. But perhaps the biggest issue that Silver has to contend with right now is customer complaints about the food, of all things; like this one, from Citizen commentor Tania: “I just wanted to say how disappointed I was with the quality of the food at Bubby’s lately. I had dinner and lunch there very recently, and both times I left feeling completely robbed,” which is the sort of complaint that not even a Lysol-lined sidewalk can fix.”

Bubby’s Tribeca has experienced high turnover in the staff with a new manager within the last 12 months.

The bar area was recently remodeled to include a more elaborate coffee offering. The goal was to hand French press each cup to order, somewhat like Kaffe 1668 whose owners advised Bubby’s owner on the new coffee layout, but that single-brew idea has evolved into one large brew to serve many.

The Fraunces Tavern and Museum

Update: January 13, 2011

The WSJ today as an editorial piece that mentions the Fraunces Tavern. It begins, “On a cold December evening in 1783, at Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan, Gen. George Washington bade farewell to his staff and resigned his command of the Continental Army. One hundred ninety three years later, on America’s Bicentennial, Congress posthumously promoted Washington to five-star “General of the Armies of the United States.”"

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

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 Coffee: Kaffe 1668

There is a big demand for a coffee house with a full-time barista that would offer a variety of beans, ground on the spot, and brewed on a cup-by-cup basis. Battery Park City now has such a haven: Kaffe 1668.

Best fried Chicken: Tibecas Cornerstone

This quaint window for take out in high-rent Tribeca might be extinct soon, but take advantage while you ca. they make skinless dipped fried chicken and it is inexpensive. Click here for more details.

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.