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Posted
3 hours ago, Wilfrid said:

Barbetta's last service, February 27. Would be 120 years old this year.

Oh no!  I thought it was one of those places that would be around forever.

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

I am unsurprised. Not accessible enough, overpriced, redundant. I still remember ordering a dry martini from the bar out front (before a Jenny Lewis show) and getting something akin to a 50-50 because the adorable young bartender thought "dry" meant "more vermouth." Where is he now, I wonder.

Posted

I used to buy boudins blancs and noirs and the occasional small bird from the butcher. When I was in the neighborhood, so hardly ploughing money into the place. There was also a good jambon beurre.

Not as much fun as immersive balloons of course.

Posted

Hardly shocking. The retail half was terribly designed and terribly (barely?)  managed, a dud practically from the start. And the restaurants didn’t really seem to be bringing people in on the weekdays.

Last time I was there I *tried* to spend money but couldn’t. Someone stationed behind the meat counter told me I’d have to come back in half an hour for a chuck roast that was already sitting there, the size I wanted, needing no additional work. The butcher was on break. They tried to get some help for me from the fishmonger but apparently they were incapable of weighing and tagging mammalian meat. 

I walked through the upstairs, they were trying to woo people into the Red Pearl with drag karaoke. The shelves in the little “Asian” market were like playing expired product roulette. 

It does feel like the whole seaport is just not happening. Multiple failures now (Momofuku, Malibu Farm, now this) - have to wonder who’s next.

Anyway, surprised they didn’t have a GOBO sale to clear out the last of the product.

For some reason I find it kind of funny that it’s basically being replaced with… air. 

Posted
3 hours ago, SethG said:

Last time I was there I *tried* to spend money but couldn’t. Someone stationed behind the meat counter told me I’d have to come back in half an hour for a chuck roast that was already sitting there, the size I wanted, needing no additional work. The butcher was on break. They tried to get some help for me from the fishmonger but apparently they were incapable of weighing and tagging mammalian meat. 

Now that's funny!  I like the fact that, in the early days at least, they carried Bordier butter at a very reasonable price, and also the roast chicken was quite good.  But I really only bought that once or twice.

From a friend...

Quote

 

Wylie Dufrense was supposed to be involved in that early as well but he bailed. I saw some original concept designs for his place. It’s a whole bunch of financebros  and VC people with nothing better to do with their money.

The project was spearheaded on the operational side by Saul Scherl, president of the New York tri-state region for Howard Hughes Corp., who worked closely with Vongerichten to develop the “culinary theater” concept. The two traveled to Spain, Italy, and London to research market halls before settling on their vision for the space.

 

 

 

Posted
16 minutes ago, MitchW said:

I like the fact that, in the early days at least, they carried Bordier butter at a very reasonable price, and also the roast chicken was quite good.  But I really only bought that once or twice.

Yeah, I regularly went for the Bordier - when it was available… which was inconsistent.  And if I could find it, which was also inconsistent since it moved locations regularly. But sometime last year it was restocked and the bars (8oz) had gone up to $21! That was a hard no. It’s great but… when it costs more pound for pound than the steak you’d melt it on or the lobster you’d dip into it, something has gone awry. Chalked it up to tariffs. I saw a recent post on Reddit that some of the flavored bars hit *$40*. Yowch. 
 

“Culinary Theater…” Well, that explains a lot. It sounds like it was created in a bubble by a circle jerk of rich dudes complimenting each other on how brilliant they are.

Thinking about it, it was basically the $100M version of that crazy fruit stand / laissez-faire art project in the Market Line. 

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, SethG said:

. But sometime last year it was restocked and the bars (8oz) had gone up to $21! That was a hard no.

Whoa - I think when they first opened, it was $7 for plain - though I think that was for a 4 oz. bar.

Every month I get an email from this company that imports Bordier, and allows me to preorder it (which I don't, because...the prices)...https://definegourmet.com/

When they were reasonably priced, I'd get a bunch of friends together, order a few pounds, and drive up there to pick it up...I think they were in Larchmont, or Scarsdale, but I don't remember.

Maybe Tin Building used the same marketing team that worked on the Market Line?

(FWIW, Formaggio usually has some nice butters).

Edited by MitchW
Posted
1 hour ago, MitchW said:

Every month I get an email from this company that imports Bordier, and allows me to preorder it (which I don't, because...the prices)...https://definegourmet.com/

When they were reasonably priced, I'd get a bunch of friends together, order a few pounds, and drive up there to pick it up...I think they were in Larchmont, or Scarsdale, but I don't remember.

Strangely, I just got the email this afternoon.  Here's what they are charging:

image.png.cc827dd7977714e178f82b552c088e0a.png

Add on shipping, which is like $30.

Posted
1 hour ago, MitchW said:

Whoa - I think when they first opened, it was $7 for plain - though I think that was for a 4 oz. bar.

Every month I get an email from this company that imports Bordier, and allows me to preorder it (which I don't, because...the prices)...https://definegourmet.com/

When they were reasonably priced, I'd get a bunch of friends together, order a few pounds, and drive up there to pick it up...I think they were in Larchmont, or Scarsdale, but I don't remember.

Maybe Tin Building used the same marketing team that worked on the Market Line?

(FWIW, Formaggio usually has some nice butters).

I think you’re right - they were 4 oz bars. Which makes the prices even more insane. I’ll have to check, I have a couple stashed in the freezer. 

Formaggio was my go-to for fancy butters before, now I’m back to them again.
 

  • Like 1
Posted
54 minutes ago, small h said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/nyregion/malibu-diner-nyc-blind-community.html

I lived at the Carteret in the 90s and bought my potato egg and cheese at the Malibu every morning. There was no finer diner!

Awwwww...... When I was 'flush' I would sneak over there when I worked at RUB on my break and luxuriate in a meal with a book or my headphones. Usually I just slammed a bunch of dogs at Chelsea Papaya or cheap chili tacos from Fresco Tortilla. They always were very warm and kind at Malibu and exceptionally consistent. A part of the neighborhood. 

Posted
1 minute ago, backyardchef said:

Fresco Tortilla

Bean & guac soft taco ftw! I loved that place. I miss that neighborhood, although a lot of my old faves (Bendix Diner, Man Ray, ZigZag Bar) are long gone.

  • Like 2

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