Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up

Unfortunately, an Ethiopian restaurant would last about 2 months in that location before having to close its doors. Whatever goes into the Gage and Tollner space needs to be extremely popular to a wide segment of restaurant goers. I don't think a high end foodie place will ever work there, no matter how many hotels or rich folks are in the area. The volume just isn't there.

As much as people here poo-poo popular food choices, the only kind of restaurant that will succeed there, especially since they would need to really clean up at lunch, the most populated time of day in the area, would have to be American comfort food, with an average lunch meal costing no more than $12, excluding alchohol. TGIF, like it or not, was the ideal kind of food for the location.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at August 20, 2008 1:17 PM

I don't know why TGIF failed, and I did not say that they were the perfect restaurant for that site, but that their kind of restaurant - casual American comfort food, was well suited for the area.

Let's face it, for the kinds of people who feel as A Clinton Hill Lady does, that the casual chain restaurants are horrible, what do you suggest? High faluting dreams of gentrification of Fulton Street aside, any restaurant that hopes to succeed in that space in 2008, needs to capture the lunch crowd from the thousands of people spilling out from the courts and municipal buildings, the law school and Metrotech. Most of these people are not spending more than $10-15 for lunch, and if they are doing it everyday, $10 is closer to the norm.

The interior of G&T is landmarked, and must stay Victorian. That limits a lot of themed and edgy decor, which easily impacts on the kinds of restaurants that would want to be there, no matter what they serve.

A good dinner business may want to be more upscale, but wealthier people in the surrounding area, especially the Heights, did not support the last incarnation of G&T, and valet parking and other perks did not bring enough people in. The hotels were not there at that time, but their presence is not a guarantee of business, especially for tourists who head over for Manhattan.

Good "soul food" is one of the few American cuisines that can bring in crowds. Foreign tourists can't get enough, black people of all income levels are a given, and most Americans of all persuasions can get behind barbequed meats, mac and cheese and corn bread. (There is so much more to real African American cuisine, but that's a tale for another post.)If Amy Ruth's doesn't come in, perhaps a Sylvia's or another restaurant can fill the bill. Other than that, I think only culinary fare that can cheaply satisfy at lunch, more than dinner, can survive there.

I don't understand the animosity towards chains, I have to say. There are so many choices in this city, no one needs to even consider them, if they don't want to. In underserved areas, like Bed Stuy and its Applebees, they are the only companies with enough money and resouces to take a chance and open their doors. In malls and towns across America, they can be the only choice, and are better than McDonalds. They provide needed jobs. At least you get a real plate and utensils and waitstaff. In all cases, if you don't like them, don't eat there. Why deny someone else what they consider a decent meal, or an entry into the world of food service careers, which can mean much more than being a waiter. What's the harm?

Posted by: Montrose Morris at August 20, 2008 4:50 PM