The Broadsheet – Lower Manhattan’s Local Newspaper
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Delmoni-Goes?
Famed Eatery May Be Evicted from FiDi Space It Has Occupied for 185 Years
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Above: Delmonico’s restaurant as it appears today, at the corner of Beaver and South William Streets. Below: An engraving of Delmonico’s from 1893, around the time of its 70th anniversary.
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A Downtown culinary landmark is facing eviction, a casualty of both the COVID pandemic and damage wrought by last September’s Hurricane Ida, along with a legal feud between its owners. In a story first reported by the online dining newsletter Eater, Delmonico’s, which opened in 1827 and moved to its current location at the corner of Beaver and South William Streets a decade later, is being sued by its landlord for more than $300,000 in back rent.
The famed restaurant, which is believed to have invented numerous dishes (such as Eggs Benedict, Baked Alaska, Manhattan Clam Chowder, Lobster Newberg, Chicken à la King, and the wedge salad), closed in March 2020, as the pandemic swept through New York. At the time, this measure was intended to be temporary. In August 2020, however, the owners filed a notice with the State’s Department of Labor that the 100-plus staff members who had been furloughed for the pandemic were being permanently laid off, indicating that the restaurant had no plans to reopen.
Several months later, the four partners who jointly owned Delmonico’s broke into a pair of factions and sued each other. This litigation drew to a close in March 2021, and left two of the original four shareholders, brothers Ferdo and Omer Grgurev, in undisputed control of the restaurant. The brothers prepared to reopen Delmonico’s, but the landmarked building suffered significant water damage from Hurricane Ida several months later. This caused the Grgurevs to stop paying rent, based on the allegation that the landlord, Time Equities, had an obligation to make repairs to the premises.
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A Delmonico’s menu from 1899. Note that the prices are quoted in pennies, and the most expensive dish is roast canvas-back duck, which cost four dollars. (For perspective, that is roughly the equivalent of $138 today.)
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Although the landlord filed eviction papers in January, demanding the return of the space within 14 days, the New York State Supreme Court issued a restraining order in April, preventing eviction while Time Equities and Delmonico’s owners continued to negotiate.
All of these machinations are considerably removed from a legendary past. When Delmonico’s moved to its current location in 1837, two years after the Great Fire that consumed 17 square blocks of Lower Manhattan, the brothers who founded the restaurant boasted that the stone columns in front of 56 Beaver Street had been imported from the ruins of Pompeii. (This appears to have been a bit of promotional bunk.)
In the years that followed, their dining room would go on to singlehandedly invent fine dining in America. As Caleb Carr wrote in “The Alienist,” “it is often difficult, I find, for people today to grasp the notion that one family, working through several restaurants, could change the eating habits of an entire country. But the craving for first rate dining became a kind of national fever in the later decades of the century—and Delmonico’s was responsible.”
Matthew Fenton
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Good Trouble
The Chinatown Ten Appear in Court Following Arrests at Anti-Jail Demonstration
The coalition of ten Lower Manhattan community leaders (including two candidates for public office) who were arrested on the morning of April 13 as they protested the start of demolition at the Manhattan Detention Complex (MDC)—in a preliminary move by the administration of Mayor Eric Adams to replace that facility with the world’s tallest jail—were due in court on Monday morning, to answer summonses for disorderly conduct. Their arrests stemmed from the decision of the group to engage in civil disobedience, by kneeling in the middle of Baxter Street to block construction vehicles from accessing the MDC site.
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A Salute to the Essential Workers
Plaque Unveiled to Mark Last Year’s Ticker Tape Parade for Essential Workers
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Remember when we would lean out our windows at 7pm every day and cheer for the essential workers who were getting us through the pandemic? The new plaque on Broadway marks the 208th ticker tape parade, on July 7, 2021, that was a large-scale version of our appreciation. On that day, confetti rained down from office windows as floats and bands wound their way uptown from Bowling Green in tribute to the men and women whose jobs are critical to our daily lives.
At the unveiling of the new plaque (at 250 Broadway) on April 28, Mayor Eric Adams and Deputy Mayors Lorraine Grillo, Meera Joshi, Maria Torres-Springer, Anne Williams-Isom and Sheena Wright joined Downtown Alliance president Jessica Lappin and her staff, borough president Mark Levine and City Council member Christopher Marte to again praise essential workers.
MTA group station manager Cherry Wiltshire, U.S. Postal Service letter carrier Feliciano Rafael and Maureen Kreider, nurse practitioner at Con Edison’s Employee Wellness Center, expressed their thanks for the recognition, with Mr. Rafael adding a special shout-out to the children along his route who displayed drawings of gratitude at the height of the pandemic.
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Ever Upward
Tribeca Loft Buildings to Share a Rooftop Addition
The owners of a pair of adjoining buildings within the Tribeca South Historic District plan to add two stories to top of the pre-Civil War structures, which requires approval from the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The buildings at 62-64 Reade Street (located on the north side of the street, between Broadway and Church Street) are typical of the loft-and-store structures that were common in the neighborhood throughout the nineteenth century.
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Letters
To the editor,
I started reading your paper regularly last month and discovered something I have not been able to find online: The Arrivals and Departures section!!!
I have searched for a while to see if there was a schedule where I can find out when the cruise ships would be passing by the Colgate Clock and always came up empty.
I have lucked out and occasionally seen them quietly moving up the river in the evening. They are really stunning to see and I was so delighted to see you include that schedule in your paper!
My new Sunday routine is to read your Broadsheet perched on my window sill in the morning and catch up on everything happening in my neighborhood.
Therese Cruse
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Aesthetic Outpost
New Arts Colony Emerges Half a Mile from Lower Manhattan Shoreline
Governors Island no longer has a “season,” in the sense that Lower Manhattan’s equivalent of Central Park is now open year-around. But spring, and the prospect of summer, are still the highpoint in the annual calendar of this treasured public amenity, and a growing collection of public art has become one of the principal reasons to visit.
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Anti-Inundation Perambulation
Resiliency Walking Tours
In a few months, construction will begin on the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project, a flood barrier system that, within a couple years, will extend from the north side of the Museum of Jewish Heritage through Wagner Park and across Pier A Plaza. The Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) is making efforts to educate the public about its resiliency plans. One of the best ways to understand the changes in store for the Battery Park City landscape is to take a BPCA-led resiliency walking tour.
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Amending the Authority
Niou and CB1 Push Longer Leases, Caps on Cost Hikes, and a Voice for Residents
State Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou has introduced a pair of bills in the Albany legislature that closely track recent resolutions by Community Board 1 (CB1), and address a trio of issues that have long vexed local leaders.
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Wednesday, May 4
10am-12pm
Rector Park East
Observe and sketch the human figure. Each week a model will strike short and long poses for participants to draw. An artist/educator will offer constructive suggestions and critique. Drawing materials provided.
2pm-4pm
Wagner Park
Embolden your artwork amidst the flower-filled and seasonally evolving palette of BPC’s verdant gardens. An artist/educator will provide ideas and instruction. Materials provided, and artists are encouraged to bring their own favorite media.
6pm
Online; Skyscraper Museum
Learn about William H. Whyte, one of the most influential writers and analysts of American cities and society in the second half of the twentieth century. From his bestselling, seminal book The Organization Man of 1956, to the revelatory The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces of 1980, “Holly” Whyte’s work changed how people thought about careers and companies, cities and suburbs, urban planning and open space preservation. Whyte’s keen eye for urban observation and clear, insightful writing on human behavior in public space, both preceded and enabled the voice of Jane Jacobs to burst forth in print in the 1960s, first as her editor at Fortune, then as an instrumental figure in the publication of Death and Life of Great American Cities.
6pm
Livestreamed
- Skylight Productions/Fox Entertainment event – presentation, discussion and resolution
- Forum for feedback about the timing of resiliency measures and imminent closure of Wagner Park in Battery Park City – discussion
- Forum for feedback of the Battery Park City Authority by local organizations – discussion
- Request for legal Battery Park City residents to be appointed to open and expiring Board seats – discussion and resolution
- BPC security update – Patrick Murphy, Director of Security, Allied Universal
6pm-7pm
Immerse yourself in this meditative practice- surrounded by the Hudson’s peaceful aura. Strengthen the body and cultivate awareness in a relaxed environment as your instructor guides you through alignments and poses. All levels are welcome. Bring your own mat.
Thursday, May 5
12pm
Livestreamed
Many people became rich or richer off the detestable actions of the Third Reich during WWII through the use of Jewish slave labor, seizing Jewish businesses, and equipping the German military. Some of these families are still prominent today, such as the Quandts, who owned BMW. None have acknowledged the dark histories behind their fortunes. In his new book, Nazi Billionaires, David de Jong unearths the history of these well-known companies. Free; suggested $10 donation
Museum of Jewish Heritage
3pm
Take a kid-friendly tour of The Battery Urban Farm to learn about how we grow produce in the heart of downtown New York City. Free
6pm-8:30pm
Pier 17
Salsa at the Seaport. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo on the Heineken Riverdeck with a live band, city skyline views, and Malibu Farm’s taco & tequila specials. Come early to step up your salsa game and receive a lesson from the pros. Free.
6:30pm
Online
Fraunces Tavern Museum webinar about the lives of New York City Jews in the colonial era. We’ll look at community spaces such as the Sephardic Mill Street Synagogue, now known as Shearith Israel and the oldest synagogue in America. We’ll examine the influence of the Gomez and Judah families, the scandal of the Franks family, and the legacy of Haym Soloman’s Revolutionary war financing.
6:30pm-8pm
Belvedere Plaza
In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, BPCA presents The Villalobos Brothers. One of today’s leading Contemporary Mexican ensembles, their original compositions and arrangements masterfully fuse and celebrate the richness of Mexican folk music with the intricate harmonies of jazz and classical music. Free.
Friday, May 6
11am – 5pm
In person; South Street Seaport Museum
On Saturdays and Sundays, visit the exhibitions and the ships of the South Street Seaport Museum for free. At 12 Fulton Street, see “South Street and the Rise of New York” and “Millions: Migrants and Millionaires aboard the Great Liners, 1900-1914,” and at Pier 16, explore the tall ship Wavertree and lightship Ambrose.
7pm-8:30pm
Wagner Park
Singer/songwriter Terre Roche leads this weekly singing program with the beautiful backdrop of the setting sun in NY Harbor. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned crooner, the singing circle is perfect for mellow melodies and healthy harmonizing.
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CLASSIFIEDS & PERSONALS
Swaps & Trades, Respectable Employment, Lost and Found
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BABYSITTER/NANNY
looking for full-time position, years of experience; loving, kind, smart sense of humor, excellent reference available; please contact javielle at 646-645-2051 javiellewilliams@icould.comAVAILABLE
NURSES’ AIDE
20+ years experience
Providing Companion and Home Health Aide Care to clients with dementia. Able to escort client to parks and engage in conversations of desired topics and interests of client. Reliable & Honest
FT/PT Flexible Hours
References from family members. Charmaine
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HAVE MORE FUN PARENTING
Learn how to raise a capable child and reduce friction at home.
Come learn parenting
the Positive Discipline way!
ML Fiske is a
Certified PD Parent Educator.
NANNY WITH OVER 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE
Reliable, nurturing and very attentive. Refs Avail.
Full or Part time
Maxine 347-995-7896
PERSONAL TRAINING,
REFLEXOLOGY,
PRIVATE STUDIO
917-848-3594
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NURSES AIDE
Nurses Aide looking full-time Elderly Care loving caring have sense of humor patience experience with Alzheimer’s patient excellent references please call
Dian at 718-496-6232
HOUSEKEEPING/ NANNY/ BABYSITTER
Available for PT/FT. Wonderful person, who is a great worker.
Refs avail.
Worked in BPC.
Call Tenzin
347-803-9523
NOTARY PUBLIC
IN BPC
$2.00 per notarized signature.
Text Paula
@ 917-836-8802
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Lower Manhattan Greenmarkets
Tribeca Greenmarket
Greenwich Street & Chambers Street
Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8am-3pm (compost program: Saturdays, 8am-1pm)
Bowling Green Greenmarket
Broadway & Whitehall St
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8am-5pm (compost program: 8am-11am)
The Outdoor Fulton Stall Market
91 South Street, between Fulton & John Streets
Indoor market: Monday through Saturday,11:30am-5pm
CSA pick-up: Thursday, 4pm-6pm; Friday, 11:30-5pm
Outdoor market: Saturday 11:30am-5pm, May through Thanksgiving
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Figure Balancing on a Dog is a red steel sculpture by Keith Haring.
Photograph courtesy of the Downtown Alliance.
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1471 – Battle of Tewkesbury: final battle between the Houses of Lancaster and York. Prince of Wales, Edward of Westminster is killed and King Edward IV is restored to his throne.
1493 – Pope Alexander VI divides America between Spain and Portugal.
1535 – Five Carthusian monks from London Charterhouse monastery are hung, drawn and quartered in London for refusing to acknowledge King Henry VIII as head of the Church of England
1626 – Dutch explorer Peter Minuit arrives in New Netherland (present day Manhattan) aboard the See Meeuw.
1776 – Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III.
1864 – General Ulysses S. Grant’s Union Army at Potomac attacks Robert E. Lee’s Confederates at Rappahannock River
1904 – The United States begins construction of the Panama Canal.
1932 – In Atlanta, mobster Al Capone begins serving an eleven-year prison sentence for tax evasion.
1953 – Ernest Hemingway wins the Pulitzer Prize for The Old Man and the Sea.
1970 – Vietnam War: Kent State shootings. The Ohio National Guard, sent to Kent State University after disturbances in the city of Kent the weekend before, opens fire killing four unarmed students and wounding nine others. The students were protesting the Cambodian Campaign of the United States and South Vietnam.
1989 – Iran–Contra affair: Former White House aide Oliver North is convicted of three crimes and acquitted of nine other charges. The convictions are later overturned on appeal.
1998 – A federal judge in Sacramento, California, gives “Unabomber” Theodore Kaczynski four life sentences plus 30 years after Kaczynski accepts a plea agreement sparing him from the death penalty.
2000 – Ken Livingstone becomes the first Mayor of London
2002 – Barry Bonds hits his 400th home run as a San Francisco Giant, in a 3-0 win over Cincinnati. Bonds is first player with 400 homers for one team and 100 with another (Pirates)
Births
1655 – Bartolomeo Cristoforo, Italian instrument maker, invented the piano (d. 1731)
1916 – Jane Jacobs, American-Canadian journalist, author, and activist (d. 2006)
1928 – Wolfgang von Trips, German race car driver (d. 1961)
1929 – Manuel Contreras, Chilean general (d. 2015)
1929 – Audrey Hepburn, actress and humanitarian (d. 1993)
1956 – Sharon Jones, soul singer (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings) (d. 2016)
1958 – Keith Haring, graffiti artist and social activist, (d. 1990)
1964 – Zsuzsa Mathe, Hungarian painter and visual artist, founder of transrealism
1970 – Will Arnett, actor (Arrested Development)
Deaths
1566 – Luca Ghini, Italian physician and botanist (b. 1490)
1970 – Victims of the Kent State shootings: Allison Krause (b. 1951), Jeffrey Miller (b. 1950), Sandra Scheuer (b. 1949), William Knox Schroeder (b. 1950)
1975 – Moe Howard, American actor, singer, and screenwriter (b. 1897)
1980 – Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav field marshal and politician, First President of Yugoslavia (b. 1892)
2018 – Edwin G. Burrows, American historian and professor, dies at 74
2020- Don Shula, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach
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The Broadsheet Inc. eBroadsheet.com editor @ ebroadsheet.com ©2022 All Rights Reserved All photos © Robert Simko 2022 unless otherwise credited
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