🚕 Iconic Chelsea Staple Elmo to Close

Good Morning NY!

March continues to bring major shifts across New York City’s dining scene.

New restaurant openings are introducing flavors from Japan, South India, Turkey, and beyond, showing how global influences continue to shape the city’s food culture.

At the same time, familiar names are returning, including the revival of Eddie Huang’s Baohaus in the East Village.

Across the boroughs, the hospitality community is also celebrating standout restaurants and operators who help make New York the hospitality capital of the world.

But the month also brings emotional farewells, as longtime neighborhood institutions prepare to close their doors after decades of service.

From exciting openings to nostalgic comebacks and historic closures, this week’s stories capture the constant evolution of NYC dining.

March Restaurant Openings Bring Global Flavors to NYC

Chubby Tan debuts in the East Village on March 7 with authentic Sendai-style grilled beef tongue.

This marks the first U.S. location for Tokyo’s popular Gyutan no Lemon chain.

Diners can enjoy set meals featuring gyutan-yaki, beef tongue soup, curry, rice, grated yam, and salad.

Verde opens in Chelsea with large-format meats, fresh seafood crudos, pastas, and pizzas.

The space turns festive after dinner with DJ sets and lively energy.

Kidilum launches in Flatiron showcasing Kerala-inspired South Indian cuisine.

Chef Vinu Raveendran brings coastal flavors like nandu crab curry and banana leaf-wrapped prawns.

Lazy Bulldog Coffee arrives in the East Village serving Turkish-style coffee brewed over hot sand.

Salt Bread Ko starts offering hourly-baked salt bread with creative savory and sweet fillings in Koreatown.

These new spots highlight the city’s ongoing appetite for diverse and inventive dining experiences.

Eddie Huang Revives Baohaus in the East Village

Eddie Huang has reopened Baohaus, his original restaurant that helped popularize affordable Chinese-Taiwanese street food in the early 2010s.

The new location sits at St. Marks Place and First Avenue in the East Village.

No reservations are accepted, and hip-hop music plays at high volume throughout the space.

Huang personally oversees the pass, often wearing a bucket hat and sports jersey while greeting longtime friends.

The dinner menu centers on improved takeout-style dishes with mains priced between $20 and $30.

Taiwanese beers cost $7, and German Riesling is available for $12.

Highlights include stir-fried pork collar, vegetarian mapo tofu, broiled mustard greens, oyster-sauce eggplant, tuna tataki, and deep-fried cauliflower in sweet-and-sour sauce.

The food is described as zippy and fun, though some dishes could benefit from more spice and variety.

The enclosed backyard remains open even in cold weather.

The vibe targets the nearby NYU crowd with a casual, college-nosh energy perfect for late-night dining.

This reopening brings a nostalgic return to Huang’s roots in New York City.

Delmonico’s: 189 Years of Dining History and Women’s Rights Progress

Delmonico’s Restaurant stands as a landmark in Manhattan’s Financial District.

It has occupied the same location for nearly 189 years.

The establishment holds many distinctions in American dining history.

It was the first place in the country to be called a “restaurant.”

Delmonico’s played a significant role in advancing women’s rights.

It became the first restaurant to allow women to dine without male escorts.

This policy marked an important step forward in 19th-century gender equality.

The change challenged traditional dining etiquette of the era.

Delmonico’s continues to symbolize both culinary innovation and social progress.

Its legacy highlights how restaurants can influence broader cultural shifts.

The iconic venue remains a point of pride in New York City history.

Staten Island Shines at NYC Hospitality Alliance Awards

The New York City Hospitality Alliance hosted its annual awards ceremony on March 9, 2026, at Tao Downtown in Manhattan.

The event, titled “NYC Hospitality Alliance Awards: A Bash for the Boros,” honored 31 restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and industry professionals.

Three Staten Island establishments received recognition in the “I Love Boros: Staten Island” category.

Harvest Cafe in New Dorp Beach was celebrated for its partnership with A Very Special Place non-profit.

The cafe trains and employs individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities alongside professional staff.

BOTA Supper Club in St. George earned praise as a modern supper club featuring seasonal menus, craft cocktails, and live entertainment.

ZaRa Forest Turkish Cuisine, with locations in Graniteville, Dongan Hills, and Greenridge, was also honored.

Andrew Rigie, executive director of the alliance, highlighted how these venues create community and connection through food and hospitality.

He described New York City as the hospitality capital of the world thanks to passionate operators like these winners.

The awards underscore the vital role Staten Island restaurants play in the broader NYC dining scene.

Iconic Chelsea Staple Elmo to Close After 25 Years

Elmo Restaurant, a beloved LGBTQ+ landmark in Chelsea, will serve its final meal on March 13, 2026.

The spot at 156 Seventh Avenue opened in 2001 under owner Bob Pontarelli.

It began as a simple diner-style eatery and grew into a central gathering place for the community.

Elmo hosted first dates, birthdays, Pride celebrations, drag shows, weddings, memorials, and political fundraisers.

A 2021 New York Times piece called it one of the last remaining gay restaurants in the neighborhood.

The closure results from the building’s sale, with the new owner planning to convert the space into residential use.

Pontarelli shared on Instagram that the lease ends with the sale and expressed gratitude for 25 years of memories.

He described Elmo as a place where lifelong friendships formed among staff and patrons alike.

The announcement drew hundreds of emotional comments from fans who called it a “home away from home.”

Elmo’s departure marks the end of an era for one of New York City’s longest-standing gay restaurants.

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