In the News: More rats!

RATS IN THE CAST IRON HOUSE?
The Post reports that residents at the Cast Iron House, which was only recently finished, have filed a lawsuit against the developer because the building is infested with rats — big ones. Not sure what they are demanding in the suit, other than that the rats go away. One of the plaintiffs is Giorgio De Luca, co-founder of Dean & DeLuca. They have Nestcam images of rats walking through the apartments, across counters and even in couch cushions, and they said they have access because of “missing insulation in many areas of the facade, along with the absence of “fire-stopping” sealants in the walls of the building, the residents charge.”

A RESTAURANT FOR OMNIVORES
One White Street gets a “first look” at Eater: “The Tribeca venue aims to please, with well-executed and predictable luxuries. As so many venues mold themselves to the culinary zeitgeist with nimble, high-acid, vegetable leaning fare, One White Street moves in the opposite direction, sending out tastings of caviar, truffles, foie gras, and entree-sized portions of aged duck… If the current Eleven Madison Park feels like a forced ode to veganism, my tasting menu at One White Street was a paean to more classic omnivorous indulgences.”

SHOPLIFTER BUSTED AT TARGET
The Post reports that a serial shoplifter with nearly 100 arrests under his belt was arrested at Target last week and charged with trespassing for violating a court order to stay away from the store, where he’s been arrested repeatedly before for allegedly shoplifting. James Connolly pleaded guilty to two pending misdemeanors and was given a conditional discharge. Prosecutors asked for supervised release on the most recent case, which includes a felony count of third-degree burglary.

NEW SUSHI OMAKASE IN CHINATOWN
If you are looking for more fancy sushi, Pete Wells reviews Nakaji, 48 Bowery in an almost-hidden alley just south of Canal in Chinatown, and compares it to Shion at 69 Leonard. It opened in March 2020, closed, and recently reopened. The omakase meal prepared by Kunihide Nakajima, the chef and owner, is $225. “The entrance hints at the near-fetishistic lengths Nakaji takes to act like a small, discreetly cloistered sushi-ya in Tokyo. The windows are long horizontal ones set so high that you can’t peer in unless you happen to be the basketball player Tacko Fall.”

 

4 Comments

  1. Foie gras? Wasn’t that banned in NYC (and rightly so)?

    • “As of November 25, 2022, foie gras may become persona non grata at upscale restaurants and gourmet groceries in New York City. It all started in 2019, when the New York City Council passed a law banning the sale of ‘force-fed products or food containing a force-fed product,’ on the grounds that force-feeding animals is – in the words of Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, who sponsored the legislation – an ‘inhumane process.’ (Ms. Rivera has not responded to our interview requests.) The law, which passed by a vote of 42 to 6, imposes fines ranging from 500 to 2,000 dollars per violation. […]

      ” Foie gras producers and their supporters first tried to persuade the City Council members that their farming practices were acceptable from an animal-welfare standpoint. But to no avail. ‘We invited them to visit our farms or send representatives to see for themselves how the ducks are raised,’ says Marcus Henley. ‘Nobody came.’ After the vote, the battle escalated into an open conflict between New York City and state, with the state’s Farm Bureau taking the side of the producers. For a while, the producers were also counting on the support of the then state governor Andrew Cuomo. But his ignominious downfall (he resigned in August after sexual-harassment allegations) dashed their hopes.

      The next act will likely play out in the New York courts. ‘One of our arguments,’ explains Michael Tenenbaum, the lawyer for the foie gras producers, ‘is that a city or state in the United States does not have the right to ban the sale of a wholesome product made in another state or country on the grounds that it simply does not like the way it was produced. Such a ban violates the Commerce Clause in the U.S. Constitution.’ Michael Tenenbaum is also representing the producers against the State of California, which banned the sale of foie gras in 2012. In 2015, a federal judge held that the California law infringed on federal laws regulating poultry products, and the sale of foie gras became legal again. But that decision was overturned in 2019.

      “Currently, it is illegal to sell foie gras in California, but the case established that it is legal for private consumers to buy online if the seller ships it from another state. ‘This is a small victory, but it’s nowhere near enough for my clients, because virtually all foie gras in America is consumed in restaurants,’ says the attorney. A new decision is expected in the coming months, and the case could end up before the Supreme Court. Back in the Hudson Valley, Marcus Henley is determined to fight to the end. ‘We’re not going to give up, because this is our life.’ ”

      https://france-amerique.com/en/will-this-be-foie-gras-last-christmas-in-new-york-city/

  2. So the serial Target robber has been arrested at least 100 times and basically gets a slap on the wrist? Walgreens in many areas have closed because of continuing shoplifting. 100 crimes is not minor and whether he’s supervised or not, after a while, they will not have him supervised and he’ll go back to Target, or wherever and steal from another business. Thank God nobody has gotten hurt, but it’s only a matter of time. Any crime is still a crime.

  3. We splurged on the to-go omekase box from Nakaji for my birthday during the lockdown. Even eaten from our laps on Pier 25 it was really incredible. We finally went in person last summer and it is a phenomenal experience. There are a number of high end omekases now, but I really loved Nakaji. We also just dropped in last weekend for drinks at the whiskey bar in the front. I’m so glad they survived opening right before the pandemic, such a great addition to the area!

Comment: