Seen & Heard: Fonda will open April 22

FONDA OPENS NEXT WEEK
Fonda, the third NYC restaurant for Mexican chef Roberto Santibañez, will open in the former Blau Gans space on Duane on Friday, April 22. They have been prepping the space since May 2021, and while the fabulous interiors of Zinc Bar are forever lost, these should take better advantage of that lovely space than Savida ever did: they promise a quietly colorful aesthetic with 90 seats, 12 at the bar. Hours will be 4 to 11p, more or less, with entrees in the $23-29 range. Reservations are not open yet.

FILE GUMBO BAR COMING SOON?
Looks like things are coming together for File Gumbo Bar, scheduled to open on Church and White. They could use a little action on that strip, now that Twiggy is the last man standing. Sadly Shigure Sake Bar closed in February, and while there were pre-pandemic plans for the corner spot, they have not materialized.

BLACKSTONES IS CLOSED
Just noticed that the hair salon in the Roxy Hotel — Blackstones, which opened in 2016 as an offshoot from its East Village location — has been stripped bare and I am sure has been closed for two years and I missed it. (It’s a pretty space; seems like a nice opportunity…) Meanwhile the one on East 7th Street is, according to Vogue, a cult favorite and “the city’s best beauty shop.”

HSBC IS NOW CITIZENS
The signage is now up, reflecting the latest bank merger.

 

2 Comments

  1. The new decor in the old Blaue Gans/Le Zinc space is a travesty.

  2. Just ate at Fonda and it was REALLY good. Working some kinks out – but the food came quickly – but even more so EVERYONE was so sweet. From the busser to the host to the manager. They all came by to make sure everything was OK and even to chat a little. Really like the positive vibe – go support them!

    PS At dinner it was pretty child friendly when I went around 630P

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