Back in October, Patrick Hedlund at DNAinfo reported that a 5 Napkin Burger was opening on the southwest corner of 14th Street and Third Avenue — the former home of Robin Raj, duh. We kind of wondered what happened with that. The site has been rather quiet of late.
The Observer has a follow-up today. Per the Observer:
The restaurant includes 3,570 square feet of ground-floor space, as well as a full basement. "This prime corner has laid fallow for the past five years. 5 Napkin Burger will undertake a full reconstruction of the building and turn it into a wonderful gem," said Winick Realty Group's Tatiana Jung-Voevodina, who repped the tenant.
Fallow!? Robin Raj moved out just two years ago!
Anyway! 5 Napkins is expected to open in April.
I was trying to remember ... Wasn't there a big donut/coffee shop there when The Palladium f/k/a Academy of Music was around?
ReplyDelete- Tom
Disco Donuts!!
ReplyDeleteAhh ... Disco Donuts ... when The Palladium/Academy of Music was a performance hall, you'd sometimes see the musicians eating over there.
ReplyDelete- Tom
A 5 napkin burger? I'd prefer the reverse, i.e., a White Castle. The taste I crave.
ReplyDelete- Tom
Disco Donuts -- with Carmelita's Reception House on the floor above, no?
ReplyDelete@BabyDave - You are indeed correct.
ReplyDeleteHey, stupid carpetbagger developer man! Don't you be dissing Robin Raj! A fine store run by fine people.
ReplyDeleteanon 3:55, there was a white castle on 14th street when I was growing up (2nd Avenue?). All I ver saw eating there wer junkies and winos so I always asociated White Castle with that population. No, I dont think 14th street needs that back.
ReplyDelete@HippieChick
ReplyDeleteThank you!
@OWR,
ReplyDeleteLol, that makes sense! So, it was the White Castle that attracted and kept all those winos and junkies in the neighborhood? Well, when I returned to the neighborhood in 1979, there was no White Castle there. Yet, throughout the 80's, 90's and much of the 00's, 14th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues sure seemed to have a lot of winos and junkies. In fact, it was easily the dodgiest block in the neighborhood, if not the entire East Village. Those White Castles -- even the mere memory of them -- must have been powerful stuff. :)
@OWR,
ReplyDeleteAlso, was there really a White Castle on 14th Street and 2nd Ave or near there? Could it have been a White Tower you were referring to?
-- Tom
I remember a White Castle there. I remember the scum-of-the-scum hanging and nodding out there. I believe it is where the eye-glass place is now (across from KFC). However, I will admit to aging so perhaps I do not remember everything as clearly as I would 'like' (lol).
ReplyDeleteI could never ever eat at one just because of what I remember.
I don't remember a White Castle in this neighborhood, but my memory of what might have been here only goes back to around 1978. There is that one all the way up 1st Avenue with a drive through. Is that still there?
ReplyDelete@Jill - Yes, there's a White Castle at the intersection of 1st Ave and 103rd St.
ReplyDeleteFor a while there in the 90's, I used to go to the White Castle on 5th Ave diagonally across from the Empire State Building. But it's since been closed. Now, if I'm near Herald Square, I go to the White Castle on 8th Ave around 36th or 37th Streets.
Problem with White Castles these days is that they've gotten expensive everywhere you go. They're like 69 cents now, which means it'll cost you more to eat a full meal there than at McDonalds, Wendy's or Burger King.
- Tom
Confirmed with family members (older than me). There was a White Castle on 14th and 2nd Avenue certainely when I was a young boy and remember that the only people whe ate there were people with some addiction or another
ReplyDelete