We've been keeping an eye on the former Holy Basil space on Second Avenue near East Ninth Street... Last fall, the DOH hit the Thai eatery with 110 violation points, and they never reopened.
In December, an entity named "Honey Rider LLC" went before the CB3/SLA committee... and the owners of Shoolbred's and the Ninth Ward on Second Avenue were behind the new venture (named for Ursula Andress as Honey Rider in "Dr. No"?).
Anyway, Grub Street had more details yesterday on the new venture... it will be called Kingston Hall. One of the owners said that "the theme is Jamaica in 1962: The country has just become independent and the vibe is still 'British colonial, but with a sixties feel ... not Bob Marley, more Ian Fleming.'"
(Which explains the James Bond reference... and our stupid headline. Wait till we try to work in Pussy Galore.)
And they expect to open Friday night... the photo above shows how the exterior (above The 13th Step sign) was looking this past weekend.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Holy Basil closed, space for rent
Holy Basil remains closed for 'technical difficulties'
17 comments:
I love Jamaican food. I always wanted to be a "Bond Girl".
Melanie
I like the Schoolbreds guys, ninth ward isnt great, but could be worse, and the descriptions of this place seem ok. There is usually a good crowd at their bars, but I wouldnt call it Pussy Galore.
I'm sorry, am I misunderstanding or does this "Jamaican" restaurant sound like the most racist shit ever?
Sounds like a cool new spot. Too bad they have to be neighbors with the bozo crowd at 13th Step.
I was there for a party on Saturday. They did a great job on the interior. It's a beautiful front room, lots of wood, requisite tin ceiling, long bar a number of banquets and a pool table. I didn't have much of the food, just fries and the beef patties which were pretty good.
BTW, I asked one of the owners what happened to the Chow Mein sign from the old Jade Mountain space that is now Sholbreds and he told me it's on the roof of the building! So if anyone knows of someone that can put that sign to good use they might want to contact the owner of the building.
What I found even more horrifying, when I went onto the Grub Street link about this place, was the one about Dairy Queen coming to town. Because we don't have nearly enough ice cream places here.
Dairy Queen Blizzards are a cool hug on a hot day.
@LvV
I'll bite. Whats racist about Jamaican Cuisine?
Nothing is racist about Jamaican food, obviously. I still miss the ital chickpea curry and rice from Daphne's on 14th (now it's that Bishops & Barons place) ... it's just that when you want to open a joint based on the cuisine of a country that is more than 90% black, but invoke British colonialism and James Bond, and make sure to disassociate yourself from the most famous musician the country has ever produced (who happens to be black), it raises a few flags to me.
I hope I am wrong about racism, but at the very least the place sounds incredibly culturally insensitive.
"jamaica in 1962"...oh brother.
@LvV
I dont know, that seems like a reach, or a willful misunderstanding of what they are going for here. There is a lot more to Jamaica than Bob Marley, I really shouldnt speak for Jamaicans, but I would think its refreshing to see a Jamaican place that doesnt just go for the Bob Marley angle.
And with all due respect, it sounds to me like you willfully missed my point. I didn't say anything about wanting a Marley theme-park bar. (I'm a Tosh girl anyway)
Look, I haven't been to this place. I'm just telling you how it sounds as it is described ... and how it *sounds* is like "Jamaica, but without all those problematic black people!" i.e., ninety-two percent of the population. Who in the hell associates Jamaica with James Bond? And even worse, thinks of colonialism as something fashionable?
I agree in wishing someone actually Jamaican would chime in and tell us both how this sounds.
I know someone who took issue with the owners' bar called The Ninth Ward when it opened.
The Voice wrote about it:
"Louisiana transplant and writer Cajun Boy is neither amused nor shy about it. His Twitter feed reads:
A New Orleans-themed bar in NYC called Ninth Ward has opened. Maybe I'll open a NYC-themed bar in New Orleans and call it World Trade Center."
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/2010/06/ninth_ward_will.php
There are so many things that are actually racist, I would set the threshold a little tighter, just to conserve energy.
Thank you so much for letting me know what is trivial and below consideration! You’re right, why should I decide for myself what issues to prioritize when Hey19, with his objective, rational perspective, can tell me exactly what is most important.
Unless something is Jim Crow-levels of racist, I guess there’s no point in speaking out about it. Thank you for setting me straight!
ha, sorry just trying to ease the tension. You have the right to be outraged by anything, not taking that away from you. Just kind of giving these guys the benefit of doubt.
The views and opinions expressed by Hey19 are his own, and do not apply to EV Greive, or any other commenter. Consult your financial advisor. Some side effects may occur.
LvV, I owe you a rum drink after all this, didnt mean to get confrontational.
It's cool. It's hard to read tone over the internet. I wasn't even tense until this morning's comment, I know you are a regular here and a decent person. But this bar concept troubles me. Just because it comes in a beautiful package (NYMag has pics, and it's gorgeous) from well-intentioned and intelligent people doesn't mean it can't be criticized.
peace
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