Which prompted a very distressing email from EV Grieve reader AC. "They took down the fucking Chow Mein sign!" It took several years, but the old-school neon Chow Mein sign has apparently finally vanished for good.
Here's a shot before Shoolbred's moved in courtesy of Jeremiah, who has been keeping an eye on this part of the former Jade Mountain sign the last four years.
And you can see that the sign is gone.
Some history. Jade Mountain's owner, Reggie Chan, died after a truck hit him on his bicycle while making a delivery in September 2006. As Lost City noted, Jade Mountain, which had been here since 1931, closed in January 2007.
Per the Times from an article titled "For Bright Beacons, a Murky Future" — "The restaurant ... spoke to a bygone era, serving steaming plates of egg foo yong and moo goo gai pan until the day it closed."
Many people found the sign as comforting as the food. A welcoming glow on Second Avenue. What the Chow Mein sign looked like in all its glory...
What are the chances that workers will put the Chow Mein sign back up after the renovations are completed?
Right. You don't need to answer.
For further reading:
Jade Mountain (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)
Curse of the Jade Restaurant (Lost City)
