Little Poland appreciation post

We've always appreciated the no-frills, old-school dining experience at Little Poland, located at 200 Second Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street.

Little Poland, around since 1985, is the last of its kind in this neighborhood. Its longevity is a testament to its quality and reliability. (Remedy Diner is fine, but it's no Little Poland.) 

We stopped by between the lunch and dinner shifts on a recent summer day. There were a few people at tables by the front windows (and eventually, two brave souls sat outside in the heat). 

There's quick and efficient table service, decent prices and breakfast specials until noon (well, 11:59 a.m.) And, per the menu: "The food we serve is as good, as music of Chopin." (We know that extra comma.)

Next year marks the diner's 40th anniversary. We need more places like Little Poland, and we hope that it can celebrate many more anniversaries here.

Little Poland is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Get them a call: (212) 777-9728.

A reminder to keep Two Bridge's Diner in your dining plans

Several LES residents (and EVG diner aficionados) are spreading the word to keep Two Bridge's Diner on Canal Street in your dining plans. 

Teddy Vasilopoulos, whose family has operated diners down here dating to the early 1970s (Landmark Diner, Cup & Saucer, Everest Diner), is currently on the injured list. 

The folks at the family-run tofu shop Fong On shared this via Instagram:

He’s currently ... recovering from an accident when he was pinned by his own food truck outside of Two Bridges. 

Now his brother is helping and covering for him until he gets better, which maybe a while. So please go support his business so that he’s got something to come back to.

Two Bridge's Diner is at 89 Canal St. just west of Eldridge ... and just west of the Cup & Saucer, which Teddy's brother John operated for 30-plus years before its rent-hike-induced closure in 2017. John and Teddy opened Two Bridge's in June 2019 (after a brief stint as the Greek Shack). 

Find the Two Bridge's menu here. The phone: (212) 925-2963

Our dwindling number of diners

Back on Friday, we reported that the Lower East Side Coffee Shop, which opened in 2008, is now in the legal possession of the landlord here on 14th Street just west of Avenue A. 

Gov. Cuomo's moratorium on commercial evictions expired on Jan. 31 The posted eviction notice is dated Feb. 4...

Cuomo is advancing legislation to extend the statewide moratorium to May 1. 

News of the closure prompted conversations about the dwindling number of diners left in the neighborhood. While the Lower East Side Coffee Shop was on the new-ish side, it had an old-school vibe, thanks in part to the neon signage that was a welcome sight alongside the Domino's, Trader Joe's and Target.

Elsewhere: Little Poland, which opened in 1985 at 200 Second Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street, has been closed since last March. 

At the start of the year, the diner's Instagram account posted a New Year's wish... with a note saying: "We ... hope we get to see all your beautiful faces soon!"

The storefront remains frozen in March 2020 time...

Meanwhile, as you know, Odessa, which dates to the mid-1960s on Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, closed in July. Longtime manager Dennis Vassilatos said that Odessa was shutting down after a prolonged slump in business due to COVID-19.

Closer to the last day, however, co-owner Steve Helios told Gothamist that Odessa was only closing temporarily, that the space would be renovated. (The building's landlord is Odessa partner Mike Skulikidis.)

To date, seven months later, no work has been done on the space... here's a look from this past weekend...

As for what remains open. Two institutions, Veselka, 144 Second Ave. at Ninth Street, and B&H Diary, 127 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, are doing their best under trying circumstances. (Noting: Some purists will say that Veselka is more of a restaurant than a diner, having evolved from its 1950s and 1960s roots, and that B&H is more of a lunch counter. You can debate that in the comments.)

Kitchen Sink, a (slightly) more upscale diner, remains open at 88 Second Ave. at Fifth Street...

The former Moonstruck Diner (as of October 2015) turned off a few die-hards with the arrival at the time of flat-screen TVs and drinks served in mason jars. (Pandemic aside, operating a diner in NYC is always a tough business with rising costs and changing tastes.)

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Updated: Adding Remedy (b. 2007) here over at 245 E. Houston St. at Norfolk.

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And not too far away, there's the Famous Cozy Soup 'n' Burger at 739 Broadway near Astor Place... (this photo is from last summer when they reopened after a five-month hiatus) ...

The diner is struggling to afloat with the downturn in activity (students, tourists, office workers) along this corridor. Manager John Stratidis, who has worked here since age 9, was featured on NY1 back in the fall. His father and uncle opened the diner in 1972. 

Cozy fan Adam Sandler gave them a nice shout-out on Instagram in late December, but the hits keep on coming. Last week, the blizzard wiped out their outdoor dining section. 

Their crowdfunding campaign continues.