Scott Stringer Talks West Side Issues
The New York state budget crisis, public school closings and potential cuts to senior centers were just some of the subjects discussed during a July 13 Upper West Side Town Hall Meeting at Goddard Riverside Community Center.
Protected Bike Lane, Take 2
Another pitch for city’s Columbus Avenue cycling plan
By Dan Rivoli
The city will take another shot at pitching a protected bike lane for Columbus Avenue this week.
Community Board 7 is slated to take up the proposal at its next full meeting June 1, three weeks after its transportation committee rejected the idea. Read more
COMPROMISE ON COLUMBUS AVE. RETAIL PLAN
By Dan Rivoli
A compromise in the retail expansion proposal that will change the landscape of Columbus Avenue in the West 90s may be near.
The Witkoff Group, the company that owns 248-unit Columbus House, wants to create 4,950 square feet of commercial space with a two-story ground-floor structure. This would extend all the way to the sidewalk, cutting down on the open space between West 95th and 96th streets. Read more
Man Assaulted While Breaking Up Fight
A 26-year-old Bronx man was attacked after trying to intervene in a fight outside 2049 Broadway and West 71st Street. Police said that May 20 at 2:38 a.m., the man interrupted Artemio Santos’ unprovoked assault on another person. Santos is accused of hitting the victim with the metal part of his belt, causing redness and pain. Police said the man who was initially being assaulted refused to cooperate at the scene.
Salon Break-In
A hair salon at 145 Amsterdam Ave. and West 67th Street was burglarized May 13. Police said the burglar used an object to break the bottom of the glass front door of International Hair. Four clippers worth $640, 10 pairs of scissors valued at $1,290, a $200 hairdryer, $40 razor and $70 in cash were stolen.
Friend Forges Check
A 44-year-old man who lives on West End Avenue reported to police May 13 that his friend tried to bilk him out of thousands of dollars. He told police that the 48-year-old friend, a West 81st Street resident, tried to deposit a $5,000 check with the victim’s forged signature into his account. The victim claimed the friend was the only other person with access to the apartment, and that he had to sign in with the doorman to get the key to his home.
HELICOPTER RULES DISAPPOINT
When the city’s Economic Development Corporation announced new regulations for sight-seeing helicopter tours, president Seth Pinsky said the rules balance “both quality of life needs and our important tourist industry.” Short tour flights that last several minutes have been eliminated and there is a ban on sightseeing helicopter tours over Central Park.
But while the entire borough of Brooklyn was graced with a full ban on sightseeing tours, Upper West Side residents are still subject to helicopter noise.
Operators can fly over the center of the Hudson River to West 79th Street, then turn to fly south, center-west of the river. The flights will be at 1,500 feet or above to mitigate noise.
“[People] picnicking, strolling, walking dogs—they’re being impacted by helicopter flights that are doing nothing more than generating money for helicopter tours,” said John Jeannopoulos, an Upper West Sider who became concerned with the increase of these flights.
But forcing the helicopter operators to fly higher should ease noise problems, according to Robert Grotell, special advisor to trade organization Eastern Region Helicopter Council.
“Altitude is by far the best noise mitigation,” Grotell said. “We’re flying twice as high.”
If pilots are flying too low or breaking the regulations, West Side residents are encouraged to call the Helicopter Council’s toll-free complaint number at 1-800-319-7410 in addition to 311.
Correction added. It is the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
Oh, What a Tangled Vine
Walking into a wine bar can often feel a little daunting. You see a full list bursting with promise, but only a few names ring a bell. To the uneducated wine drinker, names like “rueda” and “refosco” remain mysterious grapes and blends we often skip in favor of better-known bottles, like pinot noir and sauvignon blanc. But at the two-month-old Tangled Vine, your glass of wine comes with not only the good feeling that most of the bottles are graced with organic or sustainable tipples, but with a healthy dose of education about what you are drinking.
The wine list alone is organized in an unusual way, from the lightest of the brews to the richest. But even with the comical and well-informed descriptions under each offering, the staff is more than happy to pair wine with food, or just to offer a glass you will love. I was lucky enough to spend a recent evening with Tangled Vine’s wine director, Evan Spingarn, as he taught me what went with which dish, and how different wines could really bring out the flavor of the food. With more than 160 types of mainly
The Tangled Vine offers more than 160 types of wines from Italy, Spain, France, Austria and Germany. Photo by Linnea Covingtonbiodynamic, organic and sustainable wines from Italy, Spain, France, Austria and Germany on the menu, I appreciated the wine 101.
We started with the restaurant’s signature plate, the fideos negros. Created by chef David Seigal, of Mercat and Jean Georges, this rich, squid-ink-blackened pile of small, thin noodles with braised cuttlefish and a potent garlic aioli was first paired with a light and bubbly cava brut natura ($10). Manager and wine expert Victoria Levin also brought over two reds, a sturdy dolcetto di dogliani ($12) and a glass of the fruitier ros di rol ($15). All three wines had different results for each of us. I preferred the basic, clean-cut dolcetto di doglaiani, which allowed the garlic and lush flavor of the squid ink to take charge of my palate. One of my dining companions liked the cava, which helped calm the richness of the dish with its bubbles. Our other diner went for the ros di rol, which was the most complex, as the juiciness tangoed with the savory part of the meal in a bold combo.
While we nibbled on crostini topped with perfectly smoky charred eggplant and red pepper with a light saba sauce ($6), the waiters bounced around the tables. They didn’t hesitate to answer guests’ questions about what might go well with the spring vegetable risotto ($16) or the mushroom fricassee ($16). Levin herself busied about the mainly female-packed restaurant, helping customers understand what certain wines were like and how to pair them.
Once we finished another round of crostini—this time a spicy and succulent sobresada and quail egg ($7) version—we opted for a round of sautéed pea shoots ($9) and pork montaditos ($10). The former, despite being heavy with butter, tasted fresh and was well balanced with a tossing of sweet raisins and salty pine nuts. Normally a big fan of pig, I found the pork belly sliders too rich for my blood. Maybe if the slathering of garlic dijonaise had been toned down, the meat in this dish would have shined through instead of getting buried in sauce. The organic veal meatballs ($14) were another story. Made with a great combo of light ricotta mixed with tender ground veal and bathed in a fresh tomato sauce, these treats harmonized perfectly with the glass of refosco ($10).
Three hours later, I was so full and brimming with wine lore that the thought of dessert melted away. Though next time, I look forward to trying the saffron panna cotta ($6) or ricotta cheesecake ($7). If they are anything like the rest of the food we had, I know they will taste divine.
Tangled Vine also offers an extensive cheese and charcuterie list ($17 to $29) and homemade, paprika-sprinkled potato chips, which I recommend munching on with a glass of apple crisp gruner veltliner ($8) as you peruse the menu.
After Narcotics and Murder, Top Cop Shifts to Quality of Life
By Dan Rivoli
In Christopher McCormack’s 21 years in the police department, he has spent time on the streets of Washington Heights and East Harlem. He most recently led a squad of more than 150 rookies at Patrol Borough Manhattan North, targeting high-crime spots north of 59th Street. In his native Bronx, McCormack was a homicide detective and a sergeant at a downtown precinct. Now, he is taking the helm at the 20th Precinct, covering the Upper West Side from West 59th to 86th streets, between Central Park and the Hudson River. Read more
That Little Extra Spark
Eugene Amankwah is in love—and he doesn’t mind telling you. The doorman has fallen for the tenants of the Upper West Side building where he’s worked for the last five years. And it seems the feelings are mutual.
“People just like him,” said Lisa Butcher, 34, a university administrator who has lived at 372 Central Park West since 2002. “It’s not that the other doormen aren’t that way—they’re wonderful—but Eugene just has that little extra spark.” Read more
