A CLASSIC DINER EXPANDS UPTOWN

Old John’s, at 148 West 67th Street and Amsterdam, has expanded on the Upper West Side, taking over the space next door, adding eight tables, and extending the counter. The diner that had a 70 year-run closed during the pandemic, then reopened by employee and longtime NYC restaurateur Louis Skibar. The expansion reinforces a diner revival around the city over the past couple of years. This season, Kellogg’s will reboot allegedly in September, while others have recently opened, including Nomad Diner in the Arlo Hotel; 24-hour Greek-leaning Diner 24 NYC from the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop group; and Three Decker Diner from the Variety Coffee folks. Within the past couple years, Revelie and S&P also opened, both in Manhattan, along with Ridgewood’s Salty Lunch Lady’s Little Luncheonette, and boozy Fat Rabbit Diner in Fort Greene. Superiority Burger is a diner of sorts, particularly with its newish daytime hours, residing in what had been the diner Odessa for decades.

A modern Malaysian spot is opening uptown

Restaurateur Salil Mehta, behind Laut — celebrating its 15th anniversary, along with Kebab aur Sharab, and coastal Indian Kanyakumari, among others — is rolling out a dressed-up Malaysian spot on October 30. Mehta is flipping the Southeast Asian Wau to Kancil, at 434 Amsterdam Avenue at West 81st Street, with chef Simpson Wong. Both he and sous chef John Lim are from Malaysia and will cook dishes like roti jala, clay pot rice, and grilled barramundi in lotus leaves, according to a spokesperson.

A Paris cocktail bar returns to New York

Following its New York shutter in 2016, Experimental Cocktail Club is back in New York. The bar originally started in Paris in 2007 (expanded to London and Venice) is opening beneath La Compagnie Flatiron, at 6 W. 24th Street, at Fifth Avenue. Nathalie Durrieu is head bartender; from chef Eric Bolyard.

A few weekend events

Now that fall is in full swing, it’s time for events and festivals. On Saturday, it’s the annual Pig Island BBQ Picnic, featuring two dozen chefs, including Rodrigo Duarte of Newark’s Caseiro e Bom, Robert Austin Cho of Kimchi Smoke in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and Christine Espinal Rosa of Manhattan’s Blue Smoke, in a celebration of meats and barbecue, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens, Staten Island.

One of the longest-running and well-known Indonesian food festivals, the NY Indonesian Food Bazaar, runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at St. James Episcopal Church, Elmhurst, Queens.

And mark your calendars for September 15, for the Queens Momo Crawl. Tickets are $15 and it runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting at Diversity Plaza and along 37th Road between 74th and 75th Street, in Jackson Heights.

2024-09-06T15:13:36Z dg43tfdfdgfd