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Long After Death, Mayor LaGuardia Influences NY Dining
By
Hugh Merwin
Published Apr 14, 2009
Modified Apr 14, 2009
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By
Hugh Merwin
Published Apr 14, 2009
Modified Apr 14, 2009
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None other than New York’s original three-term mayor Fiorello LaGuardia is poised to make a comeback (of sorts), and in turn influence the way New York eats. Last week, contents of the former Caffé on the Green—one-time Queens home of “the Little Flower” mayor—were auctioned off in order to make room for a new Italian restaurant operated by vets of restaurants Aureole and Tribeca Grill. Caffé on the Green’s owners were evicted by the city January 1; the new restaurant will be called Valentino’s on the Green (after another famous tenant) and will serve “classic Italian cuisine elevated to meet today’s tastes.” Elsewhere, the LaGuardia-founded La Marqueta in East Harlem, a longtime destination for fresh food, is once again angling for redesign and a reopening. Founded in 1932 (La Marqueta’s Brooklyn sister opened in 1941), the five-parcel Harlem spot spans two buildings and 50,000 sq. feet of land from 111th Street to 116th Street. NYC EDC is currently looking for food-related ideas for La Marqueta; its Brooklyn counterpart, also founded by LaGuardia, was given a reprieve in January.
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chefs
Fiorello LaGuardia
Valentino’s on the green. La marqueta
Hugh Merwin
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