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The City's Silliest-Named Restaurant Is No More
By
Miranda Katz
Published Nov 15, 2015
Modified Nov 15, 2015
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Nell Casey/Gothamist
By
Miranda Katz
Published Nov 15, 2015
Modified Nov 15, 2015
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Burlap Sack has tatered its last tot: the all-potato restaurant in Murray Hill has closed, but not necessarily because of its name or starch-heavy menu. The restaurant's landlord, the Riese Organization, plans to level the building at 507 Third Avenue along with five others around it to make room for a 150,000 square foot retail complex, according to the Commercial Observer. The new development will come equipped with one of the chain restaurants that is the Riese Organization's bread (or baked potato skin) and butter.
"My plans still are to knock some or all of the buildings down so I could build a new [TGI] Friday's on the second floor, with quality retail stores on the street," CEO Dennis Riese told the website.
Burlap Sack's name may not be appetizing, but we were actually pleasantly surprised when we visited the place earlier this year. The menu, overseen by former head chef of Dos Toros Taqueria Miguel Franco, allowed customers to pile organic meats, cheeses, vegetables, and sauces on one of five potato-dish variations, creating what they called a gut bomb. The menu was gluten free, and, if the comments on the Sack's Facebook page are any indication, beloved by local anti-glutites.
There is some hope for fans. A message posted to the restaurant's website and Facebook page indicates the owners are looking for new digs:
We are working very hard to find a new location as quickly as possible given the publicly discussed building demolition. We would like to thank all of our loyal customers, our hardworking and caring employees, and all of our other supporters that made this first location a reality. While the news is sad, we are excited by the reception we received in Murray Hill and look forward to opening our newest location in New York City.
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burlap sack
closings
murray hill
potatoes
restaurants
Miranda Katz
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