Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

February 1st. That’s the date Joanne (70 West 68th, near Columbus), the restaurant venture from Lady Gaga’s dad (aka Joe Germanotta) and celebrity chef Art Smith, will finally open its doors.

Originally scheduled to open by Thanksgiving, then pushed back to sometime around New Years, the much-talked about restaurant is now officially taking reservations for 2/1/12.

Urban Daddy had a brief write-up earlier today, along with a photo gallery showing a variety of interior shots. Per UD:

If you’re expecting some avant-garde restaurant where the walls are made out of veal and the pasta is shaped like kazoos, stop.

The aesthetic here is very homey. Exposed brick. Antique candles on every table. A private room with a kitchen-facing window. And a patio out back with a working fireplace (remember this the next time the temperature breaks 40).

A patio with a fireplace? Nice! (although how long do you think it will take before the neighbors start complaining about noise?) The interior photos certainly look appealing.

I took the photo to the right a few days ago, although a hostess I spoke with earlier today indicated that the bar’s “open” status is “hit-or-miss.” She thinks they should be open on Friday night and for the Giants game this weekend. It’s probably best to call ahead (212-721-0068).

The restaurant’s website is up-and-running, although it’s still a work in progress (i.e. there’s not much information available).

As chef Smith told Grub Street last month, Joanne will feature “a menu that combines Germanotta’s Italian heritage with Smith’s Southern upbringing.”

I don’t know if I can officially call this a “hot opening,” but there’s certainly a lot of hype surrounding it given the combo of a celebrity chef and a celebrity dad. Time will tell if the restaurant is any good, but it’s nice to see that after a few false starts they’re almost ready to open. The space was previously home to Italian restaurant Vince & Eddie’s, which closed in March after 20+ years of business.

Elsewhere…

In a small closing note, MUW reader Jim reports that Uneeda Check Cashing (2642 Broadway, between 100th/101st) is closed. A sign in the window points people towards their location at 261 W. 109th, near Broadway.

I doubt anyone is overly attached to a nondescript check cashing business, so this is mostly of note because there’s now some empty retail space on Broadway (and because I like the name). Hopefully something a little more interesting will take over the spot.

Filed under: Celebrities, Food & Drink, Going Out, Manhattan, New York City, News, NYC, Openings/Closings, Restaurants, Upper West Side, Upper West Side Blog, UWS 2 Comments »
Tags: 2642 Broadway, 70 W 68, 70 West 68, celebrity, celebrity chef, Chef Art Smith, Closing, Joanne, Joe Germanotta, Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga's dad, Lady Gaga's father, New York City, NYC, Opening, Uneeda Check Cashing, Upper West Side, UWS, Vince & Eddie's