☞ INTRODUCING: Cafe Bagutta

Back up the hill of Morningside Park, one will find the the former Cafe Fresh has been replaced in less than three weeks of its closing by the brand new Cafe Bagutta. Just opened this week, the former contemporary space has been replaced by a decidedly more European, old-school feel with an aged copper storefront and striking gold leaf signage. Fashionista Marc Bagutta (founder of the famous 1990's Soho uber boutique, Bagutta, to which all Parsons students went for research) opened the space with the ambitious goal of bringing downtown Manhattan uptown. We have yet to stop by, but the service issues that plagued the former Cafe Fresh should all be rectified at this well-appointed establishment. Cafe Bagutta is located at 1241 Amsterdam Avenue between West 120th and West 121st Street. Tel.(212) 222-6340. Take the A, C, B, D to 125th Street or the 1 train to 116th Street. Photo by Ulysses

☞ BESPOKE: Striped Awnings

Morningside Heights' brand-new Cafe Bagutta has added a very bespoke awning to its vintage exterior. As we mentioned in the prior post, we absolutely adore retro stripes on a storefront, and Bagutta's aqua and white stripe awning adds some downtown panache to the usual solid assortments of awnings found above 110th Street. Of course, there are a couple of other businesses in the area that have achieved the same charm including Lee Lee's Bakery in South Harlem and Bagutta's neighbor a block north, Kitchenette. Cafe Bagutta is located at 1241 Amsterdam Avenue between West 120th and West 121st Street. Tel.(212) 222-6340. Take the A, C, B, D to 125th Street or the 1 train to 116th Street.

☞ EAT: Dinner at Cafe Bagutta

Cafe Bagutta is only a week old, and we ventured out this weekend to see what to try for dinner. During the day, it's all coffee fare, so we were unclear of what the evening would entail since there was not a separate supper menu. We learned that, alongside the list of pastries and coffees, there was a dinner section that was sort of a test menu for this new spot. While there isn't a liquor license yet, the wine shop across the street enables you to BYOB for a recession-friendly culinary experience.

The place is new, and the staff is still trying to work things out. When served our orders, we were not sure of what to expect. Pleasantly and surprisingly, the meal was excellent. The seared salmon was fresh and well-seasoned with crisp, butter potatoes (picture). Then there was the hangar steak, which was cooked to perfection in a red wine sauce. The space has been made much larger, but folks in the nabe are used to going to the previous restaurant for breakfast and lunch only, so the word needs to get out that this is a great place to swing by for dinner and the prices are quite reasonable for the quality of the food. Just be patient with the service since they are new! See our previous post on the restaurant: LINK. Cafe Bagutta is located at 1241 Amsterdam Avenue between West 120th and West 121st Street. Tel.(212) 222-6340. Take the A, C, B, D to 125th Street or the 1 train to 116th Street.