☞ WALK: Pancho Gringo Exits Manhattanville

The dubiously named restaurant Pancho Gringo has shuttered in Manhattanville after opening three months ago. As reported at the end of last September, the distinct Thai Latin Restaurant known as Talay went under new management and changed its name to Pancho Gringo. Most folks still called it Talay since the original facade and name were still on the building. When we walked by last week, the circular Pancho Gringo sign had vanished and Talay only remained. The space could really be something under the right management, but they need to get the taste level right in the place. Fusion went out the with the 90's, so focusing on a talented chef and authentic, pure cuisine might be some good advice to follow. Next door's Covo Trattoria, the Italian eatery seems to be doing okay with this scenario. Read more about Pancho Gringo and Talay in our past post: LINK. The restaurant formerly known as Pancho Gringo is at 701 West 135th Street and 12th Avenue. Take the 1 train to 125th Street or 137th Street. Photo by Ulysses

☞ INTRODUCING: Phuket Replaces Talay

The fusion trend over at the former Talay space in Manhattanville might just be over with the arrival of the lounge called Phuket.  Many might remember that Talay closed its Asian and Latin fusion operations a couple of years back and was replaced by a short lived Mexican bistro.  The name Talay somehow still stuck around in both incarnations so many folks were confused about what was actually going on with the business.  To make matters even more perplexing was the fact that the space was trying to be a serious restaurant and a nightclub at the same time which did not quite work out.  Check out the new photos of Phuket after the jump.

☞ EAT: Talay Becomes Pancho Gringo

Ouch?! The swank Thai-Latin eatery with huge Asian Foo Dogs out front is changing to a Mexican Bistro called Pancho Gringo. Okay, Talay was not perfect. It was a lot of splash with some issues on substance, and management could have been a little better. Also, fusion food is not really the trend these days and the food world is really going back towards authentic cuisine. The majority of new places that are not successful usually missed out on a few details and are behind the times in some way.

All that said, a high-end Mexican restaurant is a good idea, but we are a little disturbed by the name of it. Hey, we all know what the definition of Gringo is. So what are they trying to do here? Entice more Columbia students and food critics uptown or are they trying to scare them away (yes, the name is scary)? The new restaurants in town that are doing well have the food, decor, service and taste level in place. What many of the uptown entrepreneurs do not get is that the food scene is a Manhattan scene, so they must know what is going on downtown to be successful. It might be best to hire some consultants that have worked in successful businesses in other parts of Manhattan before fully getting into this one.

Finally, one should have a proper opening and not hang a fabric tarp on the front of the building to debut a new restaurant. Seriously, what does the huge dragon-like statue out front have to do with Mexican food? Photo by Ulysses

☞ DRINK: Talay

The fiery golden gods await you at Talay. Actually they are Asian Foo Dogs with golden orbs for eyes and coral flame-like appendi. These two guard this in demand, Thai-Latin restaurant with an upstairs lounge club. A bit on the ostentatious side but well-appointed in intent, the restaurant provides the bang for the buck when it comes to impressing Manhattanville's naysayers on what the possibilities might be for the area. The restaurant gets some authenticity from co-chef King Phojanakong of the Ludlow Street Pan-Asian restaurant, Kuma Inn. As far as the club lounge goes, it's a strict formal dress code especially for the guys. No work boots, sneakers, tee-shirts or ripped jeans, so show up polished. This two-tiered restaurant is part of the northern Viaduct Valley, which Columbia does not own, and is one of the pioneer establishments along the row. 701 West 135th Street and 12th Avenue. Take the 1 train to 125th Street or 137th Street, depending on which direction you are coming from.

☞ WALK: Foo Dog Statues Removed at Talay

Talay over on 12th Avenue in Manhattanville has been closed well over a year but the dramatic Foo Dog sculptures had lingered out front for some time until recently.  The fusion latin-asian restaurant and club switched over to different management for a short spell under the name Poncho Gringo but that eatery was short lived.  As of the past year, the space at 135th Street was rented out for a few events but now it looks like the owners have cleaned house as of late (all other signage is still up). Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Fairway, Hudson River Cafe and Covo have all set up on the west side of 12th Avenue in the past and have done well so maybe a less club-like eatery would be a better fit for success.

☞ EAT: Pancho Gringo Gets Its New Signage

We didn't like that Talay, in West Harlem's Manhattanville, was changing its name to Pancho Gringo but reality has just set in now that the new sign has been put up on the roof this afternoon. This type of sign is actually quite cool and industrial looking but the choice of theme could have been handled better. Old signs like these remind us of the Pepsi Cola sign in Long Island City, the Domino Sugar sign in Brooklyn and the old clubs of Harlem. See our previous post on Talay to get the full story: LINK

☞ READ: Last Week's Most Viewed Posts

Here is the list of last week's most viewed post and comment count.

1. Phuket Replaces Talay (10)
2. 532 West 150th Street Sold in July (2)
3. 115 West 119th Street Brownstone
4. The Balton Ready to Rent (4)
5. 602 West 138th Street in Contract (1)
6. Sidewalk Cafe at Applebee's (1)
7. The 125th Street Farmers Market (1)
8. The Pink Teacup Still Arriving to Harlem? (2)
9. Halk's Cottage on Pleasant Ave (3)
10. What's Up with 237 West 138th? (1)

☞ READ: Last Month's Most Talked about Posts

Below is the list of last month's most talked about post and comments

1. Mixed-Income for Randolph Houses (19)
2. Inside Graham Court circa 1915 (13)
3. Phuket Replaes Talay (10)
4. Fresh Direct in Harlem (7)
5. The Frederick D. Circle Dedication (7)
6. Langston Hughes House Still on Market (6)
7. West 112th Street Newstand Up for Lease (6)
8. 200 Lenox Preps for Pink Teacup (6)
9. Progress at Old Vinegar Hill Space (5)
10. New Store at 183 Lenox Avenue (5)

☞ LISTEN: Body Restaurant & Lounge

Has Manhattanville's club Body closed? Walking by the space on Saturday, we noticed that all the flags and signage have been removed on the front. A check on their website shows up blank also.

We liked the idea of the many businesses along the abandoned train station in the northern section of the viaduct valley on 12th Avenue and 135th Street, but this particular club seemed a little off in the mix of things. Talay, which shares the same building, actually looks like a real club and has a popular restaurant and an upstairs lounge. Covo, the next door Italian restaurant, has that downtown edge to it and great food, along with a lounge upstairs. Approaching Body, the name of the club and sombre black flags looked like the space was a spa or a gym. The interior was new and contemporary, but not that exciting.

The location is ideal for a club, but maybe at this point, they are thinking up a better angle for the entire look and feel of the place. Also, most downtown clubs always mix things up, so they can get the most out of a diverse clientele. Nights during the week change from hip hop to retro themes, to goth crowds or to gay nights, so that it is not the same seven days a week. New York clubs have longevity because they appeal to a broader audience, and keeping things local is not so great if the goal is to have a busy night every day of the week.

CONSTRUCTION: DEVELOPMENT AT 701 WEST 135TH

Harlem Bespoke:  We received news from a hospitality group that has already started developing the 701 West 135th Street which used to house the club Talay, Phuket, Suite and Italian eatery Covo but never really took off as destination location but that is all about to change.  Construction has now started at the former train station depot and some exciting news is at hand.

☞ REVIVE: The West 125th Street Train Station

With all the news this week on the failed attempt by the MTA to develop a new train station on Manhattan's west side at 60th Street, it was easy to miss out on the fact that a station to be developed at Riverside and West 125th Street is a go. Currently, the only way to get directly to the train station on the west side is by going to the Marble Hill stop all the way up in the early West 200's (which technically is the Bronx) on the 1 line. There was an old train station at 130th Street and Riverside in the 19th century but it was demolished in the early 1920's (top photo circa 1925 - after the fact).

Seeing that there are already some structures and businesses in Manhattanville that already exist at far West 125th Street, we were left wondering were the station would actually be built. That modernist cube space that's up for rent (second photo) would probably fit perfectly since it is already at that location and sits right under the tracks on the south side of 125th. The second choice would have the have the MTA wheel and deal with Fairway to commandeer their parking and warehouse space on the north side of the street. Otherwise, they might just have to move up a little further north since the old Talay space is still available. We haven't seen any plans yet but all should be revealed in the upcoming months. Stay tuned. The closest station to this location is the 1 train at 125th Street. Read more about what's brewing with the MTA: LINK. Archival photo courtesy NYPL. Current photos by Ulysses

CONSTRUCTION: 14-STORY TOWER BY THE VIADUCT?

Harlem Bespoke: We have reported that a major restaurant development will arrive over at 701 West 135th Street and 12th Avenue but a local activist has just advised that the former Talay building might end up as a luxury residential development with views of the Hudson.  Apparently a developer has put in a proposal for a 14-story residential building on the site that used to be all commercial spaces and everything will be up for zoning review at the local community board. More recent DOB permits suggests that restaurant renovations are currently planned but it appears that anything can happen when it comes to riverside property.

Those who are concerned about having a large residential component arriving to the 12th Avenue commercial corridor should stop by the Community Board 9 Land Use and Zoning meeting on Wednesday, November 13th at 583 Riverside Drive by 135th Street, 7th Floor Gallery, from 6:30PM to 8:30PM.  Email to add your name to a list of locals following this development and also to get more info: FriendsofRSD@gmail.com


More details on the original Manhattanville restaurant district concept can be found in our past post: LINK

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