SoHo Restaurants (Part I): Gastronomic Postcards

Sean Sweeney, Director of the SoHo Alliance, recently shared his fabulous collection of postcards from SoHo restaurants with me (he is an avid postcard collector). Some of the restaurants are long gone, some recently gone, some still hanging on. I thought this would be a great way to close out the year. Tune in next month for a deeper dive into some of our favorite eateries. Cheers, bon appétit, and see you in 2019!

I Tre Merli
I Tre Merli, a one-time SoHo hotspot, was at 463 West Broadway from 1985-2013.
Fanelli's
Fanelli Cafe photographed by Gail Greig ca. 1997 when Ciao Bella was in residence.
Broome Street Bar
This postcard features “Happy Hour” an oil on canvas painting by Robert Cenedella of the scene at Broome Street Bar, which was very popular with artists back in the day and is still a hotspot at 363 West Broadway at Broome Street.
Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike, at 59 Grand Street, still packs them in, especially on weekends.
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Puck Fair
Puck Fair, an Irish Pub with live music, closed in 2016 after 16 years on Lafayette Street.
Milady's
The verso of this postcard reads “DARN GOOD FOOD.” Milady’s was at 160 Prince Street at the corner of Thompson Street.
Prince Street Bar
At the Prince Street Bar, at 125 Prince Street, you could order vodka in your gazpacho, Amaretto on your Haagen Dazs, as well as fancy cocktails.
Jerry's
Jerry’s, at 101 Prince Street, was the place to be in the 90’s, “pricey, shiny, and slavishly chasing after every hip trend” according to New York Magazine, a symbol of NEW (post-artist community) SoHo.
Renato
The verso of this postcard reads “Established in 1923, bar and dining room decorated by famous Tony Sarg, North Italian and French cooking.”
Ray's
The motto of this supposedly ORIGINAL original Ray’s Pizza at 27 Prince Street was “It always pays to eat at Ray’s.” Open 1959-2011.
Savoy
This postcard from Savoy, the restaurant that was at the corner of Prince and Crosby from 1990-2011, depicts the restaurant that preceded it, Crosby Lunch, photographed in 1972 by Jody Salsow.
Rialto
Rialto, at 265 Elizabeth Street, was a momentary hotspot when this portion of Little Italy was re-dubbed NoLiTa in the early 2000’s.
Balthazar
Balthazar, opened in 1997 by Keith McNally, is still going strong at 80 Spring Street.
Vesuvio
And finally, not a restaurant, but a place that fed SoHo for many years, Vesuvio Bakery, with owner Tony Dapolito, photographed by Gail Greig.