STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Next year on Sept. 30, there should be a pandemic reunion where we can collectively salute these weird times in which we’ve all lived. That date will mark the one year anniversary of indoor dining’s return in 2020. It will be a day either to cry in our beer together or get a hearty laugh remembering the things we considered to be normal right now -- like dining in the street or legally drinking beer in a parking lot.
Whether we smile or scowl at these thoughts in the future, right now with the heat or cold and the bees, outdoor seating can be an endurance test. And then there’s the exhaust from buses and cars passing the whole setup. I find myself at eye-level sometimes with customers while sitting in traffic.
“Hey, Dave!”
Jody's Club Forest in West Brighton
At least we know each others' names. It makes me feel like less of an interloper. And I do like the look of some of these “Open Restaurants."
Joyce Powers and husband Ed North haven’t been out to eat since March. They used to hit up Sanma Sushi in Bulls Head a few times a week, but getting out just once recently for lunch proved a nice reintroduction to the spot. Powers does not like sushi “to go” and even on a sweltering September day in full sun, the parking lot view was perfectly OK. It was good to be back.
To appreciate some of the “finer” asphalt arrangements these days, let’s take a look at some of the more, shall we say, “rustic” ones.
In the sunny lot of Sanma Sushi restaurant, Bulls Head.
The award for “Most Terrifying” outdoor setup goes to a restaurant on Victory Boulevard in its numerical lower section where patrons can enjoy Mexican food in a bus lane. It’s kind of a weird swath of the road to begin with because it forks to the left, potentially branching off into Corson Avenue, which can be a surprising twist (literally) to someone new driving along the strip. The eatery’s management covered the view of oncoming traffic with potted plants, which likely inspires a little more confidence in the perch. It is a curious sight with the loose brown tarp so it does beg for attention. While I do see a car with blinkers on parked in front of it fairly regularly and, the other day, a pile of garbage near orange cones, it is unclear if those are meant as buffers for the patrons.
Farther up this serpentine part of Victory is Dosa Garden, a treasured Sri Lankan restaurant with an outdoor section at the top of a parking lot. While shielded fairly well from street traffic it can be an interesting experience for the diner as cars drive past them into the lot. Tables at the Tompkinsville spot are pitched at an angle as the lot works down an incline. The perk of the place these days: Dosa had a hand washing sink installed right here in this shaded area. And good news, the pitch isn’t steep enough for a dosa to roll off the plate.
Parking lot dining at Dosa Garden in Tompkinsville requires adjusting to an angle.
The structure in front of Don Chucho in West Brighton is more of an advertisement than hospitable seating spot. It might remind one of an altar.
The impossibly tiny street setup at Don Chucho.
As the name suggests, Applebee’s Expressway affords the sights and sounds of I-278. The umbrellas make it work.
Applebee's Expressway in Bulls Head.
The setups at Kettle Black and HoBrah have come a long way and have maintained a strong following. Quickly after outdoor dining started in Phase 2 back on June 22, both street setups were capped by concrete blocks.
The road to alfresco eating on the road was paved with a few potholes: it started with few guidelines and many inspections from various agencies.
The Kettle Black added lighting at night for the West Brighton pub's street setup. (Courtesy of Rob Casatelli)
Tommy Casatelli of both restaurants said, “The first learning curve was in the beginning when they said ‘get creative.’ Then a couple of weeks later they said, Here are the guidelines.” Those ranged from specific dimensions to a certain number of inches into the street. His businesses built up quickly to get patrons in their seats in June. But Kettle and Hobrah had to pivot -- that has become the word of the year -- on the design.
Said Casatelli, “For us we had to basically change everything. The learning curve was a big curve. Everyone’s shellshocked and trying to get to Wednesday with the indoor dining. It’s been very frustrating and it has not been an easy process.” Kettle and Hobrah have taken nicely to the streets, though. Customers are loving the strings of lights and seasonal flowers.
Ho'Brah in West Brighton offers an alcove for seating as well as the street setup.
“We keep rolling with the punches,” said Casatelli.
I asked an MTA driver what it’s like operating a bus through the street setups. Driving mostly in Lower Manhattan, she said from her high vantage point, “The dining setups are done really well.” She thinks they’re sweet.
And she also feels the borough and New York City need to get on with things.
Sitting along Van Riper Street at Brother's in Port Richmond.
“Yes, we need to wear masks, gloves and not get in people’s faces but we need to keep on living and working,” she said, adding, “Some of this is detrimental to our public mental health. We need some normalcy for our old and children.”
After six months of no indoor dining, our restaurants will echo such a sentiment.
Keep in touch.
Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.
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