Indoor Dining May Shut Down On Monday, & More Restaurant News

Saturday Activity: Buy Dessert & Flip the Senate

This coming Saturday is the Flip The Senate Bake Sale - an event that feels like so many of our current desires stockpiled into one afternoon. All of the proceeds will benefit Rev. Raphael Warnock’s and Jon Ossoff’s Georgia run-off campaigns, as well as voting rights non-profits The New Georgia Project and Fair Fight. Here’s how it works: pre-order your pastries online between noon on Thursday, December 10th and 10pm on Friday, December 11th. Then, you pick up your desserts at The Fly in Bed-Stuy on Saturday.

The bake sale will have pastries and sweets from chefs around the city (including Lani Halliday from Brutus Bakeshop, Fany Gerson from Fan Fan Doughnuts, Fabian von Hauske from Contra, Claire Saffitz formerly of Bon Appetit, and more). Since it will likely be freezing, Gertie will also be serving hot cocktails you can buy without any pre-ordering necessary. The bake sale is in partnership with RAD, so expect phone and text banking sign-up stations.

And if you can’t make it to the bake sale in person, check out the website here to donate anyway.

It's Still Tough to Get a Table at via Carota

In case you thought Via Carota might be easier to get into these days, …it’s not. In fact, Via Carota in pandemic times is pretty much exactly the same as Via Carota in normal times - so if you’ve been wanting to visit, our Editorial Director, Katherine Lewin, is here to tell you about her experience:

“I showed up to Via Carota at 3pm, pretty confident the two of us could get a table in that in-between time that’s quiet for most restaurants. I was wrong. Very wrong. The waitlist was closed for lunch, and we were told to come back at 4:30pm, when they start taking names for dinner.

After killing some time walking around the West Village, we headed back to do more waiting at Bar Pisellino (the bar across the street from Via Carota, owned by the same people) until it was our time to line up. That was also too optimistic. There was no getting a seat at Pisellino.

And so we waited. My feelings of hunger-panic intensified. I watched with jealousy as groups of joyous people took their time with bowls of pasta under heat lamps on the street-turned-patio in front of Via Carota.

Around 4:10pm, a small mob began to form in front of the restaurant. That couldn’t be the line already, could it? It could. At 4:34pm, we talked to a host, got our name on the list, and were told we’d have a table in 45 minutes. We overheard a distraught woman telling her group that the waitlist at Via Carota is now closed for dinner - she got in line at 4:30pm, but 4:30pm was too late.

And then, finally, at 5:10pm, it happened: we got the text that made us feel like Chosen Ones. We were seated not on the patio/street, but the sidewalk, where there are no heaters, because heaters turned out to be only for those who have reservations.

I spent the rest of our dinner in a fever (and also, freezing) dream of pasta and wine and tiramisu, watching a constant parade of hopeful humans approach the host and breathlessly ask for a table for 2 or 4 or even 6 - only to be met by rejection. The one, pandemic-era consolation? If you don’t get a table - Via Carota takeout is now an option.”

photo credit: Katherine Lewin

Indoor Dining May Shut Down on Monday

On Monday this week, Governor Cuomo announced that NYC’s indoor dining will end if the hospitalization rate does not stabilize within five days. That could take effect as early as this coming Monday. Read more about recent hospitalization numbers and the new looming policy change here.

Sadly, More Restaurants Are Closing

We keep track of all of the restaurant closings on our guide. This week, we’ve added Blue Smoke, several spots on Staten Island, and more.

NYC Feature

NYC Restaurant Closings

It’s Time to Make a Latke Plan

This Thursday marks the first night of Hanukkah 2020. If you’re not celebrating the same way as you usually do - you’re not alone. Our guide to NYC restaurants offering Hanukkah specials will help things feel slightly more festive.

photo credit: Noah Devereaux

Chef Daniela Soto-Innes Is Leaving Cosme

The chef/partner of Cosme and Atla announced on Instagram on Sunday that she would be leaving both restaurants. Her last day of service will be December 20th. Cosme and Atla both remain open for outdoor and indoor dining service.

photo credit: Noah Devereaux

Planning a Dinner Outside in 35 Degree Weather?

It’s a unique, 2020-specific challenge we’re all familiar with at this point. Use our trusty heat lamp guide to help find a great outdoor restaurant where you won’t need to wear mittens at your table. We’ve organized it by neighborhood, and if you have any tips about a restaurant that should be on this guide, send us an email at nyc@theinfatuation.com.

And if you’re just looking to try one of the city’s best new restaurants for takeout or delivery, use our updated Hit List here.

NYC Feature

NYC Restaurants With Outdoor Heat Lamps