La Rosita was at 2809 Broadway, on the west side, between 108th and 109th. La Bella China (which, I believe, closed earlier) was on the east side of the same block, at 2816. La Ronda was a bar, just above it, on the southeast corner of 109th.
With a really great jukebox, it should be said.
Third Phase! What a memory you have. Been racking my brains for the name and location. I had vague recollection of a below ground space on a corner but could not place exactly where. Guess I had too many pitchers of beer there that impacted my recall.
Did they serve pizza? My foggy memory says yes but I’m not sure.
Ah yes…La Rosita and there was also La Casita up on Broadway at 107 St. They both were very popular had the best Latin food but unfortunately disappeared with more gentrification on the one hand and Kentucky Fried Chicken on the other! Go figure!
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yes, with a curving counter and cellophane wrapped donuts. I actually drank the coffee, too.
I loved La Bella China. 35 cent cafe con leche in the late 1970s. The menu was Dominican on one side, Chinese on the other.
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gads yes. the nights I spent in that place with Raj and Eric Hanson downing pitchers. and they did have pizza.
oh yes, Ta-Kome was the mandatory sandwich counter, being so close to the main gate of Columbia. nearby Salter’s Bookstore.
Cuban, no?
There were lots of Cuban Chinese places throughout Manhattan in the '70s, mostly owned by folks who fled China then, years later, fled Cuba. I loved eating in these places. Sweet plantains, chicken pieces w/rice & beans, all with egg rolls and noodle soup. And cheap.
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Prince’s, (or Amir’s) is the felafel place I recall.
Sahmad , more of a grocery than a restaurant, is good to recall. I used to buy wonderful bread and pate there more evenings than I should have in the late 70s.
Amir’s was there when I was, I think, but Amy’s was much more popular. “A wholesome meal in a sandwich!”
Amy,s became a small chain but if it was in Morningside Heights it was after I moved. Lived there 1969-80. Felafel was a new thing to me, introd by a roomate returning from a year in Jerusalem. Went to what I think was the first Amys i think University place, later s of Lincoln Ctr
I have no recollection of either Amy or Amir. Where were they? The only falafel I can recall was there used to be a food cart vendor who was right by the gates on 116th street. I personally don’t get the appeal of falafel.
Jen: I graduated college in May '74 and moved to W.107 St off Bdway for a year. Amy’s was one of my go to places during that time. It was on Bdway, but I cant recall what streets it was between. I remember it being south of 116th but north of Tom’s, so I’d guess 112th or so. I believe it was the 1st Amy’s, before the one in the Village opened, but my memory is far from perfect. I do remember returning years later and the falafel place was still there, but its name was no longer Amy’s.
Probably you’re right. Many places in that neighborhood were Cuban Chinese. For some reason I recall that La Bella China was Dominican, and referred to it that way in my diaries. It was a real hole in the wall, but they had a serious expresso machine to make their coffee, and I used to hang there often. I was undergrad at columbia 1978 - 1980.
Well, we overlapped! I moved from Barnard down to105th and Bway at the end of 1972, then up to 114th and RSD from 1975 to 80. So I dont remember an Amys on the broadway strip during that time., whereas there were Amys stores first in the village, later s of Lincoln Center and, if I remember correctly, also on 114th over toward Stytown. It was decidedly Israeli style felafel, chickpea based. Amirs which was more palestinian style (greener, moister, more like Mamouns) however opened up on the w side of bway - it was there while I was in law school. So this is puzzling to me.
If you were there at that time maybe you remember the good chinese places, particularly Harbin Inn, on upper bway, or the first thai appearances, the thai grocery store that was briefly at 106th and broadway, amd maybe even the thais that briefly took over the old bar across the street and started cooking there? I vividly remember a dessert they served with onion in it… and lastly the great food at Tacita d’Oro, a bit further downtown?
Pretty sure Amy’s was on the same block as the grocery store - Mama’s? I can’t recall where Amir’s was.
I still don’t believe that Amy’s was in Morningside heights before 1980 when we moved away. Then again I was pretty much working 24/7 at that point…
I have no recollection of Amy’s but the 70s time frame would have been before I came to NYC for school. I guess that’s why I am struggling to recall it.
Amy’s was there. Between 112th and 113th Street on Broadway.
One morning I got up and saw a car sticking out the front of the newly opened shop. Somebody had crashed through the front wall during the night. Double-checking the Spectator archive, I found an ad from Feb 1979 that lists this location and the opening of 72nd St branch. So I guess there were already a half dozen around the city by then.
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