25473: Minsky: (observation) NYC Haitian Restaurant upper west side (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tequila Minsky <tminsky@ix.netcom.com>


Taken from Myra Alperson's e-mail. Myra leads "eating" tours of NYC
Myra writes:
 I've seen quite a bit of change over the years, but one of the most striking 
was the transformation that recently took place at Krik-Krak, a tiny Hatian 
restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue and 101st STreet on the Upper West Side. For 
years it was a bare-bones place whose clients seemed mostly to be Haitian taxi 
drivers, but they did a brisk take-out business, too. There were a handful of 
tables, a blaring TV set, and a few paintings of Haitian street scenes. Then it 
closed a month or so ago. Distressed, I phoned to find out if it was really 
closed and learned that it was being renovated. Krik-Krak reopened on June 11 
as a totally different type of place, set more like one of those exclusive 
little restaurants in the West Village: about five tables set with table cloths 
and full table-setting; the paintings of street scenes were replaced with more 
sophisticated Haitian paintings and brass sculptures. The lighting was more 
restrained. The menu is currently the same as before, but the ambiance 
indicates that a different type of customer is being sought, and bespeaks the 
"culinary tourism" movement in which folks like you and me are venturing out 
for "real" ethnic food in neighborhoods all over NYC. I'll be interested to see 
if Krik-Krak is successful.

I brought over a group of folks from last Sunday's Upper West Side NoshWalk to 
taste acra, a delicious type of Haitian dumpling. The owners were very 
friendly, very excited to see the group and to show off the restaurant. I wish 
them luck - it will be interesting to see if it takes hold! Haitian food is 
very good, and it's difficult to find it beyond the neighborhoods in Brooklyn 
and Queens where many Haitians live.


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