Fifth Avenue - NY Post

Wasn't Cucina here before 200 Fifth...and Aunt Suzie's there before both of 'em? Cucina was mos def the first of the Nice places, and the only one for a loooong time.

Wasn't Cucina here before 200 Fifth...and Aunt Suzie's there before both of 'em? Cucina was mos def the first of the Nice places, and the only one for a loooong time.

If my history is correct, Aunt Suzie's, A&S and a few others were there when that area of the Slope was mostly working class Italian and Irish. Cucina's and 200 5th were trying to cater to the "gentrifiers" moving in during the late '80's and early '90's. After that it seemed everyone who opened a upscale restaurant was trying to not only keep people from going to Manhattan for the same thing, but trying to lure Manhattanites as well.

If my history is correct, Aunt Suzie's, A&S and a few others were there when that area of the Slope was mostly working class Italian and Irish. Cucina's and 200 5th were trying to cater to the "gentrifiers" moving in during the late '80's and early '90's. After that it seemed everyone who opened a upscale restaurant was trying to not only keep people from going to Manhattan for the same thing, but trying to lure Manhattanites as well.

yes, Cucina was there before 200 5th I believe, not sure about Aunt Suzie's, I thought they were neck and neck with 200 5th, time wise that is

Any way to find out or look up what year certain businesses started? That would be a handy tool

200 5th: 1986; expanded in the 1990s
Aunt Suzie's: 1987
Cucina: 1990

Incidentally El Viejo Yayo has been open since 1963 if we include previous owners & a previous name (Blanco's). It too expanded in the 1990s.

Aunt Suzie's is only 1987??? I could swear that I remember them to at least '75 when my family moved to Park Slope. How about Tonio's?

Not sure about Tonio's, but the Patrick Nagel-style artwork on their walls strongly suggests an early-to-mid 1980s vintage.

You're the zebra...

Idlewild wrote: Aunt Suzie's is only 1987??? I could swear that I remember them to at least '75 when my family moved to Park Slope. How about Tonio's?

OK, that makes sense, I remember Aunt Suzie's opening about the same time I had moved here.

What's the place that used to be there before Moutard? Wasn't it a steakhouse that had been there forever? I never at there and have never eaten at Moutard either!

Also how long was Beso there?

Before Moutarde, there was a steakhouse there for maybe a couple of years, far from forever! Before the steakhouse (which I believe was there maybe 2 years), that corner was a funeral home. The funeral home however had been there forever, LOL

Beso I am not sure about, but it certainly was not an old timer.

How long was Snookys around on 7th?

Beso: late 1999 or thereabouts till 2007; before that it was Firebird Café

Snooky's: late '60s/early '70s till 2007

hey zebra, where are you getting these dates from? You are an encyclopedia of them!

Amateur sleuthing! The best place is to look at old restaurant reviews in newspaper or magazine archives (the Times has an online one; so does New York magazine). It's best when they say something like "this new eatery is only two weeks old" or something like that, so then you can date it precisely. Lots of restaurants frame their earliest reviews & put them on display. I've also learned a lot just talking to owners or staff. When 5th Ave. started to explode I got curious & starting asking a lot of questions of oldtimers. And then, I guess I have a good head for remembering dates. If you really want to geek out, the main library has old telephone directories on microfilm you can look through, including special ones indexed by street. From 1999 on the Chowhound archives will tell you everything you want to know about restaurant openings & closings.