THURSDAY 12/22 More going on here than rent hikes according to NY Post. Silvano’s wife of 12 years, Marissa Acocella, is divorcing him. She wanted to see the restaurant’s books. But the restaurant is now closed, and so are the books. Silvano’s talking about moving to Italy. There will be a lot more going on here…Arrivederci, Silvano!
WEDNESDAY 12/21 Da Silvano is no more.
The New York Post reports that Silvano Marchetto has shut down his famed celebrity spot, overpriced but always fun, after 4o years.
Da Silvano was the home of the $52 lambchop, so let’s start there. It was unaffordable even if you were rich. But it didn’t matter. Between the wonderful outdoor patio and the cozy Tuscan restaurant indoors, you were always bound to see someone famous, a movie star, a media star, whoever. Madonna, Sean Penn, Rihanna, Graydon Carter– you name it.
And while Silvano was crotchety, he was also fun and welcoming.
Cause of death: the rent. The Post says it was up to $41,000 a month. And this is a small restaurant.
What will replace it? A bank? Another CVS? Thanks to greedy landlords, New York is being destroyed. There are dozens of open storefronts for rent everywhere. On Bleecker Street in particular, many signs are up. Small businesses, artisans, designers, all the “interesting places” that people come to see on the weekends– they are disappearing very quickly.
You can thank Mike Bloomberg. He put this in motion. DeBlasio has done nothing. In the era of Trump, it will just go on and on.
