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Photo of the Day: It’s a Wrap at Tom’s Coney Island

Posted in Food, Food & Drink, Photo of the Day, Photography, tagged benefit, Boardwalk, Christmas Eve, Coney Island, Coney Recovers, Tom's Coney Island, Tom's Restaurant on December 23, 2012| 1 Comment »

Grilled Chicken with Greek Salad: Our Fave Wrap at Tom’s, Coney Island Boardwalk. Photo © Tricia Vita

Tom’s Restaurant on the Coney Island Boardwalk miraculously escaped damage from Sandy and has been a popular meeting place for relief efforts. On December 24th from 8am till 5pm, the eatery is having a Christmas Eve “Eat, Drink, Help!” Party to benefit Coney Recovers. All proceeds from the day’s sales will be donated to ongoing relief efforts in the neighborhood. “The more you eat, the more you help!,” says the invite.

ATZ’s fave item on the lunch menu is this Grilled Chicken with Greek Salad Wrap. Also on the menu are Crab Cakes, Hamburgers, Veggie Burgers and a variety of sandwiches. Tom’s famous pancakes and other items on the breakfast menu are served all day. The Veggie Egg White Omelette and Mango Walnut Pancakes, which friends have ordered, are on our must-try list. All pancakes are served with maple syrup and homemade flavored butters.

This Coney Island outpost of the beloved Tom’s of Prospect Heights opened in September. Tom’s Coney Island is currently open daily from 8am till 5pm including Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Closed on Christmas Day.

Tom’s Coney Island, 1229 Boardwalk (at Stillwell Avenue), Brooklyn, NY 11224. Phone 718-942-4200

Coney Island Post-Sandy: A Few Stores Reopen, Most Delayed by Damage

Posted in amusement park, News, tagged Boardwalk, Brooklyn, Coney Island, Hurricane Sandy, local, Sandy, Small Business Saturday, storm damage, Surf Avenue on November 24, 2012| 4 Comments »

Post-Sandy: Ruby’s Bar Same As It Ever Was. Coney Island Boardwalk. November 17, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

Cleanup and recovery efforts, including the replacement of waterlogged sheetrock and restoration of damaged electrical systems, continue at flood-devastated businesses throughout Coney Island. More than three weeks after the storm, relatively few stores have managed to reopen for business. During the peak of Hurricane Sandy, Surf Avenue as well as Mermaid and Neptune Avenues and adjacent streets were submerged in five feet of water that came from the bay, the creek and overflowing sewers with the rising tide.

High Water Mark on Thor Equities Property, Shuttered Nathan’s. November 17, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

Today, the good news was that Key Food, the only supermarket in Coney’s West End, opened for the first time since Hurricane Sandy with temporary generators providing power, according to a press release by the Alliance for Coney Island. Day by day, more stores will reopen and this post, which focuses on the businesses in and around the amusement area, will quickly (we hope) become out-of-date. Today’s other piece of good news was the Mayor’s announcement of a $5.5 million grant program to supplement $15 million in emergency loans offered to the City’s small businesses impacted by Sandy.

SBA Rep At Tom’s Coney Island: Informational Meeting for Assistance to Merchants Affected by the Storm. November 5, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

On the Boardwalk, Ruby’s Bar, Lola Star Boutique and Brooklyn Beach Shop opened for Small Business Saturday, though their building has no power. A few days ago they found out the distribution panel in the basement was destroyed and requires an electrician to repair and certify it before Con Edison will flick the switch. The situation is the same for many throughout Coney Island. No one on the Boardwalk is complaining about the delay because they say many people have it a lot worse. But the business owners would like locals and tourists to know their shops are now open on weekends. “We close at sundown, when we can’t see anything,” said Maya Haddad of Brooklyn Beach Shop. “Thanks to the Square app, we’re able to process credit cards in my cell.”

Coney Island Forever T’s at Lola Star Boutique on the Boardwalk. November 17, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

Next door, Ruby’s Bar powered their jukebox and refrigerator by running extension cords to Tom’s Restaurant, which has electric and is open daily till at least 5pm. At Lola Star Boutique, where “Coney Island Forever” T-shirts were being sold to raise funds for Coney Island’s rebuilding efforts, extension cords replaced the gas-powered generator of last weekend. “In the true spirit of the spunky Coney Island business owner, my shop will be open for holiday shopping although we still don’t have electricity,” Lola Star owner Dianna Carlin wrote in her online diary. “There’s no better place on Earth to celebrate Small Business Saturday than Coney Island.”

Paul’s Daughter, Coney Island Boardwalk. November 17, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

Paul’s Daughter, undamaged except for the Burger Girl statue toppling over and losing her Burger to Sandy, was open through Sunday but is now closed for the season. Closed due to damage from the flooding are the Coney Island amusement area’s three nonprofit attractions: New York Aquarium, Coney Island USA and the Coney Island History Project. All are busy cleaning up and raising funds to rebuild and reopen in the spring. As we reported yesterday, the Aquarium’s annual holiday toy drive has been relocated to Tom’s Restaurant on the Boardwalk, which has also become the de facto gathering spot for meetings on local business recovery.

Coney Island After Sandy: Williams Candy On Surf Ave Reopened on Nov 12. November 17, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

The contrast between the Boardwalk stores, which escaped flood damage, and the rest of Coney Island could not be more stark. On Surf Avenue in the amusement area, one of the first shops to reopen was Williams Candy, which is open daily year-round. Their scrumptious and photogenic marshmallow treats and candy apples were on display as usual in the window. But the scene had a surreal air because everything else on the block was shuttered or being cleaned up. Next door, the original Nathan’s remains closed due to damage to electrical and plumbing. A manager said it is not expected to open until April. But you can still get a hamburger at Tom’s and a hot dog at Ruby’s!

Coney Island After Sandy: Cleanup at Cha Cha’s Surf Avenue, November 17, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

Across the street, Cha Cha’s, which had already been emptied of wrecked furnishings, was being mopped by a man who shooed us away. In Stillwell Terminal, the newstand has reopened but Dunkin Donuts, Magic Gyro, Subway, and Bank of America remain closed. Also shuttered are the Stillwell Terminal outposts of Lola Star Boutique and Coney Island Beach Shop. The Beach Shop’s main store behind Nathan’s remains closed for cleanup as well. Pizza on the Run on both Stillwell Avenue and Mermaid Avenue, as well as Alex Deli Mexican Food on Mermaid have reopened. McDonald’s at Stillwell and Mermaid, which was open 24 hours, is closed and boarded up, and is not expected to reopen for two to three months.

Coney Island After Sandy: McDonald’s on Mermaid Avenue Is Closed and Boarded Up. November 17, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

On the south side of Surf Avenue, Popeye’s Chicken managed to reopen last week. The fast food restaurant relocated to the Popper Building in April and is on the same block as the devastated Eldorado Auto Skooters (“Coney Island’s Eldorado Wins Lease But Bumper Cars Soaked by Sandy,” ATZ, Nov. 13, 2012), Denny’s Ice Cream (“Coney Island Post-Sandy: Mini-Golf or Roller Rink to Replace Denny’s?,” ATZ, Nov 20, 2012) and Coney Island USA’s Freak Bar. Island Grocery remains shuttered. On the north side of Surf, the Karaoke bar has reopened along with the furniture stores. Grimaldi’s Pizzeria is rebuilding and expects to open by the end of the month. Totonno’s on Neptune Avenue is also rebuilding, though no reopening date has been announced. Wildwood Chicken along with Domino’s Pizza and the deli in the plaza on Neptune Avenue at West 12th are open. Today, Coney Island Gyro on Neptune Avenue announced they would be reopening on November 26: “Opening back up to feed the hungry public on Monday…can’t wait to see everybody’s face!!”

Coney Island After Sandy: Dumpster Pulling Up in Front of Gargiulo’s Restaurant, W 15th Street. November 17, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

When we passed by Gargiulo’s century-old Italian restaurant and catering hall on Saturday, a dumpster was being parked out front. Cars destroyed by Sandy were being towed in and out of the restaurant’s parking lot for insurance agents to inspect. More good news today: Gargiulo’s announced via twitter that they would reopen on December 1st…

So the countdown begins … December 1st – we'll be open again!! We'll be a work in progress – good food & more memories – lets start a buzz

— Gargiulo's (@gargiulos) November 23, 2012

UPDATES…

Coney Island’s amusement rides including Luna Park and Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park are closed for the winter and will reopen as usual on Palm Sunday, which is March 24, 2013. See comments section below for updates by readers. We will also post updates on stores and businesses here as time and space allow:

November 25, 2012: Footprints Cafe, home of Rasta Pasta and one of our longtime fave dining spots in Coney, tweeted that they’ll reopen on December 31st. The first New Year’s Eve celebration that we know of on Surf Avenue! Update January 7, 2013: Reopening has been delayed for a couple of weeks.

December 1, 2012: Remas Gourmet deli and Hot Food in the old Terminal Hotel building at the corner of Stillwell and Mermaid Avenues has reopened. Also….

"Just got electricity!" says Brooklyn Beach Shop on Coney Island Boardwalk. @Lola_Star_ and Ruby's Bar too. Please patronize CI businesses

— Amusing the Zillion (@AmusingZillion) December 1, 2012

December 18, 2012: In “Restoring Our Church of Pizza: The Rebuilding and Repairing of Totonno’s After Hurricane Sandy,” food blog Serious Eats reports that Totonno’s Pizzeria hopes to re-open by mid-January. Check out the photos and in-depth story on the family’s efforts by Chris Crowley here.

December 20, 2012: Peggy O’Neill’s on Surf Avenue reopened today. On New Year’s Day, their annual party after the Polar Bear Swim starts at 1pm with entertainment by Cardone and Adam RealMan from 3pm.

December 30, 2012: On New Year’s Eve, good news from Cha Cha’s of Coney Island…

We are in plans to re-open! By spring.

— ChaCha's ConeyIsland (@ChaChasSurfave) December 31, 2012

January 7, 2013: Subway Sandwich Shop in Stillwell Terminal has reopened.

February 6, 2013: Cha Cha’s on Surf Avenue in Coney Island “Officially Closed”

February 15, 2013: Williams Candy Moves Next Door During Post-Sandy Renovation

February 27, 2013: Dunkin Donuts in Stillwell Terminal to reopen in March.

February 28, 2013: Coney Island Shooting Gallery from 1940s Makes Comeback

March 4, 2013: Nathan’s on Coney Island Boardwalk to Open Mid-March, Surf Ave by May

March 5, 2013: Coney Island’s Mermaid Avenue Four Months After Sandy

Last Chance to Ride But Coney Island Is Open Year Round

Posted in amusement park, Events, tagged Boardwalk, Coney Island, Halloween, last weekend, winter, year round on October 25, 2012| 2 Comments »

October sunsets in Coney Island have been intense, a last burst of light and color before the Boardwalk amusement parks shutter for the season. This weekend is your last chance to go for a spin on Coney’s rides until next year’s Palm Sunday opener on March 24, 2013! On Saturday ~~and Sunday~~, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, Luna Park and Scream Zone open at 12 noon. For kids, there’s Saturday’s Halloween Parade, the New York Aquarium’s Ascarium, Spook-A-Rama at Deno’s and Game World’s Haunted Arcade.

Coney’s Halloween haunts start at 6pm with Nights of Horror featuring two mazes and unlimited rides at Luna Park (October 26 thru 28 27). Dick Zigun’s play “Dirty Work at the Wax Works” runs hourly at CreepShow at the Freak Show (October 25 thru 31 27, October 31 TBD). Beginning at 9pm on Friday night, it’ll be “Bump Bump Bump Your Ass Off” for the last time in 2012 and possibly forever– though we hope not– at Coney Island’s Eldorado Disco Palace of Bumper Cars. The last ride weekend party continues on Saturday night and into Sunday morning with go go dancers, a Skeeball Contest, unlimited Bumper car rides and a raffle of Eldorado tricks and treats.

Does this mean Coney Island’s beach and boardwalk close after Halloween? Not at all. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club goes for their first Sunday swim of the season beginning in November. The high point of the Polar Bear season is the New Year’s Day Plunge, which attracted a record 3,000 swimmers this year and an even bigger crowd of onlookers.

Owners of a few of the new and the newly renovated Boardwalk businesses including Tom’s Coney Island, Ruby’s Bar, Brooklyn Beach Shop and Lola Star Boutique tell ATZ they hope to stay open year-round. “Already our shelves are filling up with tons of new holiday gift items and there’s lots more on the way. We are in it for the long haul,” says Lola Star’s Dianna Carlin. “We are installing a glass storefront and we’ll be open, weather permitting, all winter long!” Michael and Melody Sarrel of Ruby’s Bar have also ordered a glass front – it’s removable in the summertime — to keep out the wintry wind while preserving the famous view of the boardwalk.