Times Critic Actually Likes Salt Bae’s Restaurant

Pete Wells has his say on Salt Bae

Since Salt Bae opened his Turkish steakhouse Nusr-et in Midtown, critics have been like moths to his theatrical flame. Eater, GQ, and the Post have already weighed in (and it looks like New York magazine will soon), so of course top dog Times critic Pete Wells had to get in on the action. He seemed to actually enjoy the food — “Oh, we ate the steak, too. It was rare in patches and medium-rare in others, but apart from that it was terrific” — but was left annoyed about the high prices and eventual departure of Salt Bae.

A story of food carts and love

There’s a sweet story of a couple who have run a popular food cart on 48th Street and Broadway for the last 25 years. Evangelos and Edith Spanoudakis wake up at 11:30 p.m. daily to make sure they’re at their corner by 5 a.m., building such a loyal following that Morgan Stanley bankers nearby pitched in $3,000 to buy a trailer hitch so they could more easily haul their cart.

Openings, closings, and coming attractions

Taking over the old Graffiti space at 224 East 10th St. between First and Second avenues is new Greek restaurant The Athenian. Nearby at the corner of Second Avenue and 12th Street, Lumos Kitchen will open, which EV Grieve reports is an “apparent” expansion of former baijiu bar Lumos. It also looks like dumpling spot Tasty Dumpling has shuttered, with the windows papered over and phone disconnected. But it’s not all bad news: Former celebrity club hot spot Suede will soon reopen in Chelsea as Jasper’s Regret.

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