This place had been a Soho institution since the '20s.
Vesuvio has actually been closed for a while. When
the original owner died, his family took over. They
expanded the business and made super sandwiches.
Unfortunately, the health department had some
serious issues with the way they kept the place
(though I'm sure the local rats were thrilled).
how it looked originally, when it was
just the best bakery south of Houston Street.
Wow, more synchronicity. Yesterday I sampled visually some highly regarded and sought after appealing products that were baked near Naples by what must have been an old relative of your Soho institution.
ReplyDelete{Dearest Shell: Magnetic? You bet! My eye is attracted to them every time I pass by, which is often, considering all the special trips I make to do that. Thank you.}
When did it close? It looks like it was fairly recently. I like the painting a lot. I have a book by an English artist entitled, "The Way Things Were" (or something like that) that depicts shops, streets, crafts that have disappeared or are disappearing.
ReplyDeleteI hope it is not closed for ever, seems to be quite a nice place !
ReplyDeleteI agree that health departments make a tremendous job, visiting shops, restaurants..... In many cases it is necessary.
I didn't dare to go back in a Chinese restaurant, especially in Paris 13th, after seeing a documentary on their kitchens !
But do they check with the same severity all outides fastfood vendors, like in New York, or "baraques à frites" in France ?
And strict application of law can sometimes be stupid (my opinion):
my brother in law and his wife used to make gorgeous fresh and matured goat cheese. They won lots of prices with them.
To fit with the law, they decided to cover all the ancient vaults of the cheese dairy with white varnished tiles, which cost them a fortune.
By the time they got the money and made it, the law had changed.... To fit European regulations, they were supposed to use only stainless stell plates, all the rest being considered as unsafe and dangerous !!!
What do you think happened ? They couldn't afford this new change and had to stop their activities !!!
Sorry ! I didn't mean to write such a long comment !
ReplyDeleteOh Alexa, you made me laugh! Here I was starting to feel so sentimental then ... the rats. Hee hee! It is a shame, though. I love old family businesses ~ and red tape is going nuts. That is a sweet painting.
ReplyDelete{TG ~ Thank You! I'm very happy to hear it.}
I was wondering why it closed! I was so sad when I walked by & found it was. They did bake excellent bread.
ReplyDeleteTG -- great linkage! Say, do we have to shout so you can hear us now?
ReplyDeletebibi -- it closed last July. :~{
Marylene -- I love your comments, whatever their length! Le pauvre beau-frere—quel dommage!
Shell -- around here, the old family business are becoming pretty scarce. None of the old families can afford the rents!
Lily -- yes, the sure did. I miss it too.
It's a shame when small specialist shops go out of business, but I'm afraid I'm with the health department on sharing food space with rats! Ugh!
ReplyDeleteAlexa: Yes, with these bandages the hearing in my right ear is a bit muffled, so please shout, especially if you see that madman Gauguin coming at me like Mike Tyson with a razor. Then he had the nerve to plead, “Tell them you did it Vinnie. Tell them you did it! Please! Please!” I absolutely refused, but you know how far that went. I love that man like my brother, but, between you and me, Tahiti is still too close.
ReplyDeleteWait, what was I thinking? Who’s the madman after all? I did this self portrait in the mirror. Ha ha. It’s my left ear!
ReplyDeleteTG -- I'm here all by myself, LOLing after midnight!
ReplyDeleteThanks—I think.