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Back in 1979, CBS brought young country boy Troy Kuchman from Pittstown, New Jersey, to spend the weekend with 14-year-old Tony Fable at his family’s bakery in Hell’s Kitchen.
This week, Tony’s niece, Layne, found the video and published it on her popular YouTube channel.
In the video, we follow Tony and Troy as they explore New York and Hell’s Kitchen as kids. From their first meeting at Port Authority Bus Terminal, through family dinner above Poseidon Bakery with the Fable family, to roller skating in Times Square, you get an amazing snapshot of the city in the late 70s.
Scenes also show Tony’s mom, Lili, greeting Mayor Koch at the 9th Avenue Food Festival, as well as the boys and friends heading out to the end of Pier 86 (before Intrepid was docked there).
Tony is no longer in Hell’s Kitchen. He’s raising his family in Orlando and lost contact with Troy after the show. Layne Fable is the 5th generation of foodies with a love for the history of Poseidon Bakery which will be 100 years old in 2023.
“I was visiting my uncle Tony, who is the star of this video, and we all sat down to watch it. So many great memories — of the Fable brothers when they were young, of our family members who are no longer with us, and Hell’s Kitchen as a whole,” shared Layne. “I had just started a segment of ‘vintage vlogs’ on my YouTube channel and thought this would be a great addition. Showing the juxtaposition between city kids/country kids and between 9th Ave past/present. I hope everyone gets to enjoy this little glimpse into history as much as we did.”
Watch the full video on Layne’s YouTube channel below.
This has made my week and let me reach out to old friends and classmates from Holy Cross and Hell’s Kitchen!
I just love this.
Typical New York story.
These boys certainly covered some ground in their roller skates.
Beautiful- Thank you for sharing
We remember it well. Thanks, Lili and all.
City kid farm kid was such a cool program
Wish I was around in those days
This is so cool! I have loved Poseidon Bakery for decades! In the late 1970’s I was a captain in the U.S. Air Force in south N.J. The officers wives club had a Gourmet Club, each month we would have to cook specialties from a different country. One month it was Greece, and my wife was out of town. But I still volunteered to make “baklava”. Fortunately, I was eating that week at a restaurant on 9th Ave., NYC, and noticed Poseidon Bakery across the street. They sold me a whole Baklave in the original baking pan. I was the hit of our Gourmet Club that month! One of the women came up to me and said: “Jim, I know your secret, you clarified your butter, didn’t you?” I replied: “How did you know my secret? Yes, I did clarify my butter for the baklava!” I have thought about this story and laughed so many times over the years. And now, I live in midtown NYC not far from the Poseidon Bakery! May you last another 100 years!! 🙂
LOVE that story!
Did you return the pan back to the bakery?
This video is such a gem! What a fun story. Lili is such a fabulous lady and Poseidon everything is so yummy!
It brings back good memories of growing up in Hell’s Kitchen! The Fables were one of the nicest, most honest and hard working families in the neighborhood. My Mom was good friends with Lilly. Thanks and love to the family.
This brought back such wonderful memories of my childhood growing up in Hells Kitchen. The Fables are such an awesome family. The 9th ave festival was the highlight of the year…and still is 😀
I’m so glad I got to see this again after all these years, I had completely forgotten about it! FYI
I’m the classmate that commented in class! Those wings 🤦♀️ it was awesome to see 13 year old me and all my Hells Kitchen friends.
Thank you for sharing this 😀
Very good. It made me cry a bit, I miss that time period so much and I’ll never forgive Reagan for giving birth to Yuppies.
I really enjoyed this video, the 70’s were such a sweet time. Great kids.
Great Comments I’m telling my mom she’s the one who made your tray of baklava.