Good morning and welcome to another snow day! Let’s be careful out there…

Great news for New York’s bargain hunters — Century 21 is coming back! The 60-year-old retailer will return to the city this year. As one reader stated after we posted our story on Twitter last night: “The Ted Cruz thing WAS the biggest news of the day.” Read more…


What are the ingredients that make Hell’s Kitchen such a tasty dish for Chef Christopher Motta? “Its style… character… the history… and the food and all the bars are a huge plus!” he says. Read Christopher’s West Side Story and vote for him in Favorite Chef.


We’ve made a batch of updates to the “W42ST Hell’s Kitchen is OPEN!” app. You can download/view it at http://app.w42st.com. There are now over 160 places, and more being added daily. We also link to W42ST and Eater reviews, plus all the places taking part in the Times Square Gift Card promotion.


What we’ve been reading

These dancers used to train at the Baryshnikov in Hell’s Kitchen, now they’re outdoors. (The Guardian)

Should restaurant owners require their staff to get vaccinated? (Grub Street)

Are the council’s plans for choppers enough to tackle the issue? (Streetsblog)

New Yorkers filed 4,000 outdoor dining complaints since summer. (Patch)

The dangers of working from bed… (BBC)


Freeze Frame

Bird & Branch’s owners Brandon and Faith Lee will be celebrating their coffee shop’s third birthday this weekend. You may remember them feeding essential workers at the start of the pandemic.

They said: “We are turning three this weekend, and while this year has not gone the way we planned or hoped, we still have a lot to celebrate and be thankful for.”

To celebrate, they are still giving. On Saturday, all profits from in-store and online purchases will be donated to @bowerymission. They are also matching any “Give COVID The Bird” breakfast orders this coming week — so buy 5 breakfasts for those with food insecurities, and they will send 10!

Meanwhile, if you want to give Brandon and Faith a birthday gift, vote for them in the “Made for Small Business” contest. They could get a grant of $10,000 to help keep them open!