I found out (along with everyone else in the free world) in the Times, that found out from thestrongbuzz (I never said I was quick on the draw) that 71 Clinton Fresh Food will soon close. What a bummer. I will miss it. Not that I have been there very recently…. but maybe that was part of the problem…

I like (not ‘liked’ yet) 71 Clinton for several reasons. One of which is NOT its name. ‘71 Clinton Fresh Food’ is one of the clunkiest out there. Well, not as clunky as ‘Caviar & Banana Brasserio’. As soon as I heard THAT name I knew what was in that restaurant’s future. No, 71’s name was something I always felt had to be overcome. But overcome it did in spades. First, it was a pioneer, which took guts. And I like guts. When it opened the Lower East Side was not very well know for high-minded cuisine. Second, for how small the restaurant is, it manages to exude a cozy comfortableness which bridges the gap between the rough-around-the-edges neighborhood and the higher-end of dining. I wouldn’t call it modern design, but contemporary sure. The biggest reason, though, is that 71 Clinton is the joint where Wylie Dufresne earned his spot in New York’s ‘Chef Pantheon’. His inventive yet wonderful food kept coming out of that little kitchen window in the back. He has since moved up the street but 71 has managed to retain most of it’s comfortable smartness.

So this is no news scoop. Just a fond farewell to one of the cutest little rooms in the city with one of the biggest hearts. It started a neighborhood and it started a career.