Comments on: Chelsea Girls http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/ The Eating Adventures of a Checker Cabbie Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:57:27 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: LED http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/comment-page-1/#comment-17530 LED Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:16:53 +0000 http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/#comment-17530 I was googling to find a restaurant for a dinner rendezvous and I remembered La Chinita Linda. Got here to your blog page. I'm bereft. She's gone!? Long ago in late 80s and early 90s my Chelsea roomies and I would eat there at least once a week. I loved the crackling chicken, cheap beer and those plantains---mmmmmmmmm. Every time I walked by in recent years, I said, "I should just go in and pork out." I only did it once--on a date with my now hubby. How i wish I had done that more! That was one place with some grand memories of a time in my life that I often miss. Sigh. Thanks for your musings. :>) p.s. I also liked Caridad when I lived on the Upper West Side, but La Chinita was great because of its staff & owner. p.p.s. This has inspired me to go buy and cook some rice, beans & plantains tonight. I was googling to find a restaurant for a dinner rendezvous and I remembered La Chinita Linda. Got here to your blog page. I’m bereft. She’s gone!? Long ago in late 80s and early 90s my Chelsea roomies and I would eat there at least once a week. I loved the crackling chicken, cheap beer and those plantains—mmmmmmmmm. Every time I walked by in recent years, I said, “I should just go in and pork out.” I only did it once–on a date with my now hubby. How i wish I had done that more! That was one place with some grand memories of a time in my life that I often miss. Sigh. Thanks for your musings. :>)
p.s. I also liked Caridad when I lived on the Upper West Side, but La Chinita was great because of its staff & owner.
p.p.s. This has inspired me to go buy and cook some rice, beans & plantains tonight.

]]> By: AnitaBou http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/comment-page-1/#comment-15377 AnitaBou Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:53:06 +0000 http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/#comment-15377 I'm from Havana myself and find it fascinating that there is a Cuban-Chinese community in NY! Sad to see it's disappearing... Have never tried their cuisine, but next time I'm in those areas, I'll look for it! ^.^ I wonder if the Chinese that are still in Havana cook just as those here... I do remember having very tasty stuff in Chinatown, in Havana. Are you willing to travel that far for it? :) I’m from Havana myself and find it fascinating that there is a Cuban-Chinese community in NY! Sad to see it’s disappearing… Have never tried their cuisine, but next time I’m in those areas, I’ll look for it! ^.^
I wonder if the Chinese that are still in Havana cook just as those here…
I do remember having very tasty stuff in Chinatown, in Havana.

Are you willing to travel that far for it? :)

]]> By: Fufu http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/comment-page-1/#comment-13449 Fufu Tue, 05 Jun 2007 06:51:52 +0000 http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/#comment-13449 I hope they moved to the Bay Area. We need a good Chino-Cubano resturant, seriously. Oakland or Berkeley, CA, please, mi gente......... I hope they moved to the Bay Area. We need a good Chino-Cubano resturant, seriously. Oakland or Berkeley, CA, please, mi gente………

]]> By: Mayte http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/comment-page-1/#comment-9272 Mayte Wed, 21 Mar 2007 16:59:47 +0000 http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/#comment-9272 Thanks to everybody so much for the info about the restaurants! I am from Havana but live in NYC. I found this page trying to find a Cuban-Chinese restaurant. Of course, I cook chinese the way we do it in Cuba :) and miss the "Chinese" restaurants I used to go as a child. Now I know where to take my sons to eat instead of trying to explain to them what Cuban-Chinese cuisine is :) Thanks to everybody so much for the info about the restaurants! I am from Havana but live in NYC. I found this page trying to find a Cuban-Chinese restaurant. Of course, I cook chinese the way we do it in Cuba :) and miss the “Chinese” restaurants I used to go as a child. Now I know where to take my sons to eat instead of trying to explain to them what Cuban-Chinese cuisine is :)

]]> By: AHCB http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/comment-page-1/#comment-8739 AHCB Mon, 05 Mar 2007 19:15:20 +0000 http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/#comment-8739 Sam Chinita's was awesome as well. We really miss Sams. Sam Chinita’s was awesome as well. We really miss Sams.

]]> By: kaci http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/comment-page-1/#comment-1155 kaci Sun, 06 Aug 2006 18:25:54 +0000 http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/#comment-1155 The very first cuban chinese restaurant in Chelsea was Asia de Cuba, which is now Habana Chelsea w/o chinese food, but has some really good Breaded steak. It opened in the 60's. Soon after several other cuban chinese places opened with in a block. One on 20th st which lasted for some yrs, one on the corner of 19th in an old diner which should have been landmarked and is now the sight of the trendy greek place. This was the original Mi chinita which was run by Cuban chinese. Due to heath problems they sold original diner Mi Chinita and opened a place in the 50's on 9th ave. The diner on the corner continued to operate with first rate cheap food. I used to call it my kitchen. I think in the late 80's the owner of the diner property, Sam was asked to sell the diner to developers... he refused but part of the Mi chinita group rented a store down the block just in case. That became La Chinita Linda. Then Mi chinita became Sam Chinita in honor of the owner who refused to sell the property so the restaurant could continue as long as he lived. The owner of Chinita Linda was chinese, but as MUCH of the food in NYC are prepared by all kinds of Spanish people. Some of the food in the original diner...Mi chinita was better than La chinita linda ( I think it was the equipment that made that difference), but the diner was full or roaches and many were turned off by that. Each had its fans and Chelsea happily support both Chinitas for many yrs. My kids grew up on this food, but what I miss and cannot find in the remaining Cuban Chinese restaurants is their egg foo young,,,which had a reddish sauce instead of the brown sauce... I hunger for it in my soul. I wish I knew how to make that sauce. Hungry cabbie...I welcome you as a real new yawker...because you really know how to love NYC. We need more like you hoo can 'go native' regardless of where you were born. The very first cuban chinese restaurant in Chelsea was Asia de Cuba, which is now Habana Chelsea w/o chinese food, but has some really good Breaded steak. It opened in the 60’s. Soon after several other cuban chinese places opened with in a block. One on 20th st which lasted for some yrs, one on the corner of 19th in an old diner which should have been landmarked and is now the sight of the trendy greek place.
This was the original Mi chinita which was run by Cuban chinese. Due to heath problems they sold original diner Mi Chinita and opened a place in the 50’s on 9th ave. The diner on the corner continued to operate with first rate cheap food. I used to call it my kitchen.
I think in the late 80’s the owner of the diner property, Sam was asked to sell the diner to developers… he refused but part of the Mi chinita group rented a store down the block just in case. That became La Chinita Linda.
Then Mi chinita became Sam Chinita in honor of the owner who refused to sell the property so the restaurant could continue as long as he lived.
The owner of Chinita Linda was chinese, but as MUCH of the food in NYC are prepared by all kinds of Spanish people. Some of the food in the original diner…Mi chinita was better than La chinita linda ( I think it was the equipment that made that difference), but the diner was full or roaches and many were turned off by that. Each had its fans and Chelsea happily support both Chinitas for many yrs.
My kids grew up on this food, but what I miss and cannot find in the remaining Cuban Chinese restaurants is their egg foo young,,,which had a reddish sauce instead of the brown sauce… I hunger for it in my soul. I wish I knew how to make that sauce.
Hungry cabbie…I welcome you as a real new yawker…because you really know how to love NYC. We need more like you hoo can ‘go native’ regardless of where you were born.

]]> By: robin http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/comment-page-1/#comment-931 robin Wed, 12 Jul 2006 20:25:11 +0000 http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/#comment-931 Thanks kat for explaining the history of the Chinese-Cuban restaurants in New York. One last thing. The reason the Chinese-Cuban cooks came here was because they were forced to leave Cuba when Castro took over. They were either cooking for wealthy families in Cuba, or owned their own restaurants, and so there wasn't much of a place for them in communist Cuba. The place that I used to enjoy when I lived in New York from 1976-1985 (old-old school!), was up in Inwood on the corner of Dyckman Street near the #1 train stop. I wish I could remember its name. But they had a dish that I adored which was deep fried pork chunks, served with either black or red beans and rice, and fried plantains or fried bananas. The pork was crispy and salty and spicey on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. My husband and I got obsessed with making it ourselves and bought a fry daddy and etc., but we could never make it as well as they did at the restaurant -- of course. They also had the BEST egg rolls, just like Chinita Linda. When I was pregnant with my first son, I craved them. Those restaurants were always great places to eat because they were cheap and good and had a cool easy vibe. Plus, you could finish dinner with a REAL cafe con leche. I'm sorry to hear they are disappearing. I think I would have fallen to my knees and screamed too. Thanks kat for explaining the history of the Chinese-Cuban restaurants in New York. One last thing. The reason the Chinese-Cuban cooks came here was because they were forced to leave Cuba when Castro took over. They were either cooking for wealthy families in Cuba, or owned their own restaurants, and so there wasn’t much of a place for them in communist Cuba. The place that I used to enjoy when I lived in New York from 1976-1985 (old-old school!), was up in Inwood on the corner of Dyckman Street near the #1 train stop. I wish I could remember its name. But they had a dish that I adored which was deep fried pork chunks, served with either black or red beans and rice, and fried plantains or fried bananas. The pork was crispy and salty and spicey on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. My husband and I got obsessed with making it ourselves and bought a fry daddy and etc., but we could never make it as well as they did at the restaurant — of course. They also had the BEST egg rolls, just like Chinita Linda. When I was pregnant with my first son, I craved them. Those restaurants were always great places to eat because they were cheap and good and had a cool easy vibe. Plus, you could finish dinner with a REAL cafe con leche. I’m sorry to hear they are disappearing. I think I would have fallen to my knees and screamed too.

]]> By: kat http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/comment-page-1/#comment-929 kat Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:45:31 +0000 http://famousfatdave.com/blog/2006/07/11/chelsea-girls/#comment-929 Sorry, I forgot to tell you, Andalucia is 50th( I think) and either 9th or 10th ave. Also, try the shrimp in verde sauce! That is if you are willing to take an online recommendation from a would be fare. Sorry, I forgot to tell you, Andalucia is 50th( I think) and either 9th or 10th ave. Also, try the shrimp in verde sauce! That is if you are willing to take an online recommendation from a would be fare.

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