Cascabel to open soon on the Upper West Side. Photo: Laura B. Weiss

Update: Manager Luce now says Cascabel will open Thursday or Friday, June 30 or July 1.

Cascabel, the popular Upper East Side Mexican spot, is slated to open its new Upper West Side spot soon, possibly in the next few days, according to a manager at the restaurant who identified herself as Luce.

The new outpost, at 2799 Broadway (corner of Broadway and 108th Street) with its trendy menu of tacos, carnitas and other Mexican favoties, is sure to be a hit with Columbia students looking for a moderately priced bite to eat. The place also has a full menu of cocktails.

Will the Upper West Side joint be as noisy as the one across the park? We’ll have to wait and see.

And will Cascabel give Mama Mexico, just down the street at 2672 Broadway, a run for its money?

Let me know what you think of the new place.

Cascabel (Upper West Side)
2799 Broadway (Broadway at 108th Street)
NY NY 10025
212 665 1500

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1. Cascabel UWS: Tacos Disappoint But Other Dishes Shine
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Photo: Toast

Is a Columbia professor who was charged with assaulting another Columbia employee at upper Broadway eatery Toast…toast?

The New York Times reported yesterday that “the professor, Lionel McIntyre, 59, was arrested on Monday, three days after the confrontation.” The Times reported a few additional crumbs of information about the incident, but Columbia declined to say whether the professor had been suspended as a result of the fracas. For more, click here.

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Photo: Aangan

Open since August, the 36-seat spot is strategically placed on a block that borders Morningside Heights, the better to attract Upper West Siders and the Columbia student crowd. With sleek decor that’s a calming combination of gray and rust tones, Aangan is a definite step up from the typical dingy neighborhood joint that inhabits this northerly expanse of the Upper West Side.

If you’ve never had goat, the preparation I tried during our one visit to Aangan—Saag Gosht—was extremely savory and tender. Cooked on the bone, the goat was smothered in spinach and flavored with spices. A chicken dish, Murgh Xacutti, Goan chicken curry prepared with coconut and spices, was less successful. Overcooked, the chunks of chicken were doused in an insipid sauce. In fact, we shoved that dish aside and concentrated on the aromatic goat.

For appetizers we chose Lahsooni Gobhi, crispy cauliflower tossed in tomato garlic sauce. If you like Chinese sweet and sour sauce, you’ll love this dish. And who can resist an appetizer made with “hung yogurt?” Dahi Kebabb is a small round fritter made with said yogurt (it’s hung in cheese cloth until the liquid drains out, our helpful waitress explained). The patty was rich and tasty, but lacked the spice promised from the chili listed in the ingredients.

In fact, I always wonder why some Indian restaurants under-spice their food. Do they think non-Indians will revolt if the dishes are seriously seasoned?

Service at Aangan is efficient and friendly. Prices are mostly in the low-to-mid teens for most entrees with a few ranging into the low twenties.

Aangan
2701 Broadway @ 103d Street
New York, NY 10025
212 280 4100

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Update:  Community Food and Juice reopened Oct. 21.

Favorite neighborhood brunch spot Community Food and Juice, which was shuttered because of a fire April 24, is set to reopen in mid-to-late July, a company spokesperson said.

The blaze broke out in the kitchen, according to Dede Lahman, of Clinton St. Baking Co. & Restaurant, which owns Community Food and Juice. There were no injuries, said Lahman, who declined to comment further on the cause of the blaze. The Columbia Spectator had reported that the fire started on the grill.

Damage from the blaze was enough to shut down the restaurant for repairs during the busy Columbia University commencement season earlier this month.

Email info@communityrestaurant.com if you’d like to be notified when Community Food and Juice reopens.

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