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If the mood on the Upper East Side feels gloomy despite sunny spring weather, rumors surrounding iconic Italian mainstay Mezzaluna (at 1295 Third Avenue) may be to blame.
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Late Saturday, TikToker Sophie Gerber posted a video stating the restaurant would be shutting its doors next Sunday, March 29. The clip quickly gained traction, with local social media users flooding the comments. “This is devastating news and unfortunately has been confirmed,” one wrote. Another chimed in with alleged insider info, claiming, “The landlord has been giving them a super hard time and it’s not just the money, it’s logistics too.” A third even launched a Change.org petition in hopes of preventing the sudden shuttering.Popular UES Instagram account @MadisonAvenueSpy echoed the chatter, noting, “The UES is crashing as rumors of Mezzaluna closing circulate. Literally three generations of customers losing it in my DMs.”
Though actual details of the closure remain unclear, an employee confirmed the news earlier today by phone to East Side Feed.
It’s easy to speculate that ongoing changes on the block (which also houses neighboring institution JG Melon) may be to blame. The construction of two ultra-luxe condominium buildings, 200 East 75th Street and The 74, has likely added pressure. As restaurants fought to rebuild after COVID-19 wreaked havoc on New York’s dining scene, Mezzaluna also grappled with years of unsightly scaffolding. Nevertheless, she persisted; as a regular patron, I can certainly say the jovial buzz (which has been consistent since Mezzaluna opened its small-but-mighty doors in 1984) has never faded, and the wait times remain substantial. Still, these are trying times for even the most established neighborhood staples.
Italian may be the unofficial cuisine of the Upper East Side, but Mezzaluna is singular. Billed by The New York Times as “the little restaurant that started a revolution,” the quaint trattoria was a pioneer in Manhattan, at a time when the dining landscape was divided between red-sauce joints and formal white-tablecloth eateries. The refined, approachable, undeniably delicious menu — helmed for decades by former Alfa Romeo executive Aldo Bozzi — focuses on fresh, authentic ingredients, perhaps best realized in their pizzas, pastas and salads. The menu may change seasonally (and daily specials are always crowd-pleasers), but the classics never go out of style: It’s rare to see one of their signature marble tables without an order of Spaghettini alle Vongole or off-menu Penne alla Vodka (with a sweetened iced tea, of course) on deck.
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The truth is, I could talk about Mezzaluna for hours and still not do it justice. It’s been a part of me since before I arrived on earth, as my mother lived upstairs in a walk-up apartment during its mid-‘80s heyday. There’s no way to quantify the number of meals and memories Mezzaluna has brought into my life, and my kitchen counter will always house a vintage Mezzaluna ashtray and the official cookbook to prove it.I’m not alone here — plenty of Upper East Siders are surely in their feelings right now; hoping there’s been some mistake (or a last-minute Hail Mary by way of a deep-pocketed regular). Until we know more, all that can be done is to grab your wallet, secure a seat and support the staff when it matters most. And obviously, order a tiramisu.
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