New York: Remembering on 9-11

By George Medovoy, Editor

(From left, Ibrahim Merchant and Richard Cohn relax in the patio of their restaurant with their staff in Lower Manhattan)

In the aftermath of the World Trade Center attack, Lower Manhattan has resolved with all of the strength of this great city to get back on its feet.

No two people better symbolize this esprit than Richard Cohn and Ibrahim Merchant, partners in SouthWestNY, a landmark restaurant on the edge of the Hudson River overlooking the New Jersey skyline…and a short distance from Ground Zero.

I learned their moving story the other week over coffee with Cohn. His partner Ibrahim was away at another of their four New York restaurants.

Through SouthWestNY’s big windows, I looked out onto the patio -- "New York’s only outdoor living room," in Cohn’s words, with its many tables and comfy wicker chairs.

Among the restaurant’s offerings are tasty smoked ribs, brick oven pizzas, specialty tortillas and salads, 50 different types of margaritas…and gorgeous sunsets.

Some might call Cohn, a Jew from New York, and Merchant, a Muslim from Pakistan, the unlikeliest of partners, but in reality they symbolize the very essence of the American dream – a devotion to brotherhood and liberty, which forces of evil tried to snuff out on 9-11.

There is no more fitting image of these two partners than a photograph of them sitting outdoors among their guests, striking an air of blissful American insouciance.

Cohn and Merchant came together in 1986 after working for a restaurant management firm, where Cohn was associate general counsel, and Merchant held forth in the kitchen.

"He’s like my brother," Cohn said. "After 9-11, the only way we were able to get through this and re-open was by covering our backs."

Merchant is the quintessential American immigrant with a dream in his eye, saving up his money to come to America at age 17 and putting in long hours as a line cook in restaurants.

The partners invested over $3 million to open SouthWestNY, their flagship restaurant, in the World Financial Center.

This part of New York is known as Battery Park City, a collection of residences, hotels and offices created, ironically enough, with landfill from the construction of the World Trade Center.

When the first plane hit on 9-11, Cohn was on a train coming into the city.

"I reached my office on 14th Street," he told me, "and immediately called my partner, whose girlfriend answered the phone hysterical, screaming because he was flying back from San Diego to attend a family funeral and she didn’t know which plane he was on."

Fifteen minutes later, Merchant walked in, and the two of them headed downtown to make the restaurant available for rescue workers. On Greenwich Street, they heard "this incredible noise and saw a big cloud."

"So we ran west," he said, "and realized that what we had just seen was the towers collapsing in front of us."

Two days later, Cohn and Merchant got to their restaurant.

"There was substantial damage," Cohn said. "We sat around for a few days and we said, ‘You know, we’re going to re-open. We’re not going to let terrorism prevail.’"

So they are back in business now, with great food, wonderful vistas, and "110 people on the payroll…110 people whose families we are supporting, and that makes me feel good."

Underneath his persona as a businessman and an attorney, Cohn is also an interfaith minister ordained through All Faiths Seminary International, licensed by New York State and led by Hassidic Rabbi Joseph H. Gelberman, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor.

In his other role, Cohn has participated in healing services for people in Lower Manhattan.

"The premise of the group," said Cohn, " is that there is one God and the different religions are the lamps, the light of this God. You take the faith that you grew up with, that you feel with, and that’s the trunk of the tree, and the other faiths are branches that add to it.

"So it’s always in addition to, rather than instead of. I like that philosophy, and I think that it coincides with my own personal beliefs."
If you’re coming to New York, there is, of course, much to do and see.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Central Park
Nothing compares to this marvelous, sylvan setting in the center of Manhattan – 843 acres of playing fields, zoos, quiet pathways, carousel rides, skating rinks, theater, lakes, food and entertainment.

One of my favorite things to do in the park is listen to folk singer David Ippolito, popularly known as "That Guitar Man from Central Park," on a hill by the lake on the west side.

As many as 500 people, young and old, some with picnic spreads and others sitting in their row boats, enjoy Ippolito on Sundays at 12:30 when it’s at least 60 degrees out and not raining.

Another thing to do in Central Park is climb up Vista Rock, the park’s highest natural elevation, to Belvedere Castle – "beautiful view" in Italian – which was designed as a Victorian folly.

From the top, you can look down on peaceful Turtle Pond and the 55-acre Great Lawn, with its softball fields, basketball courts, and sunbathers.

Rockefeller Center
During winter, Rockefeller Center, between 47th and 52nd Streets and 5th and 6th Avenues, is the place to go for ice-skating in its outdoor sunken plaza. In warmer weather, it's still great for shopping and restaurants in the vast food mall inside.

My recommendation is Mendy’s Kosher Deli, where I gorged on a thick corned beef sandwich on rye with a big cup of rich chicken soup. Seconds, anyone?

Breakfast on the Upper West Side
On Sunday mornings, there is nothing more civilized than breakfast at Fred’s, a café with sidewalk seating at the corner of Amsterdam and 83rd Street on the Upper West Side.

"Come, Sit, Stay," says the menu – a welcome borrowed from dog language because Fred’s is named after a seven-year-old female Black Labrador Retriever.

The story is that Fred didn’t quite make it through the Guiding Eyes course and found loving parents in the neighborhood.

Fred’s pre-fix Sunday brunch ($12.95) offers classic omelets and pancakes from strawberry to banana buttermilk, orange juice and plenty of coffee.

Greenwich Village and Where to Stay
We found a lovely, century-old small hotel in Greenwich Village, where the rates won’t overwhelm you and the charm will delight you.

The Washington Square Hotel is located near major jazz clubs, coffee houses, museums and galleries and Soho shopping for clothing, jewelry and furnishings.

Owner/artist Rita Paul took her kilns to the basement to produce colorful tile mosaics for the hotel’s interior, while daughter and Associate Director Judy Paul has devoted her energy and culinary skills to North Square, the hotel’s signature bistro with winning international fare and an American Wine Spectator award.

"We have a special enthusiasm for the bounty of New York," she said, "and in addition to our regular menu and wine list, we offer a special three-course weekend prix fixe menu of New York produce with New York wines for each course."

North Square’s wine list, Paul noted, "is comprehensive without being overwhelming, eclectic but not esoteric, and affordable without sacrificing quality."

"We consider it important," she said, "to offer our local clientele a selection of wines from around the world while at the same time offering our international guests a sampling of the best this country has to offer.

"When selecting a wine, we consider three factors: quality, value and how it will pair with our menu. Quality and value are two sides of the same coin in deciding on a wine for the list.

"We strive to keep at least half of our list under the $40 mark, with an emphasis on the $25-$35 range. This sometimes means looking for well-known producers’ second labels, or seeking out wines from lesser known regions or winemakers. Quite often these are the most exciting and interesting wines we discover."

Paul believes that a "wine’s versatility in food pairing is a very important factor."

"Our cuisine, although American at heart," she said, "incorporates culinary traditions from around the world. The list is equally representative of winemaking traditions from both the old and new worlds. About half of our menu utilizes fish or shellfish. We therefore offer white wines that vary from sleek and racy to bigger whites that complement the spices of cioppino, as well as lighter reds that won’t overwhelm arctic char or pulpo."

The restaurant also offers generous selection of half bottles and wines by the glass.

IF YOU GO…
The Washington Square Hotel is located at 103 Waverly Place in Greenwich Village, (www.wshotel.com, 800-222-0418).

SouthWestNY is located at Two World Financial Center between Vesey and Liberty Streets (www.southwestny.com, 212-945-0538).
For information about New York City visit www.nycvisit.com (800-NYC-VISIT), the city’s official convention and visitor bureau.

You’d be surprised how many of New York City’s attractions are free, like "Big Apple Greeter," a program that pairs you up with real New Yorkers who share their favorite neighborhoods at no charge.
Make an appointment at least three to four weeks in advance (212-669-8159, www.bigapplegreeter.com).

Take a cruise on the Staten Island Ferry for spectacular views of the lower Manhattan skyline, harbor and Statue of Liberty. The ferry is free at all times (718-815-BOAT). Or take a walk across the footpath on the Brooklyn Bridge for another free view of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn.

Visit Central Park (www.centralparknyc.org).
Listen to folk songs in the park (www.thatguitarman.com).
Explore Rockefeller Center, a majestic art deco masterpiece. Pick up maps in the main lobby at 30 Rockefeller Plaza (www.rockefellercenter.com).

Take in free dance, music and art events at the World Financial Center (www.worldfinancialcenter.com, 212-945-0505).