Dr. Dave, One of Their Most Devoted Customers, Speaks of the Community’s Loss
Patra Cichowski, co-owner and wife of Ted Cichowski, has updated me on the status of the beloved Brentwood restaurant New York Bagel Co. The popular restaurant that has built a family and community among Brentwood residents, and former residents who have moved to other areas of the Westside is indeed closing after being given until December 31 to vacate the premises.
Their last day of service will be Sunday, December 15.
I spoke with one of New York Bagel Co.’s best customers and most frequent visitors, known as Dr. Dave. A surgeon at UCLA Hospital and the Los Angeles Veterans Adminstration Hospital and a professor at UCLA Medical School, he had a very special story to tell about New York Bagel Co. and the devastating effect closing the restaurant will have on him and so many others who have gathered there to eat and share community together.
Many restaurants have closed this year, Poltergeist, Bicyclette and Manzke, The Farm of Beverly Hills and Venice’s The Rose will close on the same day as New York Bagel Co. But I have heard such an outpouring of sadness that New York Bagel Co. will have to leave the Frank Gehry designed space. I spoke with Dr. Dave and here are his words about New York Bagel Co., the owners, the employees, the food, and the customers that makes it so special.
Dr. Dave: Yeah, it’s, it’s horrible. I’ve been going there for years. It is my home away from home. It’s Cheers. It’s the friendliest place in LA, there are a core group of people I see there all the time. It’s just stunning to me that a place has great food, has a great vibe, and is just so popular with so many people is being forced out. It’s very upsetting. I know they’re looking for other locations and I really hope it works out. I mean, Ted and Patra, who I only know because of the restaurant, are two of my favorite people in the world, as are all the employees there.
I never thought someone telling me a restaurant might be going out of business would have such a devastating effect on me. But, it is. It’s my happy place and my home away from home. The only reason I go to the other restaurants and stores in the plaza is because New York Bagel Co. has been the anchor. I bought items at a jewelry store there. I like the people there a lot. I’ve gone to Front Runners for years, when I was running the marathon. I’d get all my stuff there. But I don’t plan on going back to that strip mall or whatever you call it, if New York Bagel Co’s not there. I think it’s incredibly short-sighted of whoever made that decision and whoever is putting a new restaurant there. I don’t know what they are thinking.
If you go into New York Bagel Co., like this morning, or if you go in there on a Saturday or a Sunday morning, it’s packed with families. There are tons of people and I don’t think those people are going to continue to go there without New York Bagel Co. I don’t think it’s the location that brings people together.
The customers are very loyal to the place and to the people that work there. I’ve gotten to know all of them over the years. I’m a doctor and I’ve had patients I’ve operated on who were the other customers there that would come up to me and say, “Hey, doc.”
The whole community there that has banded together to help each other. The family connection there is amazing. When I say family, I mean the way they treat everyone as family. Over the years, Ted and Patra have had family parties and hosted those for us and contributed food to our party just to be nice. I’m in a band and we play a lot of shows around town and Ted and Patra and all the employees come to these shows.
Ted and Patra are the nicest people on the planet. I know all the waiters, waitresses and Manny, the main chef. They’re just people I know and the idea of them not being there anymore, it’s incredibly upsetting.
It is my restaurant and it is where I get my meals daily. I’m hoping that if they have to leave that they find another spot for the restaurant. I am not the only one who has given them the names of real estate agents to try and help. Any place they find will succeed because they’re such good people, have a good product for their customers, and care about their business, customers, and employees.
I’m a professor at UCLA Medical School and a surgeon. I go between the West Los Angeles VA, Santa Monica Hospital, and UCLA. New York Bagel Co. is triangulated between my hospitals.
I literally stop in there almost every day of the week. On days when I’ve got like a big operation or something and I’m not going have time, I can show up at 7:00 a.m. or I can show up there at 6:00 a.m. and they’ll let me in and feed me. I’ve been going there for at least 20 years, if not longer.
The vibe is so good and it’s always such a nice crowd. There’s always a discussion among people who don’t even know each other, so they make those connections. They get out of towners and there are always celebrities there. So many people who become like family and friends.
It’s amazing. There were times when I was one of the only people in there at 6:30 in the morning with two Academy Award-winning actors at separate tables trying to decide if they should say hi to each other. By default, I wound up in a discussion with them because they said, “Oh, by the way, who are you?”
If you see a guy wearing scrubs and a Dodger’s jacket, almost a 99% chance it’s me.
