Dimes (restaurant)

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Dimes
Restaurant information
Owner(s)Alissa Wagner and Sabrina DeSousa
StateNew York
CoordinatesCoordinates: 40°42′53.9″N 73°59′29.6″W / 40.714972°N 73.991556°W / 40.714972; -73.991556

Dimes is a restaurant located in the Lower East Side neighborhood of New York City. Alissa Wagner and Sabrina DeSousa founded the restaurant in 2013.[1] There is also an associated deli, called Dimes Deli, and a store, Dimes Market, both in the same neighborhood as the restaurant.

History[]

The restaurant's founders, Alissa Wagner and Sabrina DeSousa, met while both employed at the restaurant Lovely Day, located in the Nolita neighborhood.[2] Both lived near Dimes' original location, and sensed "a hole" in the neighborhood that they sought to fill with their restaurant. DeSousa has also said that their original ambition was to "[...] have a place where we could hang out with our friends."[3] The pair was also inspired by frequent trips to Whole Foods, the only location near their apartments with food prepared to be appetizing and healthy.[2]

The restaurant first opened a 20-seat location on Division Street, but moved and reopened in 2015 to a larger location 299 feet away on Canal Street.[4] Upon reopening, the restaurant began serving alcohol and an expanded dinner menu.[4] The original location is now Dimes Deli, which opened in September 2015.[5] Dimes Deli serves takeout and a limited menu including salads, sandwiches, and bowls. Dimes Deli occupies a space next to Dimes Market.[6] Although ostensibly a grocery store, Dimes Market also sells ceramics, books, and other household items.[7]

The restaurant published its first cookbook in 2020.[8]

Clientele and influence[]

Shauna Lyon, writing for The New Yorker, referred to Dimes' clientele as "cool kids".[9] Wagner has said the restaurant is popular with members of the fashion industry and the art world.[10] The presence of several Dimes-brand storefronts and its association with the surrounding portion of Chinatown has led to the area around the restaurant being referred to as "Dimes Square".[7][11]

The restaurant has also been credited with pioneering the concept of what the New York Times has referred to as the “all-day [cafe]”.[12] Other examples include Res Ipsa in Philadelphia and June’s All Day in Austin.

Reception[]

Reviews have noted that the restaurant fosters an atmosphere hostile to non-regulars.[13][14] New York Magazine referred to the restaurant as "cliquish".[13] Chris Stang, writing for The Infatuation, wrote that the restaurant was “[…] uncomfortable due to the cold service” but did note that the food was "very good".[14]

References[]

  1. ^ Sietsema, Robert (August 5, 2014). "Beautiful People, Improbably Great Food at Dimes". Eater.
  2. ^ a b O'Donnell, Katie (September 30, 2015). "How Two Jersey Girls Conquered Downtown NYC". Refinery29.
  3. ^ Odell, Kat (August 14, 2014). "Dimes, a Sunny Los Angeles Cafe Grows in Chinatown". Eater.
  4. ^ a b Fest, Devra (April 6, 2015). "Dimes Packs Up Its Sunny Division Street Space Tonight and Moves to Canal". Eater.
  5. ^ Tishgart, Sierra (October 6, 2015). "Dimes Deli, With New Sandwiches, Salads, and Rotisserie Chicken, Will Make Your Takeout Dreams Come True". Grub Street.
  6. ^ Wagoner, Mackenzie. "What to Buy at Chinatown's Best New Organic Grocery and Natural Beauty Apothecary". Vogue.
  7. ^ a b Burton, Monica (September 25, 2017). "How a Restaurant Becomes a Lifestyle Brand". Eater.
  8. ^ Regensdorf, Laura (March 20, 2020). "The New Dimes Cookbook Is a Prescient, Comforting Guide for This Crisis". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  9. ^ Lyon, Shauna (September 29, 2014). "Dimes". The New Yorker.
  10. ^ Schuster, Dana (September 11, 2014). "The chicest restaurants in NYC". The New York Post.
  11. ^ Detrick, Ben (April 18, 2018). "Straylight, an Art Bar in Chinatown, Opens in the Shadow of Le Baron". The New York Times.
  12. ^ Chayka, Kyle (March 18, 2018). "The Women Responsible for the Look of Your Next All-Day Cafe". The New York Times.
  13. ^ a b "Dimes". New York. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  14. ^ a b Stang, Chris. "Dimes". The Infatuation.
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