NEW YORK CITY — Spring’s first days blossomed with a bouquet of fresh — and rotten — food news in New York City.
A famed pizzeria’s proprietors faced wage theft accusations, sunlit rooftop eateries soaked up notice and anti-Israel graffiti targeted a restaurant this past week.
And Patch’s tiny newsroom, as always, was there to serve the food news.
Check out the latest, and come back next week for seconds.
The owner and manager of Grimaldi’s Pizzeria burned workers out of more than $20,000 of their hard-earned dough, prosecutors said.
Anthony Piscina, 63, and manager Frank Santora, 71, were indicted Thursday on accusations they schemed for years to defraud seven pizza makers, salad preppers and dishwashers at the pizzeria’s Flatiron location out of pay, said Alvin Bragg, district attorney for Manhattan.
And Bragg offered receipts in the form of texts from workers begging their bosses for cash.
“Please, I have an emergency, my grandmother died. I need my money, please,” Bragg read from one text.
A Patch reporter called Grimaldi’s for Piscina or Santora and was told they had no comment.
A popular Israeli kosher café was vandalized with graffiti messages related to the war in Gaza.
“Form line here to support genocide,” read one of the messages on the sidewalk outside of Effy’s Cafe at West 96th Street and Columbus Avenue.
Another message read Free Gaza,” and red paint was splashed on the eatery’s entrance.
Many New Yorkers, including elected officials, viewed the graffiti as an antisemitic hate crime.
“This business was targeted for one reason: the owners are Jewish and it’s a kosher establishment,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.
In better news, lovers of rooftop wining and dining got a spring treat from Eater.
The site released “19 Sun-Soaked Rooftops for Eating and Drinking in NYC” for diners who want to kiss the sky.
The best-of list includes Time Out Market in DUMBO, the 64th-floor cocktail bar Overstory in the Financial District and Darling, which overlooks Central Park.
And a new Upper West Side restaurant plans to embrace the spring, and every other season.
Sempre Oggi — which means “always today” — opened Wednesday with its operators pledging to center seasonal and local ingredients.
The commitment is so much that the restaurant’s menu changes daily based on “the best of what’s in season,” according to their website.
Finally, health inspectors did some spring cleaning.
Nine restaurants were shut down because of health violations.