On Ludlow Street: the block with enough history to fill a book is back. NYC's most streetwise poet maps the ways

Interview, August, 2002 by Rene Ricard

When you enter the Pink Pony on Ludlow Street, if you are approached at the door by a large, smiling fellow with an oversolicitous desire to please, do not be alarmed, it is Lucien Bahaj, the owner. Under the same policy as Mrs. duPont, who when complimented on the green of her turf replied that "The best manure is the footprints of the owner," Lucien can usually be found at his table--just left of the entrance. The pains he takes to please approach genius. He will extend himself mightily for his clientele and, as a reward, has a committed following who have ventured down to Ludlow Street from his original bistro, Lucien, still cooking at First Avenue and First Street.

The Pink Pony, at this location since the '80s under a different ownership, was a pleasant, slightly moribund spot for a coffee and newspaper; it was reopened last September by Lucien and his striking blonde wife, Phyllis. With a gentle upscaling of decor, but without losing the qualities that had made the original Pink Pony simpatico, they re-created the place.

With a long history in New York restaurants, from Mr. Chow and La Goulue through setting up stores for Giorgio Deluca, Lucien is a gold mine of social history. From palmy days in St. Tropez to Tina Chow, he has found himself at the flash point of events. But his true interests are cultural, and so Lucien's idea was to open a cafe litteraire. To further that end, he had Nemo Librizzi scour the book stalls of the Lower East Side for curious volumes to stock the miles of bookshelves now lining the Pink Pony's walls. Nemo also extended his expertise to the jukebox with selections from the Shirelles to Coltrane.

Suddenly there is a cacophonous banging noise. Lucien jumps up from the table to press a button under the bar. The sound stops, immediately replaced by a selection from a classic Indian musical. "You know I love Nemo's jukebox," Lucien begins, quickly returning to his seat, "but there's something about Thai Elephant Orchestra that can just empty a restaurant -- even Bollywood is better."

Part of the original Lucien crowd that has staked a claim here at the Pony is a group of real handsome young Parisian males who dote on the old-fashioned blanquette de veau. This crowd, called La Bande Fifi (I call it the Jockey Club), is ring-led by the extremely presentable Gregory Leroy from the 16eme Arrondisement (Trocadero). Gregory is a writer of detective stories but is best known for his magazine, Coromandel--a state-of-the-art photo collection that's possibly the handsomest photo magazine published to date. One night when the Fifis were all about six Buds wiser there was a bet--a pants-dropping competition that Gregory won. No contest--his end justifies his jeans.

Le Brun, a NYC stringer for the Paris daily Le Figaro, is usually at the Pony and, if lucky, one can trade wisecracks with Nicolas de Nazelle--a sportif French banker from Isle St Louis, an awful sortable boy and the man to land, ladies, if a fancy boyfriend is on your agenda. Living directly upstairs is Lia Gangitano--ex-curator of Thread Waxing Space--who has just acquired her own gallery space, a block down at the corner of Rivington and Ludlow streets, to open in September. She can usually be found sitting on the window banquette with videomaker Michel Auder, for whom she contributed an essay for the catalogue of his recent show at the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago.

Run out between courses a block to Rivington and Ludlow and check out the art gallery Rivington Arms, opened in January by Mirabelle Marden and Melissa Bent, who met at college. These smart-mouthed entrepreneurs with attitudes are enhanced by the presence of extremely up-to-date exhibitions. They can be found there Tuesday through Sunday, like normal, everyday movie stars who happen to own an art gallery.

At Houston and Ludlow is Katz's Delicatessen, but just a few feet away is the Mercury Lounge, where I can never get in to see Jordan Galland's band Dopo Yume because, even with a plus-one comp, the queue is always so long that I can't ever reach the entrance. Anyway, I have their latest Dalton-rock CD, In the Bedroom Everything is Cool, and I can always see Jordan at the Pink Pony, often with Cat Pierce, a blonde girl singer from Alabama, and Domino Kirke, a blonde girl singer from NYC.

When the Pink Pony first opened, the staff drew my attention to a remarkably handsome young woman. What was remarkable about Miriam Cabessa was that each night she would come in with a different girl--each one more beautiful than the last. This went on for a month until she suddenly started returning with the same girl--Karen. Miriam is an Israeli painter who arrived a few years ago through the International Studio Foundation. She is a wonderful painter who shows with Stefan Stux Gallery. She has found a new studio near Centre Street where she is happy so is here for a while. She seems to have taken up with Karen, also an artist, who used to work at the Pink Pony.

So, until he opens a new place, Lucien seems well ensconced at the Pink Pony and at his eponymous First Avenue joint--there to grant his clients' every wish. Truly, when you rub the lamp it's Lucien who should jump out.