The Un-Closing Of Florent

After several hundred breast-beating and wailing posts from the gay and foodie blogosphere (including here on JMG), not to mention a zillion-word eulogy from the New York Times, today comes word via Eater that Florent is not closing this weekend after all. Except it is. But not really.

Though the MePa institution Florent will close this Sunday night, landlord Joanne Lucas has confirmed that she will reopen the space as R & L Restaurant, the restaurant that preceded Florent, just two days later. Lucas tells us that she initially shopped around the lease to a couple of retailers and eventually changed her mind: "We thought about having someone lease it but then I decided to just take it over myself. It used to be my father's diner before it was Florent."

And get this: she will be keeping pretty much the same menu as Florent and will keep on all the staff members that still work there. When asked why Florent isn't involved in the new evolution she responded, "Florent from what I understand is moving on to a new chapter in his life." Many will see this as a happy ending for the Florent saga. He may be gone, but the space will remain unchanged. Yet you still have to admit this was a clever move on Lucas' part, a way to rake in the revenue from an established restaurant at a time when even retailers aren't willing to pay the rent she was reportedly asking. This could be a temporary solution while she waits for a tenant.

What will Florent be like without its iconic namesake? No way to tell, but for now this is good news. And even if you aren't a foodie, you should really read the Times piece for insight into the formerly gritty and gay Meatpacking District, which these days is really good place to get run over by a strappy-sandled, stroller-pushing, Carrie Bradshaw wannabe.

At The Florent World Premiere

Thursday night Father Tony and I attended the world premiere of Florent: Queen Of The Meat Market, David Sigal's documentary of the of famed Meatpacking District restaurant, its flamboyant owner Florent Morellet, and the incredible scenes staged almost nightly over the 25 years that NYC's night creatures inhabited the place.

On hand at the premiere was a who's who of Manhattan's downtown scene, including Michael Musto, Murray Hill, Penny Arcade, Edgar Rodriquez, Dirty Martini, Brian Griffin, Kenneth Walsh, Simon Doonan, and Jonathan Adler. One person I didn't expect to meet was openly gay DNC treasurer Andrew Tobias, who outed himself as a JMG reader.

The movie is a sort of tone poem to the now lost Meatpacking scene and the audience cheered every time a beloved Florent employee or patron appeared on the screen. But it's also a real history of NYC activism, AIDS, art, and nightlife. After the screening, everybody moved into a giant room next door where performance artists and Florent regulars Tigger, Penny Arcade, Murray Hill, and others did their thing on stage as we noshed, drank, and mingled far too late on a school night. I got to chat a chat times with director David Sigal (also a devout JMG reader!) and he seemed thrilled with his film's reception. Even if you've never lived in Manhattan, you should definitely find Florent when it appears at your local film festival.

RELATED: This week Gothamist posted a great interview with David Sigal and five years ago Towleroad published a lengthy profile on Florent. Father Tony's possibly NSFW slideshow from the premiere is here.

The End Of Florent?

Rumors have been flying on the various NYC foodie blogs about the impending closure of Meatpacking District landmark 24-hour diner and beloved gay hangout, Florent. Owner Florent Morellet, the iconic "Queen of MePa" confirmed to the NY Observer this week that his lease is ending March 31st, quelling, a tiny bit, the panic of foodies who feared the closure may have come as soon as today.

Morellet, a vigorous NYC preservation activist, is also famous for being openly HIV+ and posting his t-cell counts on the daily menu board. He plans to fight his landlord, who is reportedly shopping the space for $70,000/month. Florent opened in 1985 when the Meatpacking District was still a barren wasteland populated by crackheads, tranny prostitutes, and crackhead tranny prostitutes.

Once home to gay institutions such as the Vault, the Cellblock, the Mineshaft, Alex in Wonderland, the Anvil and the Lure, today the Meatpacking District is the hottest neighborhood in Manhattan, chock-a-block with super high-end designer boutiques and velvet rope restaurants. Notorious 80's gay sex club, J's Hangout, is now a fancy eatery.

Last night Dr. Jeff visited Florent to grab the last t-shirt off the display mannequin and take the above photo of their long-time waitress. Visit while you still can.

Florent To Close Forever On Pride Sunday

Beloved Manhattan landmark diner Florent finally has a closing date.

When his lease on 69 Gansevoort St. expires on March 31, rent will increase from $6,000 a month to approximately $50,000, and it's unlikely a deal will be struck. Florent is currently battling his landlord in court over tax increases and is withholding rent as a result. The litigation also means he does not plan to simply pack up shop on the 31st.

"I talked to my lawyer and [the restaurant] will stay open for two or three months. I'd like to end on a high note and I think Gay Pride Day would be perfect."

That's June 29, in case you want to put it in your book. He also says he'd like to hold a writing contest - "people could write their best story, the most insane story, of the restaurant" - with the winner receiving a dinner on the final night.

And those would be some stories. Since August 1985, his round-the-clock French diner has been a place where artists, actors and average joes rub elbows over a cup of coffee or a goat cheese salad. Sprung from the gritty gay bars of the '80s, the noir-ish diner survived among the glittery bottle-service clubs that moved in. Now regulars are dropping by to pay their condolences to Florent.

"Where am I going to go?" laments a gentleman customer. It's become a familiar chorus, but one you won't hear from Florent.

"I'm looking forward to the next stage in my life and at the same time I have great sadness about losing the restaurant," he says, adding, "If you don't get a kick in the butt, another 23 years down the road, let's say, I would be 78 and sitting at the same table talking about, 'When I opened the restaurant. . .' "

I'm gonna try and get by there on Pride, I imagine it will be quite a memorable day.

Florent: Queen Of The Meat Market

David Sigal's documentary Florent: Queen Of The Meat Market, premieres next Thursday, June 24th, at the NYC Food Film Festival. Get tickets here. Openly gay and openly HIV+ Florent Morellet's namesake Meatpacking District restaurant was long the post-clubbing meeting place for a spectacular hodge-podge of NYC's nightlife denizens, celebrities, and activists. The restaurant was forced out of business last year due the neighborhood's rampant gentrification. I loved that Florent posted his T-cell counts on the outside menu board, right above the daily specials.

French Olympians Pose As "Imaginary Couple" For Anti-Homophobia Campaign

Pink News reports:

Two male French Olympic swimmers have posed in an intimate shot as an “imaginary couple”, as part of a campaign to tackle homophobia, which also features images of Eva Longoria and Lara Fabian. Florent Manaudou and Frédérick Bousquet, posed in the photo, taken by Olivier Ciappa, who also started the campaign. The project is called “imaginary couples”, and includes shots of other models, featuring the caption: “A peaceful look on homosexuality”, and features the “couples” asleep in each other’s arms, or in intimate, happy situations.

More photos at the link.