Remember Hobeau's?

Question

When we lived in NY, our favorite neighborhood restaurant was Hobeau's, which sadly has closed. Has anyone found another restaurant with similar menu, price, and ambiance?

Answer

Grew up on the UWS, lived at 332 East 54st from 1975 to 1977. Hobeau's was my favorite nabe place. Went back there after they moved to 2nd ave, now gone. Weren't they part of a group of restaurants on the East Side owned by something called the Fish Factory??

Answer

I also remember Squid Roe on Second Avenue and 75th street. Owned by the same people I believe. Brings back some nice memories.

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I worked initially as a bartender and then as a manager for the chain from 1982-1985 which consited of: Hobeau's, Squid Roe, Butterfish Hole, Cockeyed Clams and Nodeldini's. They also had a wholesale/retail fish outlet called the Fish Factory. The company was called "BASK Industries" and was owned by Bobby Bernidini, Joey Adinairo, Paul Schilasi (sp) and Richie Knodel. The name Nodeldini was a combination of then names Knoel and Bernardini.

Answer

I, Bob, worked as a bartender at Hobeaus in 1985-86. They had really good fresh cheap seafood, 2 pound and a quarter lobsters for $9.95 with all the sides you could eat. I usually worked with another bartender named Allan who I saw on Geraldo a few years ago. I loved that place, great customers and employees. LOTS of fun

Answer

I was a bartender at Hobeau's (and also at Nodeldini's and Cockeyed Clams) from 1981 through about 1984. The menu and price was definitely unparalleled for that period of time. The ambiance.... well, have you ever had your boss ask to "look after this paper bag" for a few minutes, and find the bag contained a boa constrictor? Also, do you like Bluefish?

Answer

Yes, I remember Hobeau's. I was a bartender there from about 1981 to about 1984 - ish. Also worked at Cockeyed Clams and Nodeldini's. 

The menu was mainly seafood...reasonably priced. The turnover was to be envied. 

Do you remember the bartender "Mike Z?"

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My wife's late(ex) husband was Ben Giove..a bartender at hobeau's in the 70's and was the one who took bets...he lived a few doors west on 53d st and grew up in that neighborhood. his parents were sicilian, not greek...Ben was stocky with dark hair and wore "Barney Google"thick eye glasses. He was later a bartender at The Library and a couple of other places..he was a real character..street smart, very well read and a great bartender...i knew him for about 10 years..he died @ 8 yrs ago on his 64th birthday...he hated going to doctors and died of treatable a-fib..he is missed by all who knew him..Hobeau's is now Purnell's..53rd and 1st..

Answer

I was a manager at all the locations for BASK Nov 83 to June 85.good times and what a crazy bunch of partners owned the chain. Nothing to do with Moonies as suggested above.

Zagalo was totally intimidating, Harriet M. was the coolest, and Allan was just too smooth for words. He moved home to Louisiana. Don't know what happened to zagalo and HM.

I ran into Joe A in 2000. He was Gen managing a small chain of restaurants out of Stamford, CT. Loked tired like the industry had finally worn him out but he still had that signature NYC energy that made him so likeable. 

There may be other restaurants that have good cheap fish, bit there will never be another place like any of these.

Answer

I grew up with Hobeau's owner Richie Knodel and his brother John. I have lost track of Richie but John was a distinguished professor (in the field of Demographics and Population Studies) at Princeton, Rutgers, Brown and U of Michigan. We all lived in Mount Vernon, NY in the 1940s...on Devonia Avenue.

Answer

I worked at Hobeaus. The manager was Joey Adinaro. There were several restaurants in the chain. Nodeldinis, Squid Row, cockeyed Clams, and Hobeaus. I worked at all of them. Joey had a friend that he introduced me to at Hobeaus. The friend was Billy Martin! One of the positions I worked was host, as well as bartender and wine sommelier. Once as host, the Isley Brothers came in for dinner, but needed to get seated fast, as they had a show soon. There were many parties ahead of them. They pulled a couple $100.00 bills out, and got seated next! Gotta love NYC!

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No, it was not a chain. Hobeaus was Hobeaus.! Richie opened other fish resterants by himself.
John, richie and Peter started hobeaus.
I should know I was Johns wife and I took care of Richie untill he passed away . 
KarenA.

Answer

Wow. I cannot believe I stumbled upon this. I'm adding to the most recent post a general comment, rather than an answer or corrective to anything I read above.

I'll just add what I know to the story, further fleshing out these reminiscences of what foe me was an amazing time in my life. 

My first boyfriend and I had moved to NYC in 1975, straight out of college in Pittsburgh. Shortly after arriving in town, he, Edmund Wojcik, tall, willowy, nice looking guy, found work as a waiter at Hobeaus. Meantime Joey A. hired me, Tim Flannery, for lunches uptown at Nodeldini's and shortly afterwards transferred me to dinners at Cockeyed Clams. I was a waiter there only during two years, from July 1975 through June 1976. My fellow waiting staff team consisted of a young married Jewish husband and wife, a very sweet couple, and a guy by the name of Nick Granito, whose real profession became photographer of actors' headshots. The Chinese cook there, who simply went by the name Jimmy, basically spoke no English and was infamously bad-tempered. I remember him throwing a whole canister of those metal lobster crackers across the kitchen at some pretty boy actor wanna be who wasn't much of a waiter. The Sunday bartender at Cockeyed Clams at that time ('75 - '76) was another aspiring actor, nine other than J.T. Walsh, who went on to a very successful career, appearing in many movies.

I'll vouch for the guys taking in pure profit by acquiring much of their product from their fishing boat. One Sunday evening I remember having to stay on late with Nickie Granito because we'd been asked to unload into the cold storage room downstairs about 100 bluefish. We must've smelled real good by the time we exhaustedly headed home!

One more thing: One of the group of owners, a silent, sullen type -- Bob B.? -- used to stop by Nodeldini's on one set day each week in the late morning before lunch opening in order to make his special recipe fish chowder. It was truly incredible, really delicious. 

I have very fond memories of working at Cockeyed Clams, especially because you knew when you brought out those sizzling metal platters on those wooden planks you were serving some really amazing dinners to genuinely appreciative customers.

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My girlfriend, later my wife lived on East 53rd St. and she was a good friend of Richie Knodle. We used to eat at Hobeaus very often, I loved their bluefish, can't get it here on the west coast. A huge salad bowl, all you can eat, and the wine, so reasonably priced! They later opened on 1st Ave. Richie was a serious fisherman, had boats out on Island and I remember him walking through the dining room with a giant fish straight to the kitchen.
It was a fun atmosphere and a real NYC joint. First rate, I will always remember those delicious dinners. Good Times!

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I frequented Hobeaus from 1969 thru June 1973. I knew Ritchie well and was a very close friend of his partner Joh Andre. John, I and several other guys shared a beach house at Davis Park, Fire Island. John's wife was Karen and they moved to Deer Park, L.I. I'd really like to find John, Karen or his son, John.
Marshall Abel

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JohnA77 -- ask your dad if he remembers bill o'connor or marshal abel

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That was a special time & a special resterant to hang & meet great people..
Sincerely karen andrade..johns wife & ritchies friend to the end..john & I are no longer together. I moved to Scottsdale & john stayed in long island & carribean...

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I have commented before, but for newcomer: I grew up (early days) in Mt. Vernon (on Devonia Avenue) not far from the Knodels. Richie was older than his brother Johnnie who was my closer friend. John went on to a stellar career as a professor at Princeton and then University of Michigan in their Demography/Population Studies sections. Professor emeritus at both. 

https://micda.psc.isr.umich.edu/people/profile/54/John_E_Knodel

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wEYb4JcAAAAJ&hl=en

https://paa2002.princeton.edu/

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Is this thread closed? I’m having some memory jars lol .. Yes I worked Hobeaus and CC .. sadly was last ( as far as I know) to leave that night cc went up in flames.. had just had the kitchen ducts cleaned..other than the other really bad night at Hobeaus I have nothing but great memories...anyone remember Bobby Gay ..Tommy Pitto ..Howard Goldman .. Richie gave me my Dalmatian and Doberman..RIP Richie...what ever happened to Margarite..

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I Googled Hobeau's and could only find this thread with all these interesting connections being made. I have no connection than otherwise eating there once but can relate to people enjoying and stimulating memories together. Anyway, I have a matchbook that might be fun for some to see.

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