The Soup Bowl's Chef/Owner to Open Restaurant on 9th Street
Friday, March 14, 2025 at 7:57AM
Richard Gussoff, the chef behind the popular Soup Bowl on 7th Avenue near 9th Street, will be opening a full-service restaurant called Uncle Arthur's Cafe on 9th Street near the northwest corner of 4th Avenue, in the space that was last occupied by Italian deli Catene. Above is the sign that went up inside the Soup Bowl last week; construction is wrapping up and the restaurant should be open in about two weeks.
Gussoff, a Park Slope native who lives in the neighborhood, spent 19 years as chef/owner at three restaurants in Hell's Kitchen (seafood spot Sag Harbor, trattoria Pietrasanta, and Rachel's American Bistro) before opening up The Soup Bowl four winters ago and a second location in Prospect Heights the following year. He told me that this restaurant will draw inspiration from all his prior menus, including The Soup Bowl. "The menu will be eclectic American cuisine," he said. I'll be serving pastas from my trattoria, other dishes from the menu at the bistro, and three to four soups on the menu at all times." There will also be plenty of new items. The menu "will be a good size, but not like a diner menu," he added. "I like a lot of options. The more the merrier." Sample menu items include pecan-crusted chicken, blackened salmon, fish tacos, and linguine with chicken, and an extensive side vegetable selection that includes Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, corn pudding, and quinoa.
Like The Soup Bowl (which will be closing on Friday and returning again next year), some of the ingredients will be sourced from greenmarkets daily, and will largely dictate what's served as specials.
The restaurant will seat about 40, including 8 or 9 at a custom-built bar. Only beer and wine will be available because of the proximity to a church, but there will be a nice selection of wine and predominantly local beers. To cater to the commuter crowd, they'll be operating as an upscale coffee bar during the earlier hours, serving coffee from Staten Island-based Unique Coffee Roasters.
The vibe will be casual, and offerings will be inexpensive: entrees will start at $12 and top out in the low 20s. "My feeling is, you should make the room comfortable, treat your customers well, and make it affordable," he added.
Bottom photo via Lost City
Coming Soon in Food, Storefronts
Reader Comments (24)
Good to hear. Location is all wrong, though.
Frankly, with all the nonsense going on near Flatbush, it would have been a wonderful sight to have seen a place like this complete with the likes of James and 606 R&D, much nearer to the second Soup Bowl location which popped up for a bit on Park Place.
4th and 9th just isn't very walkable, with the biggest landmark there being the Good Shepherd Building and non-secure detention next door. I know that Owl Room is down there, or whatever its called, but so what? Just not enough folks to spend money on actual dining there.
Of course, those folks will come on here and complain that 4th and 9th is booming. How predictable.
It does get a heck of a lot of foot traffic from the Subway. That's safe to say.
I wish him luck. The soup sure is tasty.
It's walkable for me. And I often walk over to 3rd Avenue btwn 10th and 11th from 3rd street where I live. This is a good dining option for those of us who don't want to (and can't) spend over $20 on an dinner entree.
Good for him. His soups are tasty and I like that his aim is to make it affordable. I think he'll do fine near the subway.
Great idea, love their soup, but seriously, that must be the only affordable location because, hey, realistically, it's not that idea down there. Surrounded by a plethora of dollar stores and cheap clothing, not to mention the 9th street projects, I just don't see the correct clientele that will be able to appreciate this kind of food.
None the less, I hope they do well. I'm sure I'll trek down there once or twice, but I can't see myself going all the way down from PPW (at least it's downhill).
Or they will succeed like the other half dozen restaurants that have opened in that area. If the food is good they will be fine. I don't why there is so much vitriol on this blog, always bringing up the "9th street projects" - I've lived right there for years and never had one issue. Multiple bars and restaurants are crowded every night in the immediate area - maybe come check it out instead of criticizing?
Four and Twenty Blackbirds on 3rd Avenue and 8th Street has been deemed one of the best pies in the country and have just opened another place in the Main Branch of the public library. Clearly people travel for good food. There are over 5000 new people in all those new buildings on 4th Avenue you're forgetting.
Or, people don't travel that much for pies so they needed to open a branch somewhere people can get to. My cousin went there from Carroll Gardens 2 weekends ago, brought me a pie. Said he was amazed he'd never visited the place in 4 years and had to before he moved. He has their pies at some manhattan restaurants but never could make the trip to the actual source location. They've done well because lots of people make a very rare trip there, but no one regularly goes out of their way to visit. And do do really well somewhere more expensive, you need more of the regular.
I love 4 and 20. Don't get me wrong. I go there every other month or three. But it's a schlep. If it were in Park Slope, I'd go twice a month. Maybe more. I'd get fat though. But it'd be worth it (their salted caramel apple pie, ouch!).
I go to the soup guy on 9th once a week, basically every weekend and any time I'm working from home. But to go all the way to the "mock projects" is just too far for me. Sure, there are some good things down there, you can't argue with fact, and maybe adding the soup to it will help anchor a bit more niceness to the area, but there's still some more gentrification needed before that area can hold a candle to everything else just a few blocks over. But then when that happens, everyone living there currently will be forced out, and that sucks too. It's just too bad it has to be so dumpy. Like I said, I wish them well, I just don't see it as the best location. But, like Justin at Beer Table, someone needs to be the pioneer, maybe soupman will. Oh, and WTF happened to Justin anyway? I hope he's doing well. Did he ever open in BedstuyHeights or wherever the rumormill had him "reopening." And has anyone actually been to the place in the old beer table? I walk past it daily, never been in.
I live 20 blocks from Four and Twenty Blackbirds and I go every week. They've been inundated with business, you just don't know what you're talking about "BillyTed" formerly known as "Ted Nelson"
I'm not Ted Nelson. Not sure who that is, but I see he responded earlier.
You're gonna get fat gong to 4&20 that often! (good idea to walk there!)
Finally... a place to practice my Paul Lynde impersonation loudly and often... us poors on 9th Street have to keep ourselves amused somehow.
How far has this guy fallen that he's opening up this place when he used to part own two bustling theater district places, 4 and 2o blackbirds is in a massive commercial center compared to this place. There's no commercial businesses directly around it, except the check cashing place across the st. His food is great so hopefully he'll do well- the deli was there for a long time before it so who knows
How is 3rd ave and 8th street more a commercial center than 4th and 9th?
And how incredibly rude to say someone has 'fallen' because they have chosen to open this place. Ever think that maybe the guy is a bit older and doesn't need to get up at 4 everyday to go up to HELLS kitchen ? I mean have a little respect. The man has lived in park slope for a long time and all you can do it bitch about it.
Do you all complaining HEAR YOURSELVES?
People say it's the newbies ruining the city. It's not. It's the people like jbob, Ted Nelson and others who just constantly complain, constantly put other people down, constantly judge and constantly think the world revolves around their needs who are the problem.
@Ed To say this location is at 4th and 9th obscures the fact that its actually slightly west of 4th ave away from any real commercial corridor.
If you want to argue that its just a change of pace to go from two heavily trafficked restaurants in the theater district to this place go ahead. If hes as a good a restauranteur as I think hell work his hands to the bone with long hours regardless of location so Im not sure how a little off the commute time is such a change of pace.
This is so far off any semblance of a prime location in the neighborhood youre off your rocker not to wonder whats up.
Are we so crazy to assume this is the only location he could find in the neighborhood that suits his needs? Egads!
And how many succesful businesses/restaurants have all you know it all trolls started. Geez...I wish some of you would just start your own blog for whiners and know it alls.
Agreed. I can't believe he is opening his restaurant in such a ghetto location. How dare he open up somewhere so inconvenient for those of us with superior culinary tastes, living inside of the "prime" Park Slope neighborhood. Everyone knows that no one of affluence would dare visit below 3rd Street and west of 5th avenue. Those paying $3k+ a month in rent in those luxury buildings on 4th Avenue can't possibly have a desire / afford to eat here. The only people that eat out in that area are those that live in the "9th St. Projects", who are too poor for this place. What a waste.
Don't feed the trolls! at least not delicious soup.
The trolls are just unhappy people who complain about puppies and children too. Leave them to their sad little lives.
The "9th street projects" aren't projects at all. NYCHA doesn't run them, they are privately owned (probably former Mitchell Lama developments) geared towards middle income families. I think half of those apts are co-ops and the other half are rentals. Just because most of the residents are black, please do not assume it's a project!
I wish the guy well. His soup is great and I think it's a good location for the hordes of people getting off the train in the evenings to stop in and pick up dinner for 2 for $20....
I don't think anyone is mentioning race, I think people feel that a building with a controlled cost that only allows people under a certain income is a project. Probably why someone above called it a Mock Project.
As for the location, I think it's odd too but I'll walk down there for some soup now and again.
I love the soup bowls soup but I have to agree about the location , this is a strange choice that sounds like it's based more on rental price than anything else. Tough sell. Location still does matter.
Best Penne with San Marzano tomato Basil Sauce I ever Had......
There Last Night...The Place has been fixed up Beautifully and 9th street and 4th Ave is So easy to get to by train or bus..
...Just my 2 cents about the comments above.....
I have noticed that People who Spew there Negative Hate like the one,
Who Wrote above comment -->(MA=saying place is in a ghetto location)
are the kind of people who always have to take a Chit on something....Knock things Down..To Build themselves up...
...Miserables...the old timers called them....
Stop the Hate Trolling Please..
Life will be better without all that hate and prejudice in your Heart ..MA
Visited tonight and both my husband and I really enjoyed the food! The place is bright and the tables are not too close together. We plan on returning :)