It was opened in 1984 by famed Red Farm restaurateur Ed Schoenfeld and chef David Keh, who was considered a pioneer in NYC’s sit-down Chinese restaurant scene. The original space, located at 1540 Second Ave., at of East 80th Street, sported a barnyard motif on the outside and a bright pink dining room with neon-lit pigs throughout. Pig Heaven isn’t as well known in the city now, but for years, it was a destination for Chinese food, pointed to as a solid dining option in the Times as early as 1989 and consistently through 1995. In doing so, she ended up shepherding a legend of its time through decades. The restaurant ended up being a good fit for that. “I’m a people person, and I like to work with people,” she says. Nonetheless, she took over Pig Heaven in 1987. It was her first job in the U.S., but she didn’t necessarily see herself running the restaurant, she says. Lee started working as a host at Pig Heaven the year it opened, after immigrating from Taiwan. Lee, who is 62 years old, has been with the restaurant for over three decades, seeing it through a renovation, relocation, and many years of changes in the neighborhood. ![]() ![]() The steadfast presence at Upper East Side Taiwanese restaurant Pig Heaven, owner Nancy Lee, has retired from her post - selling the restaurant to new management and marking the end of another era for the nearly 35-year-old restaurant.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |