I used to live a block from La Caridad, a Cuban Chinese restaurant that was a fixture on the southwest corner of W. 78th Street and Broadway in New York City. I liked it so much that there were times I ate there twice a day. It was among my favorite places to eat during my tenure in New York along with Café Luxembourg, Hoo Lok Restaurant, Capsouto Freres, The Emerald Inn, The Allstate Café and Freddy and Pepe’s (now Freddy and Pepper’s). That was another era.
When I first saw La Caridad, it was a cab driver hangout – there were always cabs doubled parked on W. 78th Street. Over the years, the restaurant expanded nextdoor, then contracted and in July of 2020, La Caridad closed. The pandemic killed it.
The last time I was there, one of the waiters told me that they wouldn’t be in business too many more years anyway, since their lease was going to expire. Covid-19 just hastened it.
Epitaphs: