wow look what i found. "to mr. fuji’s house of pain…" :)
that’s where i first met gilbert-stafford, at Mr.Fuji’s. how many people went from CoffeeShop to Mr.Fuji’s? there was even a rumor charles-milite almost had a nervous breakdown in the office. [no offense, charles we love you xo.]
what a time.
Rest in Peace, Gilbert Stafford.
♡
(sorry i didn’t make it last night.)
– image courtesy of frank151.com
Tags: ARTISTS, Clubs, COOL PEOPLE, IN MEMORIAM
= "personne extraordinaire"
"... kept a diary in which she vented all her frustration -- and named names."
- msn.com
"...has been exposed as a poor customer in a new book by former maitre d' to the stars Abbe Diaz. Diaz, who hosted dozens of top New York restaurants, says in her memoirs PX This the Oscar-winning actress wasn't the most pleasant of customers..."
-The New York Daily News
"...is so annoyed by the success of his former Maitre D' Abbe Diaz's new tell-all book, he is forcing his employees to sign confidentiality agreements. They were also banned from discussing the [book] at work."
- The New York Post
"Abbe Diaz is a blogger and the author of the caustic restaurant expose 'PX This!'..."
- The New York Daily News
"Per Variety, Daily Show correspondents Jason Jones and Samantha Bee have inked a deal with CBS to write and star in a sitcom about a celebrity chef and the two women who run his empire.... it turns out, their queen bee Abbe Diaz has spent over a year shopping a treatment based on her own book...
- New York Magazine
, Grub St.
"'Fear not those who argue, but those who dodge...'
Abbe Diaz has her own blog PX This..."
- BlackBook Magazine, GNML
contact us with questions/comments/tips:
px.this@gmail.com
January 20th, 2010 at 2:02 PM
Who left Coffee Shop to work at Fuji’s? Here’s the list. Sorry if I left anyone out.
me (Jennifer Barger)
Gary Lewis
John Santiago
Carla Gurrerro
Mick Peirce
Karim Amatullah
January 20th, 2010 at 3:07 PM
and me!
and enrique
and there was a daytime manager with long brown hair— was that carla? i can’t remember now.
is that all? i thought there were like 20 of us…
January 20th, 2010 at 3:36 PM
Carla was a beautiful filipino bartender.
January 20th, 2010 at 4:38 PM
oh i don’t think i know her.
i think the daytime manager girl worked mostly at LiveBait maybe? i can’t remember her name. she was really pretty too (DUH as per required ha ha ahaa).
we forgot rashida amatullah too
January 20th, 2010 at 4:40 PM
oh! and omg what’s her name? the tall dark haired woman that was reeeeally in shape. and she rode around on blades all the time…
January 20th, 2010 at 4:41 PM
and tejan, no? i think tejan came too…
January 20th, 2010 at 4:43 PM
THat was Elise, but I don’t think she came. Tejan ,yes.
January 20th, 2010 at 4:46 PM
oh wait yes i remember carla! with the voice… and the eyelashes…
January 20th, 2010 at 4:47 PM
The bodybuilding woman who bladed was named Elise. I don’t remember the daytime manager at all. Elise also worked security at Area with Gilbert in the 80’s and knew him pretty well.
January 20th, 2010 at 4:49 PM
yes, elise! no, i distinctly remember having the conversation with her like, “oh you’re here tooooo….!”
she was wearing her blades (she came for a meeting) and i totally recall looking at the veins popping out of her arms like WOW
January 20th, 2010 at 4:54 PM
She probably only stayed for a short while. The food service part of the business was not working out very well, if I can recall correctly, and after a few months only the nightclub remained. The bartenders were the only ones left standing.
January 20th, 2010 at 5:38 PM
yeah the food really sucked. and if i recall correctly, the service didn’t have such a great reputation either. so much for all that great CoffeeShop training HAHAHAHAHA
i didn’t last so long myself. i only bartended as a fill-in a few times, mostly i just hostessed under enrique and michele savoia.
i think coleman feltes came too, didn’t he?
January 20th, 2010 at 5:49 PM
Yes, that’s right.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:18 PM
Hey Jen, yeah, we recruited a whole boatload of you Coffeeshoppers..and yes, the food and service was a bit sketchy…New York Magazine called the service “a Greek tragedy”…pretty funny…sorry that you couldn’t make Gilbert’s service; I must admit, it did feel really nice seeing some of the old dysfunctional crew again. Hell, Billy the owner of Body Heat was there looking all cleaned up and discussing his legal services business with me!
January 21st, 2010 at 11:19 AM
Ahhh I remember Coffee Shop and Mr. Fuji’s in the early ’90s! Had some great times at both places.
Zagat once said, “the staff at Coffee Shop is too busy admiring themselves in the mirror….” to provide good service. lol
But that’s why we love them so! It’s an acquired taste. ;)
January 21st, 2010 at 12:28 PM
Yeah Good Times. That’s why we love PX This and we never read other food blogs. It’s for people that are seriously ‘in the know.’
January 21st, 2010 at 2:12 PM
did jennifer esposito, gary dourdan and maxwell stay at coffee shop? i only know they worked at coffee shop too because i read abbe’s book. :) :D
January 21st, 2010 at 3:50 PM
gary dourdan didn’t work at CoffeeShop, i met him later :)
March 21st, 2014 at 1:17 AM
Hello all! Hi Jen, Kelly miller here. I was the daytime and usually, through nighttime manager at Mr. Fujis. Rangled up quite a few of my friends and coworkers from CS and LB to work there with me. SO HAPPY TO HAVE WORKED WITH YOU ALL!
Best,
Kelly Miller