NYC NOW - June 5, 2023: Evening Roundup

Episode Date: June 5, 2023

The city is supposed to hold landlords accountable for problems with the housing they rent out. WNYC’s Sophia Chang looks into what happens when landlords don’t fix problems and city agencies say their hands are tied. Also, Sofreh is one of the hottest restaurants in Brooklyn, and the owner, Nasim Alikhani says it only took 30 years to open. Today the 64-year-old chef is a finalist for a James Beard Award, nominated for Best Chef in New York State. WNYC’s Kerry Shaw caught up with Alikhani to learn more about her unconventional path to the industry’s top honor.

Good evening and welcome to NYC now. I'm Sean Carlson for WNYC. The city is supposed to hold landlords accountable for problems with the housing they rent out. But what happens when landlords don't fix problems and city agencies say their hands are tied? WNIC Sophia Chang has more. Justin Ramirez and his two young children rent a bedroom

in a house on Blake Avenue in a flood-prone area called the Hole near the Brooklyn Queen's border. He's found rats burrowing through the shared kitchen, the plumbing pipes in the bathroom were taken out years ago and replaced with what looks like garden hoses. They're devastated, you know, I got my kids. You know, that's the reason I want to get out of here.

They could be getting sick. The neighborhood was built on a creek bed and isn't connected to the city's sewer system. So the house Ramirez lives in has a septic tank that leaks out sewage during storms. His landlord, Frank Solicito, has been investigated by the city for mold, pest infestations, and leaking sewage at another property he owns just a few blocks away. Last month, WNYC reported on the violations at that home on Amber Street, where tenants have pressured the city in Solacito to make repairs and relocate them to better apartments. Solacito declined to comment specifically on conditions at the Blake Avenue House,

but he said in the past he only takes care of tenants who pay their rent. The city says they can't do anything without a current complaint from a resident. Ramirez says he complained to 311. The Department of Building says it received one complaint in 2021, but their inspector wasn't allowed access to the house. No inspection was ever done. It's a blame game. Leah Goodridge, a housing attorney at the Mobilization for Justice Advocacy Group,

says the city needs a system to force landlords to fix serious problems as soon as it becomes aware of them, and violations shouldn't be dependent on tenants stepping forward. I think that there's a better way to handle scenarios where the city becomes aware, of violations or potential violations other than ignoring them because there is too much at stake. In the meantime, Ramirez is packing up and looking for a safer home for his kids. He's even thinking about going to a family shelter. I was told you might even, it might be a bit better than what you're currently going through

right now. The city urges residents facing similar issues to report the problems to 311. Sophia Chang, WNYC News. Stick around. There's more after the break. Sofrey is one of the hottest restaurants in Brooklyn, and the owner, Nassim Alihani says it only took 30 years to open. Today, the 64-year-old chef is a finalist for a James Beard Award nominated for Best Chef in New York State. WNIC's Kerry Shaw caught up with Alihani to learn more about her unconventional path to the industry's top honor. In the kitchen at Sofrey, Nassim Al-Alarani and a team of,

of four cooks are busy prepping for the dinner crowd. They're simmering onions and garlic, cooking rice. We make our own house bread, and it's based on a traditional bread in Iran called Sangag, but we had to modify it to make it work here. I want to make sure that I'll go through my list to just give myself a peace of mind and enjoy the James Beard instead of thinking,

Did I do that? So for its success may seem obvious now that Al-Achani has been invited to cook at the White House, the Met Gala, and nominated for a James Beard Award. I know my food is delicious. People told me for 40 years you should open a restaurant. But that's every woman who cooks well is heard things like that. The blessing keeps coming. It's one thing to be a good cook and, you know, you have your restaurant felt.

But it's also another thing that the highest standard of the industry come and notice. You'll notice you. Al-Ighani was 59 when she opened Sofrey. I look around. I am double, if not three times older than most of my workers. She knows the restaurant industry is often a young person's game. It's very hard business. It's physically tasking.

It's mentally draining, emotionally lonely. It's a very, very tough business. But why take on the job of running a restaurant at an age when many people are thinking about retirement? I honestly don't know what to do with myself if I don't cook. When I see people put their bread in the sauces, and when they nod and they say, this is delicious. It's like my day is worth living.

Alecani came to the U.S. from Iran 40 years ago, shortly after the revolution. I didn't want to leave. The Iran I knew, but then Iran I knew it didn't exist anymore. She had graduated from a top law school in her home country. It took three years to even get here. By the time I got here, I didn't have that interest with the law anymore. Probably a lot of depression, revolution, changing homes,

a lot of executions of classmates on top of it, eight years of war. By the time I got here, I didn't even know what I was going to do. She did a lot of things, and the common thread was cooking. She worked as a nanny for an Iranian family in Queens and cooked for them. She catered weddings for friends and family. She volunteered to cook at events for nonprofits she cared about. And in 2018, when her kids were grown, she opened Sofrey. Back at the restaurant, the dinner rush is in full swing.

Ali Khani floats around, welcoming guests as though they were at her private party. Welcome. Enjoy your dinner. My name is Nassim. What is your name? Well, nice to meet you. I cook your food. She serves meatballs, salads, and fresh bread, giving each dish one last.

look before they get to the table. She calls it a new spin on traditional home cooking. I brought home cooking, truly home cooking, the way any good cook in Iran would offer, like a variety of food, to her guests in her house. I do that in a restaurant setting with the same level of care. Dinner guest, Dr. Brian McNeil, is returning to Sofrey, waiting for a colleague to join him.

He says Sofrey's intimate atmosphere is what makes it special. I often feel like I'm dining in my friend's home as compared to eating out at a restaurant. That resonates with Ali Hani. She sees Afray as a bridge between her two worlds. Many immigrants, they are questioning this duality. What is home? Where is home? Where do I'm happy? I'm so happy here doing what I'm doing. It just couldn't be more perfect.

The James Beard Awards will be announced tonight, starting at 6.30. Carrie Shaw, WNYC News. In full disclosure, Nassim Alihani and her husband have contributed to New York Public Radio. This story was produced independently of that relationship. Thanks for listening to NYC Now from WNYC. I'm Sean Carlson. We'll be back first thing tomorrow morning.