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What Restaurant Are the RHONY Ladies Discussing in Episode 1? Our Theories
The biggest drama in the RHONY premiere episode is centered around a mysterious restaurant.
The drama at the center of The Real Housewives of New York City is surprisingly relatable.
In the Season 14 premiere, Erin Lichy, Ubah Hassan, Sai de Silva, Jenna Lyons, Brynn Whitfield, and Jessel Taank find themselves divided over ... a restaurant. And while this may seem like a silly debacle to the average person, going out to eat in New York City can be a challenge considering some restaurants require a deposit just to reserve a table.
RHONY Season 14 Restaurant Drama, Explained
So, according to Erin, the drama began when they all decided to go to dinner together. "It was a huge group, nothing was available. And it was last minute, so I picked [bleep]," she explained.
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However, when it came time for the ladies to gather at the bleeped-out restaurant, Brynn and Sai ditched the group in favor of a trendier restaurant.
"And then they posted on Instagram that they were at Casa Cipriani. It was hurtful, like I think it's a very obnoxious thing to do," Erin continued.
When Ubah broached the topic with Erin days later, the real estate guru admitted, "I'm still a little bit salty about that night."
For Erin, the purpose of going out to dinner wasn't to be seen, it was for the ladies to all get together. As she put it, "I would go with anyone to a local bar and be happy. I don't need to go to like a chic place all the time. I don't care."
Moreover, Sai and Brynn reportedly acted like they were dipping out on the outing because they were tired, when they just didn't want to go to the mysterious restaurant.
"That's what bothers me," Erin said.
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But for Sai and Brynn, who are content creators, they simply didn't know how to explain their true feelings to Erin, so they told a white lie.
"I didn't know how to say that I wouldn't be caught dead at [bleep]," Brynn said. "And I'm not a D-list model."
More than that, Brynn just seems to dislike the food at [bleep]. Apparently the food at [bleep] is so bad, she'd rather go to Olive Garden in Times Square.
"Like, Olive Garden to me is chicer. The ones with the carpets that have good breadsticks. The breadsticks? They slap!" Brynn explained to Sai and Jessel over champagne. "It's fun, it's like high-low. But [bleep] is this weird thing in the middle."
Brynn added that she'd only go to [bleep] if she "had guests in from out of town — from Florida," while Sai said [bleep] is "so 2006."
What Restaurant Are They Talking About on RHONY?
So, what restaurant could they possibly be discussing? Well, there are thousands of eateries across the five boroughs, but based on Erin's comments about the place being "convenient," that means it was likely in Manhattan.
Based on our knowledge of Manhattan restaurants that are celeb hotspots, there are a multitude of options.
One contender is Momofuku Noodle Bar, a small but cozy East Village staple opened by David Chang in 2004. This is based purely on the fact that it was opened pre-2006. But the fact that it's small and still uber popular makes it seem unlikely to be the restaurant in question.
There's also Carbone, an Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village frequented by A-listers like Justin Bieber, Drake, and Jennifer Lopez. It's the place to be seen in New York, and is infamously difficult to get a table at. With that in mind, and the fact that it opened in 2013, it's definitely not the restaurant in question.
That leaves us wondering if the restaurant is China Chalet, a spot for dim-sum that turned into a bar in the evening. It was frequented by the biggest musicians, as well as NYU students in the 'aughts, seemingly fitting with Sai's description. However, it closed at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, like many other restaurants.
So, the question remains: What restaurant was so cheugy Brynn couldn't be caught dead there? Perhaps we'll never know.
Brynn stands by her choice not to eat there, though.
On the red carpet for the RHONY Season 14 premiere party, Brynn told The Daily Dish, "I stand by it. Because your girl is 37. I like to go to like classy places. Nothing against that place, I went in my 20s. It’s a different situation. It’s a different place."
Be sure to tune in next week to see what drama unfolds on The Real Housewives of New York City, airing Sundays at 9/8c on Bravo.
