WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES MARCH 5, 2020 21
Cozy Corner bar and grill embraces
Ridgewood’s old-fashioned charm
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
AACEVEDO@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
When Zef Gjini purchased
Cozy Corner for $2 million
back in 2018, he knew
he wanted to memorialize the 118-
year-old Ridgewood institution.
“It’s historical and in the middle
of Ridgewood,” Gjini said about the
three-story building located on 60-
01 70th Ave. “Also, I fell in love with
these two ladies.”
Gjini is referring to the two wooden,
Greek-styled statues of women
acting as pillars behind the bar.
In order to preserve the original
elements of the main bar, the chandeliers
and the space as a whole, he
made it a point to only make “minor
renovations.”
That’s what he says he did with
the rest of the space, mainly constructed
of Kreischer bricks from
Staten Island, which give it that
distinct golden-metallic patina.
But if you look around and pay
close attention to the design, you’ll
see Gjini did much more than
that.
Gjini, a general contractor by
trade who’s worked on more than 26
bars and restaurants in New York
City, made almost everything that
appears in the Cozy Corner with his
own two hands.
The light-brown cupboard with
mirrors on the bottom half behind
the main bar, the long mirrors
hanging over the bar made out of
150-year-old wooden doors, the
wooden block and stumps in front of
the restaurant that’ll undoubtedly
become a favorite spot for guests
once the weather gets warmer.
He even added a second bar
toward the back of the restaurant,
made entirely of reclaimed wood
from Dominos Sugar Factory, the
former Williamsburg refinery that
dates back to the 1800s.
They kept operating the bar when
they purchased it back in 2018, but
opened the additional space in the
back and kitchen in phases. Now,
they hope to attract private events
by offering more than 2,000 square
feet of open space.
If the Cozy Corner’s laid-back
ambiance — their playlist is a mix
of classic rock ‘n’ roll and country
music — isn’t enough to entice you
into becoming a regular, their menu
just might.
They offer a wide variety of
liquors, beers ($7 tap or $4 a can)
and $12 cocktails. Their “Cozy
Cocktail,” made with whiskey, apple
Cozy Corner is located at 60-01 70th Ave. in Ridgewood. Photos: Angélica Acevedo/QNS
cider, seltzer and served with fresh
orange peel and a cinnamon stick as
a garnish, is particularly tasty.
They also have your traditional
bar food, from mozzarella sticks to
chicken wings to burgers.
“We have free pizza, too,” Gjini
said.
It’s true — they offer a deliciously
free, 10-inch pizza with your choice
of toppings when you order a menu
item of $6 or more.
They offer this special everyday
from the moment they open at 4 p.m.
until they close, which is at 4 a.m.
from Thursday to Saturday and 2
a.m. from Sunday to Wednesday.
On the weekends during brunch
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., their omelettes
are also on the house.
But perhaps the most charming
aspect of the Cozy Corner is its
celebration of Ridgewood’s history,
one of the largest National Historic
Districts in the Country.
Black and white photos of Ridgewood
and its residents from the
1800s and the 1950s are sprinkled
along the brick and copper sided
walls. Gjini found all the the vintage
images in the Queens Library, and
placed them inside wooden frames
(which he made, of course).
In fact, the first image you see
when you walk into the bar on your
left is a black-and-white image of the
Arbitration Rock, a boulder that
marked the border of Ridgewood
and Bushwick in the 1700s and is
now displayed at the Greater Ridgewood
Historical Society.
“It’s beautiful to have a story behind
the bar,” the establishment’s
bartender said. “On the front here,
there’s a sign that says, ‘Hospitality
is natural here.’ And that’s kind of
a cool thing to be able to walk in
somewhere and feel cozy and feel
at home, and then learn a little bit
more about your neighborhood.”
The Cozy Corner’s century-long
history also gives them a lot to
talk about with guests. One of the
earliest incarnations of the 4,800-
square-foot building was A. Moeschle’s
Cafe, where the owners used
to serve Bushwick-based Rheingold
beer dating back to 1912.
For Gjini, who’s lived in Ridgewood
for about 15 years with his
family but is originally from Albania,
there’s no better neighborhood
to live in and establish a business.
“I love this neighborhood,” Gjini
said. “I’ve seen all the changes and
it’s all been good changes, all for the
better.”
For more information and their
full menu, visit their website at
www.cozycornerbar.com.
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