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The Bangitout editiors give tribute to the restaurant that influenced a culture, that changed the way the upper west side ate, and by all medical accounts increased the average cholesterol level of Jews in the 18-29 year age group by over 20 points. Had Dougie responded to a request for comment on this article from Bangitout.com on how he believes the legacy of his restaurant spawned a culture all its own, he might have said, “… bang-a what?” But this article takes an impartial perspective of the far reaching effects of the restaurant that was Dougies.

1994 was by most accounts a good year for Jews. Ace of Base had just released “The Sign”, Party of Five was debuting on television and a new restaurant concept called Dougies was unveiling its grand opening on west 72nd street. Before Dougies, most Jews would be hard-pressed to explain to you where Buffalo wings came from, but surely most Rabbi’s would have expected them to have split hooves. In no time, west side Jews were flocking to the establishment and Dougie’s deep-fryers bubbled into the night.

Asked why Dougie’s was so appealing, one West-sider remarked “It was addictive! The food was great, and it reminded me of my youth. Eating with my hands, wearing a bib, and using the bathroom every fifteen minutes – I couldn’t get enough!”

Dougies-in-the-dough

It did not take long for Dougie’s to go from a ‘hang out’, to ‘a scene’, to a full fledged ‘institution’. Everyone could be found at Dougie’s; from friends, parents, dates, spouses and fiancés to spouses and fiancés catching their significant others on dates.

You could easily expect to bump into some random acquaintance: An old camp buddy, your first-grade rabbi, or the old mohel at you bris who might say in an uncomfortably loud voice that he remembers you when you were “this” big. No one could deny it: The advent of the Fire popper made Jewish geography one degree easier.

Even the act of dating became more efficient.

“Everyone was at Dougie’s on Thursday nights” recalls a veteran west sider, unshaven and wearing a Dougies bib with a tear for remembrance, “I could go on a date during the early 7-9 shift, and know full well that my second date would already be there with someone else, so that we could catch the 9:15-11 shift”. Taking a sigh he added nostalgically “9-9:15 all the guys would daven maariv out on 72nd street... I’ll bet G-d heard more requests to cure heartburn, and more blaring hatzollah walkie talkies than anywhere in the world”

Above the social implications, Dougies was a boon for religious leaders as well. Says Rabbi Schwartz “It was a G-d Sent! Teffilin dates went down 60% across the West side. It’s amazing what two plates of firepoppers can do to abruptly end an evening.”

He continued “Before Dougies opened, I had given my ‘Prophylactics for Pro-phylacteries dating’ speech four times. Dougie deserves a place in ‘Tales of our Gedolim.’”

Dougies-in-decline

Although somewhat subtly, the foot traffic at Dougies began to dwindle, and as new food alternatives began to spring up, the restaurant that was a cornerstone of the West Side found itself on its last (chicken) legs.

Finally, in early 2006 after 13 years of food service, match-making and being the source of one third of Hatzolah’s emergency calls, Dougie’s West Side closed its doors forever.

But the lingering question which resonates in the minds of many is why?

“It was the source of its own undoing” remarks a nearby resident. “The more these kids would eat at that place, the harder it was for them to make the trek down to 72nd street”

“By the time they passed Fairway, they were breathing heavily, bloated and glistening with oil themselves. They looked like giant fire poppers.”

“It’s the situation in the Middle East” opined an elderly member of the Jewish Center Sisterhood “With the price of oil where it is nowadays, it was no wonder that that young man Dougie couldn’t turn a profit.”

“It’s the Wussin’ of the West Side!” yelled a rotund gentleman walking toward the Hagen Dasz visibly showing distaste for the nearby Tasti Delite “Everyone’s going to places like La Crêperié and the Kosher Organic Market. Yeesh, If I hear the word ‘metrosexual’ one more time, I’m gonna lose it.”

“It’s a conspiracy” said some strange guy who wasn’t even posed the question. If you switch around the letters of ‘Dougies’, it spells ‘Guidoe’s’. It was a front for the Italian Mafia to dispose of their hits. The fact is Jimmy Hoffa is probably unrecoverable, but was definitely delicious.”

In any event, while the reasons for its departure may forever remain a mystery, its memory will surely not be forgotten. For every time a young west-sider sits watching TV on his couch thinks to himself , “I could sure go for a burger” The face of Dougie on a seraph will appear in his sub-conscious. Gone but never forgotten. .

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