The dining room is almost empty, but then, Vintage Himalayan Bar & Restaurant just opened and doesn't yet have its liquor license. Co-owner Kaushal Dahal is optimistic that once it's approved, Vintage Himalayan will be filled with raucous diners — and drinkers. That's because the restaurant is located in a building on South Broadway that had been home to Gennaro's Cafe Italiano since 1951; the exterior still bears the name of that place.

The sign is the reason why Himalayan has "Vintage" in its name, and proudly so. "It has a huge history," Dahal says of the location. "Everybody from generation to generation knows it. It is a monument in the neighborhood, right? Keeping it is the biggest honor. We want to be recognized as the restaurant in the Gennaro's building."

When the license is

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