Anybody else catch Stephen Starr grumbling about the credit crunch and a dismal first quarter for ’09 in this NY Times piece over the weekend? The pullquotes are loaded with portent:

“There are great deals out there; the problem is, banks won’t lend you any money,” Mr. Starr said, referring to the continuing credit crisis. “It’s torturous.”

[...]Mr. Starr, meanwhile, said business at his Manhattan restaurants was solid until December, when sales fell 5 to 9 percent. Now, he said, “We’re all concerned about this quarter.”

Now, are we saying that Steve-o is about to get his ass handed to him in the Big Apple? No way. We’re not even saying that we’re as concerned about this quarter, or the next few after it, as Starr is. Anecdotal evidence proves that people actually go out more in times of recession, and at least one bar owner we chatted with yesterday has said he’d had his busiest January ever. And we’re not even saying that we’d like Starr to open still another spot in addition to the 59 he already has within city limits. What we are saying, Mr. Starr, is that New York has no legitimate claim on you and maybe it’s time to start doing some real-deal legacy-building and mentoring in Philadelphia. Because there’s also some great deals here, and we’re willing to bet they’re a lot less “tortuous” than those in New York. Food for thought, dude.

NYT: I Had A New York Girlfriend, But She Couldn’t Understand