As Raoul’s marks 50 years in Soho, proprietor reflects on wild times, savory fare

When Guy Raoul, a French chef and his brother Serge, a TV journalist, opened up a bistro in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood 50 years ago, they didn’t just have to worry about making rent; they also faced mafia demands for protection money, their scion said. 

It was a different world back then. The streets were often deserted, the buildings vacant. It was dangerous, and people sometimes disappeared, Serge Raoul’s son Karim Raoul told Side Dish this week.