Updated: AlphaBet Cafe closed again for now [NOW BACK OPEN]

Last month, AlphaBet Cafe on East 14th Street and Avenue B had to close for "difficulties with the gas," according to a sign on the restaurant's front gate. (While that reason may be true, there was also a DOH-mandated closure — 55 violation points.)

The Cafe reopened the next week... only to close again last Friday — again via the hand of the DOH. Documents on file with the city show inspectors handed out 76 violation points ... including for the following:

• Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours.

• Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.

Yesterday, a reader spotted workers collecting their things from the space. According to one worker, AlphaBet Cafe is not going to reopen, that the owner has had enough. Calls to the restaurant go unanswered. And there isn't a note on the gate about any closure. We do hope that they return — always a good, inexpensive option here.

Updated 10/3



A reader spotted the owner here late Wednesday afternoon ... working and putting up new signs in the windows saying closed for repairs/renovations ... Perhaps a good sign for a reopening here.

Updated 10/5

The restaurant is back open. A reader just had breakfast there. A restaurant employee here did tell a local resident last week that the Cafe would not return.