Why we're writing about Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar in Buffalo

Because they go by DBGB for short.

And there is a place called DBGB on the Bowery.

And DBGB chef-owner Daniel Boulud is now suing the owners of Buffalo's DBGB for trademark infringement, the Daily News reports.

We learned about the lawsuit via Eater, who noted: "Boulud's people apparently sent the owners a cease and desist letter in 2010, right after the Buffalo restaurant opened. The owners initially agreed to change the name, but never actually made the switch. A note on the bar's site reads: 'Please be advised that Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar has no affiliation with DBGB Kitchen & Bar located at 299 Bowery St. in NY, NY.'"

Wonder if the Buffalo DBGB has a sidewalk cafe too?

Report: DBGB is closing on the Bowery

[EVG file photo]

Daniel Boulud has announced that he is closing DBGB Kitchen and Bar on Aug. 11 after an eight-year run in the Avalon Bowery complex between First Street and Houston.

"In this location, it’s busy on weekends but erratic in the early part of the week," he told The New York Times. "I hope to find a more appropriate space for it in New York."

Per Eater: "The neighborhood is changing," says Boulud of his decision to close the "very good restaurant" serving tuna tartare, lamb ribs, and boudin Basque.

Curious how the neighborhood is changing in his estimation — getting too upscale for the likes of DBGB? Or changing in that the Bowery hasn't really taken off like people anticipated. A good number of retail businesses have come and gone. Ditto for restaurants. For instance, PYT — "Home of America's Craaaziest Burgers" — closed after just three months in a space that was previously home to three restaurants in fairly quick succession. L'Apico closed in May after five years around the corner in the Avalon Bowery Place complex.

Anyway, farewell to DBGB... I enjoyed keeping tabs on its sidewalk cafe in the restaurant's early days...



Previously on EV Grieve:
How DBGB is 'pissing on the grave' of punk rock

Why we're writing about Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar in Buffalo

Breaking: DBGB making sidewalk cafe look less barren

Inside DBGB: "You’ll get kids in trucker hats and they’re never going to eat food and you’re going to turn into a bar before you know it"

The Times published one loooooooooong article on the meticulous planning that's going into Daniel Boulud's new place on the Bowery -- DBGB.

Despite the name, which nods to CBGB, the famous punk rock club a block to the north, the restaurant’s design pays tribute to the area’s history as the restaurant supply center of New York. The walls will be lined with shelves and stocked with glasses and plates as well as pots and pans donated by great chefs from around the world. The kitchen is on the other side of the shelves, giving diners a semi-obstructed view of the cooking.

And!

Mr. Lawrence has also taken the lead in choosing background music for DBGB, which he’s doing with Ear Networks, a company run out of the Hell’s Kitchen apartment-home office of Robert Drake, a sound engineer. The two have been fine-tuning the playlist for weeks, choosing from 45,000 songs in Mr. Drake’s library.

A few days after the mustard-caddy discussion, Mr. Lawrence invited a reporter along for a visit to Ear Networks, where he and Mr. Drake would designate tracks as “lunch,” “dinner” or “late night.” Generally speaking, the quiet stuff is lunch music — because nobody has been drinking — with livelier songs at dinner, and becoming more boisterous as the night wears on.

Mr. Drake clicked his mouse, and “Cowgirl in the Sand” by Neil Young blasted from the speakers.

“Late night or dinner?” Mr. Lawrence asked, shouting over the song.

“You tell me,” Mr. Drake said. “I was going to put it for dinner.”

“Yeah, it’s dinner, you’re right.”

In the end, DBGB will have a library of 4,000 songs and a sound system that can control the volume in different sections of the room.

And!

For restaurants, music is one way to influence who shows up, or at least who comes back. You can aim at a demographic group by playing music that was beloved by its members when they were about 15 years old — the age when fandom typically leaves its most vivid tattoo. By that logic, DBGB is not exactly laying a welcome mat for the just-out-of-college set. There is little in the playlist that was recorded in the last 10 years.

That is no accident.

“It’s hard to get a liquor license around here, as you may know,” Mr. Traussi says, “and one of the things I heard when I canvassed people who live here is, ‘You’ll get kids in trucker hats and they’re never going to eat food and you’re going to turn into a bar before you know it.’ I think that’s an important concern. We’re not looking for that kid, right out of school who is 22 or 23. I think music is an important way to run a food-centric restaurant rather than a bar-centric restaurant.”

DBGB has closed, and erased from the Bowery

As announced, DBGB shut down after service on Friday following eight years in the Avalon Bowery complex between First Street and East Houston Street.

"In this location, it’s busy on weekends but erratic in the early part of the week," chef-owner Daniel Boulud told The New York Times. "I hope to find a more appropriate space for it in New York."



On Saturday morning, workers (above) were prepping to clean out the space on the Bowery ... and by the end of the day on Saturday...





... and a last look at the former sidewalk cafe (for now...in case Boulud decides to do something else with the space)...



For now, three of the five retails spaces in this Avalon Bowery section are vacant as DBGB joins L'Apico and Tatyana Boutique as former tenants.

Previously on EV Grieve:
How DBGB is 'pissing on the grave' of punk rock

Why we're writing about Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar in Buffalo

Breaking: DBGB making sidewalk cafe look less barren

Local blogger far too curious about the DBGB sidewalk cafe

On Monday, a local blogger blogged about the sidewalk cafe at DBGB on the Bowery. To date, the blogger had seen the outdoor cafe set up once.

Then! On Monday evening, the blogger noticed that the sidewalk cafe was UP and running; promptly causing the blogger to blog about that.



The blogger found it curious that Team DBGB would even bother putting out the sidewalk cafe on a typically slow evening — especially with hail-producing thunderstorms expected to pass over the city in the next few hours.

Then! Last night, on an evening the blogger described as "pleasant" to an acquaintance, there was no DBGB sidewalk cafe



To be continued, unfortunately....

An update on the biggest news story of the day

DBGB put out its sidewalk cafe! DBGB put out its sidewalk cafe! DBGB put out its sidewalk cafe!



Previously on EV Grieve:
Where is DBGB's sidewalk cafe?

299 Bowery arrives on the rental market 20 months after DBGB closed

A for-rent sign has finally arrived on the former DBGB space at 299 Bowery.

JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle Brokerage, Inc.) has the listing. There's not much info, such as the asking price, on the 6,600-square-feet of space. Per the listing: "Fully built restaurant space with infrastructure, kitchen and bar in place (no key money)."

DBGB shut down in August 2017 after eight years in the Avalon Bowery complex here between First Street and Houston Street.

The former Tatyana Boutique next door is also still for rent. That storefront has been vacant for three-plus years.

Previously on EV Grieve:
DBGB has closed, and erased from the Bowery

On the CB3-SLA docket tonight: Ixta for the former DBGB space on the Bowery

Tonight is the second of the two CB3 SLA committee meetings for August.

Here's a look at a few of the applications on the agenda: 

• Ixta (LLC to be formed by Mike Himani), 299 Bowery (op) 

This looks to be tonight's big-ticket item. Restaurateur Akbarali Himani is seeking a full liquor license for Ixta, a Mexican restaurant proposed for the former DBGB space at 299 Bowery between First Street and East Houston (top pic).

According the the public documents on the CB3 website, Ixta would be open Sunday to Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with hours of 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. The space in the Avalon Bowery complex is quite large, with a capacity of 194 patrons, who would be treated to "live Mariachi performers." 

Himani has been running a variety of restaurants in NYC and Long Island the past 30 years. His current credits include a Chickpea in Penn Station and NISI Mediterranean in Times Square. 

Daniel Boulud closed DBGB here in August 2017 after an eight-year run. 

• The York, 186 Ave B (op) 

Hospitality vets James Hurst and Hayden Tobin are looking to open The York here at 186 Avenue B between 11th Street and 12th Street. 

The York would be open daily from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. and serve a menu featuring "American comfort food," per the questionnaire at the CB3 website. The sample menu items include several burgers, sandwiches and brunch entrees. 

This address was most recently Very Thai, which had a nearly three-year run until late 2019 ... after taking over from Barbone. 

• ACES (Fine Food and Spirits Inc), 197 2nd Ave. (op) 

This is a carry-over from the July meeting for the former Black Emperor space between 12th Street and 13th Street. You can read about it here. The Aces questionnaire is at this link. 

Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30 in the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. There's also a Zoom option via this link.

How DBGB is 'pissing on the grave' of punk rock

So when you visit the DBGB website...

...you might hear something awfully familiar — particularly if you're a Clash fan.

So let's have The Gurgling Cod tell the tale:

I clicked over to the website for Boulud's fancy sausage burger joint, DBGB, and literally could not believe my ears. I thought that I had a stray tab open, for I had no other explanation for why "The Magnificent Seven" was playing over my office computer speakers. But, no. Boulud has, in fact, taken that bete noire of restaurant websites, background music, and extended the whole pissing on the grave of punk rock brand by having the fucking Clash as his background music. For nineteen dollar hamburgers.

I am not an entertainment lawyer ... But, my hunch is that you need to pay to use music someone else recorded for your commercial website. At the very least, let's hope that Joe Strummer's kids get free nine dollar hotdogs when they are in town.

(H/T Patell and Waterman’s History of New York)

The DBGB outdoor dining diary

A few weeks ago, I wondered why DBGB hadn't been putting out its sidewalk cafe on the Bowery since debuting it on Sept. 29.... while places like Pulino's and Gemma continued to draw crowds outside... on the evening of my post, the tables and chairs appeared outside!

So, for some reason, I started keeping tabs whenever I walked by DBGB in the early evening...

Oct. 22


Oct. 25


Oct. 26


Oct. 27


Oct. 28


Oct. 29


Nov. 1


Nov. 2


Nov. 3 — oops!

Now it seems as if the restaurant will keep the tables out no matter what the weather is like...

Nov. 4


And while the inside looks to have a healthy bar-dining room crowd, I only ever saw two people outside while walking by...

Ainsworth eyes former DBGB space on the Bowery; Ruffian team to the Eddy

Here's a quick look at several more of the applicants on tonight's CB3-SLA committee meeting docket. These are existing East Village operators looking to expand...

• Ainsworth to the Bowery

Ainsworth, the growing chainlet of upscale sports bars, has applied for a new liquor license for 299 Bowery in the Avalon Bowery complex between First Street and East Houston Street. (Questionnaire here.)

This outpost of Ainsworth (there's also one on Third Avenue at 11th Street) will be open for lunch and make use of the sidewalk cafe that DBGB tried to muster enthusiasm for.

DBGB closed here nearly two years ago, with chef-owner Daniel Boulud citing "erratic" patronage on this corridor during the week. Perhaps Ainsworth, a SantaCon hotspot, can bring in a steady stream of patrons.



• Ruffian Wine Bar owners taking the Eddy space on Sixth Street

In a sale of assets, the owners of Ruffian on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue plan to open an "American/Italian" restaurant called Kindred here between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Questionnaire here.)



The Eddy closed last month after five-plus years at the address.



• The Woodstock in the works for 99 Third Ave.

The owners of The VNYL across the Avenue here between 12th Street and 13th Street have plans for a Neapolitan pizzeria called the Woodstock for this address. (Questionnaire here.)



The previous occupant, Thaimee Table, was seized by the Marshal in early May.

Tonight's CB3-SLA committee is at the Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Where is DBGB's sidewalk cafe?

[Via Eater]

On Sept. 29, Eater noted that DBGB on the Bowery debuted its brand-new sidewalk cafe ...

And I haven't seen the outdoor seats since then.... even in this nice weather we've been having...





Meanwhile, other eateries like Gemma and Pulino's have been catering to people who want to eat on the Bowery...




Just seems odd to me that the DBGB-ers would go to all this effort and not capitalize on it ...

Updated: Tables are out tonight!

DBGB takes CBGB by the back door

Extra Place — home of dog walkers, skateboarders and Wonder Woman — just received a big ol' jolt of Boulud.

According to a report at The Feast, chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud is taking over a big space in the former piss-filled alley off the Bowery:

Located at 18 Extra Place, just a block away from Boulud's sausage emporium DBGB, the commissary will supply prepped items to all of the chef's restaurants as well as create a space for "great parties," as Boulud puts it. It may also signal the chef's intent to get into the prepared food and retail space.

That's the big news here. Boulud is building the space to USDA standards, which will pave the way for a cross-country retail business. Currently, bread for all of the restaurants is baked in the catacombs of Daniel, while sausage and charcuterie is produced at Bar Boulud. With the commissary both of those operations will be moved to Extra Place. The plant is scheduled to be online by July, which could put DBGB sausage and Bar Boulud charcuterie in your house in time for Labor Day.

[Photo via The Feast]

The 7 restaurants that have closed on the Bowery in the past year

This past weekend, the owners of Hecho en Dumbo (b. 2010) and Cherche Midi (b. 2014) shut down their respective restaurants.

This makes, since last spring, seven restaurant closings on (or near!) the Bowery between Fourth Street and just south of Houston. Other recent casualties:

• L'Apico (b. 2012), 13 E. First St. in the Avalon Bowery complex.

• DBGB (b. 2010), 299 Bowery


[The former Wise Men]

• Wise Men (b. 2013), 355 Bowery

• Agozar! (b. 2002), 324 Bowery

• Paulaner Brauhaus (b. 2013), 265 Bowery



There was also Rebelle (b. 2015) at 218 Bowery just south of Prince Street.

In any event, there weren't any reasons provided for the closures. DBGB chef-owner Daniel Boulud told this to The New York Times: "In this location, it’s busy on weekends but erratic in the early part of the week."


[The memory of DBGB lives on in Extra Place]

There are, of course, plenty of other places to drink and dine along here, starting at Fourth Street and down to Houston — BBar and Grill, Phebe's, the Bowery Market, Great Jones Cafe (close enough), Gemma, the Wren, Sorbillo Pizzeria, Bar Primi, Think Coffee, Saxon & Parole, 310 Bowery Bar, Sláinte, Bowery Meat Company, Baar Baar and the food court at Whole Foods Market® Bowery. Perhaps there are just too many choices.

This week's sign of the apocalypse

Daniel Boulud's new beer and burger joint opening on the Bowery is tentatively titled DBGB. (New York Post, via Grub Street)

Updated: For further reading:

Boulud on Bowery #03: DBGB Shall Be the New CBGB (Eater)
It's Official: Nothing is Sacred! (Flaming Pablum)

[CBGB photo via UrbanImage]

The East Village gets two new sidewalk cafes

Also on the CB3/SLA agenda last night — two applications for sidewalk cafes..... First up, Penny Farthing on Third Avenue and 13th Street.... The former restaurant here, Cafe DeVille, had a sidewalk cafe...In addition to nine tables (18 seats) on Third Avenue, Penny Farthing will have four tables (eight seats) on 13th Street.... The hours: Noon to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursdays; to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Not much discussion... People seem to like this place... and it was quickly approved....

Then! Team DBGB took the stand, the lawyers with by far the best-looking suits in the audience. (Actually only one lawyer took the stand; the other two sat in the back.) Head DBGBer Daniel Boulud was not in attendance, by the way... So the DBGB sidewalk cafe plans to have 15 tables (30 seats) on the Bowery... with some kind of self-supporting grates as barriers... Hours of operation: Noon to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; till midnight on Friday and Saturday; and 10 p.m. on Sunday.

The committee quickly gave their approval, with someone even throwing in a gratuitous Daniel Boulud compliment...

A public hanging for Misha Nicole on the Bowery

The sign went up yesterday for the Misha Nicole store opening this spring or something at 303 Bowery... a few doors up from DBGB. (Hope shoppers will be able to enter the store once the DBGB sidewalk cafe reopens!)

Misha Nicole people have been running a pop-up shop around the corner on Extra Place ... And, well, I've never heard of Misha Nicole, so I looked them up on Racked: "Misha Nicole's goal is to introduce cutting-edge Indian labels to New Yorkers."

East Village eatery odds-and-ends: DBGB getting happy and cheap; Planet Rose expanding

I don't recall ever seeing this sign outside DBGB before... they want us to get happy with them now?



As discussed earlier, Planet Rose is expanding on Avenue A near 14th Street... and they have a new awning on the storefront to the left...



Last summer here!



This photo by an EV Grieve reader shows the continued progress at Motek, a coming-soon French creperie and cafe on St. Mark's Place near Avenue A...



Oh, and this on Fourth Avenue near 13th Street... I like the tag on the rolldown gate...



A note for smokers at Diablo Royale Este on Avenue A...



And the Brindle Room on East 10th Street serves Genesee...which I haven't had in about 25 years...around the time I thought they had stopped making it...