Showing posts sorted by relevance for query elvie's. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query elvie's. Sort by date Show all posts

Thursday, April 15, 2010

At Cafe 81, you'd better be quiet or someone will throw a shamwow at you

We've been really curious about what has been going on with Krystal's Cafe 81, the former Verchovyna Tavern aka George's Bar aka Bar 81, on Seventh Street near First Avenue.

As we reported last fall, the bar closed in September for a "vacation," with a reopening on Oct. 1 sign. Well, the place was shuttered until the middle of January. Then, without any fanfare, it quietly reopened with a happy hour.



Things apparently haven't been so quiet of late. An EV Grieve reader noted that the bar recently started a "rockaoke" night every Friday. According to the reader, "It's a live band — amped — with mic'd DJ, doing karaoke ... doors open, screams, etc. The place is packed, with a bouncer, and kids spilling into the street."

Perhaps some folks have complained about the noise... which may explain this new sign that went up on the door... one of the oddest noise signs that we have ever seen...



"Noise detector installed. Once limit is reached, a person would come down from his/her apartment and throw a shamwow at you."

Hmm. Is the sign funny or condescending?

And will you say "Wow" every time you're hit? (And does a shamwow really hold 12 times it weight in liquid?)



Meanwhile, a recent article in Philippine News offers a look at the new bar and chef:

Executive Chef Aris Tuazon hobnobbed from crowd to crowd during opening night of Krystal’s Café 81, the newest Filipino bar-restaurant in the ever-changing landscape of East Village eateries.

Café 81 is the recent reincarnation of Krystal’s Café in Manhattan, which once was a Filipino Karaoke oasis on First Avenue before a Japanese noodle bar took over the location.

Café 81’s vision, Tuazon said, is to balance popular appeal and authentic Filipino cuisine, which is a tricky challenge given the fast-paced food trends and shifting Filipino population of New York City.

When the acclaimed mainstay Elvie’s Turo-Turo closed in Fall 2009 after almost two decades on 13th Street, it pointed as much to the pressures of the economy as it did to an evolving community.

The space inhabited by Café 81 is a testament to the East Village’s ethnic and immigrant communities.

The bar has stood in the same location for over 100 years and was once home to an Italian restaurant, and before that, an Ukranian dive bar.

In the East Village, Filipinos created something of a Little Manila in Manhattan with a revolving door of Filipino businesses and residents. Their visibility was boosted in the 1980s by professional recruitment to the area’s many hospitals, combined with offers of subsidized housing in the midst of ongoing rent strikes in the neighborhood. Many longtime residents and businesses, including Elvie’s, watched the gentrification of the East Village and arrival of new condos and NYU-owned properties.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Absinthe absent on First Avenue (and Elvie's now for lease)

Jeremiah has written about the ongoing noise problems at Absinthe wine bar at 111 First Ave. near Seventh Street. It opened last December.

Anyway, I'm not certain when the place closed or changed concepts or names or whatever, but a new canopy is up at the address...



Meanwhile, up First Avenue near 12th Street...We noted a few weeks ago that Elvie's Turo-Turo, the Philippine eatery, was seized by the marshals...the "for lease" signs went up last week.

Monday, March 7, 2016

The former Bago space is for rent on 1st Avenue



Bago, the quick-serve Filipino restaurant on First Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street, went dark in mid-to-late January. (H/t Nick Solares.) There wasn't any notice about a closure, temporary or otherwise.

A for rent sign now adorns the front window...



The listing is not yet online at the ABS Partners website.

The restaurant opened last June in the former Hibachi Dumpling Express space (and a 2 Bros. before that). Three quick-serve restaurants have come and gone here since the summer of 2014.

A daughter of Elvira Cinco, the proprietor of Elvie's Turo-Turo across First Avenue, ran Bago.

H/T Edmund John Dunn!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The CB3/SLA agenda looks to be a doozy in February


After a few ho-hum meetings the past several months, there's plenty here on the agenda to chew over...

SLA & DCA Licensing Committee
Monday, February 8 at 6:30 pm -- JASA/Green Residence - 200 East 5th Street at Bowery
Meeting agenda is here.

Let's take a look! (And my comments are in bold...)

Renewal with Complaint History
Banjo Jim's (Banjo Family LLC), 700 E 9th St (op)
[We need more places like Banjo Jim's...]

Sidewalk Cafe Application
Cafe Mocha, 116 2nd Ave

188 Ave A Take Out Food Corp, 188 Ave A
[This is Kool Bloo at 12th Street... they want a sidewalk bar...? Can't wait to hear what Jill has to say about this!]

Applications within Resolution Areas
Sigmund Pretzel Shop Inc, 29 Ave B (rw)

SPOT (ACO Bakery Inc), 13 St Marks Pl (rw)

St Marks PHO Corp, 13 St Marks Pl (rw)

Moon Pie Pizzeria, 31 Ave C (up/op)

Eat Pisode (Eat Pisode Inc), 123 Ludlow St (rw)

Cafe Allumette, 182 Ave B (rw)

Casa de Chabela Corp, 40 Ave B (op)

T Poutine LLC, 168 Ludlow St (rw)

Alterations/Transfers/Upgrades
Corp to be Formed, 14 Ave B (trans/op) (Butterfly)
[We reported on this bar coming here back in December...at Second Street]

88 Orchard (Robusto NYC Inc), 88 Orchard St (alt/rw/extend license to sidewalk cafe)

A&D Wine Corp, 65 2nd Ave (trans/op) (Crem Caffe)

93 Art LLC, 93 3rd Ave (trans/op) (Lit)

The Horse Box (Corp to be Formed), 218 Ave A (trans/op) (Cricket & Eddie)
[This was one of the five bars for sale in the neighborhood...rent was going for $5,200 a month]

Matsu Kado (Gaira Food Inc), 104 2nd Ave (trans/rw) (Spice)

Freemans (Freeman Holdings LLC), 191 Chrystie St (alt/op/expansion to 2nd floor, 2nd floor service bar, kitchen prep in basement)

Blvd Crash Mansion (199 Bowery Rest Group LLC), 199 Bowery (alt/op)

Corp to be Formed, 103 2nd Ave (trans/op) (Bounce Deuce)
[This is the Pita Pan place... the signage has been up...]

AR Restaurant (40 Mulberry Restaurant Inc), 40 Mulberry St (trans/op) (Antica Roma Restaurant)

Nomad (Sandwich Shop Inc), 78 2nd Ave (alt/rw/new bar, new handicap bathroom, install air conditioning, install gas oven)
[Ah! This is why the former Indian Curry Mahal was gutted...]

Barramundi (Torquay NY LLC), 67 Clinton St (alt/add/op)

New Liquor License Applications
Rivington Wine & Cheese Inc, 95 Delancey St (op)

Max (Luigi Iasilli), 36 E 2nd St (rw)

Zaitzeff (Ziatzeff 3 Corp), 194 E 2nd St (op)

Porchetta (Porchetta LLC), 110 E 7th St (eb)
[Have a beer now with your salty pork!]

New Lang Qi Zhong Hing Seafood Inc, 30 Market St (eb)

Chickpea (Chickpea at Houston Inc), 147 E Houston St (rw)

Cafe Amore Pizza (Cafe Amore of NY Restaurant Inc), 104 E 14th St (rw)

Corp to be Formed, 77 E 4th St (rw)

Kumo Restaurant (JRH Restaurant Group Inc), 214 1st Ave (rw)

Tallgrass Burger (Tallgrass Burger Company Inc), 214B 1st Ave (eb)
[214 First Avenue is the former Elvie's Turo-Turo]

Friday, April 27, 2012

Sa Aming Nayon appears closed on First Avenue

Several readers have noticed that Sa Aming Nayon, the Filipino restaurant that opened here between 12th Street and 13th Street last June, has been closed of late... here it is last evening...


... with these dishmachine notices on the rolldown gate...


It took over the space when Wai? Cafe moved to Avenue B. Readers had mostly positive comments about Sa Aming Nayon. Perhaps too ambitious at the outset? They were also open for breakfast.

Anyway, perhaps a Filipino resurgence isn't going to happen (And RIP Elvie's Turo-Turo, Krystal's Café and Pistahan). Still, we hear a lot of good things about Maharlika down First Avenue at Seventh Street.

Monday, October 19, 2009

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition



"Mike Bloomberg owns this town" (New York)

Whole Earth Bakery to reopen in a week (Melanie, previously)

What's coming to the former Old Devil Moon space (Alphabet City Soup)

SATC fans pay for their crimes (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

Ray's now offering Belgian waffles (Neither More Nor Less)

A visit to La Parisienne, a classic old school NYC diner (Greenwich Village Daily Photo)

Death & Co. now serving until 2 a.m. (Grub Street)

Catching up with Etherea Records (Stupefaction)

The scoop on Alchemist's Corner (Patell and Waterman's History of New York)

Apples on Orchard (BoweryBoogie)

Art cars on Second Street (Slum Goddess) And on Delancey.


And Elvie's turo-turo on First Avenue appears to be closed as of last week...

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Burger joint fad continues: Select Burger coming to First Avenue (aka Burger Alley)

Minutes after reading The Real Deal's piece on the number of burger joints on the rise in NYC... I spotted this new sign for a coming-soon burger joint on First Avenue near 14th Street...



Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, Tallgrass Burger is coming to the former Elvie's Turo-Turo... and, further south, who can forget Permanent Brunch & Burger?

A Hamburger Today asks a good question:

Is First Avenue in the East Village About to Become the New Hamburger Alley?

Monday, April 12, 2010

Tallgrass Burger shows its beef and wings sign

The work on Tallgrass Burger at the former Elvie's Turo-Turo on First Avenue continues...



...and we now have a better idea of their menu agenda...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Burger joint fad continues: Select Burger coming to First Avenue (aka Burger Alley)

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Bago hasn't been open recently on 1st Avenue



Nick Solares at Eater yesterday pointed out that Bago, the quick-serve Filipino restaurant on First Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street, hasn't been open for the past few weeks.

Bago's Twitter account has been dormant since last summer... and on Facebook, the last update is from Jan. 4: "Our account has been hacked. We are noticing false posts. Please pardon the inconvenience for now. From all of us at Bago, have a lovely rest of evening and have a great New Year once again!" Seamless also notes that Bago is closed.

The restaurant opened last June in the former Hibachi Dumpling Express space (and a 2 Bros. before that).

Bago, which received a nice write-up in the Times back in November, is/was run by a daughter of Elvira Cinco, the proprietor of Elvie's Turo-Turo for nearly 12 years.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Bago now serving food to-go on 1st Avenue



A new to-go restaurant called Bago (quietly) opened Saturday in the former Hibachi Dumpling Express space, which (quietly) closed on First Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street.

A quick glance at the menu inside (they weren't yet open for the day — their hours are 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.) revealed a handful of Thai/Chinese Filipino offerings, such as a ginger broth with either chicken, pork or tofu ($6.95), pan-sauteed noodles with either chorizo, chicken or tofu ($6.95) and grilled soy-glazed thin pork chops or chicken ($7.95).

Hibachi Dumpling Express opened last August… taking over from the 2 Bros. Pizza outpost.

Updated 6-25

A reader let us now the proprietor here is the daughter of the owner of Elvie's Turo-Turo, which closed back in 2009 across First Avenue.