NYC institution Corner Bistro eyeing an East Village expansion

Photo by Stacie Joy 

An iconic East Village corner space may soon be home to an NYC classic.

Reps for Elizabeth McGrath, owner of the decades-spanning Corner Bistro on West Fourth Street, are on this month's Community Board 3 SLA Committee agenda, seeking a liquor license for 94-96 Avenue A at Sixth Street — the onetime home of Sidewalk Cafe.

So far, only the application is on file with CB3. The accompanying questionnaire, which typically offers more insight into an applicant's plans, has not yet been made public. The CB3 SLA Committee is scheduled to meet on May 19. (Keep in mind that an application doesn't guarantee a concept will move forward — as we saw in December 2023 with the Paulie Gee's outpost that never materialized at 107 First Ave.) 

We've reached out to McGrath — daughter of Corner Bistro's original owners, Bill and Lorraine O'Donnell — for more details on the potential expansion. 

This wouldn't be the burger institution's first time branching out. Corner Bistro opened a location in Long Island City in 2012, which shuttered in 2020 due to pandemic-related pressures. An outpost at the Gotham West Market food hall in Hell's Kitchen also closed in 2020. 

The most recent tenant at 94-96 Avenue A, Offside Tavern, closed late last year. Before that, August Laura had a brief run beginning in October 2019 but faced a stop-start schedule during the pandemic and finally closed in December 2021. 

The address is best known as the longtime home of Sidewalk — the restaurant, bar, and live music venue (and host of the Antifolk Festival) that closed in February 2019 after a 34-year run.

Key Food moved things around. We took notes.

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Lost in Key Food on Avenue A? You may not be alone!

As we mentioned on April 22, Key was going to rearrange a few things ahead of a checkout aisle upgrade. 

First stop: the cake aisle — or rather, the former cake aisle (top photo). Gone are the "cakes for all occasions" signs (graduations! backyard parties! cake-worthy Tuesdays!). 

In their place? Soup. And packaged sides of an ambiguous nature. Think shelf-stable mystery mash.

Looking for sushi? It's no longer near the front. The nigiri's been quietly relocated to a smaller case near the deli. (Slim pickings if you wander in post-8:30 p.m.) 

What took its place? An expanded cake-and-dessert section, now featuring puddings and parfaits — but oddly, no signage about what occasions they're for.

And the cheese? Oh, the cheese. It's been divided like a dairy diaspora. Most of it now lives in dueling cases at the back of the store, flanking a surprise pasta island. Except feta, which has defected to hang with the olives and hummus where the original cheese section once stood.

Meanwhile, at the deli, the rotisserie chicken corner is thriving, now offering seasoned options like adobo and Italian herb, as well as Murray's organic birds for the purists.

As for the signage — look closely, and you might notice a new font gracing the iconic yellow Key Food signs. When asked, store manager Richie, who usually makes them, shared that this round came courtesy of "one of the scanner cashiers." A bold typographic pivot.

Despite the store's reshuffle, shoppers remained unfazed on Wednesday night during our first reorg visit. The aisles were calm, with a low-key energy. Phil Collins on the store's sound system.

Perhaps in the East Village, a little chaos is just part of the charm.

Thursday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

On the right, meet Moony — a rescue spending her first few minutes in Tompkins Square Park today with Jen Shorr, owner of Joyface and HiLot on Avenue C. 

Moony likely already became fast friends with Mellow on the left — one of the coolest, sweetest pups around.

Night 1 of the Lower East Side Film Festival

The 15th edition of the Lower East Side Film Festival is now underway at the Village East by Angelika on Second Avenue at 12th Street. (Other screenings are at DCTV's Firehouse Cinema on Lafayette.) 

Find festival info here. It runs through Monday. 

Read our Q&A with festival founders (and East Village residents) Tony Castle and Roxy Hunt at this link.

Happy Lower East Side History Month!

Lower East Side History Month is underway, and more than 60 Lower East Side cultural and community groups, small businesses, and residents are hosting a variety of public events, exhibits, tours, and festivals. 

Find the full schedule of free events here. 

The event launched in 2014 "in the hope that a collective celebration of our neighborhood would strengthen our connection to each other and our shared sense of community," organizers said.

Celebrating the new ownership at the Phoenix

Photos by @jwilson77 

The Phoenix (b1999) celebrated its new ownership last Thursday night on 13th Street with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an appearance by RuPaul's "Drag Race" star Alaska Thunderfuck. 

Garrett Ford, who took over the gay dive bar at the start of 2024, first started working there in 2008. He previously worked alongside owner Brenda Breathnach, who purchased Phoenix in 2009 and now runs 3 Dollar Bill in Brooklyn. The celebration followed renovations and updates to the programming. 

Below is Ford with Breathnach...

... and the official ribbon-cutting...

Here's a collection of other pics from the evening...

Phoenix, located at 447 E. 13th St., just west of Avenue A, is open daily from 3 p.m. to 4 a.m. There's a daily happy hour from 3-7 p.m. Follow them on Instagram @phoenixbarnyc for updates.

Closings on 14th Street: Amara Coffee, Dua Kafe

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Dua Kafe has closed at 520 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

While Google states the Albanian restaurant is temporarily closed, the space has been cleared out. A tipster informed us that the landlord sought a larger rent increase than the owners could afford and that they hoped to relocate to a different location.

There is a sign on the door that says, "For all deliveries, please talk to Johnny, the socks guy next door." 

So I went next door and spoke to Johnny, the socks guy, who confirmed the permanent closure.

Dua Kafe opened here in 2018, offering a touch of homespun warmth amidst the impersonal chill of the EVGB retail-residential complex that flanks both sides of the address.

Meanwhile, closer to Avenue B, Amara Coffee closed several weeks ago...

From an Instagram post from April 7: 

Thank you to each and everyone who came and supported us on our journey. We met incredible people who supported us and cheered for us. Sadly, we encountered difficulties and decided to close our doors. 

The coffee shop, which debuted last May, also offered pastries and sandwiches and showcased the work of local artists.

The space was previously Perk Espresso & Coffee Bar. 

The Alchemist’s Kitchen is opening an outpost on the Bowery

The Alchemist’s Kitchen, the holistic café and shop on Crosby Street, is opening a kiosk inside the Bowery Market. 

Per the signage, this outpost will feature botanical coffees, teas and "seasonal state-changing elixirs that combine scientific crafting with indigenous wisdom."

This corner stall was previously home to Current Coffee, which moved on at the end of March; they are now in a larger space in Midtown.

Seasoned Vegan Real Quick has closed on 2nd Avenue

Photo by William Klayer 

After nearly 20 months in business, Seasoned Vegan Real Quick closed after service on Tuesday at 128 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

Per an Instagram post announcing the closure: 

Chef B poured her heart into every plate, every smile, every moment — and today, she shares her deepest gratitude with you all. Thank you for standing with us, for believing in us, for every dollar you donated, and for showing SO much love 💜💚 This is not the end. It’s the beginning of something even greater. We love you. Stay tuned for all updates… 

The restaurant was a new vegan concept from mother-and-son restaurateurs Brenda "Chef B" Beener and Aaron Beener, who closed their Harlem restaurant, Seasoned Vegan, in the spring of 2023 after nine years in service. According to a restaurant representative, they decided to relaunch as a quick-service takeout and delivery option, offering a few of their most popular dishes as sandwiches. 

Seasoned Vegan Real Quick had its share of fans. Unfortunately, this has been a tough spot to make work in recent years. Tony's Pizza, Nolita Pizza and Kati Roll Company have been the post-Stage tenants. The Stage, the 35-year-old lunch counter, closed in March 2016 following an ongoing legal/eviction battle with landlord Icon Realty.