A long-hidden room at Katz's is now open to the public again

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Those rumors about a new dining room at Katz's turned out to be true. 

The deli on the corner of Houston and Ludlow has unveiled "The Ludlow Room," a restored 68-seat dining room with waiter service that had been closed off since 1949, when the space was converted into a walk-in refrigerator during the postwar boom years for pastrami, corned beef and brisket. 

According to Katz's, several original details remain intact, including the tiled floors, foil ceilings and a freight scale that has weighed every pound of meat served there since 1949 (and apparently too heavy to move). 

The space will also be used for private events. 

Here's a look from yesterday afternoon, featuring archival photos of the deli and some history of the business, which first opened in 1888 across the street from its current home ...

... the scale...

... and fifth-generation owner Jake Dell...

Here's a look at the main dining room...

Openings: Sanwits on 1st Avenue

Image via @sanwits.nyc

The East Village now has another sandwich option. 

Sanwits, a Filipino sandwich shop from the team behind Naks, debuted last Friday at 149 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street. 

The new restaurant comes from Unapologetic Foods — the hospitality group behind Semma and Dhamaka, among others — and is led by Chef Eric Valdez of Naks, the Filipino restaurant located two-plus blocks north on First Avenue. 

The menu features six sandwiches, including the Lechon Dip with pork asado, grilled pineapple relish and pork jus on a hero roll; the Chicken Bagoong with fried chicken and roasted eggplant aioli on a brioche bun; and the Ribeye Caldereta with spicy beef stew sauce, peppers and onions. 

Find the menu here. Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 4-10 p.m.

We first reported on the arrival of Sanwits here. The business takes over the space from another Unapologetic Foods brand — Rowdy Rooster.

Openings: Sono on 1st Avenue

Photos by William Klayer

Sono, a Korean-Italian trattoria, debuted this past week at 176 First Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street. 

The restaurant comes from Chef Sechul Yang, whose résumé includes stints at Gramercy Tavern, Oiji Mi,  and DDOBAR. 

According to published reports (Time Out, Eater), Yang aims to create a modern trattoria that blends Italian technique with Korean flavors without leaning into gimmicks. The menu features handmade pasta alongside fermented sauces, pickled vegetables and other Korean-inspired ingredients drawn from Yang's upbringing. 

Hours are 5:30-11 p.m. on weekdays and until midnight on weekends. 

Sono takes over this space from Black Seed Bagels, which departed in April 2025 after 10-plus years here. 

The storefront was previously DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffè, which had operated for 110 years until December 2014. 

Black Seed kept as many of the former business's interior architectural elements as possible, including the tiled floors and ceiling... though those elements seem to be gone now...

Signage alert: Fleur De CJ

Photos by Stacie Joy

A new flower shop is blooming on the southwest corner of 13th Street and Avenue A.

Fleur De CJ, a mother-and-son-owned business, is now in soft-opening mode at 446 E. 13th St., with new signage arriving on the corner on Tuesday...

Wednesday's parting incoming storm shots

From 14th Street and Avenue B (above) by Cecil Scheib... and from First Avenue and Fifth Street via EVG...

Noted

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Seen outside the new Sephora on the NE corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark's Place (it's written in chalk, so the message will likely be washed away during the expected thunderstorms this evening)...

Arturo Vega exhibit extended at Howl!

You now have more time to check out the current exhibition at Howl! Happening — "Arturo Vega: the merch master" ... the show has been extended several weeks through June 14, after drawing plenty of attention and visitors.

The show, which opened on April 9, explores the work and legacy of the late Arturo Vega, the longtime creative force behind the Ramones' visual identity. 

Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Howl! Happening is at 6 E. First St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. 

Meanwhile, Howl! will also host a free screening tomorrow night of "A Certain Ratio — Live at Hurrah, Sept. 12, 1980," a 45-minute live club film by Merrill Aldighieri featuring discussions with band member Martin Moscrop. 

Doors open at 6 p.m., with the film starting at 7 p.m. Aldighieri will introduce the screening, while her silent animation loop, Wallflowers, will play beforehand. 

And because no one asked, our favorite piece here is this painting that Vega commissioned from Richard Hambleton in 2004...

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• At the opening night of 'Arturo Vega: the merch master'

P.S.

Because no one asked again, our fave A Certain Ratio is here.

Rosa Deli & Grocery has closed on Avenue D

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy 

A popular decades-spanning family-owned business on Avenue D has closed. 

Several readers told us that Rosa Deli & Grocery shut down over the weekend on the northwest corner of Avenue D and Sixth Street. 

The shop was known for its busy grill counter ... and as one of the increasingly rare places where you could still get an egg-and-cheese on a bagel and a coffee for about $6. 

A neighborhood resident told us the rent increased, and owner Juan could no longer afford the space.

"Nice guy, been here forever," the neighbor said. "Just closed up. Been like that for three days now."

Custom-fit t-shirts and coffee are coming to 316 Bowery

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Several readers have asked recently about the under-renovation retail space at 316 Bowery at Bleecker Street — the former home of the bespoke J.Crew men's shop, which closed in early 2024. 

Now there's some movement. The freshly painted storefront and cleaned-up windows offer the first clues: The space will soon house ATANY, a made-to-order T-shirt shop where customers can be measured in-store and have shirts tailored while they wait.

The concept centers on custom-fit tees in a variety of materials, fits and styles, with black and white serving as the initial color options. 

According to the owners, the idea grew in part from conversations around men's body image and the challenge of finding properly fitting t-shirts off the rack. 

While the focus is on men's tees, the shop says anyone can order from the custom sizing program. Freemans will oversee the coffee service, allowing customers to grab a drink while their shirts are being made. Measurements will also be saved for future reorders or sizing adjustments.

A friends-and-family trial is expected soon, with a public opening planned in the next few weeks. 

And for those worried about the Shepard Fairey Bad Brains mural on the building: The owners said it's staying put — and that they fought to preserve it.

Tuesday's parting shot

From Second Street and the Bowery — aka Joey Ramone Place.

Remembering Joey Ramone, the lead singer of the Ramones, on his birthday.

May 19, 1949 — April 15, 2001

News from other sources: Can apartment renovations count as 'demolition’?

Demolition isn’t so clear cut under New York’s Good Cause legislation.

The gray area is one of the few reasons a landlord can evict rent-paying tenants in unregulated apartments under the 2024 tenant protections law. https://t.co/z0N1acgjZw

— THE CITY (@THECITYNY) May 13, 2026

An article from last week that we wanted to share... 

Three East Village tenants are at the center of a new legal fight that could help shape how New York’s Good Cause Eviction law is interpreted in housing court. 

As reported by THE CITY, landlords are increasingly citing "demolition" as a reason not to renew leases under the state's relatively new Good Cause protections — even when buildings themselves are not actually slated to come down. 

The article focuses in part on three East Village residents who are challenging whether gut renovations of individual apartments qualify as "demolition" under the law. Their cases could help determine how broadly landlords can use that exemption moving forward. Under the Good Cause Eviction law, which took effect in April 2024, many market-rate tenants gained new protections against eviction and excessive rent increases. 

However, landlords can still refuse lease renewals under certain conditions — including if they can show a good-faith plan to demolish a housing accommodation. The problem: the law never clearly defines whether "demolition" means tearing down an entire building or substantially renovating individual units. 

As THE CITY notes, housing court judges are now beginning to weigh in, with tenants arguing some landlords are using renovation plans as a workaround to sidestep Good Cause protections. 

Read the full article here.

The growth of the sunflowers

Text by Donald Davis

Photos by Kelley Ryan and Donald Davis

A perennial is a plant that returns every year using the previous year's root structure, such as the crocuses (above) and daffodils in Tompkins Square Park. 

Annuals, on the other hand, live and die their entire life cycle in a single year. They need annual planting, such as a field of corn, in which humans are involved. Nature, in its vastness, does quite well on its own. Some plants, like the sunflowers at Asser Levy School on First Avenue at 11th Street, work with their humans. 

This is what happened: The gardeners at the school practice regenerative horticulture and do not gather plants after they die. The soil at the surface and below is left undisturbed. In commercial agriculture, this is called no-till. 

The tree plot pictured below at 97 St. Mark's Place, between Avenue A and First Avenue, uses regenerative, healthy soil techniques (among the many plant species at 97 are sunflowers grown from seeds planted by people). Please note that in both situations, good fencing is a key element in the health of the plants and soil.

Last summer, a group of sunflowers grew tall right up next to the school building, where they should not have been. One can only guess how the seeds ended up there, perhaps by following a stream of water in heavy rain.

Text by Donald Davis

Photos by This proximity to the bricks created an angled, off-balance situation for the plants. Regardless of how unnatural the setting, the brave plants managed to grow and bud flowers, eventually attaining near full head size, which was their ultimate tragedy. 

In August, the weight of the heads pulled the plants away from the building to the ground. The sunflower heads, which had kissed the ground, were allowed to remain in that position through the fall and winter. What looks like an animal carcass in the photo is actually a decomposed sunflower head.

Part of the weathering process was the loosening of the black seeds, which began to germinate at or just below the soil surface. 

This spring, nature took over splendidly. You now have many sunflowers in the immediate vicinity where the heads fell, the start of a new generation of sunflowers from the wreckage of 2025.

The old plant structures are returning to the soil; their genetic line continues.

3 tiny hawklets, 1 busy nest in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Mark Hado

Amelia and Charlie, the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, welcomed three bouncy baby fuzzballs to the nest this late last month, Per Goggla. 

Here's a look from last week (it's tough to get all three in a shot)...

As in past summers, the hawklets won’t stay tiny for long — by mid-June, they’ll be awkwardly oversized teenagers testing out their wings, hunting skills and camera-ready poses. 

Visit Goggla's site for more on our local hawks ... and other NYC bird sightings. 

Previously: RIP Christo

You have a few more weeks to see the Keith Haring exhibit at the Brant Foundation

Photos by Stacie Joy 

UPDATE: Tickets are free on May 27 from 2-6 p.m. Walk-ins welcome.

-----

The Brant Foundation's exhibition dedicated to Keith Haring continues through May 31. 

The show focuses on Haring's formative years from 1980 to 1983, tracing his rise from subway drawings in New York City to wider recognition in the art world. It opened on March 11 at the Brant Foundation's EV home at 421 E. Sixth St., between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

Here's a selection of the work on display...

Tickets are are $20, though $15 for East Village residents. (Kids 12 and under are free.) 

There are also two time slots with 50%-off tickets:

• Every Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. 

• Every Thursday from 2-6 p.m. 

Find tickets here. The Foundation is open Wednesday through Sunday.

Somtum Der to close on Avenue A on May 31

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

After nearly 13 years on Avenue A, Somtum Der is closing. 

The Michelin-recognized Isan-style Thai restaurant will serve its final meals on May 31. 

We were told the owners are planning to move back to Thailand, though it's unclear whether that is directly tied to the closure.

In the meantime, the restaurant at 85 Avenue A between Fifth Street and Sixth Street is operating with a limited menu — meaning no noodle dishes for now, including favorites like pad thai and pad see ew.

Somtum Der opened here in 2013, bringing northeastern Thai cuisine to the East Village. 

They will be missed.

The 3rd Avenue outpost of the Bean has closed

Photos by Stacie Joy 

H/T William Klayer 

Several EVG readers were surprised to find the Third Avenue outpost of the Bean closed for good this past Friday morning. 

Closure notices directed patrons to visit the Bean locations on Second Avenue and Third Street, or on Broadway and Ninth Street. 

There was also an equipment auction here on Saturday...

This branch at 31 Third Ave. at Stuyvesant Street opened in September 2017... taking over the space from St. Mark's Bookshop, which moved out in 2014 after struggling to stay in business here. 

At one point, the coffee shop/cafe had five NYC locations.