Thursday Kitchen is cafe by day with Korean tapas at night

Thursday Kitchen, the Korean tapas bar, is in soft-open mode now at 424 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

In the evening, Thursday Kitchen is serving a menu featuring various small-plate options...


[Photo by William Klayer]

... and during the day, they are serving reasonably priced coffee (iced or regular coffee is listed for a $1)...



They are also advertising free wi-fi during the day.

King Bee, the previous restaurant here, bowed out last month.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Thursday Kitchen will serve Korean tapas on East 9th Street

Thursday Kitchen will serve Korean tapas on East 9th Street

A few more details have emerged about the restaurant taking over the former King Bee space at 424 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue... the space will be called Thursday Kitchen, and serve Korean tapas, according to workers...



Thursday Kitchen is expecting to open in two more weeks.

As previously noted, a variety of concepts have come and gone in the space in recent years... including King Bee (Acadian cuisine), Exchange Alley (New Orleans-inspired fare), Olivia (Mediterranean), Sintir (Moroccan) and Zi' Pep (Italian).

Thanks to William Klayer for the photos and Steven for the initial tip.

Cocktail specialist Eben Klemm opening King Bee in the former Exchange Alley space

The other day, we wondered if 424 E. Ninth St., where Exchange Alley just closed, was a doomed location.

After all, Exchange Alley, which opened in August 2012, was the latest to give this space a try between Avenue A and First Avenue … where Olivia, Sintir and Zi' Pep all closed in fairly quick succession.

However, there's a already a new suitor lined up to try the space… a sign out front notes that a restaurant by the name of King Bee will appear before next month's CB3/SLA committee for a wine-liquor license... and the applicant is noted mixologist Eben Klemm, the former MIT molecular biologist who created the "aperitif-driven cocktail program" at Pearl & Ash on the Bowery, among may other bars and restaurants.

Exchange Alley latest restaurant to give 424 E. Ninth St. a go

[Image via Gothamist]

In the past few years, 424 E. Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue has proven to be tough sell for restaurants, where we've seen Olivia, Sintir and Zi' Pep close in fairly quick succession ...

The New Orleans-themed Exchange Alley will give it a go starting tonight ... chef Paul Gerard, a Brooklyn native who spent his salad days in New Orleans, has spent time at Sweetwater in Williamsburg ... and more recently at Soho House and the Soho Grand Hotel... His partner is Billy Gilroy, founder of Employees Only, the "it-speakeasy," according to one account of the place... You can read more about Exchange Alley at Grub Street ... Gothamist ... and Vogue ... their menu is here.

Meatballs coming to East Ninth Street

Two restaurants have quickly come and gone here at 424 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue ... (Olivia and Sintir.)

Now, a new tenant is taking over the space...

...and they provided a sneak preview Saturday during the block party. Zi Pep's Italian Sorry — we had the wrong name. It's Zi' Pep's Italian.

[Photo by Shawn Chittle]

Speaking of meatballs... a quick look at the Destino-backed Meatball Factory coming to the former Pizza Hut-Nathan's-Arthur Treacher's combo on the northwest corner of 14th Street and Second Avenue ...